Sword of Mercy

by Sydney Addae

  The road led them out of town into the rural areas.

  “I would like to return to the wolf.”

  Angus glanced at Damian and then the road. “I need you to give me directions. Can’t do that in wolf form.”

  Damian cleared his throat. “Hawke, my sire, he talked to me… in my mind. He said it is how people like him communicate. Can that happen while I am wolf?”

  Angus hid his surprise. Hawke linked with the pup, he hoped Asia’s secrets were protected. “Yes, it can happen. Can you contact him now? Find out if he is alright? If he knows where they are?” Angus had been reaching out through their link and had no luck. But this would be good for the pup to build a connection with Hawke.

  Damian frowned. “How do I contact him?”

  “Think about him and start talking in your mind, he’ll hear you…. If he can. Otherwise, it’ll be quiet, a different kind of quiet though.”

  Angus continued down the road, but glanced at Damian from time to time. If this young pup was the final product the Liege produced, he was impressed. Damian drank knowledge with determination and excitement.

  “Nothing,” Damian said, looking disappointed.

  Angus nodded. “Tell me about the place you grew up. How many were in your classes? What did you do during the day and at night?” He asked the young pup a barrage of questions to get a better understanding of the program and the cost to the wolf nation. One thing for certain, over the decades, hundreds of pups were taken, Angus prayed they hadn’t all been destroyed in experiments or trying to escape.

  Chapter 29

  Granira watched as Lancaster’s minions carried Hawke, his mate and Gordon down the long corridor with an equal measure of pleasure and trepidation. Verrick nodded at her with a smug smirk and followed. She wanted to kick him. He was no better than her, using the Liege to get what she wanted. Niall wanted that Alpha spot and now they had the means to challenge that interloper Muzik.

  Holding the box Lancaster had given her close to her chest, she waved to Niall to hurry before Angus or La Patron discovered what happened. Angus made a horrible enemy, but it was a chance she and Niall decided to take for this lifetime opportunity.

  Once they cleared the main corridor, they increased their speed toward the area leading to their pack lands. Excitement coursed through her veins as they crossed into their border and headed for her home.

  “Did you see that?” Niall asked, his eyes wide. “All of them, knocked out on the ground. The mist worked. One day we will look back on the day the Farkas pack rose through the ranks, not by flexing our muscles but by using our minds.”

  She smiled but kept her thoughts to herself. Wolves would always rule with muscle, that was their nature and the reason she made a deal with that devil, Lancaster. “Let’s see how this works.” She moved into her inner room and locked the door behind him. “Sit here.” While he moved to the chair she opened the box and took out the instructions. He booted the laptop to access the codes to start the transformation.

  “What does it say?” He asked, taking the paper when she handed it to him. “Seems pretty straightforward. Do you trust him?”

  “No. Not at all, that’s why I have something extra.” She pulled the metal necklace from the box and placed it on the table. Niall picked it up and inspected the three symmetrical rings that created the band.

  “Lancaster said the device was a modified version of what they used on the Hybrids, something they marketed to militia groups.” She chanted for the spirits of the Black Wolf to guide their next steps.

  When done, the neck brace was warm. She waited a few seconds and touched it again. Taking the cooled brace, she returned to Niall. “Ready?”

  “To avenge my brother, my Alpha? Yes.” He straightened in the chair so she could clasp it on his neck. Once in place he keyed in the codes to activate it.

  Granira stood to the side with a prayer in her throat. This had to work, otherwise they were dead, literally. Angus and Hawke would not forgive easily. Niall needed to be Alpha in order to find a way to survive their wrath for betraying them.

  Niall had gained a new appreciation for pack life and politics while living in the city working for a large pharmaceutical company. Perhaps the disappearance of pups or the downward spiral of the quality of life of his pack-mates set the nostalgia in motion. He could not pinpoint the exact catalyst that caused him to return home to plot and make changes.

  Alpha Muzik had been suspicious of his motives when he crossed pack lands because the seed of Alpha Nikolas was destined to always rule the Farkas pack. It had taken some side-stepping to avoid having his throat ripped out, but he played the role of omega and moved to the outskirts of pack land with Granira where they plotted Muzik’s downfall.

  She had heard about the Hybrids and he had researched the technology. The merging of technology and human flesh fascinated him. They recognized he needed more strength and cunning to challenge Muzik. Adding an extra hybrid would be the way to go if it could be done safely with him retaining control.

  Planning had taken almost a year and Hawke’s liberation happened at a perfect time. Muzik constantly worried Hawke would return and unseat him. Although Niall never would have allowed that to happen, Hawke’s genuine disinterest made easier. After months of hacking into databases to insure the device worked, he initiated this plan.

  With her love of power and prestige, Granira was the perfect accomplice and would serve well as the pack historian again. Muzik had not seen the value in having someone who knew more than him in his ear and dismissed Granira as soon as he came to power, shaming the older woman. Niall understood her motives for helping him were not just about him, but also to settle a score with Muzik and a few pack members who rejoiced at her dismissal.

