Sword of Mercy Read online

  Sword of Mercy – Book Two, La Patron’s Sword Series

  Sydney Addae

  Copyright 2014 by Addae, Sydney

  ISBN: 978-1-937334-61-1

  First Edition Electronic December 2014

  Published by Sitting Bull Publications, LLC

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author‘s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, businesses, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental. All trademarks, service marks, registered trademarks, and registered service marks are the property of their respective owners and are used herein for identification purposes only. The publisher does not have any control over or assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their contents.

  All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Erosa Knowles.

  ABOUT THE E-BOOK VERSION: Your non-refundable purchase of this e-book allows you to one LEGAL copy for your own personal use. It is ILLEGAL to send your copy to someone who did not pay for it. Distribution of this e-book, in whole or in part, online, offline, in print or in any way or any other method currently known or yet to be invented, is forbidden without the prior written permission of both the publisher and the copyright owner of this book. WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in Federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  Sword of Mercy – Book two of La Patron’s Sword Series

  Hawke discovers his Alpha was also his father and that he had been given to the Liege as part of an experiment gone bad. Mercy has no place in his heart for the treachery he discovers. It takes his mate’s loving hand and cool head to keep him from destroying those La Patron entrusts him to protect.

  Asia isn’t big on family, but she understands the basics. Family is important, to a point. But her mate’s family delivers a bag of surprises that she isn’t prepared for. It takes Jasmine and Silas to help steer the newly mated pair through the halls of family drama and come out on top in Sword of Mercy.

  <<<>>>

  This book may be read alone, however, it is a continuation of the La Patron, Alphas Alpha series. To understand the depth of the relationships between Jasmine, Silas, Asia, Angus and Hawke, I suggest you read the following books. BirthRight, book one is a free read and sets the tone for the series.

  Book one is BirthRight,

  Book two is BirthControl

  Book three is BirthMark

  Book four is BirthStone

  Book five is BirthDate

  Book six is BirthSign

  Sword of Inquest

  Thanks to all my Den-mates and admins, Michelle and Vicky, you are all the best at keeping me laughing with new creative ideas. I heart you much.

  A special shout out to Sally R., Karen M., and Kelly, I could not have presented this story without your help.

  Thanks Sydney

  Chapter 1

  The plane landed in a small private landing field fifty miles from Bucharest in Romania. Boris Lancaster gazed out the window at the dreary landscape and felt a connection to the old country. Animals grazed nearby and barely glanced in the direction of the plane as they taxied. There were no overt signs of prosperity. If crops had been planted in the fields opposite the small landing strip, nothing showed above ground. From his vantage point inside, everything appeared frozen in time.

  Had it been a century ago, he had bartered his soul for a position of power with Lord Konstantin? Or longer? His father had been certain the stately older man had the answers to all life’s problems and all but worshipped Konstantin. Those had been the days, the government sat back and allowed men to rule men without interference. He sighed and shifted in his seat waiting for the plane to come to a complete stop, and longed for the comfort of his Colorado condo. The weather was cold, crisp and perfect this time of year.

  Roderick, the leader of the Liege, sent him to oversee Hawke’s downfall and to capture his mate, Angus. Time confused Roderick, made him forget critical elements of the Black Wolf’s nature. Once a black wolf tasted freedom, they would die rather than return to captivity. The chances of Roderick “unwrapping” Angus were slim to none. But since Roderick had allowed him to bring the crown prince of project LOBO, Damian, he kept those facts quiet. Especially with the last insult, they had asked for his resignation as lead on LOBO, Boris was not inclined to remind any of the ingrates of many things, like the covenant, or the limitations of their products or that Damian lacked a proper tracking computer chip. Next time they won’t be so hasty to undermine him.

  Damian, seed of Hawke, his prize protégé, had been born and raised within the Liege compounds and was one hundred percent loyal to them. He had no idea of pack, or family or memories that needed altering. The pup had been refitted with metal arms and legs when he reached his teens. Damian passed every test they had, and scored higher than everyone, except Asia and Hawke, while maintaining control of his beast. He and Roderick agreed field testing for the young Alpha would help prepare the wolf for future jobs. Several countries requested services similar to the ones Asia had performed and they wanted to send Damian after testing. Gordon, another Liege, requested they spend additional funds on surgeries for the pup and insisted they invest the same money and time on Damian as they had on his sire, Hawke, or at the very least, Asia. Dealing with Gordon would tax his patience, but he would complete his version of this assignment and return to LOBO by the end of next week, or sooner.

  The door to the plane opened and Councilman Jeddick stood at the bottom of the stairs. Damian walked out first, scenting the air as he buttoned his sports coat and scanned the area. He took a few steps looking around and then looked over his shoulder and nodded. Boris stepped onto the ladder, holding his satchel filled with documents that needed work. Hawke made a mess of the files and some would never be recovered, which set them back on the projects he’d been working on. The tranquilizer formula for one thing had been erased and a team of scientists had been trying to recreate it in the lab but hadn’t gotten it exact. Which put a dent in their financial and marketing plan since they had to cancel pending and incoming orders.

