Sword of Mercy Read online

  Verrick nodded, looked at the others and then at Hawke. “Watch your back, they want you bad enough to give me suicide mission. They come, won’t be easy win. But I hope you do.”

  “Is this another delay tactic?” Angus asked through their links.

  “Could be, but I sense he is telling the truth and if he is disobeying the Liege they will show him and his pack no mercy,” Asia said.

  “His choice,” Silas said in a stern tone. “Goes with the territory of being Alpha. Sometimes you need to step back and re-evaluate what’s best for the pack. That’s his primary responsibility, nothing else.”

  “Thank you and Goddess be with you and your pack,” Hawke said into the silence.

  Verrick pulled out a pair of sunglasses and pushed them up his nose. “We will need her protection, but this is best. We leave.” He nodded and pulled off.

  They waited until the roar of the bikes disappeared. “Hmm, I thought for sure a hybrid or that smart-ass from the side of the road would pop-up,” Asia said sounding disappointed.

  “What should we do with Granira and Niall?” Angus asked. “I have known her for close to a century, she was pack historian for the Farkas clan and has access to a lot of information. I agree with Jasmine, the timing of their appearance is suspicious, but if she and Maheegan worked together we may find the way to shut down the Liege faster. The idea that another pup could suffer the same fate of those pups at the last lab sickens my gut. This needs to stop now.”

  “Maheegan I know and trust to a degree,” Silas said in a measured tone. “Can you say the same of this woman?”

  “No, I cannot.” Angus released a long sigh. “I cannot. It’s damn frustrating, like dangling a platter of meat in front of a starving man.”

  “Let her help, just do not accept everything that she says. Use Jacques or Maheegan to test whatever she shares,” Jasmine said. “She may mix the truth with lies, but if there is something redeemable, use it until you no longer need her. Remember Maheegan is a master of unearthing accurate historical data and will see through false accounts. Time is a luxury we don’t have, so use everything you have to stop those bastards.”

  Hawke hadn’t heard the Mistress speak much before, but he picked up the urgency of her summons and understood Asia’s desire to serve the top bitch. “Yes, Ma’am.”

  “Hawke, can Verrick walk away from the Liege?

  “Depends on the relationship. Lancaster has a long memory and will not be happy if he disobeys him.”

  “But he said the other… did you catch that?” Asia asked.

  Hawke thought back and nodded. “You are right. Does that mean two Liege Lords are here?” He couldn’t help but get excited at the idea of destroying two of the Lords.

  “Possibly. I’ll run a check to see who landed recently at the nearby airports and will get back with you. If there are two of them, I do not want them to return to the states. Is that clear?” Silas demanded.

  “Crystal,” Angus said with a smile.

  “Yes, Sir,” Asia said.

  “Yes, very,” Hawke added.

  “Good. Go look at those records Maheegan told me about and it seems she’s on track to getting to the bottom of the Liege mystery. Oh, and she won’t be returning stateside.”

  Angus frowned. “Why not?”

  “She found her mate, Alpha Radoff.”

  Chapter 18

  “Thanks for the ride, brother,” Niall said in a snide tone, opening and slamming the car door before Hawke stopped the car. For the past two and a half hours, Niall pleaded his case. Explained why he lied, he didn’t know if he could trust Hawke, made excuses for his lies after leaving Verrick’s, he had promised Granira to pick her up at the appointed time. And blamed Hawke and the situation for the lies, he would never have lied if Hawke hadn’t killed the men he hired to rescue Granira. And on it went until Hawke wanted to kill the man.

  The trip had been tedious. Once, Hawke stopped the vehicle demanding Niall get out and walk home. That managed to shut him up until the last mile. Asia rubbed his arm and sent tingly warm energy down their link. The feeling was one he’d never experienced and made him smile. Rather than respond to Niall, he picked up her hand and kissed the back.

  “Love that, feels good.”

  She nodded and winked at him before opening her door.

