Sword of Inquest (La Patron's Sword Book 1) (10 page)

Asia took a plate from the sideboard and placed slices of medium rare beef, a turkey leg and other goodies on
her plate, scanning for danger the entire time. She didn’t trust anyone who refused to speak. Chacal’s random heartbeat mystified her. The entire time Hawke worked on the computer she’d monitored their host.
“Mistress?”

“Asia.”

“We are at Chacal’s. Hawke has disabled the chip. The test wolves are free.”

“Okay,
I’ll tell Silas. How are you and Hawke doing?”

“
Good. Somehow our mating interrupted the chip in his brain, have you ever heard of that happening?”

“No,
I’ll ask Silas. That’s great if it works out that way. Because as long as he has the chip, they can track him and you’re not safe. You’re still using the chameleon to disguise yourself, right?”

“Yes
and I appreciate you looking into that for us. If we can figure out how to short circuit it more, then we should be able to neutralize it completely.”

“Good point.
I’ll ask Jacque and Matt as well, some things may have come across their desks while doing research that can answer that question.”

Asia ate while listening to Jasmine and monitoring
her link with Hawke. “
Chacal is old
.”

“
Huh? Why do you say that?”

“
I’m reading him. And he’s old like La Patron, maybe older. It’s obvious in the way he moves, and doesn’t speak.”

“What do
you mean doesn’t speak? He talked to Angus.”

Asia stopped eating and placed the fork on the table.
“The man has not spoken an audible word since we arrived. Is there a way to verify he is Chacal
?” She exhaled to calm her beast. Hawke was taking a long time in the bathroom. If he didn’t surface soon she’d go find him.

“
Angus says he will talk when he chooses and yes he’s old, an eccentric. He may not speak but he will watch everything and make his own decision how to interact with you. Chacal has already contacted him with an update. Right now you should be at a table eating, are you?”

Asia
drew in a deep breath through her nose and swallowed. “
Yes, it’s really good. Thank you. We will leave after we eat.”

“Why?”

The question surprised her. She assumed Jasmine had a plane on standby someplace near to whisk them out of the country. Chacal and Hawke returned. He met her gaze, smiled and took a plate.

“
Why? Because the job is done here.”

“
I understand but why not rest before you head out tomorrow
?”

Asia coughed to avoid choking.
Her eyes watered and she sipped the fruit flavored beverage. “
Head out where
?” Had her Mistress changed her mind about wanting her to return to the compound?

“
Chacal made arrangements for you to fly out of Odessa on his private jet tomorrow morning. You took longer than we thought to reach his place, and he sent for the pilot when you arrived. The pilot should reach there in six hours, you’ll leave then
.”

Asia released a breath. “
Okay, that’s good, we’ll leave from here if Chacal allows us
.”

Chapter 18

Lord Boris Lancaster sat at the table with Sir Roderick and Lord Gordon in an underground lab in northern North Dakota just south of the Canadian border.

“Well?” Sir Roderick drawled. “How bad did Greggor fuck up this time?” He and Gordon chuckled at Boris’ misfortune of being related to such an inept soul.

Warmth rose to
his cheeks, but he quickly banished all expression from his face. “Seems he lost the tests animals and Hawke.”

His
comrades stopped laughing and sat straight in their chairs. “How is that possible? Hawke? Gone? After all these years?” Roderick asked, confusion lining his voice.

Boris had been just as confused until
he watched the footage from the security cams. Some areas were blotchy but between the fight with the hybrids and the dead lab workers he recognized Hawke had helped. Help they needed to identify and exterminate. If someone, anyone could shut down a computer chip as powerful as Hawke’s, then all of their experiments were at risk. They would be back to square one and that was unacceptable.

“Yes. Greggor thinks the security footage is destroyed,
he doesn’t know I have backdoor access to all the cams in the castle. These secret cams are the main reason I don’t need to return often.”  In reality, Boris could run the castle via his remote program. Often he turned off the security beams on the roof, doors and windows when one of their allies needed supplies. This particular setup happened outside of the normal security cameras that Jerry monitored. One place he did not have full control was Hawke’s lab. The full-blood constantly altered everything he installed, after ten years he stopped. Now it came back to bite him in the ass.

Boris
pressed a button. “Watch this and tell me what you think.”

The screen flickered to life. With each slide
his fingernails dug into his palm. Someone dared to violate his sanctuary, robbed him of his test animals, and killed his staff. Pain ripped through him from the deep gouges he’d made in his palm. Blood ran from his hand and dripped to the floor and then his skin re-knitted, removing all signs of his anger.

