Page 25 of Princess

I met his gaze.“I have no intention of separating those who want to stay together.”I gave them a nod of respect.“Thank you for your help.Will you assure the children that they are safe and we mean them no harm?”

The boy didn’t answer immediately.His eyes raked over me, as if weighing my sincerity.But before he spoke, the same girl who had answered my previous question replied.

“Yes, we will,” she said.

The four teens turned and walked toward the younger children.They had the discipline of soldiers, and the wariness of survivors.

I glanced at King.“They can fight.”

“I saw.”His voice was contemplative.“With a little extra training, we can use them.”A sardonic smile tugged at his lips.“Now, tell me, did this quench your thirst for hellhound blood, or are we still heading out tonight?”

I yawned, exhaustion tugging at my limbs.“It’ll take hours to settle the kids.I’ll wait to answer.”

I stole another glance at the teens.“They aren’t afraid of us.”

King shifted to human.“That’s an interesting turn of events.”

His tone was thoughtful.“The mayors were.”

I smirked.“I don’t think Carmen was afraid of us.She was worried the men with her would do something stupid, and she wouldn’t be able to fix it.”

King grunted.“Said every woman everywhere.”

I didn’t agree or disagree.Some things were just true.

The children were guided into vehicles, their small, weary faces barely visible through the windows.King and I took up guard duty, riding alongside the vehicles on motorbikes, our senses on overdrive in case of another attack.

I’d had constant arguments with Axel about riding a motorcycle.It was getting to the point where I needed to listen to him.My stomach felt almost too heavy as I bent low and moved with the bike.King wisely kept his mouth shut about my mode of transportation.This would be my last ride until the birth.I could live with it.

Baby safe, Ms.Beast said.

Yes, baby safe, I assured her.

The roads remained quiet, and we didn’t encounter additional hellhounds.

When we arrived at the citadel, the kids climbed out of the cars, disheveled and their movements sluggish from the long journey.Missy still carried the toddler.He was asleep in her arms.

We led them to the indoor training facility.It was large enough to hold them and had bathrooms.Long tables were set up in the corner with steaming trays of food for those hungry enough to eat.One of the older girls saw the food and led a group of the children toward the tables.Food overrode wariness.

Maria, the island woman who had lost her child, lingered near Missy, hovering, her hands clenched tightly together with an expression of longing.It was mixed with loss, and my heart physically hurt for her.I couldn’t help placing my hand on my belly for a few seconds.

It took about thirty minutes for the children to settle.Some sat with plates balanced on their laps, eating mechanically.Others cradled plastic cups filled with water, staring blankly, unsure of what came next.

Axel examined me, his usual tight-lipped expression on full display as he cleaned my wounds with antiseptic.It burned like holy hell, but I didn’t make a single whimper, or he would have complained more.I sustained some type of injury almost weekly, and he took it as a personal affront.

“How many hellhounds?”he asked.

“Eleven.”I hesitated, trying to keep a hiss out of my next words.“There were twelve, but the four older teens took it down.”

His brows lifted slightly.“Interesting.”

He didn’t say more, but I could practically hear the wheels turning inside his head.Four untrained adult humans would have trouble bringing down a hellhound and living to tell about it.

Axel moved to my stomach, pressing the stethoscope against my skin, listening intently.

“The baby appears no worse for wear.”His lips quirked.“I’ll have an entire medical textbook written by the time this child is delivered.I suppose you rode one of the damned motorbikes.”

“Last ride until after the baby is born,” I said.

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