Page 82 of Royal Bite
They headed to the armory so she could outfit herself. This was a battle where she would be a victor and then return home to claim her mate. Cezar and Kendrick silently followed them. Her guards would travel with her. They may be assigned to her detail, but they were still warriors in her army and would fight by her side.
“I’m to assume that I will receive a full report once we’ve taken off?” Hegna asked.
They arrived at the lower level of the castle and stalked down the hall.
“Yes, Your Grace,” Bijou replied.
They entered the room and were greeted by enough weapons that could outfit a small army. Hegna immediately changed her clothes and was dressed in her fighting leathers. She walked over to the wall of blades and took notice of her favorite twin daggers waiting for her on the table. She grabbed them, sliding them into their sheaths on her waist.
The room was silent as they all prepared for the impending battle.
These lycans would pay. They were making her leave her mate when all she wanted to do was claim her. Hegna would descend upon the lycan town and destroy it.
Hegna stared out the window of the helicopter as it descended. The dreadful sky matched her mood. Morning was upon them, but the sky was too murky to allow for sunlight. A winter storm was brewing. The angry-looking clouds were about to unleash their wrath. The helicopter landed, whipping snow around to make the visibility hard.
Hegna unbuckled her seatbelt and stood. Cezar was a step ahead of her, opening the door. The entire ride to Sanlow had been spent going over the briefing Nezera had sent them.
“Fuck, it’s cold,” he cursed. The big vampire drew the hood of his coat onto his head.
Hegna grimaced, the chilly wind slapping her on the face. Canada in the wintertime was much colder than Oklahoma.
Hegna was focused when she stepped out of the helicopter. It was suspected the alpha would be appearing in Sanlow. Her gaze landed on the captain standing next to a large, dark SUV. Hegna strode over to her and the armed warriors with her.
“Captain.” Hegna arrived to stand in front of Nezera. The chilly, howling winds were rushing past them. The cold bit into Hegna, but she ignored it. Her fur cloak provided slight protection.
“Welcome, Your Grace.” The captain was dressed in similar fashion to ward against the weather. Even vampires could be victims of frostbite. Her mouth was pressed into a tight line, and she motioned to the SUV. The two groups separated into the awaiting vehicles. They were on the road in minutes.
“Do you have any updates?” Hegna asked, not wasting any time. She was already being pulled away from her mate and she didn’t want to be gone any longer than necessary. The roads were surprisingly clear at the moment.
“Yes, our informant has been able to collect intel that I felt was imperative. They are in talks of attacking neighboring cities and towns. They are planning to go after small towns that are vulnerable and replicate Sanlow,” Nezera said. She pulled a folder from the pocket behind the passenger seat and handed it to Hegna.
She opened it and eyed the papers in front of her. She scanned them and took in the notes of the towns that were being targeted. Most were in her and Velika’s territory. Her younger sister would need to be notified of this information immediately.
“Have you sent word to my sister?” Hegna asked.
“I have, Your Grace. She is sending troops to those towns as we speak,” Nezera replied.
Hegna gave a slight nod, pleased with her captain’s response. She handed the papers off to Bijou who was in the passenger seat.
“General, I’ll leave it up to you on how to cover the areas. I don’t want any weak spots,” Hegna said. She trusted Bijou to take care of these issues. The last thing they needed would be to run off to protect one area while leaving another one open and vulnerable. Bijou was a master strategist and would handle the situation.
“Before I left, the informant sent in word that he heard the alpha would be arriving tonight,” Nezera announced.
Hegna’s hands formed into tight fists. Her fangs broke through, and she welcomed the slight pain.
“Good. We can end all of this,” Hegna growled. This was the news she needed to hear and would be worth delaying the claiming of her mate. She would kill the alpha and then return to her. They would then move on with their lives.
“Did you see this note?” Bijou remarked. She turned around and pointed to the paper she was reviewing.
“What is it?” Hegna asked.
“In this report, it looks as if the information states that the alpha uses the term ‘we’ when speaking about the plans that were developed,” she said.
“Could she have meant her and her lycans? I’m sure she has plenty of lycans backing her who are pure-born,” Nezera suggested.
Hegna remained quiet, her thoughts racing. Why would the lycan say ‘we?’ The alpha was cocky enough to want to claim all ideas as her own. She was the ruler of their people.
“Do we know anything about the lycans working with her? We’ve only seen her on the broadcasts,” Hegna said. Lycans moved in packs, and just like vampires, they would keep someone close to them whom they trusted. If Azura was the alpha, was there a beta? And if so, who the hell was it? “Is the informant in the barracks?”
