Page 28 of Warrior

Marinah was in my bed, my arms wrapped around her, with one of her legs thrown over mine and a pillow covering her head.The small fingers of her right hand rested possessively on my chest, and it had been like this for hours.Every time I moved, she adjusted, using me as her personal pillow, realigning herself for maximum comfort.

It was late, or maybe early, depending on how you looked at it.Somewhere around three in the morning.

“Marinah,” I whispered.

Her soft grumble made me smile.

“I want to go hunting.”

Her relaxed body went rigid.

“For hellhounds?”she asked, her voice muffled from beneath the pillow.

I tugged it away, revealing the mass of hair covering her face.Pushing the strands back, I kissed her nose.

“For hellhounds.”

She shot out of bed and shifted into beast form before I could remind her to put her pants on first.Her claws, which she still hadn’t fully mastered, would shred her legs.

“Damn claws,” she growled.

I laughed as I got out of bed to help.I dressed her while she bounced on her tiptoes with nervous energy, unable to contain her excitement.Unlike male Shadow Warriors, her mind worked perfectly after she shifted, without needing time to burn off K5.I hadn’t spoken to her about it, but what she could do wasn’t just rare.Until her, it had been nonexistent to us.

“Remember, don’t let them bite or scratch you.”I tightened her leather straps and secured the sword she’d been practicing with.“Use your sword and keep clear of claws and teeth.”

“You’re sure we’ll find hellhounds?”she asked excitedly.

“I’m sure.”

I shifted into Beast, and we headed out.We moved to the water’s edge and ran south, farther away from the village.An hour later, we reached an uninhabited area where Beck’s reports detailed recent hellhound sightings and their migration patterns.

So far, all we’d discovered about their habits was that they entered the water and disappeared.The theory that they were committing mass suicide seemed too good to be true.Deep down, I knew there was something else going on, something we didn’t yet understand.

Beast settled into the rhythm of the run, and my mind slowly cleared.

I caught movement ahead and nudged Marinah with my elbow, pointing toward the area.Her snout stretched, and her teeth gleamed, a feral grin that showed just how much she’d changed.It wasn’t just her body that had transformed.Her entire psyche was different.

Fear was no longer a language she understood.

It terrified me, and it was one of the reasons I’d held off hunting.But she had to learn some time, and tonight, I could deny her nothing.

Two hellhounds loomed ahead, both large and heading toward the water.

“Remember, stay clear of claws and teeth,” I reminded her.The antidote was secured in a small case on my belt, but I’d rather not have to use it.

“This will be fun,” she replied with a grin, unable to contain her excitement.

Then, without waiting for me, she took off at full tilt, cutting off the hellhounds from their destination.Her sword gleamed as she positioned herself perfectly between them and the water.

She didn’t hesitate.With a high arc, she aimed her blade at the first hound, clearly intending to remove its head.But the thing turned at the last second, taking a deep slice to the shoulder instead.I moved to intercept the second hound before it could charge her.

I’d been drilling Marinah on patience, waiting for the perfect moment to strike at the throat.In her excitement, she’d clearly forgotten everything, but it didn’t stop her fun.

Her laughter echoed through the night, making me shake my head as the hound and I circled each other.

This was another mystery about the hellhounds we’d been encountering lately.Their fighting strategies were evolving.The one facing me was watching my blade, calculating my movements, waiting for the right moment just as I was.

“Yes!”Marinah shouted behind me, her triumph unmistakable.

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