Now, two years later?
There was a chance we’d have to fight soon. Not just fight—but protect.
And that thought alone had me pushing them harder than usual.
“I saidagain!”
The men were still out of breath, but they did as they were told, sprinting back onto the field. It was my job to make sure they were prepared for what came next. Whatever that may be.
“Everything okay?” Xavier, my second, pulled out of the crowd and approached me. “You seem tense. And by tense, I mean pissed off.”
If he were anyone else, I would have snapped. My men knew better than to fall out of formation or ignore my orders. But Xavier was a damn god when it came to war prep and fighting tactics. Without him, I would have been half the commander I’d become.
So I let it slide.
“I’m fine,” I forced out, keeping my attention fixed on my soldiers. “Just preparing.”
Xavier put both hands on his hips and eyed me carefully. Sweat dampened his shirt, even in the cool, dewy morning. That careful expression turned into a smirk. “Preparing for what, exactly? You have information you’d like to share?”
“No.” I replied too quickly. “It’s time to push you all to your fullest potential. That’s all.”
He let out a scoff and dropped his arms. “Right. It’s been over a week since the last feast, and we’ve gotta make it another two days until the next. They’ll be exhausted by then. Maybe we should cut them some slack. Not everyone can be as strong as you are all the time,angel.”
Fuck.As frustrating as he could be at times, this was one of the reasons he was my second. He reminded me of this kind of shit. These soldiers were almost all vampyres. Their needs differed from mine greatly.
Wolf and Huntyr hosted feasts regularly. The occasions included hunting for fresh game so the vampyres could fuel themselves with blood when they needed to.
With the possibility of battle on my mind, I completely forgot how long it had been since they’d last fed.
I cursed under my breath.
“That’s enough!” I called out.
The men all groaned in relief, most sagging, a few stumbling to the ground.
“Take a break. Be back here in ten.” I turned away from the grassy field and strode toward the streets of Scarlata.
Xavier was tight on my heel. “You sure everything’s okay? You can talk to me, you know. I’m here to help you, not just bark orders at your men from time to time.”
Mind spinning, I picked up the pace. “We need to talk to Wolf. Now.”
“We?” he repeated, now at my side. “As in, you and me?”
I side-eyed him. “You want to be involved? You really want to help? Then you should know. The eastern kingdoms have formally requested assistance from Scarlata Empire. We could move out any day now.”
He didn’t even stumble. “That’s good news, right? We’ve known about the eastern conflicts for months now.” Frowning, he studied me, still keeping pace. “Why do you seem bothered by it?”
I inhaled sharply and let the breath out in a slow stream. “I’m bothered, because Wolf and Huntyr haven’t fully committed to sending us there. They want us to stay right here, where we can be of absolutely no help to anybody.”
Hands fisted at my sides, I continued.
“I’ve spent two years preparing these men. You know just as well as I do that they’re ready for a fight.”
“Damn straight they are. The eastern kingdoms would kneel at the sight of us marching over there.”
“Exactly.”
“So, what? You’re going to demand that Wolf let us go?”