“
I didn’t know Jerry’s lover could fight like that,” Roderick said leaning forward, watching the small male drop kick and destroy a hybrid.

“
He didn’t. I have no record of him being trained for anything other than computers,” Boris said, watching the slides. “Watch close, right here.” This part seemed off to him. Not that Jerry killed Ponce that would have happened regardless. But that Jerry ran off instead of killing himself as well.

“
Your point?”

Boris withheld a sigh. Griffith had been dense so
his demise was no great loss, not in Boris’ opinion. But he expected more from Roderick and Gordon. “He didn’t self-terminate, instead he ran.”

Neither man spoke.

“There is a kill chip in his brain, and he ran,” Boris ground out.

“Do
you have anything else?” Roderick said.

“Yes. Hawke and Greggor in the lab talking and then the idiot had Hawke reset the computers.”
Boris had no footage on what happened in the entire castle after that point but he would never admit such a huge breach. There were a few things he kept to himself, like the destruct button which would detonate enough explosives below ground to blow the castle out of the woods.

“That caused a problem?”

“Yes, Hawke closed me out from that point without knowing. I have a few images after that, but they’re sketchy.”

“What are
your plans?”

Boris grinned and looked at
his partners. Both men stared at him for a moment and then smiled.

“
I plan to recapture my property and kill the bastard who rescued him. First I’m going to throw some fuel on the fire, and send the dogs after my dog. We need to know how someone entered the castle and why Hawke’s chip is not responding.”

“Yes,
I will inform the doctors in the lab to hold-off on installing the implants until we know more.”

Boris batted down
his embarrassment for this glitch and hoped project Lobo would not be impacted. The recent test results on Hawke’s pups had been excellent.

“Ask questions. See if anyone knows of anything in the Black Clan biology that would impact the chip. If
this is unique to the black wolf, it may not affect other test animals and we can make our schedule.”

“
I have discussed it with a few people already.”

“What do
they say?” Gordon asked.

“Mates. A mate can and will cancel out anything that impact or impede the wolf. Nothing can stand between the two.
His body will reject and destroy the chip without any help from the man.”

“Mate? How did
Hawke come in contact with a mate? Was there anyone new in the castle?”

Boris nodded. “Greggor hired a new lab tech, Tate Green.
But he’s dead along with the others. The only person, other than Greggor and Hawke, who left the castle alive was Jerry. Jerry worked for the castle for ten years.”

“What do
they suggest?”

It
grated Boris that they should defer to outsiders but he held his council. Thanks to his nephew he sat in the hot seat of irresponsibility and he did not appreciate it.

“Hawke headed to Odessa,
I assume to leave the country from there. Our allies set up a surprise attack and lost every wolf. None survived.”

Boris
let that sink in so they would realize how serious this matter could become. “Hawke has control of the chip and is able to bulk to enormous sizes, we’ve all seen him. Thanks to spending years in our research department the man’s a master strategist and with metal in both legs and arms, he’d be tough to bring down.”

“
We know all of this,” Roderick snapped. “He’s the second, possibly first, most volatile experiment. Asia’s in the wind and now Hawke. What’s the plan to get Hawke?”

Boris grinned at Roderick’s outburst. “
I’ve sent a team of specialized hybrids to capture Hawke and his mate.”

Roderick rubbed
his chin. “The bluebirds haven’t passed all the tests. What if something goes wrong? You should have cleared that with us first.”

Boris knew
he’d taken a risk sending their newest fighters to recover Hawke. That’s why he showed everything they stood to lose before dropping that bomb. “Time’s of the essence. Plus there’s another reason I moved quickly.” Boris paused, grabbed their attention. “I suspect the help Hawke received was someone using the chameleon bracelet.”

Roderick’s eyes narrowed as
he leaned forward. “Angus?  You think he returned?”

Boris nodded.
It was a stretch, but he’d rather they think of the Black Wolf more than his use of the Blue birds for what amounted to personal reasons.

“
Yes, it’s possible,” Gordon said. “Both men are from the Black Wolf clan, we forget that about Hawke because of how long the sod’s been around. If anyone could neutralize the computer chip, I’d say it would be Angus. That dog won’t die.”

“
He won’t have a choice once the Bluebirds reach him. Even Hawke will have a hard time defending against the birds.”

“
We want Hawke captured, not killed,” Roderick said eyeing him. “And the companion as well. This may be Angus and I want to unwrap him personally.”

