The trip back to town took longer than expected. Traveling without sleep was something he was familiar with thanks to the military, and his heightened night vision helped, but he was still forced to move slower than he’d have liked.
Then there was the problem of the closed gates.
Blaide sat in the clearing surrounding the town until people began to stir and the gates finally opened to let out the ones going to forage. He received a few raised brows as he slipped inside but ignored them as he headed for the shop he frequented.
“There’s an attack coming. We need to warn everyone and get those who can’t defend themselves evacuated to the city.”
The shop keep’s eyes widened as the words fell from Blaide’s lips, but he didn’t make a move to do anything. Growling in frustration, Blaide took a step closer until the sharp stench of sudden fear reached him. Swallowing his irritation, he forced himself to take a deep breath and stop the growl.
“The message you gave me yesterday was from a friend in the armada. Enemy warships are in route to Jun’gale, but the military isn’t going to move until an attack is confirmed. We need to get people to safety before it’s too late.”
The shop keep’s fear disappeared in the confusion clear on his face.
“Why haven’t we received word from the military then?”
Blaide ran a hand down his face, searching through the things he’d like to say to find the least offensive. Calling the Commander an incompetent moron wouldn’t help.
“They can’t move until they’re sure the Krantor are attacking. There’s a slight possibility that they may pass by Jun’gale, but we won’t know until they’re in the atmosphere, and by then it’ll be too late to evacuate safely.”
“But wouldn’t the city be the first place attacked? We’ll be safer out here.”
Blaide’s teeth squeaked as his jaw clenched so hard he was sure he’d break a molar. He’d never been the diplomatic one in their unit, preferring to cut to the chase and leave Ursuli to handle anyone who needed convincing. Without his squad mates, he had to figure out how to persuade people to listen on his own.
“The city has defenses and guards, as well as being the only place on the planet with docking capabilities for some of the larger ships. They’ll send down smaller vessels to drop troops in the forest and subdue the locals before moving to surround the city. They’ve used the tactic before, and it’s not pretty for those in the way of their goals. We’re expendable.”
It took more arguing before Blaide finally convinced the man to point him toward the people in charge of the small town and spread the word to anyone he saw. By the time Blaide repeated his news and arguments, the sun was high in the sky and desperation crawled up his spine. The enemy could be on the ground in a matter of hours, yet people were moving as if his warning wasn’t serious.
Clamping down on the urge to shout orders at everyone, he held his tongue as the residents of the town were collected and informed of what was happening. A flare of hope lit in his chest until he noticed the blank stares and disbelief on the faces around him, and he couldn’t stop the groan that left his throat.
The only thing that stopped the rising arguments was the shop keeper running through the crowd. Spotting Blaide, he thrust a sheet of paper at him as the man panted for breath.
Attention:
Attack imminent on the planet Jun’gale. A blockade around Mesi will be put in place at dawn. All residents seeking to shelter within the city walls must arrive before dawn or risk being turned away when capacity is reached. Transports leaving the surface will end when enemy ships are spotted.
Holding back his own reaction, Blaide passed the note to the group who claimed to lead the town, unable to ignore the inappropriate spark of satisfaction as their fear filled the air around him. When they did nothing more than stare at each other, he could no longer resist the need to take control.
“I’m leaving for the city in an hour. Anyone who is able and willing may accompany me. If you cannot make the trip or refuse to leave, stock up on food and water, board your windows, prepare to hunker down for at least a week. Keep the gates closed and don’t open them unless you know it’s our troops on the other side. Keep quiet and try not to create smoke or anything that will draw attention to you.”
Voices rose, shouting questions he had no time to answer. He’d only given the ones who wanted to accompany him an hour to prepare because the city was even further than the town was to his den. He knew he couldn’t push them to his pace, and he’d need the entire night to get them through before the blockade was in place.
“Anyone leaving with me, bring food and water for the trip but don’t weigh yourself down. We’ll be traveling through the night, so if you can’t make it, don’t come.”
He knew he sounded harsh, but they were in a survival situation and his training had kicked in.
Turning to the shop keeper still standing by his side, he got the man’s attention.
“I need a place to rest for the next hour.”
The smaller male stared up at him for a moment before giving a sharp nod and turning to lead him back to the shop. Directing him up a narrow set of stairs in the back, the man offered his own bed, assuring Blaide no one would bother him until he emerged.
Stepping out of the building an hour later, the sight that met him caused him to pause. Warships couldn’t pass through the atmosphere, but their size assured they could still be seen from the ground. Turning a circle, he spotted two, hovering in preparation for their attack.
A little less surprising, there was only a handful of people waiting for him to lead them away. He hadn’t expected many to take the offer, and he had to swallow the need to try to convince more to come. He could only help those that wanted aid, and even the few willing to make the trip were going to be a challenge as two carried little ones in their arms.
Making eye contact with each of the people looking to him, he assessed their chances of making it to the city by dawn.
“It’s going to be a hard walk, but you have to keep up. You can look up and see what will be following us in a few hours. If you fall behind, I can’t risk the others to stop for you.”
He got nods from each, though worried looks passed across many faces. Stepping over to the pair holding their children, he pasted on his most relaxed grin as tiny faces tipped back to watch him.