  Niall stiffened as jolts of energy shot through his body. At first the pain wasn’t too bad, but given he had never had a high threshold for discomfort, after a few seconds he tried to remove the damn thing. It wouldn’t come off. He glanced at the laptop, watched the irrevocable download and tried to turn off the laptop.

  “Don’t fight it. The instructions say once initiated it cannot be stopped, it’s coming from someplace that only uses the computer to start, not to finish. The entire process is five minutes,” Granira said, standing to the side holding the instructions.

  Five minutes. He’d be dead by then. No way could he last that long with this fire running through his veins. His stomach rebelled, his throat tightened. There wasn’t a part of him that did not hurt and wish for death. In the recesses of his mind, his wolf howled its displeasure over the intrusion. Niall sunk into his beast, seeking comfort and found a measure of peace, not enough to negate the debilitating distress that made him curl into a fetal position on the floor, but enough to stop from crying like a pup for his mam.

  Cool hands rubbed his forehead and stroked his back as his body shook like a twig beneath the force of the transformation. Sweat soaked his shirt and jeans, his head throbbed and his eyes had a gritty feel as the pain ebbed. Had Hawke gone through this? His mate? Or was this something completely different?

  “Drink this.” Granira placed a cup next to his lips. He sipped at first and then drank it all appreciating the cool beverage running down his throat.

  “Thanks. I think that’s the worst of it.” He pushed up from the floor and looked around. “That hurt worse than fire.

  She smiled and cleaned the floor from where he soiled himself.

  “I can do that,” he protested, embarrassed.

  “No. You must rest for an hour or more to complete the transformation. While you take care of that I will find out where Muzik is hiding so that you can make a formal challenge.”

  Niall nodded and stood on shaky legs. Grabbing his laptop, he moved to the long sofa and lay down. Now that the necklace was activated he needed to make a few changes so that no one could access it again, that included Granira and Hawke. A file appeared on screen, when clicked a series of codes and information raced across the screen
that he was able to decode and accept. Defensive strategies, offensive maneuvers, healing herbs and techniques to keep his new Hybrid form in tip-top condition. With so much information being fed directly into his mind via the device, Niall wondered what the street value of the necklace was. There was a sense of empowerment he’d never had before.

  Intuitively he knew he could win the Alpha challenge against Muzik and set the pack on a different course of safety and prosperity. When the last file downloaded, Niall accepted the mantle of Alpha and refused to allow anyone to stand in his way, including Hawke.

  Granira left the house and he slid off the couch and shifted to his wolf form. No matter what happened, he needed peace with his beast. While in this form he rested, allowing his beast to experience the changes in his body and accept them. He remained on the floor in that position until Granira returned. The smile she wore didn’t bear well for Muzik. The fool must have done or said something to piss her off which was never a good thing.

  She sat on the floor next to him and stroked his fur. He purred beneath her hand. “He boasts that he has changed history and that one of his seed shall always be Alpha. Fools, all of them. No one can change that which was spoken. They listened and applauded his words as if he were the Goddess spouting truth.”

  He looked at her and purred.

  Granira met his gaze and smiled, a real one filled with warmth. “How are you feeling? I was gone longer than I thought. Are you hungry?”

  Niall hadn’t thought about it, but he could eat. He morphed into his human form and helped her stand. “I’ll get us both something,” he said, heading toward the kitchen.

  She followed. “You’re Alpha. Alpha’s don’t cook.” She took the steak from his hand and pushed him aside.

  “This Alpha cooks and takes care of his space. Until I meet my mate, I will handle those things myself. I refuse to lose myself, who I am at my core.” He met her gaze. “Do you understand that? I’m a geek at heart and will use force when necessary without delay, but I will always try to make life better for the pack using my mind first. That’s who I am.” He hoped she understood, but if not, she would come around or leave.

  She patted his cheek and placed a kiss on the back of his hand. “And that is why you are the only Alpha for our pack.”

  He smiled and they prepared a quick meal for the upcoming battle. “I will run into the woods to see how this thing works before the challenge. Despite how the low hum of energy running through me, I need to be sure I can handle it.”

  She nodded and sat in front of him. “Finally, after all this time we will have our Alpha. The right Alpha. One who cares for everyone, not just a few favorites. I can go with you or wait here, whatever you want.”

  Pleased, she offered a choice it made his answer easier. “No, this first time I will go alone, iron out the kinks and make sure I am sure footed. When I return we will find Muzik and I will challenge him.”

  She nodded and he could tell she was relieved. Granira had aged well, but she tired easily and the past week had presented a strain.

  “Okay, I will rest and wait for your return.”

  Niall nodded, left the house and headed toward the mountains at an easy pace in case someone watched. Despite Granira’s opinion, Muzik wasn’t dumb. The Alpha understood as long as he and Hawke lived his position was in jeopardy. It wouldn’t surprise Niall if someone followed him and Granira and made reports to Muzik. Within moments he hit the tree line on the mountain. Inhaling and sensing no one nearby, he took off at a faster pace, impressed by the increased speed.

  He headed for a cave where he hid as a boy when no one had time for him. It had become his private place to dream and hope. Today, it seemed the proper place to practice before reaching the culmination of his dreams.