Boris nodded but didn’t respond. Accidents happened all the time.
He’d preferred Hawke dead than working against him. Even now, he had a hard time decoding Hawke’s files.

Chapter 19

Stuffed from a large tasty meal,
Hawke rose from the table and nodded thanks to their host. Now that he’d fed his hunger, his wolf pressed to mate. He glanced at Asia, hoping she would morph into her true form, he needed to hold her.

Chacal
pushed back from the table, and waved them forward. Hawke took Asia’s hand and rubbed the middle of her palm with his thumb.

Asia
shivered.

Hawke winked and continued following the older man until
he stopped in front of a set of double doors. This time Chacal didn’t open the doors; instead he stepped aside, turned and walked in the opposite direction.

Hawke
opened the door and stared at the opulent suite. The cherry and cream décor in the living area was soft and inviting. He tugged Asia’s hand and walked across the threshold. A slight tingle ran across his skin.

“
It’s warded,” Asia said before he did.

“Yes,
I felt the vibration. Hope that means it’s safe for you to change.” He allowed his feelings to roll through the link so she understood what he needed. Ignoring her scent all day kicked his ass, he and his wolf wanted to be buried between her thighs. His balls ached with wanting. Hawke had kept his wolf locked down all day by promising serious play-time tonight.

“
First, I need to scan for cameras. Although anyone who doesn’t eat and wiggles fingers to open steel doors may not need cameras.” Asia walked around the room, assessing.

He
agreed and headed for the bathroom. The first door he opened was a large walk-in closet filled with robes in various sizes and colors. The second door led into a large bedroom with a super king-sized bed at the far end. A large flat screened TV took up a significant part of the wall, speakers, a wine cooler with several bottles and a mini-refrigerator were spread across the room.

“Nice,”
he murmured, walked further into the room and opened another door. “Oh yes.” This was the room he’d been seeking. Four people could fit comfortably into the large glass enclosed shower. Hawke’s gaze landed on the centerpiece of the room. Smiling, he strode toward the middle of the room where an over-sized circular tub rose as an offering to the Goddess in cream colored marble and gold trim.

Chacal
may not talk but the man had class. Hawke turned on the water, checked the temperature and filled the tub. Looking around he found a glass cabinet filled with various scents. Medium sized, gold rimmed jars contained unique flavors, he sniffed each until he came across one his wolf noticed and poured a liberal amount beneath the flow of water. Tantalizing aromas of lavender and vanilla filled the room. Pleased with the fragrance and the atmosphere, Hawke ran to the shower, turned it on and washed fast. Once dried, he dimmed the lights, turned off the water in the tub and went to find Asia.

Eyes
closed, she lay across the bed.

Unsure if
he should press or allow her to rest, Hawke remained by the door battling his wolf and his conscience. Last night she hadn’t slept much, and then the fight against a pack of wolves. Plus traveled a great distance. He pushed down the disappointment, and rationalized this was all a part of being mated. Some days like tonight, her needs came first. Asia needed rest, and that was okay. He would be okay. Turning, he headed toward the shower.

Asia’s
laughter stopped him cold, and he spun around to see her leaning up on her elbow. “Wow, you should’ve seen your face when you walked out of here. I thought you’d start crying any minute you looked so sad.”

“What?
Don’t tease your mate like that. I’m operating on fumes here.” Hawke strode to the bed, picked her up, and placed kisses all over her face.

Asia
laughed and pushed him back. “Tickles… your whiskers tickle. Let me down so I can undress.”

“No.”
Hawke headed to the bathroom. “I’m going to undress and bathe you. Tonight I plan to pamper and feast on your lusciousness.”

Her
soft gasp made him wonder if anyone had ever treated her as the special woman she was. Hopefully not.

“Pamper and then feast…
hmmm, sounds like a contradiction to me,” she murmured sliding down the front of his body.

“
Trust me, it’s not and I’ll show you.” Hawke pulled off her pants and removed her top. She stood bold and beautiful in front of him. He leaned forward and captured her dusky nipple into his mouth. Asia moaned and held his head in place for a few seconds. When her legs shook, he picked up his prize and walked to the tub.

“That smells great. What is
it?”

“
Some scents I combined, glad you like the aroma.” Hawke lowered her into the water, pleased when her eyes fluttered close and she rested on the bottom. After releasing her, he kneeled on the side, cupped his hand into the water and poured the warm liquid across the top of her breast. Her nipples pebbled beneath the water.

“
Ummm, nice.”