  “Welcome home, Lord Lancaster,” Councilman Jeddick said bowing low. Boris walked past him without acknowledging the greeting. Instead, he headed to the car and slid into the back seat while Damian rode up front with the driver leaving Jeddick on the tarmac.

  There had been too many losses and he needed to rectify that as quickly as possible. Jeddick would be eager to get on his good side and would make a decent sacrifice to the cause. Pity they’d lost Councilman Connall, he had been a quick thinker and kept the Liege current on things they needed to know. Jeddick made it known to them that he welcomed a closer alliance with the Liege, but refused the surgical implant, which would allow them to monitor his movements and see through his eyes. The kill chip had been the deal breaker in the end stopping negotiations.

  Boris opened his bag and pulled out two pictures. Hawke and then his mate, Angus Black Wolf. Of all the rotten luck, Hawke and Angus, those two would be difficult to destroy, but that was his mission and he refused to fail again. His phone beeped with an incoming message. He shook his head.

  “I knew you’d be pissed,” he murmured reading the message from Lord Gordon. Boris glanced at his watch and then shoved his phone into his pocket as they turned onto the ma
in highway leading to Odessa. Gordon would be a problem. The man thought of Damian as a son of sorts and objected to him being on the continent without a full vote of the board. With Lord Phinneas’ recent filling of Griffith’s spot, and Roderick approving Damian’s trip, Gordon would have been out-voted but that wouldn’t stop the hard headed man. Even though the man had not mentioned his arrival, Boris expected Gordon to arrive within days.

  When the car pulled in front of the luxury hotel, Damian got out, checked the area and then opened the door. Boris walked into the lobby without looking right or left, expecting the hotel manager to meet him and escort them to the floor he’d reserved for his use. The manager, a short, stout Midwestern man stood in the middle of the lobby and personally ushered them to their space.

  Once alone, Boris placed a laptop on the table and motioned to Damian, who stood near the kitchen area, to boot it up. Boris pulled out a sheaf of papers and made plans to bring Hawke to his knees. After all the surgeries Hawke endured, killing him would be near impossible. Plus, who knew what a mated Hawke could do at this point. The only way to get to Hawke would be through his mate. Angus’s age, over three hundred, and his connection to La Patron, made taking him down hard and risky. The challenge of defeating these two powerful Alphas caused his heartbeat to race with excitement.

  He glanced at Damian. The young wolf favored his sire, but lacked the mental sharpness and strong will of Hawke. Boris couldn’t think of a more fitting end, Hawke destroyed by his son’s hand.

  He pulled out a private cell phone and placed the call. “I’m here. Pick up the package so we can finish this. No failure, no excuses, no second chances.”

  Chapter 2

  Dark clouds rolled into the room like an impending storm. Cold blocks of concrete made up the walls in the dank, dingy room. A lone window near the ceiling allowed slivers of moonlight to brighten the space. A scratching sound against the cobblestone floor grabbed his attention. A lone black pup cowered in the corner, shaking and shrinking as far back as it could in the shadows. A large masculine hand grabbed its front paws, lifted it and without mercy threw it back on the ground. The pup’s side rose and fell in slow, deep movements to breathe.

  The hand placed a leash around the pup’s neck, causing the pup to bark and struggle to break free. The leash tightened and pulled the pup along the dirty floor without waiting for the pup to stand.

  Painful whimpering from the pup speared Hawke’s gut. He reached forward to remove the leash. The pup increased to the size of an adult wolf and snapped at his hand. He jumped back, confused by the waves of hate rolling off the wolf.

  A nearby sound caught his attention. A large Black Wolf walked in front of him and sat a few feet away. The lone black pup had returned to the size of a pup and sat shaking while watching the large black wolf. In time the pup inched forward until it reached the Black Wolf and rested against him. The Black Wolf looked over his shoulder at Hawke, his green gaze penetrated his mind.

  “Wrongs must be righted, soon you will understand.”

  Hawke jackknifed in the bed. Sweat poured from his forehead wetting his chest and the bed. Asia’s hand fell from his chest as he gulped down air. What the hell? Dust from his dream hit the back of his tongue, the scraping sound of the pup rang in his ears and the fierce green gaze of the majestic black wolf seared his mind. Had it been a dream? It seemed so real.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Sleep filled fuzziness filtered through their link as he gazed down at her. “I’m not sure. This dream… I don’t know what it means, but I think I should.” Her hand rubbed up and down his chest as she sent warm comforting waves of peace through him. When his breathing stabilized, he pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. The green gaze remained front and center in his mind while he tried to relax. Hawke’s heartbeat refused to slow down and his thoughts continued flying at a rapid pace. Something happened, something that would impact him in some way. Over the past three and a half decades living beneath Liege rule, he needed a break before dealing with cosmic drama and puzzles.

  “Tell me about it,” Asia said after placing the side of her face on his chest and rubbing the middle of his ribcage with her index finger.

