by Sydney Addae
“Something happened?” Hawke asked after making sure he hadn’t squashed his mate in the back seat and his pup hadn’t flown through the windshield. When Barticus didn’t respond he looked at Asia, sharing her concern that her sire wasn’t handling the news of what had happened to her well. Once Asia explained to Hawke that those bastards knew who she was all along, he agreed their motives were more personal than they had thought before. If she hadn’t died, and thanks to her father’s superior genes, returned, those assholes would still have her in their toy box, playing with her life and future.
Asia rubbed his arm, calming him.
“What happened?” Asia asked Barticus.
“Bastards dropped her off at the temple south of Borsa in northern Romania about an hour from here. Ira’s not there yet, so they called me about the reward.” He slapped the steering wheel as they sped down the motorway.
Based on Barticus’ response, that wasn’t good, although Hawke wasn’t sure why not. They’d go to the temple, retrieve Amynta, and head to the forest for the reunion. Sounded good to him.
The next forty minutes no one spoke, not by link or verbally. Barticus’ reaction to what should be a simple pick-up had them all on edge. Asia calmly looked out the window, but her fingernails dug into the back of his hand.
When the vehicle turned sharply off the main road onto a secondary road, Barticus was forced to slow down. The curses flying from his mouth gave way to his frustration for the delay. Hawke wouldn’t have been surprised if the man jumped out the car, shifted, and ran the rest of the way.
Finally, the spirals of the temple came into view. Barticus threw the car into park, jumped out and ran into the building, leaving them to make their own way.
“Well, that was… interesting,” Damian said, looking over his shoulder at them as he unbuckled his seat belt. “What next?”
Hawke looked at the building and did a preliminary scan. “Someone’s leaving out the back. Let’s see who they are.” They stepped out and ran around the side and then the back of the building. When he turned the corner, Asia and Damian stopped, shifted into their wolves and ran. Hawke grinned, his beast wanted to play. He shifted and took off after them, Asia and Damian were at his side. Within seconds they noticed the two brown wolves and gained on them.
More familiar with the territory, the two wolves sped toward the woods, zig-zagging every now and then before separating. He went after one. Asia and Damian followed the other. Energized by the hunt, Hawke allowed his wolf free rein as they went deeper into the woods. He leaped over fallen limbs, crossed shallow streams, never allowing his prey out of his sight. When they came to a dense part of the forest, Hawked leapt and fell on top of his opponent, momentarily pinning him down.
The other wolf rolled, slipped out and bared his teeth. Hawke’s beast roared, more than ready to unleash the pent-up anger of the past few hours. They charged each other. Hawke’s large canines bit into the smaller wolf’s back, causing it to howl in pain. Instead of yielding, it tried to bite Hawke and missed. Hawke knocked his opponent down and took her neck between his jaws. After useless wiggling, the other wolf stopped and yielded.
Hawke shook him a couple times to make his point and then shifted. He stood above the wolf in his hybrid form on two legs just in case the full-blood changed its mind. Hawke growled and toed his opponent to remind her to shift, they needed to return to the temple.
A few moments later a long-haired blond lay on the ground beneath him. Hawke waited for her to move, when she didn’t, he realized she’d released pheromones in the air. Someone really needed to explain about mated full-bloods to this one. He pulled her up by her arm as he morphed to his normal size.
“Let’s go.” He pushed her in the direction they’d just come, not trusting her an inch.
“Where are we going?” she asked, looking over her shoulder at him.
Hawke ignored her question and pushed her again while contacting his mate. “I got the bitch, you must have her brother.”
“Yeah, had to stop Damian from killing him. The fool thought he could win this time.”
Hawke snorted. “Glad you were there. La Patron wants no bloodshed. Still feel no kinship with him?”
“Nope. I can kill him without blinking.”
Hawke laughed. “I sense we will meet up soon. When we do, we’ll question them both. This one released her scent on me.”
“Did she now?”
