by Sydney Addae
“They’re human. How’d they last that long against full-bloods?”
Hawke shrugged. “It doesn’t say, just that the battle was long and hard. Sounds like the turning point for this pack.”
Silently she agreed. Her grandfather sounded like an arrogant bastard, which seemed to be a prerequisite for the Alpha label.
“The boys were named Wulfgar and Wulfrik. Wulfgar was tall and fair, a white wolf with blue eyes.” He paused. “Or it could be brown eyes. The words are similar. But Wulfgar had long white hair and was tall. He had a mole on his left cheek, a kiss from the God Nicromja.”
“Who?” She lifted her head and stared at the book he held in his other hand.
“Nicromja, have you heard of him?”
She thought hard. “No. You?”
“Yes. He was real popular over here at one time, worshipped heavily in past decades. Not as much anymore. He doesn’t get involved with the wolf anymore. Lots of people were upset over that, seeing they’d given their lives in service to him.”
“We worship the Goddess,” she said to make it clear where her allegiance lie.
He nodded. “At least she looks after her people using La Patron. Shows up once in a while, that’s good.”
Unsure how to respond, Asia took a step back and looked at the book. “Anything else?”
“The other brother. Do you want to know of him?”
She nodded and crossed her arms over her chest.
“Seems Wulfrik was shorter and more of a runt, with the heart of the wolf. The writer speculates everyone assumed Wulfgar would be the next Alpha since he looked the part, but believed Wulfrik would rule in the end. And based on this person’s account, he would be the better person. Seems he was more genuine.”
“Genuine? They used that word?”
“No, but it’s the closest translation I can come up with. It’s getting late and we need to find the way out of here.” He placed the book in his bag, picked it up, and followed Asia.
The next house held a few household items, a blanket on the floor, and a large fireplace. Asia searched for more books or journals, anything that would help her embrace her heritage. So far the only thing she identified with her mother’s pack was the blood her grandfather had on his hands.
When they left that building, Hawke marked the house with soot from the fire pit and they walked down that path, stopping inside the buildings, searching for pieces of history and finding little. At the end of the path he walked ahead into the forest to find the way out.
He could not.
After checking that area, they retraced their steps and headed down another path. The homes here were all the same. One large room which facilitated everything. Asia got the impression unmated wolves bunked in these dwellings. Multiple blankets lined the floor. Several pieces of cookware lay on the table. Asia picked up discarded jewelry and clothing that was scattered over the floor.
“Were they in a hurry to leave or just sloppy?” She held a pair of rough linen pants so Hawke could see.
“Maybe both. Something happened here, those skeletons in the middle of the square could’ve been an execution.” They went through all the buildings until they came to the forest. Asia’s head throbbed.
“Where’s the canteen?” she asked, digging in the bag before touching the hard canister. She watched Hawke step into the forest, but nothing on this path looked familiar. They hadn’t entered back there. A few moments later her disgruntled mate stomped from the tree line, pulling vines and branches from his arm and chest.
“Damn vines,” he muttered when he reached her. She pulled a leaf from his thick black hair and flicked it to the ground.
The throbbing behind her eyes eased and she returned the canister to the bag. They traveled down the next path and immediately realized it was longer than the other two. Excitement raced through her, they’d found the exit. At least she thought they had until she saw the large dwelling set aside from the other buildings on the edge of the village.
Frowning, she stared at it a few moments, realizing how out of place it appeared. The different architecture, the style, everything about this building screamed wrong, it reminded her of the buildings in Lyrill. Tall stone walls with high windows and a large thick door reminded her of a fairy tale. She scanned it, and like the other buildings, there was no sign of life.
“What do you think?” Hawke asked.
Asia looked at the door and rubbed her arm from the sudden chill. “Creepy, out of place… like a foreigner lived here.”
He nodded. “Exactly, plus it’s on the outskirts and not with the other houses, yet it’s been preserved by the bubble.”
