Chapter 4

Blaide

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 the landscape forced him 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 stirred and the gates finally opened to let out the ones going to forage. He received a few raised brows as he slipped inside, but he 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 into the city."

The shopkeeper's eyes widened as the words fell from Blaide's lips, but he didn't move. Growling in frustration, Blaide took a step closer until the sharp stench of 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 enroute to Jun'gale, but the military won't mobilize until they receive a direct attack. We need to get people to safety before it's too late."

The shopkeeper's fear lessened as confusion marred his brow.

"Why haven't they sounded the alarm, then?"

Blaide ran a hand down his face, searching through the things he'd like to say and settling on the least offensive. Calling the commander an incompetent moron wouldn't help.

"There's a slight possibility that the Krantor 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 he clenched his jaw 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 gathered and listened to what was happening. A flare of hope lit in his chest until he noticed the blank stares and disbelief on their faces. He couldn't help but groan as disappointment filled him.

The only thing that stopped the rising arguments was the shopkeeper running through the crowd. Spotting Blaide, he thrust a sheet of paper at him and panted for breath.

Attention:

Attack imminent on the planet Jun'gale. Mesi will blockade at dawn. All residents seeking shelter within the city walls must arrive before dawn. The gates will not reopen. Off-world transportation will cease when enemy ships arrive.

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 surrounding air. When they only stared 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 willing and able 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 only enough food and water for a night of travel. If you know you cannot make the distance, you'd be better off hunkering down here."

He knew he sounded harsh, but they were in a survival situation and his training had kicked in.

Turning to the shopkeeper, 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 they were so big he could see them from the ground with his naked eyes. Turning in a circle, he spotted two along the horizon, preparing to attack.

A little less surprising, there were 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 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. A mother and father each carried a youngling in their arms.

Making eye contact with those standing before him, he assessed their chances of making it to the city by dawn.

"It's going to be a hard walk, but you must keep up. See those warships?" He pointed to first one, then the other. "Soldiers will flood the surface of the planet 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 offered them his most assuring 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 ending, and he didn't know how serious the city's guard would be about stopping their entrance after dawn.

Halfway through the trip, he took the youngling from its mother and strapped it to his chest. Her feet dragged on the path. Luckily, the little one was so exhausted, it snuggled against his sternum without protest and promptly fell back asleep. When the chill of night lifted, 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 innocent, violet eyes as one watched him in silence.

The city walls appeared before them just as the sky lightened. A relieved sigh passed 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. His groin tightened, but the scent wafted away. Shaking off the sensation, he focused on getting through the gate.

The guards barely glanced at them as they passed 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 the nearest male in uniform.

"Excuse me, where can we rest? Are there 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 near 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. Despite how busy the transports were, he would've made the same decision if he had little ones to care for. 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 enemy's, 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 responding to his instincts despite the weariness pulling at him from only one hour of sleep in two days.

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 his own information into the kiosk, taking the flimsy card that popped out after he paid. Too impatient to wait for the elevator, 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 these people who were worried about their futures. Shaking his head, he held his breath until he found his assigned room 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.