“Yeah. I think she expected leniency for some reason, can’t imagine why.”
Asia laughed and it made him smile. She had so much thrown at her in the past twenty-four hours, at times he wondered if she’d break beneath the uncertainty or pressure. In a way, he was happy things unraveled the way they were. At the end of all of this, he just wanted to get his mate back.
“We’re a good distance from the temple, I hope everything’s okay,” Asia said.
“Why did you follow these two instead of your sire?” Hawke expected her to go inside with Barticus to see Amynta, and although pleased she came with him, he’d been surprised.
“I wasn’t ready.”
Her bald statement touched him, made him want to wrap her in cotton and take her away from all the ugly things that caused her pain. “Okay.” Loving her the way he did, he knew she’d never hide from any situation, but delays were permitted.
“Thanks, see you around the bend.”
Hawke and Randi crossed the stream and moved in silence at a steady pace. His mind on what they’d find in the temple and his mate’s reaction.
“I smell you,” Asia said.
“That’s a good thing this time.”
Five minutes later they met in a clearing. Raoul looked as if he had been at the front side of a battering ram. His face sported black and blue marks. A dark bruise on Damian’s right cheek lightened every second. Asia’s male form looked blissfully untouched and that suited him fine.
“What are you two doing here instead of England?” Asia asked. When neither spoke, she walked up to Randi and punched her in the stomach with her left fist. She glanced at Damian, saw his distaste. Male wolves didn’t attack female wolves unless lives hung in the balance. She didn’t have time to do the politically correct thing and hoped Hawke would tell the pup something so they could get the answers they needed.
The young pup’s eyes widened as she bent forward, her mouth opened with no sound. “I asked a question.” Asia turned and walked over to Raoul. “What are you two doing here instead of England?”
“Went to see my mam, checked on her.”
Asia stared at him and then tilted her chin. “Your mam? Who is your mam?”
“Bastard,” Randi heaved and ran at Asia with outstretched claws. Asia turned, leaned to the side, and punched Randi in the face.
Damian crossed his arms and looked up at the tops of the trees. She appreciated his distaste at seeing her male form fight the young wolf. At some point he had been taught proper protocol.
“This bastard will kick your ass and spit on your grave.” She ignored Randi panting on the ground and looked at her brother again. “Answer me.”
He licked his split lip. “I don’t want her involved in this. Please,” he added.
Hawke respected that and asked the next question. “What are you doing at the temple?”
“We worship here,” Raoul said.
Randi stood slowly while staring at Asia with hate-filled eyes. Hawke wondered if she’d challenge Asia again. But when she crossed her arms and looked at Damian, he figured she’d decided to find easier prey.
“Why’d you run?”
“We didn’t know who you were, and reacted to you running toward us. My father has enemies everywhere,” Randi said.
Asia held up her hand and pointed her finger at Randi. “Bitch, you are not allowed to speak again. That was filled with so many lies.”
Randi’s face turned red as she cut her eyes toward Asia.
Asia pointed at Raoul. “Answer his question. And no more lies about L
ord Barticus, the man is not your sire.”
Raoul’s wide-eyed stare at Asia proved her point.
Dread pooled in Hawke’s chest as another explanation unraveled. He extended his hand to Asia. If they were going to keep La Patron’s decree of no bloodshed, he’d need to hold onto her.
She took his hand with a quizzical expression.
He couldn’t look at her. Instead he stared at Raoul. “Did you bring Amynta to the temple?” Asia’s shock raced through their link, followed by a ball of red hot anger. The guilty answer showed on Raoul’s face.
Randi’s cheeks whitened. Each second they didn’t respond, Asia’s body vibrated with rage. Her beast snapped at Raoul’s beast, egging her on to destroy these two.
“It was a mistake,” Raoul said slowly, watching Hawke with an earnest expression. “We didn’t –”
“Don’t lie. I will kill you where you stand if you do.” Asia’s voice came out in a low growl raising the hairs on his arms. Her barely leashed animal had risen to the surface. He added his energies to keep her from disobeying a direct command from their Alpha.