“Whoever warded this place didn’t make mistakes. If that building is on pack land, it’s supposed to be,” Asia said heading for the front door. But before she touched the wood, Hawke reached around and pushed it open.
Strange yellowish light streamed from the openings in the ceilings to the floor, highlighting the wood planks. Surprise raced through her, not even Alpha Bertoff had had wood floors. Had she made a mistake and this was the Alpha’s domain? Inhaling, she tried to catch a strain of scent and couldn’t.
They stepped further inside, slow and cautious, expecting foul play even though they hadn’t detected any body heat or a pulse. A large fireplace, used for cooking, took up half a wall. There were tables, sitting chairs, and a small room with a blanket on the floor. A dress hung on a wooden peg jutting out the wall.
“Servants’ quarters?” Hawke murmured, and allowed the curtain to fall back into place.
Asia’s attention had been taken by the large picture above the fireplace mantle. A picture of two wolves, one dark brown and one white. Although the darker wolf towered over the smaller wolf, the look in the eye of the white wolf appeared calm and controlled, as if the presence of the larger beast was inconsequential. Goosebumps rose across Asia’s arm as she stared at the two, certain they were her parents.
“Whoa, your mam lived here? I thought …” He stopped and looked around.
“Did you read the journals wrong?” Asia whispered, staring into the dark eyes of her sire. “Why would there be a picture here like this if he raped and abused her? I don’t understand this.” She faced Hawke.
His furrowed brows deepened as he looked at the picture. “I don’t either. Life was different back then, what we call rape and abuse today, was the Alpha making a decision for the good of the pack. Pack mates did whatever they were told, maybe later she called it rape, but not when it happened.”
She eyed him, then spun away from the picture and headed up the carved stone staircase. At the top was one large room. Light streamed through overhead slits in the ceilings. A massive bed took up a large portion of the space. She marveled at the perfectly created linens and the small step stool to help access the high mattress.
“Impressive,” Hawke said as he sat on the mattress and bounced a couple of times. “Amazing.” He met her gaze with a smile and a leer. “It’s still in good shape.” He held out his hand, which she ignored. “Come on, let’s test this out.”
Ignoring his half-hearted pleas, she opened a solid wood wardrobe and fingered the silky fabrics.
“Now that would look great on you,” Hawke said from over her shoulder, reaching in to pull out a long see-through gown. “Well, after you change into my sexy mate, that is. It won’t do much for you the way you look now.”
She returned the gown and then elbowed him out the way before opening another wardrobe which held men’s items. Instead of touching them, she stared, and then exhaled. In her mind her sire was an asshole who’d raped her mam and treated her badly. This whole boudoir set-up challenged that mind-set and she didn’t like it.
Turning from the male articles, she moved to the small sitting table. A mirror, comb and brush sat on top. There were hairpins and ornaments in a small bowl.
“Look at this.”
Asia watched Hawke move a three paneled screen, painted with lovely green, white and pink
flowers, to reveal a large copper tub. Her eyes widened as she took in a small basket with cleaning cloths, soaps, and bottles filled with creams.
“Well, this wasn’t what I expected,” she said, noting the rudimentary drainage system to carry waste.
“What’d you expect?” Hawke asked.
She stood to face him and then looked again at the room. “Chains, whips, a cage or jail cell. This set-up looks as if he pampered and treasured her.”
Hawked nodded. “For a man to have this type of set up over a hundred years in the past, first off, he’d be rich. Nothing we’ve seen so far gives any other impression.”
She agreed.
“If she wasn’t his wife, and even then, there was no reason, other than he held her in high esteem, to give her a place like this. Back then, wives were the property of their husbands in the eyes of the law. In pack law, the Alpha’s word held the same power.”
“So what you’re saying is my mam was taken care of by her lover.” They headed down the stairs. She looked at the picture again before walking out the door.
“Pretty much. It could’ve been worst.”
