Chapter 179: Chapter 179 The Queen Takes Command
Perry’s POV
I had to return to the palace immediately—my warriors needed their leader. Having their king fight alongside them would lift their spirits, but more than that, worry for my mate consumed me.
The elders would seize this opportunity to tear Phoebe down. Their tactics might not cause physical harm, but they’d never waste a chance to destroy her reputation publicly.
Damn it.
How could I not see this coming? Why didn’t I anticipate this?
I knew Reginald and the Valerium would plot against me, set traps and pull dirty tricks.
But I assumed they’d target me directly, not my mate. What a fool I was, thinking she’d be safe just because she wasn’t on the battlefield.
Now the war had come home.
"You can’t leave alone," Timothy objected. "I’m coming with you."
"No, take the other warriors back. They need leadership. When you reach the fortress, adapt the strategy based on what you find."
We had no clear picture of the situation at the central city fortress. With limited communication, I needed Timothy to adjust our attack plan according to conditions on the ground.
For that, I needed someone capable of making split-second decisions. Timothy was the only one who fit that requirement.
"Fine, but take Turner at least. Someone needs to watch your back and stop you from doing something stupid."
I didn’t see the point—Turner couldn’t challenge me the way my royal gamma did—but I had no time to argue.
I didn’t voice agreement, but I didn’t refuse either. When I shifted into my beast form and headed toward the central city, Turner followed.
I didn’t chase him away, so Timothy took that as consent. The royal gamma then led all the warriors back to Sunstone Creek pack, preparing for immediate departure to the central city.
They couldn’t use the same route as me with such numbers—they’d never match my speed and would only slow me down.
——
Phoebe’s POV
When I arrived at the fortress, a senior warrior introduced himself.
"I’m Joric. It’s an honor to have you here, my queen."
He looked like every other warrior—broad shoulders, muscled build, sharp jaw, and piercing eyes. Green eyes, brown hair, maybe in his thirties.
I nodded. Someone must have warned him about my communication limitations, because when I started writing, he didn’t look surprised, though impatience flickered across his face.
*Thank you for having me. Let’s get to business—can I meet the other senior warriors?* I wouldn’t waste time with lengthy introductions. We had no time for pleasantries.
"Yes, my queen," Joric said, hesitating slightly, but I scribbled quickly.
*I want to meet them all to discuss the situation here. I have a plan to share.* I watched surprise cross Joric’s features, but he agreed and led me to the war room while ordering his men to gather the other senior warriors.
We needed to hash this out properly.
Besides Joric, three other senior warriors stationed at the fortress held responsibility for the current situation.
They assembled quickly—within three minutes, everyone had gathered in the war room, including the two senior warriors from the palace.
Samuel and Justin leaned against the doorframe, quietly observing the meeting’s progress.
I felt nervous but masked it well. If they hadn’t studied me for so long, my calm expression might have fooled them.
Still, they probably noticed how I kept gripping my dress under the table when no one was looking.
*Austen, would you mind explaining the plan?* Austen and Paul, the two senior warriors who’d accompanied me from the palace, were both in their forties and dependable.
I was grateful they hadn’t looked down on me or grown impatient during my detailed explanation on the drive here.
But repeating everything for these three new senior warriors would be challenging. They might not show Austen and Paul’s patience—they needed answers fast.
Besides, when I’d briefed Austen and Paul in the moving car, they’d had nothing else to do but listen.
"Yes, my queen. I’ll handle it." Austen stood and explained the plan exactly as I’d outlined it during our journey.
Paul filled in details Austen missed, and I added thoughts and answered questions that Austen and Paul couldn’t handle.
"You developed this plan yourself, my queen?" Joric asked, clearly impressed. "I think we can hold them off until backup arrives if everything goes smoothly."
"But there’s one problem—what about the civilians?" Abner asked.
*We’re going to evacuate them.*