Raoul swallowed audibly and nodded, his attention now on Asia. “As you say, we are not Lord Barticus’ natural children, he adopted us in a way. Our father was his beta and best friend of many years.” He told them their history with Lord Barticus and everything the man had done for them.
“This is how you repay him?” Hawke asked when he finished.
“It was my fault,” Randi said, going to stand next to her brother and taking his hand. “I was jealous that there was another daughter, someone our Alpha loved more than me. He never stopped seeking her, it made me feel I wasn’t enough. But as mam said, he gave us more than we deserved and we dishonored our family by removing his mate.”
“You came here for the reward,” Damian said. “When Lord Barticus arrived you left, because you didn’t want him to know what you’ve done. I’m not saying you’re not sorry for your actions, but I wonder. If we hadn’t chased and stopped you, would you have admitted this to him? Apologized? Or tried to cover it all up?”
The twins fidgeted but didn’t answer.
Asia released a long stream of air and squeezed Hawke’s hand. “Let’s go. You will face both Lord Barticus and his mate for what you’ve done. They’ll make the decision regarding your fate.
The color drained from Randi’s face. Wild-eyed, she looked around.
Asia stepped in front of her, caught her gaze and smiled. “Run away, please. I swear I’ll make it quick.”
Randi moved back quickly, bumping into her brother, who wrapped his arm around her shoulder while staring at Asia. Together they returned to the temple.
Chapter 25
Barticus ran through the temple doors and veered right, where he sensed activity. The entrance to the small room was open and he saw her legs draped over the long covered bench. His wolf growled at the idea of anyone treating his mate in this manner. He stepped inside and saw Ira dressing in a ceremonial garment. Their eyes met in the mirror.
Ira turned slowly and motioned for him to close the door. Barticus glanced at Amynta lying peacefully and shoved the door shut.
“I’ve been waiting for you. Peters’ said he contacted you regarding her return, I knew you’d be here soon.” He paused, closed his eyes and then met Barticus’ gaze. “You’ve known where she was all along. Twice, or at least twice, you’ve paid reward money but never turned her into the temple. The two of you are mated, aren’t you?”
Although there was no reason to hide it any longer, Barticus didn’t respond. Instead, he continued trying to reach Amynta through their link while staring at Ira, the man who’d raised him from a pup. The man who’d wiped his tears and taught him how to shift. The man he would kill if he came between him and Amynta.
Through the years he knew it would come to this moment. The moment he would choose between his surrogate father and his mate. Seeing her lying so still, deathlike, his wolf howled his displeasure at the idea of a world without their mate. There was no choice, not in his mind.
Ira shook his head. “You are the vessel, the one chosen by Nicromja to carry his seed and create his perfect full-blood wolf. You allowed her to corrupt you, to alter your course, to blind your one true reason for living.” Sorrow filled Ira’s gaze as he stared at Barticus. “Don’t you see what she’s done to you? To us?”
Barticus couldn’t remain so far from her, moving closer he touched her forehead with his fingertips. “I am here, Asia’s here. We’ll end this today my love, one way or another. Like you said, no more hiding. We walk into the light, together.”
“This… this does not please Nicromja!”
Barticus’ head snapped up, his canines dropped and a low threatening growl rolled up his throat.
Ira’s eyes narrowed, he crossed his arms and stared down at Barticus. “You cannot escape your destiny, Tre. Nicromja altered your physiology, you belong to him. Your seed belongs to him. Where is she?”
Barticus searched for Asia and realized she wasn’t on the immediate grounds. He sent a silent prayer that whatever science or magic she used to hide her identity continued working. Ira’s behavior bordered on cocky, surprising him. Something had happened since he had spoken to the man last month. “I don’t know.”
Ira stared at him a few moments longer and waved his hand. “It’s no matter, she will come, her connection to Nicromja will compel her to meet her Master and fulfill her destiny.”