“Then why did she live as a servant in that smaller house?” She pointed toward the main section.
He shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s conflicting, I know.”
She headed toward the forest and knew immediately this wasn’t the way they’d entered. Rather than head back to the center of town, she followed the tree line with her senses. She had no idea how long they walked before she sensed the entrance.
“This is it,” she said over her shoulder to Hawke reaching for his hand. He placed his hand in hers and she pulled him into the spot she’d left Angus and Damian. The moon hid behind a cloud as they jogged back toward their rental car.
Hawke contacted Angus. “Sorry, it took us this long to get out. Where are you?”
“Still in Lyrill the princess is regaling us with Lyrill’s history. She knows quite a bit about Asia’s kin, Alpha Bertoff, and she even mentioned Amynta in passing.”
“Are you ready to leave?”
Asia looked at him. “What’s going on?”
“They’ve been getting info on your mother’s pack from the Princess of Lyrill.”
“Oh, okay.”
“Hold on a minute, let me find out where you can pick us up.”
Hawke told Asia they needed to wait for directions.
“Well, that was awkward. We will meet you at the main gate in ten minutes.”
Hawke keyed the information into the GPS and started the car. “What was awkward?”
“Refusing multiple invitations to spend the night; the princess even hinted at a threesome,” Angus said.
Hawke laughed and shared the information with Asia. She smiled and looked out the window. “We’re on our way, we’ll catch up on the ride to the hotel.”
“Sounds good. Let’s hope she doesn’t rape the young pup before you get here.”
Chapter 5
“So Miriam had a lot to say about the fight between Lyrill and the pack?” Asia asked as they headed toward the hotel.
“Yes. According to Miriam, the Albuslupos won the battle. They hired some big name warrior who almost destroyed Lyrill before the king surrendered. Strange, the Alpha didn’t want anything from them, just access to a few places and demanded they remain off pack land.”
“Which is what he said from the beginning,” Asia said.
“Pretty much,” Angus agreed. “There were three pups in the den of Bertoff, the Alpha. Amynta, and a set of twins, Wulfgar and Wulfrik. Wulfrik died with the Alpha when their pack came under attack. By then most of the pack had scattered, leaving the Alpha and a few warriors to face death.”
“I don’t understand,” Asia said, trying to make sense of his statement. “What attack? I thought the king surrendered.”
Angus released a stream of air. “This is where it gets sketchy. Miriam got this information from one of Amynta’s relatives, so she’s fairly confident it’s true. I’m not so sure. You’ll need to weigh it carefully.”
Asia turned in the passenger seat and met Angus’ concerned gaze. Her stomach twisted in knots at his hesitation. Hawke covered her hand and sent waves of loving support through their link. Sitting straighter, she waited for Angus to tell her what happened, and prayed he’d fill in some blanks.
“Originally Amynta was given to Lord Barticus in exchange for helping defeat Lyrill’s army. Refusing to live in one of the huts, he brought in his own home and no one, except one servant, was ever allowed in the house. According to Miriam, he beat the young girl day and night. Kept her chained to the wall and bed. Supposedly the treatment was so bad some pack members objected to one of their own being handled in that manner and approached their Alpha. Their heads were placed on top of poles lining the paths and became food for scavengers for weeks. That ended all complaints. After they defeated Lyrill, things calmed for a while, he ruled with a strong hand”
The absence of chains had surprised her during her inspection of the buildings where her mam had lived brief moments in her life. As far as bad treatment, she saw nothing that validated that claim, especially since no one had been allowed inside the building. But the beheadings? Her stomach dropped as her imagination kicked into high gear.
“The man had a god complex,” Angus said. “Refused to have his word or authority challenged by anyone, including his pups. From what I understand, the boys were being trained to become Alpha. Seems there was peace for years. Then Lyrill’s prince asked for Amynta’s hand in marriage.”
“What? She was a full-blood,” Hawke said, his surprise obvious in the way the jeep swerved on the road.
