Sword of Justice (La Patron's Sword Book 3)

by Sydney Addae

  “I’m sure, but I need to check,” Angus said.

  “What if that is the secret to Lyrill. They can crossbreed.” The more she thought of it, the more she could see that as their secret. “Imagine a whole country of people who could crossbreed with other entities. That’s something they wouldn’t want anyone to know about for sure.”

  “They have no king because of the curse,” Damian reminded Angus.

  Angus rubbed the top of Byte’s head. “The curse, I’d forgotten about that. Thanks, pup.” He grinned at Damian, who turned to look out the window again.

  “What curse?” Asia wondered what was going on with Angus and Damian, he seemed more distant than normal.

  “No one’s sure who put the curse on Lyrill, only that they were made aware of the curse by a messenger of Nicromja.” He looked at her. “Their God over here.”

  She nodded to hurry him along.

  He didn’t say anything else and she looked at Damian. “That’s it? A curse that stops them from having a king?”

  “The curse stops any king from living past the age of eighteen, which was the age Amynta was when she disappeared. Somehow all of this was connected and the God was angry, placed a curse. You know the drill.” He waved a hand dismissing it as a fairy tale.

  “Has anyone died behind this curse?” Hawke asked.

  She looked at Hawke and then Angus.

  “The king died within a day of the proclamation. His son, the prince who had been mated to Amynta, declined the throne and allowed his cousin to precede him. That king died the morning of his eighteenth birthday.”

  “Ouch,” Hawke said.

  Asia agreed. Someone either had a relationship with Nicromja like La Patron had with the Goddess, or they were involved in dark matters she didn’t want to contemplate. “So they came up with the Prime Minister, Prince, and Princess instead. Smart and a nice way around the annoying problem of dying so young.”

  “So it seems.”

  They drove the next few miles in silence. A question nagged Asia. To think on it manifested blind hope. No matter how many times she ignored it, or cast it down, the thought reappeared.

  “Does anyone know if Amynta is dead?” She exhaled. “Or alive?” The last two words were spoken with apprehensive optimism. Hawke sent warm encouragement through their link as she waited for Angus to respond.

  “Hmm, no one said. Other than she ran from the Warlord and the pack couldn’t find her. After the destruction of the pack, no one was interested, I suppose,” he said.

  “Barticus was still interested,” Hawke said with certainty. “No one wipes out a pack and then forgets the reason. His retaliation was too brutal for him to forget so easily.”

  “When we get back I’d like to find a library, or bookstore, to research him,” Asia said.

  Hawke nodded. “We’ll get the answers you need.”

  “Leon and Brix have rescued almost eighty pups from the Liege laboratories in the states, and dismantled them,” Angus said, frowning.

  “That’s great, what’s wrong?” Asia wondered over his reaction.

  “According to La Patron, he’s under attack. Not physically, but the Liege has leaked information through the internet about the nation. They’ve released photos of half-breeds, shared information regarding shifting. Even did a demonstration on one of those reality shows.” He sounded horrified.

  “Because La Patron shut them down?” Asia asked, trying to process this breach. Remaining in the shadows had been the backbone of the Liege since they began. To go public exposed their illegal operations, including sales of lethal weapons to countries the US considered enemies and terrorists. None of it made sense.

  Angus nodded and then paused. “La Patron believes it’s because he has them on the run. They are no longer allowed in the States and are running.”

  “I need to contact Mistress,” Asia said, wondering if there were anything she could do.

  “They are suing La Patron for destroying their labs and seeking financial compensation. Talk about balls. If they win, it’ll be like paying them to destroy our pack. Those labs did a lot of damage to thousands over the years.” He stopped talking and looked out the window. The three other passengers in the jeep had firsthand knowledge of the Liege and their labs. She swallowed down her disgust over their antics and prayed to the Goddess that La Patron rid them from the land like the cancer they were.

