Page 31 of Shadow

The Shadow Warriors understood what we faced against the hellhounds. Working with humans was possibly our only chance to avoid extinction. Killing her would destroy the fragile, possible alliance that even if made we wouldn’t be able to trust.

“I guess you just plan on being rude—” Marinah stopped, her voice trailing off as her expression shifted. Whatever she saw in my face, or thought she saw, stopped her short. She might not have sensed the energy rolling through the room, but she could feel the rising heat if she paid attention.

“Don’t move,” I ordered as she took a hesitant step back.

Beast growled again, the sound vibrating through me. The internal war was excruciating, shredding me from the inside out as Beast refused to yield. My vision darkened, red bleeding in at the edges. Marinah Church was a threat. Beast was certain of it. She had to be eliminated.

“King,” Beck’s voice came from behind me, low but loaded with meaning. He knew I was on the brink.

“I’ve got this,” I ground out through clenched teeth, even as doubt clawed at my insides.

“Marinah, step around him slowly. No sudden movements,” Beck said calmly.

“No.” The word tore from my throat, a guttural growl laced with Beast’s fury. Marinah halted mid-step, freezing in place. It was the only thing that saved her.

Beast bellowed within me, and I felt the sickening crack of bones as his will surged forward. Rage flooded my veins, carrying more Kedorine 5, heightening the transformation. I had never pulled Beast back from this point before, but I knew I had to now.

Pain slammed into me, nearly driving me to my knees. The red haze thickened until only a narrow sliver of clarity remained, centered on Marinah. The pressure built, Beast’s presence forcing my human body to the brink of submission.

“No!” The word exploded from me, echoing through the room.

The bones cracked again, the agony almost blinding as I pushed back, trying to shove Beast down with everything I had. Every shred of control I’d built over the years was put to the test.

“No.” The word was quieter this time.

“What’s happening?” Marinah asked, her voice cutting through the storm inside me.

“Don’t move,” Beck ordered, his tone as grumbly as usual.

Their voices pierced my skull, amplifying the internal fight inside me, and Beast gained another inch of control. Pain exploded through my body as I forced my bones to reknit, the surge of K-5 to recede, and my vision to clear. It was a brutal fight, each second stretching into eternity.

Slowly, the agony ebbed, and my human side regained ground. Beast growled his frustration one last time before grudgingly retreating.

The struggle left me shaken. Even as a teenager, wrangling Beast had never been this relentless.

Finally, I drew a steady breath, my human thoughts in control once more. “See her back to her room,” I ordered.

Beck nodded quickly, stepping out of my path. I didn’t glance back. Distance was the only solution right now. I needed space between me and the woman who challenged Beast in ways I couldn’t understand.

Marinah was dangerous, and the animal knew it.

I couldn’t help wondering if everything she’d said was a lie. Even her clumsiness seemed suspect.

I strode to the larger gym where the men trained. This wasn’t about exercise. I needed destruction. Two warriors glanced up as I entered, and their expressions turned wary. They wisely left without a word, disappearing as quickly as Boot had earlier.

Grabbing a stack of five-hundred-pound barbells, I hurled them across the room with a force that rattled the walls. The metal stand they had rested on followed, crumpling under my grip. A treadmill was next, reduced to a twisted heap in seconds. Each piece of equipment met the same fate until there was almost nothing left to throw or smash. The rage coursing through me demanded more, and I seized a barbell bar, bending it nearly in half.

I didn’t know how long the rampage lasted, but eventually, Beck’s voice sliced through the haze.

“You’re losing control, King. Maybe you need a break.”

“Fuck you,” I snapped, my chest heaving as exhaustion finally caught up with me.

Drained, I staggered to the nearest wall, turned, and slid down until I was sitting on the floor. My hand drifted to the scar on my cheek, a habitual gesture that grounded me. The flood of melatonin in my system began to counteract the remnants of K-5, dragging me toward a welcome post-shift lethargy.

The lazy heaviness felt like a reprieve. Sleep tugged at the edges of my mind, but I pushed it back. I didn’t have time for it right now.

Beck approached cautiously. “How bad is it?” he asked carefully.

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