74 The Preparations

James.

I let a day pass waiting for Caspian's response, but it never came, so I sprang into action. His silence wasn't a sign of fear; he was getting prepared.

Paul and I headed to the base to get our troops ready. Olivia was nervous, I could see it, but she understood it was long overdue.

All we had done since that bastard took over our island was buy time for the inevitable, and this was it. The war was finally upon us. I could only hope we would win.

My people did not know I had a new fire, and it was best that way. I wanted them to give their best on the battlefield. While we drove through town, I found the incredible support Paul and I were getting. They were cheering us on with supportive words on their cards. I was overwhelmed by the number of turnouts, even though they believed my mark was no longer active.

Some cards read:

"You do not need fire to lead us, Alpha; we will follow you to the very end."

"We are not afraid of being feral, but we won't bow to a foreign alpha,"