  “Humans have started talking and are trespassing on pack land. The Alphas are having a hard time keeping the pack safe.” He looked at Asia. “KnightForces have their hands full. We’re needed at home.”

  Chapter 6

  After Angus’ announcement, they lapsed into silence. Asia’s heart tore with grief. The answers she needed regarding her past were close, within her grasp, but her Alpha needed her and that trumped personal wishes. Perhaps later, when things calmed down, she and Hawke could return.

  “We should finish this now,” Hawke said.

  “I’m needed at home.”

  “Has your Mistress called you home?”

  She looked at him and shook her head slowly. “No, she hasn’t”

  “Maybe you should find out from her if you need to leave before finishing here.”

  He made a good point. “Mistress?” For a few moments there was silence and then, “Asia. How are you? Have you made any progress finding information about your mom?”

  Asia noted her Mistress sounded cheerful, not stressed, and wondered if things were as bad as Angus made out. “Yes, we found her pack lands.” She spent a few minutes bringing Jasmine current. “Angus says we are under attack back home and must return.”

  “Things are busy, but that’s normal. We’re making adjustments. But you don’t return until you find out the status of your mother and father. If you want to meet them, do that. I want you to learn as much as you can of your past so that your future is at peace. Hawke’s daughter is here and his son is with you. That means you have a family. A family that will need you focused on today and not the past.”

  Asia digested her words. Most days she didn’t think of Damian as Hawke’s son, but an important part of their team. And the little girl living in the compound right now rarely crossed her mind. They’d never met, and had only spoken on the phone once when Jasmine called after Christmas to introduce Hawke to Sarita. That had been an awkward moment for both of them as neither had had parental role models and would need Jasmine’s help.

  “Yes, Ma’am. I believe I am close to finding answers. I am researching my sire and if he lives, I will visit him within the next two days. We should be done with everything soon and return home.”

  “That makes me happy, Asia. If you need me for anything let me know.”

  “Thank you, we should be okay. We are at the hotel now and will walk to the library. Most of the local history is not on the internet and must be researched in person. Mistress, if we are needed, do not hesitate to send for me. My first allegiance is to La Patron and our pack.”

  “I know. But this is just as important. We’ll survive. Keep me informed of your progress.”

  Asia agreed as Hawke parked the jeep. Angus and Damian stepped out the back and headed inside.

  Hawke looked at her. “Well?”

  She opened the door, stood on the pavement and looked up the street. “We finish our search.”

  Smiling, he grabbed their bag with their electronic equipment and locked the car. The walk down the street to the library didn’t take long. They entered the small building and looked around. A few people sat at tables reading books, but didn’t look up when they entered.

  A tall, thin man with metal rim glasses and a goatee stood at the desk. Sharp gray eyes tracked their approach. “How can I help you?” His deep voice rang with authority as he looked up at Hawke and then down at her.

  Asia read his name tag, Mingan.

  Hawke cleared his throat. “We’re looking for books on the area and surrounding towns from the 1800s. I’m working on a book and want to f
eature a few scenes with the local flavor from that time period. Can you suggest anything for us?”

  The man pulled out his pocket watch and looked at it for a few seconds. “We close in an hour and you cannot remove the books. You must take notes.” He peered over his glasses at Hawke.

  “I have my laptop.” Hawke patted the backpack on his shoulder.

  Mingan nodded. “That was an interesting time for this area, strange you should ask about it. I am a historian and would be happy to share my knowledge, if it will assist you.” He waved them up a stairwell that opened to a second floor overlooking the first with floor to ceiling shelved books.

  “Please sit and prepare.”

  Hawke pulled out his laptop and handed Asia her smaller electronic notebook. Once they plugged in their devices, they looked at the books Mingan placed on the table in front of them. “These offer information on Geography, demographics, and our natural resources. Is that the information you seek?” He stared at Hawke and then Asia.

  Hawke opened the file on the area and read the data he’d already compiled, surprising the older man.