“Worse, the Alpha agreed,” Angus said, and paused.
Asia couldn’t believe the old man would take such a chance, unless... “Are there men who’d be the equivalent of breeders? Like Mistress?” The thought had never occurred to her before, but who knew. A female full-blood would hurt a human during sex, could rip him apart. So for the Alpha to agree to a mating ceremony, he had to be sure the prince would survive his mating night.
“I don’t know, but it’s possible. There is something peculiar about that country. They don’t age like normal humans. Plus, they are as fanatic about keeping outsiders out as the old Alpha,” Angus said. “They’re too happy. I don’t trust that.”
“One thing for sure, they know about us. When we came to get Tyrese, the Prime Minister had hired a rogue Alpha and his pack to work for him,” Asia said. “But none of that explains this attack.” She looked at Angus.
“Sorry, I got sidetracked. After Bertoff agreed to the match and they were planning the ceremony, Lord Barticus returned and snatched Amynta. No one knew where he had taken her. I got the feeling no one searched either since Barticus was some big-time Alpha warlord or something. He kept her for a long time, never asked for a ransom or anything. Concerned Barticus would come after him, the prince canceled the engagement.”
Asia squeezed her hands together to keep from shouting for him to get to the point of the attack. Angus could be long-winded at the worst times.
“Well he, Barticus, returns to the Alpha four months later looking for Amynta. Somehow she’d escaped him. He demanded her father find her and the babe she now carried or he’d destroy their pack.”
Asia’s heart raced as she envisioned her mother pregnant and running away. But after seeing the love nest in Alpha Radoff’s tunnel, it created more questions. “That’s when she met Nikolas and Konstantin.” She recalled Hawke reading from one of her mother’s journals how the two men found her and hid her from her father. She feared he would kill her. To save his pack he would have returned her to Barticus. Asia wondered if her mam knew Barticus sent her father to find her. There had been nothing in the journals either way.
“I guess. They searched everywhere and couldn’t find her or the babe. And sure enough, after the time had passed for the child’s birth, Lord Barticus sent his men to destroy Alpha Bertoff. Most had le
ft, but the Alpha and Wulfrik remained.”
Asia frowned. “He had two sons.”
“Yes, the other son fled to Lyrill and became the prince’s ward,” Angus said.
She shook her head. “Wait, wait, are you saying Amynta’s brother is alive? He’s at Lyrill?” No way had she been in Lyrill rescuing Tyrese and her mother’s brother was there.
“From what I understand, he lives there.”
“We saw skeletons of an adult and a child, which may have been the Alpha. But who warded that land, Barticus?” Hawke asked.
“No one knows who sealed it off. It’s one of those things, you go to bed one night and wake up to find something new the next morning. Or at least that’s what she said.” Angus glanced at Damian. “She gave a lot of information, and since she believed it, I couldn’t tell if she lied. Did I miss anything, Damian?”
“Just that Amynta hated her father and she lived with the servants rather than in his den. Which doesn’t make sense either. If he was so brutal, would he have allowed her to disrespect him in that manner?” Damian asked.
“Well, the war was over, maybe he wanted to have peace in the pack and focused on other things,” Angus said.
Damian shrugged and looked out the window.
Asia looked at Angus and then Damian. “The Miriam I met does not do anything out the kindness of her heart. What did Damian promise her?” She spoke to Angus but watched Damian. When he heard his name he met her gaze for a few moments, then continued staring out the window.
“A date. He has to take her to a movie or dinner or something,” Angus said, smiling.
“It’s the ‘or something’ that has me concerned,” Hawke said. “Nothing I’ve heard about that one has been good. Watch yourself with her.”
Damian nodded but didn’t speak.
“She wants sex,” Angus said.
“No, she wants a child with a full-blood,” Asia said, remembering the younger woman’s request to Tyrese. “Is there a way to tell if she’s a breeder?”