  Granira exited the car last and sent him a smile of gratitude. “Thanks for your assistance. I know he aggravates you, but he means well. After the death of your mother, a few of us helped Alpha Hiram with his young litter and Niall was the smallest of the bunch. No one expected him to survive the winter.” She stopped and looked across the clearing where Niall stood talking to a couple of Radoff’s pack members.

  “Not only did he survive, he outsmarted a lot of them.” She faced Hawke. “Lorenzo and Jirek were big, tall and fighters, like you. But they couldn’t think fast on their feet and relied on Niall to help develop strategies to keep the pack safe. He should be commended.” Her voice held a note of pride.

  “Why didn’t he fight to become Alpha?”

  She waved him down. “He’s not a fighter and that’s what it would take.” She peered up at him. “You could become Alpha. I doubt Muzik will accept a challenge from you since you’re a descendant of Alpha Nikolas.”

  Hawke stared at her wondering at her reasoning for telling him this. “I should be Alpha and allow Niall to work by my side?” Niall was putty in this woman’s hands and if he held the beta position in the pack it would give her access to power.

  “It’s not a bad idea, but I doubt he will remain long enough for that. He wants to return to his career in the human world.”

  That surprised him. “Why did he leave it before?”

  Her brow rose. “To help me, of course. We’re both concerned over the fate of these pups and discussed it for years. When the opportunity arose to do something, I took it and Niall helped. He’s a good boy. It bothered him to lie to you, but he did what he felt was best at the time. You shouldn’t be so hard on him. Niall and Pia are all that’s left of your litter, you should get to know them.”

  Hawke had no interest in knowing either. As long as he had Asia he was content. One day they’d set up their den, and have a litter of pups. That was more than enough for him. Tired of the conversation he turned.

  “My mate calls.” He clicked the remote locking the vehicle and walked toward Asia who stood next to Alpha Radoff. Hawke watched Radoff straighten and his smile slip as he and Granira approached.

  “Radoff, it’s good to see you, again,” Granira said, smiling and extending her hand.

  Radoff took it and placed a kiss on the back. “Yes, nice to see you as well. I’ve heard of your recent exploits, and am happy to see you’ve returned in good health.” He dropped her hand and took a step back.

  “What happened? You look different,” Granira asked, stepping closer.

  “He’s mated,” Maheegan said in a neutral tone walking up to them. “I’m Maheegan, his mate.”

  Granira’s smile slipped a notch, but remained bright for the most part as she turned to meet Maheegan. “That’s great. I’m so happy for you, Radoff. Congratulations. When did this happen?” She frowned at Maheegan. “I don’t think we have ever met before, where are you from?”

  “Montana pack, in the states. La Patron’s historian.” She dropped the words with a ring of pride that couldn’t be missed.

  “Historian?” Granari’s brow furrowed as she looked at Radoff. “You brought in another historian? I wasn’t gone that long.”

  Bitch fights held no interest; Hawke took Asia’s hand and headed to the small room where the journals were located.

  “Hawke, wait,” Radoff called stopping their progress. He and Asia turned. Maheegan and Granira remained in the same spot talking various techniques they’d both used in the past to catalog historical facts. Niall stood to the side, listening to the women, but remained silent.

  “I need to show you something.” Radoff walked ahead of the
m to the building where they’d met Niall. When he headed toward the basement, Asia squeezed Hawke’s hand. “This is the place the journals spoke of. There is a corridor that leads to each parcel of land mentioned in the journals, except the one in Egypt of course. Alphas met down here and discussed important matters with the Roundtable, sorry, Liege. We believe this is where they initiated the pup exchanges.”

  “Exchange?” Hawke scoffed as he moved further into the large room. The heavy air tickled his throat as he swallowed hard. “What did the pack receive in exchange?”

  Radoff waited until they reached the middle of the area and shut the outer door. “You. You are what the pack was to receive in exchange, Hawke. A smart, fast and unbeatable wolf. The Liege made a lot of promises to the Alphas back then. Remember, there was always something hindering the packs from living in peace, disease, famine, war, something always stopped the packs from thriving. The Liege reminded the Alphas of a clause or promise to aid the pack and improving the wolf’s mind and body was their answer.”