  “A good start, but facts and figures are not the heartbeat of a country. It is the people. Our culture, our faith.” He sat at the table, crossed his legs and placed his hands on his knee.

  Hawke nodded. “That’s right. At that time the people worshipped different Gods. Nicromja, I believe and –”

  “Nicromja,” Mingan corrected smiling. “An important god during that time.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry.” Hawke looked apologetic as he met the older man’s gaze.

  He waved away the apology. “There were many gods during that period, not just him,” Mingan said, looking over their heads. After a few minutes he met Asia’s gaze and shook his head. “Those were fanciful times, we believed many things, but no more. Now we are more civilized. But you are interested in a different era?”

  “Yes. The 1800s. Things like bathrooms? How did they handle those things back then? And courtships? How did a man meet his wife? What role did their parents play?” He paused. “Oh, and what about community? How different is it from today?” Hawke tossed out the questions one after another.

  Mingan blinked. “Courtships? Bathrooms? This really is about common things.” He exhaled and cleared his throat. “There were indoor bath tubs, but not showers and water closets like we have today…” Asia and Hawke spent the next hour asking questions about everything, including prominent citizens.

  “Oh, we’ve had our share of prominent men rise from our shores,” Mingan said, comfortable in his role of storyteller. Asia realized the man discussed the times as if he were an active participant working shoulder to shoulder with the men of that day. Although he looked to be in his late fifties, she wouldn’t be surprised if he were three times that age.

  “Really? Like who?” Hawke asked as his fingers flew over his keyboard before stopping.

  Mingan leaned close to the table, looked around and then said in a low voice. “Tre Barticus.”

  Asia’s heart leapt at the name and she typed it in her notebook to do a search.

  “Says here he was born in Greece,” Hawke said, reading the internet document.

  Mingan leaned back and smiled. “Yes, that is what it says.” He mentioned a few other names, a notable scientist, an up and coming musician, and a retired actor. Asian continued searching for information on her sire while Hawke talked to Mingan.

  The article talked about his companies and his leadership. Scrolling down, she saw him. Her first look at her sire. Barticus dwarfed the other two men in the picture, not only in height, but with his classic Norwegian blonde hair and blue eyes. As a man of power and authority, his posture screamed Alpha. Few could pull that off in a picture and keep humans clueless.

  The longer she studied his features, posture, even his smile; she saw no physical resemblance to this man. She wondered if he was indeed her sire.

  Asia continued reading article after article on him, and when the closing bell rang she wasn’t convinced he was the right man.

  “If you have time, feel free to return tomorrow, I’ll do some research tonight and share more with you then,” the librarian said, his face alight with excitement.

  “That sounds wonderful,” Hawke said.

  “Thanks for all your help,” Asia said.

  “My pleasure, my pleasure indeed. Most youngsters have no interest in the old days, felt good to knock on the door of the history book in my mind and share.” He waved as they left the building. “See you tomorrow.”

  “Yes, tomorrow.” Hawke pulled his book pack up his shoulder and they headed to the hotel. “Well, that was interesting, don’t you think?” he asked through their link.

  “Yes. He was quite chatty after he thawed.”

  “Did you learn anything about your sire?”

  “He’s blond with blue eyes, Norwegian, I believe. But I don’t think he’s my sire. Maybe he took mam to someone else, held her captive.”

  “She named him. Your mam said he’s your sire. Looks have nothing to do with it. She’s a white wolf, your sire’s a brown wolf, and you’re a brown wolf with white stockings,” he reminded her.

  “I know. It’s just… he looked cold, calculating. I don’t want him to be the one.” She looked at him, hoping he understood.

  “What of his pups?”

  She looked up at him. “What pups? I must’ve missed that. How many?”

  “Two. Boy, Raoul, girl, Randi. They work with him. Both names mean wolf, so… full-bloods I guess.”

  Quiet, she followed him into the elevator as they rode up to his floor. “He’s mated?” Even though she had no intention of reuniting with the man, the idea of him with a family while she’d been on another continent, lost and alone, turned her stomach.