  He looked around the room they had been sharing as Chacal’s guests for the past month and exhaled. How to explain the unexplainable? Fortunately the Goddess had blessed him with a mate who understood his past and everything he had gone through living with the Liege. Without fanfare, he told her of his dream and waited for her to explain it to him.

  “Could mean a lot of things,” she said when he finished. “We’ve been tracking down leads to find the missing black pups since the castle fell. It shouldn’t be a surprise you’re dreaming of one.”

  She had a point, but he couldn’t let it go. “Except this had a personal feel to it, like it was a personal message from Alpha Black Wolf. A wrong being righted. And the pup, first small and then when I tried to help free it, it was full sized and then small again.”

  Her head moved against his chest and he ran his palm up and down her arm. “You’re right. That does sound personal. Have you ever seen a room like that? Maybe we can find the location, maybe the pup wants you to find him.”

  “Or her.” He placed a kiss on her soft, fragrant hair.

  Her head lifted and she looked at him. “Her?”

  He shrugged. “Just saying the pup could’ve been a bitch. I don’t know. I didn’t get a sense of gender at all. Which was strange now that I think about it. What if there are two pups? One full grown and the other still a pup? The adult wolf hated me for some reason.” The hate disturbed him on a visceral level he couldn’t explain. Hawke was certain he’d never seen the pup or the wolf before and yet they disliked him. Was the Liege involved in some way? He didn’t see a connection but that didn’t mean much. That group specialized in remaining in the shadows until they wanted to be seen.

  “Two pups would be stretching it, don’t you think? Maybe the adult wolf had been the pup and sought comfort from the Black Alpha?” Asia said, returning to her spot on his chest and placed a kiss near his nipple, derailing his thoughts for a moment.

  “Could be. I don’t know what any of it means, the Black Alpha says I will understand soon.” He rolled over on top of her and slanted his lips over her mouth, taking a kiss. “No need worrying about it now when we could be doing this.” He placed kisses all over her face and then kissed her long and hard again.

  Her hands wrapped around his neck, holding him close. He reveled in her scent. No one on the planet smelled as mouth-wateringly good as his mate. He rested between her legs and held her close. “Have I told you today how much I love you?” he whispered against her ear delighting in the shiver that ran through her.

  “Yes.” She cleared her throat and burrowed her head into his shoulder. “But I don’t mind hearing you say it again.”

  Hawke chuckled at her hesitant admission. A month ago, he wondered if they would ever get to this place of easy camaraderie. Asia was a warrior through and through with sharp edges who didn’t believe in softer emotions or second chances. What did her Mistress call him? Asia’s do-over. He liked the sound of that. Their mating had been fast and with trust issues. Both of them had enough emotional luggage to fill a dump truck yet they’d waded through the muck of past failures and evil deeds to find joy in each other’s embrace. For that he thanked the Goddess every moment of the day.

  “I am in love with you, Asia,” he said through their link releasing his feeling so she understood what words could never express. The warmth of his love touched off a firestorm of need and he took her lips again.

  “I love you too.” The words flowed through their link in slow motion, wrapping around him and holding on tight. His mate didn’t use those words often and whenever she spoke them he treasured the gift of their offering. This time she released her tightly held chest of emotions, linking them with his. Heart racing, he shuddered beneath the onslaught of pride, love and appreciation twisting
around him as bright colored ribbons.

  “Asia,” he murmured before taking another kiss, softer, gentler this time.

  “I never thought this would happen to me,” she murmured holding him tight against her. “But I’m glad you’re mine, and in my life. Thanks for loving and believing in me.”

  He nibbled on her bottom lip and then kissed it when she tried to push him away. Just as he pressed against her, there was a knock on the door.

  “Angus,” Asia said as if he didn’t recognize the man’s scent. Hawke rolled over and took a deep breath to calm his raging libido.

  “Something’s happened,” Angus said and walked off.

  Asia patted his chest, rose on her elbow and kissed him. “Later, I promise.”

  Nodding, he prolonged the kiss a little longer, tormenting himself in the process. “I’ll remind you.” Hearing the same words from Angus that he’d thought seconds ago cooled his ardor. Remnants from the dream re-emerged and he wondered at the warning and the timing.

  She grinned, stood and strode toward the bathroom. “I’m sure. Whatever’s happened must be serious otherwise he would’ve waited.”

  Still thinking of the green-eyed Alpha, Hawke agreed and pulled on a pair of pants and tee shirt. Asia walked out, looked at him and shook her head. “What?”

  “Why didn’t I think to put on the clothes I wore yesterday instead of showering and brushing my teeth,” she called as he headed to the bathroom for a quick hygiene routine.

  “Don’t know. It’s an early unplanned meeting, this is as good as he gets,” Hawke said. A few moments later they met Angus and Chacal in the den. To see an expression on Chacal’s face was a surprise, let alone one of concern.

  “What happened?” Asia asked, taking a seat facing Angus. Hawke sat next to her.

  “Another pup was taken from inside a den. No scent, no alarm, nothing.”