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Perfect.
I launched forward again, covering the massive distance in less than a handful of minutes. My paws rhythmically hit the wood of the docks, my claws clicking in a staccato echo.
I was rapidly approaching the end of the dock, and normally that would be the time to skip to a stop, but instead I put my everything into racing forward, forcing my legs to move faster and faster until I finally reached the end and launched.
For a moment, it did feel like I was a flying shifter floating through the air, with the sea below, and the sky above me in the same cerulean shades of blue. I felt graceful in a way that I normally didn't pay much attention to, suspended at the start of what was sure to be a grand battle.
I sailed through, front leg stretched out, hoping I’d land true. The boat, to its credit, did adjust its speed and angle to intercept me. I had no idea who was captaining it, but I knew I owed them a thank you once everything was said and done…assuming both of us stayed alive.
As I hurdled through the air, I was getting closer and closer, a lupine rocket determined to get on board. I only allowed myself a moment of doubt before banishing it from my mind. I needed to be confident. I needed to be sure.
Time began to speed up as the boat drew closer, the seconds going faster and faster until I could tell I was about to land. Bracing myself, I let go of my wolf form right before I hit the deck.
When I hit, I hit hard, but I tucked myself in and rolled using a technique I learned early in my military career. It’d displace the momentum I’d built up in a way that my wolf joints wouldn't, because while my wolf form was strong, a consummate warrior, there were still some things humankind could do a lot better.
As soon as I popped out of my roll, I shifted right back into a wolf. The snap of it burned, making all the hair on my body stand on edge until it transitioned into fur, causing every single joint to ache. But it was worth it, because when I straightened up, I was ready to go to battle.
“Oy! Do you want the other ships to pick up your friends?”
I could barely hear the call from the front of the ship, but when I spotted the woman who was yelling, I followed her pointed finger to see there was a small group of shifters just reaching the dock I had launched myself from. I let out an affirmative sound, hoping I wouldn't have to shift back into a human quite yet because I wasn't sure my body could stand the whiplash. Thankfully, the woman nodded, turned back to the front, and picked up her mouthpiece as she began rapidly speaking into a radio.
It was all working out so much better than I could have hoped. While seven shifters and less than a dozen smuggler ships weren’t enough to take on a whole Armada, we could do a whole lot of damage before the rest of the attackers made it to shore. Especially if we were able to take out the artillery. So that was my goal: short, quick, vicious attacks meant to bring down those awful machines before they could cause any more collateral damage and civilian casualties.
I knew I’d be able to speak to the shifters once they were closer, so I focused on getting into the front of the boat. Even after our time sailing from Lambert, I still hadn't quite developed my sea legs, especially not in my wolf form. It did take the wind out of my metaphorical sails a little, as I went from pulling off an impressive leap to walking across a deck like a newborn. But in the time it took me to the front, I managed to keep my stride in check.
“Don’t worry, big guy. We’ll get you close enough,” the captain said, her voice full of venom in a way that let me know she was exactly who I wanted beside me in battle. “You hop on, do your thing, and we’ll circle around the back of the vessel to its opposite side. It’s your job to make sure you make the leap, because while you’re on board, we’re going to be all hands-on deck here firing our own anti-naval weapons.”
I had no idea which one she was talking about, whether there were cannons, artillery rounds, or something else in their arsenal. As a captain in the military, my focus had entirely been on the land-based battles Fort Canid was so often locked in. I’d been trained in the peripheries of naval warfare, yet it was not something I was knowledgeable in.
We cut through the water like a knife, darting between neighboring boats until we reached the farther out line of the few artillery ships there. I readied myself, backing up a few steps so I could get momentum again. I would need all that I could get. Although the distance wasn’t as great as the one I’d leaped to get onto the boat, the artillery ship was far taller than the smuggler vessel and was going to require a lot more upward momentum.
Follow my lead! I bellowed as loud as I could in my shifter voice, hoping the wolves behind would hear me. I hated going into battle with so little of a plan, with no set formations or strategies, but that didn't mean I didn't know how to plan on the fly.
And boy, was I ready to fly.
“Now, big guy!”
I nodded, took one step backward, then raced forward and launched myself into the air yet again.
My knees were definitely going to need a word with me, advanced shifter healing or not, but that was a worry for if I survived. Nothing was guaranteed except for the fact that I was going to fight hard to save the people of Blath, to save the people I cared for, and to save the future Ayla and I were so close to.
I’d like to say that I landed just as smoothly on the artillery vessel as I had on the smuggler ship, but that was not the case. I could tell I was going to come up a little short and hit the side. Bracing myself, I readied my claws and aching joints. There was a whole lot more hurt we were gonna have to go through before I got a chance to rest, but it wasn't anything unusual.
Besides, I could still feel a strange new strength within, like my normal alpha inclinations were stronger, and my muscles were recovering from the stress of my first run already. The air felt sharper in my lungs, and my reactions seemed to have been fine tuned. I wasn't scared, even though I should have been. I just felt determined. I’d protect my mate no matter what.
Whether that was the effect of our new bond, or just facing our enemy after so much time spent in the palace being forced to pretend they didn't even exist, it didn't matter. The only thing that did was getting to my goal.
I hit the side of the boat hard, and the clang of metal reverberated like someone had slammed me with a mallet. My vision went blurry for a moment, my brain rattling around my skull fast. I was surprised it didn’t generate actual noise. Luckily, I didn't lose control of my limbs, and so I dug my claws in as I slid down the side of the boat.
That slowed my momentum until finally I came to a stop a few feet down as, howling again, I began to climb my way up the side of the ship. It wasn't that far to go—a couple of feet—but I had to get up and hit my target as quickly as possible. I was vulnerable in this position, and though I felt strong enough to take on more than twenty Vekan soldiers, that didn't mean I wanted a silver bullet to the face while I tried to scale their warship.
Even if I was stronger than ever, there was always such a thing as underestimating the enemy, and I did not want to make that mistake.
Thankfully, the smuggler’s vessel I’d launched myself from was creating a fine distraction. Already, they were halfway around the back of the enemy boat, firing what I was sure were some RPG rockets into the side. They made awful, thunderous sounds as they exploded against thick layers of metal. I wasn't sure if they were even managing to penetrate, but that didn't matter, because all of the deck was focusing on trying to stop the little ship.
I was definitely going to need to find out who that captain was and thank her for her brilliant leadership. Even reward her once I was king. There was no such thing as too many allies, and it was clear the fae people were a wellspring of incredibly brave and valuable souls that could only enrich my rule.
With thoughts of that future in mind, I forced myself to keep climbing and dig my nails deep enough into the metal to haul my considerable bulk upward. I did manage to clamber over the side onto the top of the deck, where I could see the artillery machine being loaded by its own crew. Now, that wouldn't do at all.