  “There was no mention of a wife or woman other than his daughter. We can search when we get upstairs.” The elevator opened and they walked in silence to their room. Once inside he pulled her close.

  “I’ve wanted to do this all day.” He kissed her hard, watering dry places in her soul with his love and affection.

  She returned his kiss, reveled in the strength of his embrace. The door opened and they broke apart. As they walked toward their room, Angus opened his door and waved them into his suite.

  Once inside, she saw his suitcase on the bed. Her throat tightened. She’d miss him. “When do you leave?” she asked softly.

  “Chacal will be here in an hour to take me to meet the plane Silas has for us.” He pointed to Byte, who lay on the floor watching.

  Hawke looked around. “Where is Damian?”

  “He went downstairs to grab a bite to eat,” Angus said, and waved them into the chairs. “Listen, Damian wanted to return with me to the States, I told him no and he became upset.”

  Hawke frowned. “Why?”

  Angus’ brow rose. “Why I told him no or why he got upset?”

  The questions surprised Asia. “Why’d you say no?”

  “Why did he get upset?” Hawke said at the same time, and they looked at each other.

  “That’s the problem right there,” Angus said in a low voice, drawing Asia’s attention.

  “What?” she asked when he continued staring at her.

  “Damian lost the one person who genuinely cared for him. Now he’s with his sire, someone he doesn’t know, who doesn’t spend that much time with him and his sire’s mate, who treats him as if he’s invisible. Or worse, a buddy, a part of the team. You haven’t earned that spot with him, Asia. You’re not his buddy or friend.”

  His words stung and her back straightened. “We’ve been putting out fires, going from one crisis to another. Excuse me if I don’t have time to babysit a grown man.”

  “True, but both of you know better than most how it feels to be alone in a crowd, or in this case, alone with pack.”

  Asia reeled from his criticism. Had they excluded Damian? Made him feel alone? She hadn’t meant to, but looking at Angus’ serious expre
ssion, she’d been judged guilty.

  Angus shook his head. “He can’t go stateside like this. I don’t trust him around the pups or anyone else. Now Rose and Victoria are pregnant, the inner circle’s expanding, we need to trust every person in the compound. Your pup’s a loose cannon. You have to bond with Damian.” He pointed at Hawke and then looked at Asia.

  “Jasmine is only going to watch Sarita until you finish this last job, after that you’ll have to care for your own den. Get used to the idea of there being more than the two of you and be prepared to handle someone similar to Damian, just smaller. You’re searching for your past, I understand that. But your present is on hold and your future’s knocking on your door. We’ll help, but you’ve got to do your part to limit the damage.”

  She swallowed the ring of truth in his words. “I know. She… she reminded me of the little one today.”

  Angus nodded. “Good. Jasmine’s serious about family. That’s why you’re remaining here to settle the matter on yours. Take this time, lock your den tight, that’s all I’m suggesting.”

  Asia nodded.

  Angus looked at Hawke. “He needs you. I’ve been substituting, but now you gotta step up, answer his questions, help him train his wolf. He’s feeling rejected right now, help him understand the need for him to remain with his family. If you don’t, I won’t allow him in the compound, not fractured like this.”

  Hawke nodded and stood. “I’ll go find him. Maybe he can move into our suite, there’s a pull-out sofa in the front.” He looked at her.

  Asia agreed, somewhat ashamed that idea never occurred to her. She watched Hawke leave and looked at Angus. They stared at each other for a long moment and then he sighed.

  “Things will work out.”

  “I’m scared.”

  “I know.” He stooped in front of her and took her hand. “What’s wrong?”

  She blinked a few times before meeting his gaze. “How can I be a parent? Responsible for other people. Little people?” she whispered as her heart twisted. “I don’t remember being a child. Don’t know if I played with toys, or dolls, or skipped rope. My childhood’s been replaced with Pollyanna garbage.”