Page 83 of Princess

“When they leave, will you go with them?”

He shook his head.“My mate wishes to stay here, and I will stay with her.Our children will be raised here.My original country has a lot of changes to go through.The island is more settled, and I’m ready to sit in the sun and watch my children play on the beach.My family’s home is here.”

“You think you’ll have time to sit on the beach?”

“I plan to make the time.I’d like to work on the island’s security team, and hopefully that will work out.I also like agriculture, so my options are wide open.”He winked at me.

I liked him.He would be good at both jobs, and I wanted him and Mary to stay.

“We need you,” I said.

“Thank you.I’m glad you feel that way.”He looked away for a moment before turning back.“I am here to assist you.The Warriors will follow you without hesitation, but use us wisely.We are mostly immune to hellhound bites and scratches.We are your best defense.”

“I thank you.They will send the hounds in first.”

“I agree.We should be on your front line.”

I nodded and looked back down at the map and gestured away from the citadel tunnels.“They’ll send in hounds at the shipyard, too.Those will head to the southern tunnels.”

“I would wait until the main force of hellhounds is in position and blow the entire shipyard out of the water.Then I would place a large group of archers with incendiary arrows here,” he pointed to the map at an area about a half-mile from the shipyard.

“Why not closer?”I asked.

Caleb smiled.“The hounds could be led by Knet.They will survive the main blast.”He pointed again.“There are miles of road.They’ll expect an assault closer to the first village.You want to keep them on their toes.”

“I like the plan,” I told him.“What if we add a few surprises?”I explained what I was thinking.

“That devious brain of yours will keep you out of trouble.”

I laughed; thankful I had Cabel by my side.

We continued to discuss the preparations for another hour and then went our separate ways to put the plan into action.Word came that Nokita and his planes took out an enemy ship, and our sub took out another.I also learned that our sub was destroyed, and the Federation sub was unaccounted for.Many of my friends and family had died during the first hellhound war.But this loss felt different.I had trained those men, and part of me felt I should have died with them.The ships were on their way, and we had at most forty-eight hours to finish our preparations.There was no time to grieve.That would come later.

I stood behind a line of Warriors at the bay two days later.The gentle lapping of waves seemed to hold its breath as hellhounds emerged from the ocean.An explosion rent the air when one of the water mines detonated.It was followed by another.The hellhounds would clear the way for the soldiers, but we were ready.

Two enemy ships had appeared at Warrior Bay when the sun came up.That meant one was at the shipyard.From their hulls, small landing craft held Federation soldiers who waited for the hounds to do their damage.I lifted the binoculars, looking for the submarine, but didn’t see it.I also searched for Knet.I despised the man.He was truly the monster who betrayed the island.

The first hellhounds out of the water started their slow lope toward us.

“We’ve got this,” Caleb said and smiled at me, his large teeth glinting in the early light.

“I will message Beck’s mate and let her know the attack has started,” I said.“My men are ready behind the wall.”

The Warriors had shifted an hour before, and the first group met the hounds on the sand.I trusted them to stop as many as possible.We were prepared at the citadel and the surrounding buildings for those who made it through.Once the Warriors were behind our walled barriers, we would kill hounds and soldiers with our artillery.If any survived, we would kill them with our bare hands, if needed.

Thirty minutes later, the first Warriors ran inside the walls.The others followed in quick intervals.The giant gates closed behind them, and I gave the command, “Fire.”

A volley of bullets released from both sides of a long, narrow alley that led to the gate we’d built after the last assault.Federation soldiers were caught in the crossfire and fell.When they went down, hellhounds that had survived pounced on them.Those men used whistles and I wondered if the frequency was somehow modified.If not, we’d been fooled.

The Warriors took up positions on the wall.A few minutes later, a large explosion rang out, and the gates were blown off their hinges.Warriors jumped into the fight, and the battle devolved into a brutal dance.The Warriors’ speed and strength gave them an edge, but with the close-quarter combat, it was hard to tell who was winning.

“Engage,” I yelled at my human army.

With swords and guns, men and women followed the Warriors into battle.

I struck down the first soldier who came within range.Around me, there was a whirlwind of fur, muscle, and razor-sharp teeth and claws.Most were Warriors.Loud roars echoed in my ears, along with gunshots and metal striking metal and flesh.Men went down around me.Some were ours.A hellhound charged me, and I jumped back to evade its claws.A Warrior landed on it and ripped the head from its body.It was Caleb, and he was grinning; blood dripping off his jaws.

As the sun broke over the horizon, the dead lay at our feet while Shadow Warriors and islanders looked around for more to kill.

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