  “LOBO you mean. That behavior optimization bullshit,” Hawke said, looking everywhere except the dais or altar. Pain radiated on the edges of his mind, but he refused to give into it this time.

  “True. But can you imagine how such an offer would sound to the Alphas back then? Each Alpha would present a pup and the Liege would choose one from the group. The Alphas required the Liege proved their theories with one pup first before committing to more.”

  Hawke tensed. His heart beat in an irregular pattern. Anger turned to fire, bubbled in his gut, and shot liquid flames through his system. “They chose me?” He slapped his chest. “My sire really gave me up to the Liege?” Asia laced her fingers with his and sent tendrils of understanding through their link.

  “Your Alpha. Each Alpha agreed in advance to present a pup from their den, so the sacrifice would be equal. Two men, Lancaster and Gordon, studied the pups for a week and then made the choice. Based on everything we found in the journals, your sire was proud you were chosen.”

  A cold breeze slid down Hawke’s chest and settled until he felt nothing. He’d been picked like cattle being led to the slaughter. They had no idea of what he suffered at the hands of Lancaster. He’d been removed from the warmth of a dent to the cold, sterile walls of the castle. Day after day he’d been beaten, starved of food and affection, and cut off from all contact. For a pack animal the last had been what eventually broke him. To hear “good job” was better than the silence screaming in his mind.

  “Proud?” he snorted his disgust. “It’s just as well he did not live to see what I’ve become, he would see he received coal instead of a gift.”

  “He would be proud, Hawke, as I am to call you friend. In spite of everything you experienced you are smart, strong, a fighter with no equal, and you possess things they could never teach you. Loyalty, honor, empathy and dignity. No one can take those from you.” Radoff touched Hawke’s shoulder for a few seconds and then walked further into the room.

  “He’s right. Your sire would be proud. I am,” Asia said and moved into his arms.

  Hawke held her close, hoping the heat of her love would thaw the cold anger swelling in him. Memories from the past rose in a violent hiss, volleying back and forth, filling his mind. Images from his youth rolled across his vision on a constant loop. Hate, hot and putrid, suppressed for decades bubbled beneath the surface, cracking his control, his confidence, and his conscience.

  Emotions locked for decades broke free from their confinement and took charge. “That Alpha gave me away like bartered goods and never came to visit. If he had come to check he would’ve known Lancaster’s goal was to break my wolf not strengthen him. He would’ve seen me change into a monster with arms and legs of steel. If he had come once…. just once in thirty years he would know I had a fucking computer chip in my brain that controlled my actions to the point I crippled and destroyed the lives I’d been sent to save.”

  Jaw tight, he pulled away separating from his mate and clenched his fist. Blood and dirt covered his hands. He could see it now, him in the lab, destroying his brethren in the name of science. And for what? A super wolf? How did they fall for that? If his mate had not saved him, he would have turned on the pack and destroyed all of them without a smidgeon of conscience.

  Radoff looked at him and then turned away. “In hindsight, I agree with you. And although I was not involved with the council, as an Alpha responsible for hundreds of lives I also understand what prompted them to try.”

  Hawke’s gut churned. “And it was just one pup, right? Just one lucky pup who gave up his life for the pack? Is that it?” Hawke looked around the room as if talking to the ghosts of the Alphas who agreed to his enslavement. “Not much of a sacrifice to the whole pack, right? Who the fuck cares about one pup?” he yelled and kicked a chair across the room. It crashed into the wall and broke to pieces.

  The immediate area darkened as the room shrank to that small airless room he remained in, chained to a wall for years in the castle. Footsteps approached his door, but hunger had stolen his energy and he couldn’t see who entered to place the slop on the floor in front of him. The stench of the food burned his nostrils and he lashed out to get rid of it. He heard a crash in the distance, but remained locked in this nightmare. Harsh laughter mocked his attempts to break the chain. No matter how hard he pulled to break free he couldn’t. Moving forward, he kicked everything from his path as he stretched and pulled to break the chains. The laughter grew louder. Lancaster pointed at him in the distance and then swung the cane across his back. The thwacking sound of the wood jolted him. He jerked and reached for the man, determined to stop the next swing.