“Find some long cloth and strap them to you. It’ll balance their weight better and free your hands.”
The male looked confused, but the woman nodded, immediately turning to dash toward a modest home near the gate. He gave her time to return and helped get the children safely tucked into place before looking over the group again.
“If you fall behind, follow the dark moon. When it disappears, the sun should rise behind you.”
It had taken a little while for him to get used to a planet with three moons, but they were convenient when moving at night since they all headed in different directions. He could tell which way he faced and the time by where they were in the sky, and it had helped him more than once as he explored.
Pushing away his worries, he led his little group out, watching the gates close behind them, the sound of the bar dropping into place echoing through the space beneath the trees.
***
Blaide had thought the trip from his den to the town had been too slow.
Even knowing he’d have to moderate his pace for civilians, the trek to the city took hours more than he’d expected. Despite his threats to leave them behind if they slowed, Blaide gave as many breaks as he could until the birds stirring in the treetops warned that their time was coming to an end, and he didn’t know how serious the city’s guard would be about stopping entrance after dawn.
Halfway through the trip he’d ended up taking the child from the woman and strapping it to his own body. Luckily the little one was so exhausted it snuggled into his chest without protest and promptly fell back asleep. When the chill of night began to lift, he took the other child as well and pushed the weary travelers as fast as they could go. It was strange to hold something so small and delicate, but he couldn’t stop a smile from crossing his face each time he looked down into wide, violet eyes watching him in silence.
The city walls appeared before them just as the sky began to lighten, a relieved sigh passing from every person in their little group. Their steps took on new life with the end in sight. Handing one child back to its father and relieving himself of the sling holding the other, Blaide moved to the front of the group and led them toward the barriers funneling a line of people through the gates.
The scent of milk and honey tickled his nose as they reached the entrance, causing him to raise his head and look around. Something about it called to him, causing his groin to tighten, but it wasn’t coming from anyone around him. Shaking off the sensation, he focused on getting through the final barrier.
They were met with little more than cursory glances, passing through into safety after their long night of travel. It was almost disappointing to walk into the city unchallenged after pushing so hard to make it in time. Still feeling responsible for his little group, Blaide waved them to a small open space behind the line of guards before approaching one of the men in uniform.
“Excuse me, could you tell me where we might find a place to rest and if there’s been any updates.”
The guard eyed him for a moment before looking at the group behind him. Grunting, the man raised his arm and pointed to a tall building not far from where they stood.
“Last I heard there were still rooms available there for anyone waiting on transport or staying in the city. I’m sure you saw the ships on the horizon, so they’re being cautious with takeoffs. We’ve lost touch with most of the outlying villages and outposts, and backup won’t arrive for at least two days.”
Giving the guard a nod of thanks, Blaide turned back to his ragtag group.
“Are you staying or moving on?” he asked, looking around at weary faces.
The group looked between themselves before the man carrying his child cleared his throat and spoke.
“We have family on Treag Prime. We’ll catch the next available transport.”
Blaide nodded. The transports would be packed full at this point, but with little ones he would have made the same decision. The Krantor rarely attacked refugees fleeing the planets they took, so leaving should still be safe. There was no way to know which group of soldiers would reach the city first, theirs or the enemies, and Blaide knew how dangerous the city would get if the attack went on for long.
Most of the others muttered the same plans, with only one of the group saying they planned to stay. Wishing his little group the best of luck once they assured him they were fine to get to the station alone, Blaide turned toward the building the guard had indicated and led the lone beta male who’d remained to the check-in kiosk.
As he waited for the man to finish his transaction and receive his room card, the same scent from the gate hit Blaide once again. A soft growl rolled from his chest before he could stop it, his body trying to respond to the call of instincts despite the weariness pulling at him from two days with no more than an hour of sleep.
Cutting off the sound when the beta turned startled eyes to him, Blaide cleared his throat and ran a hand through his ruff to settle the hair.
“Sorry. Tired,” was all he could manage as an excuse.
The man gave him a weak smile before saying his thanks and heading to the lift. Ignoring the throbbing trapped inside his pants, Blaide typed in his own information on the kiosk, taking the flimsy card that popped out once his payment was approved. Too impatient to wait for the elevator to return, he turned to the stairs, but almost changed his mind at the thought of climbing to the tenth floor after walking so far already.
Ignoring the protests of his body, he gritted his teeth and charged forward, refusing to acknowledge the twinges telling him he wasn’t familiar with that much exertion any longer. His lungs burned with the need to gulp for air by the time he reached his floor, but he held himself to slow, steady pulls of air.
Air once again filled with milk and honey.
The growl that left him then was deeper, the call of an alpha, and he cut it off with a curse. No one needed to be startled awake by his noise, much less people worried for their futures. Shaking his head, he held his breath until he found the room he’d been assigned and pushed inside.
It was barely large enough for the single bed wedged into the corner. A screen hung above the foot of the mattress, with a small closet space opposite beside a door leading to a tinier bathroom. Grunting, Blaide decided he didn’t care how small it was. Tossing his pack onto the floor of the closet, he dropped his body to the sheets, flopping back and falling asleep before he’d even kicked off his boots.