Page 79 of Princess

Nokita jumped from the back hatch.

He’d scared the shit out of me.

“Two ships are out of commission.I took down one, and the sub took down the other.”

Something in his eyes gave me a clue.I waited.

He turned and looked at the next plane landing.When he looked back at me, I saw anger and devastation.

“Our submarine didn’t make it.An enemy ship took it out.”

Alfred.A kind man who worked with Rodrigo and Nokita.All those men gone.

I hugged Nokita to me.He patted my back uncomfortably.He’d worked on that sub for so long, and I knew its loss went deep, though not as deep as the loss of human life.

The rest of his crew walked up behind him.Nokita turned and shook their hands, thanking them.

“King is checking out the Federation camp.He should be back in another hour or two.We have tents set up for tonight, and we’ll make our final plans after King returns.”

Nokita began giving orders to his men.He placed all five pilots on standby.They would bomb the Federation camp when it was time.

Axel walked up to me.“I’m setting up one of the planes as a makeshift hospital for our wounded, if that’s okay?”

“It works,” I said.“We’ll only use it as backup if we need the firepower.”

He stared at me for a moment.“You need to bind your breasts,” he finally said.“Cut back on your fluid intake, and only drink enough to stay hydrated.If we’re back within a week, your milk will return.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, I felt the ache in my breasts.Fuck.My heart ached with the need to hold and feed Nikayla.

I saw the look on Axel’s face.“Do not hug me, or I will break down, which is very un-command-like.I’ve got this.Thank you for the advice.”

I walked away because being near his sympathetic eyes was about to send me over the edge.I should have gone with King.Pitching tents hadn’t kept me busy enough.I wiped sweat from my brow and waved away another swarm of mosquitos.The suckers were draining my blood dry, or at least that’s what it felt like.

An hour later, King and his men returned, covered in mud.His white teeth showed when he grinned at me.“Mud’s the answer,” he said before he gave me a quick kiss.“It keeps the mosquitos away.”

I turned and walked toward the swamp, which I’d been avoiding.

“Where are you going?”he asked.

“To take a mud bath, I hear they’re in style.”

“I’ll help.”

Between the two of us, we managed to smear the mud over me.

“Do I look as ridiculous as you?”I asked.

“Doubtful.”

“You say the sweetest things.”I inhaled deeply and gave him the news about our sub.

King looked off into the distance and didn’t say anything.This hurt us.Yes, from a strategy standpoint, but more from the loss of life.I gave him a moment.

“Tell me about the camp,” I finally said.

“We’re taking off,” Stevens called from about twenty feet away.

“Good luck and tell Landan to send news as soon as he can.”

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