  “Hawke!” He fell backward and hit the ground with a loud thump. “Hawke?”

  His chest expanded to take in more air to clear the darkness in his mind. The cold from the cobblestone floor seeped into his skin. Hawke blinked and squinted against the light above him.

  “Open your eyes now, dammit!” Hands gripped his shirt and lifted his head from the floor. Her warm breath flowed across his face. “Now, open your eyes,” Asia yelled and shook him.

  He opened his eyes. Even in another skin he saw the fear, concern and then relief in her gaze. “You blocked me,” she said in a cross tone.

  “Huh?” He pushed against the floor and sat upright. “What?”

  “You blocked me, closed me out of our link. Why did you do that?” her voice cracked.

  “I didn’t. I mean I didn’t try to block you.” He thought back and couldn’t recall anything other than the blinding rage that overtook him. “It just hit me. After all these years, being in this place where I was sold into slavery… I didn’t think. Just reacted.” He pulled her close, heard the racing of her heart. Goddess, he must’ve scared her pretty bad for her to react this way.

  A scraping sound across the room grabbed his attention. Radoff struggled to stand from beneath the crushed dais. “Radoff? What happened? Are you… Goddess, what did I do?”

  The room looked as if a tornado had ripped through. Every chair and table lay smashed to pieces on the floor. Artwork hung in crooked angles. The dais was gone. The altar and podium destroyed and Radoff was half covered in the debris.

  Hawke blinked a couple times to make sure he saw things correctly. How had this happened? He couldn’t recall moving, not much anyway. Had he been angry long enough to cause this kind of damage?

  “Hawke, look at me.” Asia turned his face toward her with her fingertips. “Look at me.”

  He met her gaze. “What happened?” Had he turned into the monster the Liege created? A beast operating without control, destroying everything in his path? Goddess, no!

  “You blacked out.”

  That surprised him. “What?”

  “Your eyes, they went black, I couldn’t reach you. You were talking, and moving in a blur while destroying the room. I shifted to stop you because I wasn’t sure how much the beams holding the basement could take.” Her tongue ran across h
er lips and he wished she was in her female form. He wanted to feel her softness, needed her comfort, and needed her to tell him he wasn’t a lost cause.

  “For a few seconds, you were lost to me. I could not reach you at all. How can that happen between mates?”

  Hawke had no idea. “We’re mated that’s all I know. Something about this place got to me. It happened the first time we came down here, remember?”

  “You were on the floor in pain, I remember. No pain this time?”

  He shook his head slowly. “No, just red hot anger. It came out of nowhere, I exploded. Didn’t think. I… I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

  She released a long stream of air. “No. Quite the opposite. The area I stood was never touched. Every place else, you tore apart. That’s what makes it so strange, even though you lost control, you were in control enough to protect me. We’ll ask Maheegan or Jacques if they ever heard of anything like this happening before.” She looked over her shoulder and placed a kiss on his lips, but it was too brief and set him aflame. He needed her and rolled his hips so she could get a better feel of his hard cock beneath her.

  Asia turned and met his gaze. “Not now. Later, I promise.” She pressed against him and stood. Hawke grabbed her hand, holding her in place.

  “You sure you’re okay? You haven’t changed your mind about us?”

  Her eyes softened and the tight coil in his belly relaxed. “Never. You’re stuck with me through eternity.”

  He released her hand and stood. “I can live with that.”

  She grinned and turned toward Radoff who brushed dirt and wood chips off his pants. Torn skin healed and he glanced at them.

  “I just found my mate, I’m not ready to meet the Goddess, thank you very much.” He smiled and walked toward Hawke who stood a short distance from Asia. “Based on what you said I imagine you’ve held a lot of stuff in a long time. How’re you feeling now that you’ve got it out?”