Barticus stared at the man, realizing Ira really believed Nicromja would return and finish whatever he had started. Something had definitely happened lately. “You sound sure of that.”
Ira inhaled deeply and exhaled. “I am. There are no coincidences. Everything has aligned perfectly, everyone is here.” His gaze swept over Amynta and he frowned. “Not in the manner I hoped, you betrayed your Master, but we will manage.”
Barticus crossed his arms and stared at the High Priest, wondering how the man intended to make any of them do anything. Physically there was no contest between them and Barticus didn’t sense anyone else nearby.
Rather than wait for a surprise, he turned and picked up Amynta. Her arm flopped to the side, revealing a long cable locked onto her arm in some kind of brace with metal clips. His heart raced as he tracked the cord to beneath Ira’s robe. The man looked at him with sadness and shook his head.
“She cannot leave, and neither will you.”
Heat flashed through Barticus as his wolf rose to the surface. He moved toward Ira, determined to kill the man where he stood.
“If you come any closer she dies.” The calm, authoritative manner Ira spoke in confused Barticus. In the past ninety years he didn’t recall this level of confidence.
Unwilling to take a chance on Amynta’s safety, Barticus settled her in his arms and sat on the bench with her on his lap. “For what you’ve done to her you are dead to me.”
“Pity it has come to this, but you’ve always known Nicromja’s will comes first in my life. No matter how much I think of you, I will obey him and present his vessel at the appropriate time.”
“What makes you think his vessel is here?” Barticus wondered if Ira sensed Asia through her disguise, which was something he hadn’t been able to do.
Ira laughed. “Three nights ago, I sensed her presence. By morning it was gone. I sent men to the area to search for her but she escaped.” He eyed Barticus. “Were you involved with that?”
“Me? No. I was in Athens.”
“That’s right, you were. And then you flew here, why?”
“I missed you.”
The High Priest laughed and moved to another chair. Barticus eyed the cord connecting his mate to something. But what?
“There were times when you did come to see me, but that stopped a long time ago.” Ira’s voice dropped an octave and he looked toward the wall.
“That stopped around the time we gave up on Nicromja making a reappearance, since it’s been over a hundred years. What happened? Yo
u heard from him again?”
The high priest turned and met his gaze. A slow smile eased on his face and his eyes lit with an inner glow. “Yes, I have. He’s returning for his vessel. All three of you are to stand before him and be judged.”
Barticus couldn’t believe it. After all this time, Ira started spouting this nonsense again. “Really? When did he tell you this?”
“That’s not important, what’s important is he is returning for what belongs to him. That includes you.” He pointed at Barticus and turned toward the door. “Someone is coming.”
Barticus sensed Asia, Hawke, and Damian. He frowned when he recognized Randi and Raoul. What were they doing here?
“Friends of yours?” Ira asked, watching him.
“My pups. Why are they here?”
Ira smiled.
The door opened. Damian entered first, looked around and then stepped aside so the others could file in. Randi and Raoul glanced at him and looked away. He frowned at their behavior. Why were they standing on the other side of the room? He hesitated calling them to him when he noticed something strange.
“What happened to your face, Raoul?” Blue and black marks were fading but visible.
“I got into a fight with Damian again.”
Barticus’ brow rose and he looked at the pup. No doubt there was a story there. “What happened to you, Randi? Did you get into a fight with Damian as well?”
Her cheeks and neck reddened and he knew something major had happened. He looked at Asia, but she stared at Amynta seated on his lap.
“No. We did something wrong and need to apologize.” She glanced at him and then at Amynta.
He frowned and followed her gaze. Then it hit him, Ira’s smug smile, the reward money, the kidnapping. “No.” He looked at Ira, who sat in his chair with a satisfied gleam in his eyes.
Randi and Raoul looked down at the ground when he looked at them again. “You brought her here?”
“Yes, Sir.” Raoul said.
“Did you know who she was?”
“Yes, Sir.” Randi said.