Meta Gods War 3 by B. Miles (the ebook reader txt) 📕

though,” Felin said. “We either stand and fight or we get overwhelmed.”

Cam nodded and tapped his foot on the ground. “We’re two days from the northern pass. We’ll take a detour tomorrow. You might have to fight a few running battles, Key, but otherwise we’ll aim to reach the pass in three days. From there, we’ll set up lines, get the men organized, and prepare to fight.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Key said.

Miuri stood, stretched her long body, and came around the table to Cam. She kissed his cheek and leaned her head against his shoulder, wrapping her arms around his chest.

“You’re going to be okay,” she said. “You’ve done as much as you can. Better than anyone could’ve thought, really.”

“She’s right,” Key said, joining them. Key hugged him, kissed his lips, then leaned her head against his other shoulder. “I’m not sure how far we would’ve gotten if it weren’t for you.”

“I just aimed the army and told it to go,” Cam said.

“You changed strategy midway through,” Key said. “You were flexible and smart. You clamped down when there were whispers of discontent and now the army’s more cohesive for it. You did all that, Cam, and I don’t know if some other commander would’ve figure it all out in time.”

He nodded and kissed Key’s hair. “Thanks.”

“We believe in you.” Felin lingered in front of him, her wide eyes staring up into his. “You big idiot.” She leaned against his chest.

He laughed and kissed her hair. “Thanks, Fel.”

Brice stood a few feet away, watching them with a strange look on her face. Cam hugged his girls then caught Brice’s eye and tilted his head.

“You can come join us, you know,” he said. “There’s always room for more.”

Key shifted over and gestured at Brice. “Come on,” she said. “Get in here.”

“I don’t want to intrude,” Brice said. “This is… for you. I’m not really a part of it.”

“You slept with him, didn’t you?” Key asked.

Another blush. “Yes,” she said.

“And you felt the magic?”

“Yes.”

“Then you’re one of us.” Key grinned and waved her over again. “Come on, sister in love. It’s warm and cozy and feels good.”

Cam raised an eyebrow at Brice. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” he said. “We won’t be insulted.”

Brice dropped her arms and stalked over. She pressed herself into the gap Key left and Cam kissed her cheek.

“Atta girl,” Key said.

Brice snuggled against Cam’s arm and he pulled his girls tight.

Three days. That was all he had before the world ended. Three days to be with his girls, to train Theus, to get the army ready.

Three days before he finds out if everything that he’s done up to this point mattered at all.

Three days to save the world.

And right then, in that moment, with his girls against his body, feeling their breaths against his skin, he thought he might be able to do it.

Maybe, if these women could love him, maybe Cam could pull it off.

32

Cam sent an extra division down to work alongside Key’s rearguard as the wolves stepped up their harassment. They reached a bend in the nearby river and set camp that first day. Before the sun went down, the wolves attacked in the twilight, but not in force. Key’s men were able to form a shield wall and hold them back long enough for Brice to bring her armored infantry along their flank.

But as soon as the armored division arrived, the wolves melted back into the forest.

Cam wasn’t sure what their goal was. But the night was left stinking with wolves, and half of his army was forced to clear the corpses away from their source of drinking water or else disease would run rampant. The men were exhausted the next day, but he kept the march going, determined to reach the pass on time.

The wolves had other plans. They hit them throughout the day, almost as if they knew Cam planned on cutting them off. Key fought bravely and admirably, but running battles were not their strong suit. The wolves were fast and mobile, they could hit at will then reform where necessary, but the shield wall was a tricky and immobile thing. Cam sent another division under Theus’s leadership to reinforce the rearguard, but that only slowed them down further.

They lost half a day’s progress and were forced to camp at the top of a small hill that night.

The wolves didn’t come. Cam sent scouts out to check the surrounding area for traps or wolf movements, but the morning brought nothing but silence. The scouts reported that the wolf host remained about ten miles to their south, well within striking distance, but far enough off that they weren’t an immediate threat.

Cam couldn’t stop thinking about Lycanica floating in mid-air, power rolling from her perfectly formed body like mist in a forest.

The next day brought more hard fighting, but they were close to the pass. The wolves seemed almost desperate, and twice Cam had to halt the army’s march to reinforce Key. By the time evening fell, they were within half a day’s march to their final destination.

But the wolves had pulled up within five miles of his encampment. That night, he swore he could hear the animals growling and howling in the night.

Sleep seemed far off.

Cam found Theus in his tent. Cam rustled the tent flap then pressed his head inside. Theus sat with his back propped by a pile of blankets, his hands behind his head, a single lamp glowing on the table a few feet away.

“Can’t sleep?” Cam asked.

“Can’t sleep,” Theus said. “What’s the General of this army doing wandering around in the middle of the night?”

“I thought we could do a little work,” Cam said.

Theus laughed. “I spent most of the day fighting. I’m so tired I could fall over dead right here and now. And you want to do more work?”

“Come on,” Cam said. “You look bored.”

Theus grunted and climbed to his feet. “Might as well,” he said.

Cam led them out