  Chapter 30

  “Hawke? Hawke? Wake up.” Asia’s called again as she had been doing for the past ten minutes. She lay on a gurney in a lab where a technician had taken her blood and had her lined up in a long metal tube for x-rays. Pretty soon, Lancaster would recognize the metal in her legs and arm and know her identity.

  “Mistress?”

  “Asia? Where are you?”

  “I don’t know where but Lancaster is running tests on me and will know who I am soon. I cannot wake Hawke.”

  “Not again,” Jasmine murmured. “Angus is tracking you guys. The door was locked and he had to enter another way. He and that animal took down a couple of hybrids and saved Maheegan and her mate. But you were gone by then.”

  “Does he know what happened?”

  “Hawke told him it was Granira and Lancaster.”

  “What? That bitch. I will personally kill her when I get out of here.”

  “Let’s work on getting you out first. I’ll have Silas work on Hawke while I help you.”

  Asia tensed and then forced herself to relax. Her Mistress wasn’t very good at this yet, but anything she could do to help would be appreciated. The motor started and she moved slowly toward the tube. Many times in the past she had been in this same position, helpless. After all she had been through, her death, rebirth, mating and falling in love, it seemed impossible that she’d be subjected to all of this again.

  Her wolf growled.

  Not again. Her wolf howled in agreement. If Lancaster was anywhere in this building the man would die by her hands today. Earlier, she and Hawke planned to allow themselves to be captured to be close to their prey, well this wasn’t how they imagined things would work out. But it would have to do. She sought her link with Hawke, he was still unresponsive, but his energy burned bright.

  “Mistress, I have an idea, let me try it and if it doesn’t work I’ll let you know.”

  “Okay.”

  Asia touched his energy, it coiled around her like a lost lover. She warmed and then burned hot as the two of them linked. While in the container she lifted her hands popping the security bands and threw energy toward the controls causing them to burn and short out.

  The technician re-entered the room as Asia inched forward. Their gazes met. The woman pulled out what looked like a small tranq gun and fired just as Asia jumped aside. The needle fell to the table. The tech fired again and again missing until Asia reached and backhanded her, knocking her to the ground.

  “I’m off the table.”

  “Good. Silas is still working on Hawke.”

  “Tell him, I know how to wake him and I’m on my way.” She dragged the tech to the door, ran the ID card through the slot and placed her thumb on the pad. The door opened. Two hybrids met her in the hall. Asia inhaled searching for her mate as she jumped up, pushed the charging hybrid into the lab just as the door closed behind him and turned to face the other. He charged and she dropped low, gut punched him and then kicked him beneath his chin sending him flying down the hall. He dented the wall, causing dust to float around him. Good, they hadn’t reinforced this building for hybrids.

  Locked on Hawke’s scent she headed in his direction. On the way she broke the glass and pulled an ax from an emergency exit box. Since no one opposed her on the way she suspected a nice welcome from Lancaster and Gordon.

  “Hawke,” she called when she reached the door to the room where he was located.

  “Asia?”

  She breathed and sent energy to clear the cobwebs from his mind.

  “What the fuck? How’d I get back here again? Damn it.”

  “Doesn’t matter. We’ll deal with that later. Right now plan B is in effect.”

  “Plan B? Refresh my memory.”

  “We allow ourselves to be caught to get close to the Liege. They die today, Hawke.”

  “Yes… I agree. Is that you at the door?”

  “Yep, just waiting for an invitation.”

  His chuckle filled their link. “I’m blindfolded and suspended over something, don’t let that distract you from our mission. I’m really hard to destroy.”

  She swallowed hard. “You first always.”

  He didn’t respond right away. She sens
ed her words impacted him the same way his always hit her. “Understood. By the way, come on in.”

  “I need to borrow a little of your energy, hold tight, this won’t hurt a bit.” She wrapped his essence around her and shifted. Once in her hybrid form she kicked the door. It flew off the hinges into the room like a torpedo.

  “Nice. I felt the wind as it passed.”

  There was a small room higher up with human heartbeats, she counted two and one full blood. She wondered who had betrayed the wolf nation and promised to make that bitch suffer.

  “Welcome Asia. It has been a long time since we’ve seen you. Blood doesn’t lie and yours was a perfect match,” Lancaster said through an intercom. “Please come in, I’d love for you to join us, after all this party is for you.”

  “Mistress, where is Angus?”

  “His pet is tracking you, I don’t know where he is exactly. Why?”

  “I need a little help.” She told Jasmine what she learned so far.

  “Sounds like Hawke will need the help.”

  “I plan to kill all of them, but I need to make sure my mate is safe. I don’t want to look at him, instead I want to focus on that room.”

  “I see. Good plan. I’ll tell Silas, he and Hawke will work out whatever he’s going through and I’ll help you.” She paused. “I’ve been practicing Asia. I can direct an energy bolt into that room and start a fire if you look at it long enough. Promise I won’t hurt you.”

  “I wonder if I can redirect Hawke’s energy and do that?”

  “Try it and if it does not work, I’ll help.”