Hawke
removed the wash cloth from on top of the stack of towels, swirled the cloth into the water and with deliberate strokes ran the wet towel across her legs, thighs and stomach. Asia moaned and widened her legs.

The look of bliss touched deep places inside and he
prayed to the Goddess for strength to last a longer. Those small sounds slipping from her mouth sent his beast into a tailspin. “Like that?” his voice dropped to a husky whisper.

Asia
nodded. But that wasn’t good enough. Not any longer. His mate hid from them and his wolf refused to accept that any longer. Even though she didn’t block the link, there were limits on where he could go, what he could see and learn about her. That frustrated his beast and slowed their mating. Hawke intended to break through her walls with love and affection, two things missing from most of her life.

Hawke started at
her feet, massaging first, rotating each foot, pressing his thumb into pressure points for relaxation. “If I haven’t told you how much I appreciate you finding a safe place last night, I need to correct that right now. The dregs of the serum from the tranquilizer hit again last night, and I crashed, leaving us vulnerable to attack.” His hands moved up to her calves while appreciating the small sounds of delight escaping her mouth. Hawke doubted she was aware of the purring noises.

“Thank
you.” He opened the link so the full force of his pride in being her mate, his commitment to their bond and his gratitude for her care filled the space to bursting. Hawke would never be able to verbalize the wellspring of emotions Asia set off in him and didn’t try.

Her
eyes opened, and their gazes locked. First, he massaged one thigh and then the other while holding her gaze, promising her with every touch that he’d be there for her. Next, his fingertips brushed between her legs. Asia opened her mouth without releasing a sound.

And then
Hawke placed his palm on her flat stomach absorbing her tremors. Moving behind her, he started at the base of her neck, massaging tight muscles until they loosened beneath his hand.

“
Mmmm,” she murmured dropping her head forward to her chest. He placed a kiss to her neck, feeling her pulse, and then watching it jump beneath her soft skin. Next he massaged her shoulders and then each arm. By the time he dragged the washcloth over every inch of her body Asia was boneless.

“
Are you okay?” he asked more to hear her speak than to answer.

“Better than okay. That was… can’t
really describe how good that felt.”

Hawke
turned to pick up the towel when he heard her voice catch and gazed over his shoulder. Asia’s eyes squeezed tight, and she laid ramrod stiff. Concerned, he tested the link to see if she’d left it open enough for him to make sure she was okay. Stunned didn’t begin to describe his feelings over the battle she fought with her emotions. He’d never seen anyone so conflicted over a kind act. That explained her rigid posture, she fought for control and he didn’t want to interfere. Hawke eased out of the link, picked up the towel and waited for her to acknowledge him.

He
could wait. He
would
wait as long as it took for her to work through her demons. The moment Asia walked into the lab, she’d set him free, allowed him to face and deal with personal demons every day without judgment. They were two of a kind.

Asia opened
her eyes and met his gaze. Hawke stood in front of her holding a large towel. “Ready to get out?” he asked without acknowledging what just happened. One day she’d share her past, and allow him to help banish the darkness. Until then, he’d stay close without pushing.

Asia
wet her lips and pushed. “Yes, thanks. That was great. Didn’t realize how tense I was.”

Hawke
picked her up, wrapped her in the towel and walked into the bedroom. When he reached the bed, he stood her in front of him and towel dried her from bottom to top with brisk strokes, spending extra time on her clit and taut nipples. By the time he pulled her close for a hard kiss she trembled in his arms. He took her hand and placed it on his rock-hard cock.

“Feel that?”

She nodded.

He
pressed his hardness into her. “No, say the word. Do you feel this?” he asked more demanding this time.

“Yes.”
She leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. Hawke cupped her ass and squeezed.

“Lay
down.”

Asia glanced at
him, turned and crawled to the middle of the bed, giving him an eye full. His dick hurt it was so hard. He followed and nipped her thigh from behind. She spun around laughing. Hawke caught her around the waist, pushed and held her in position. He placed small bites all over her ass while she squirmed to be free.

“Settle down, feisty bitch.”
Hungry, he licked her ass all over and kissed the places he’d bitten. One finger slid between her legs and played in the moisture. Blessed the Goddess she was ready for him, he couldn’t wait another second. Admiring her round butt, he pulled her up on her knees and spread them apart. She wiggled her ass and looked over her shoulder at him.

Hawke
smacked one cheek and for good measure the other. Asia tried to scoot forward, but he pulled her close and with one thrust slid inside her tight sheath. Tight, vaginal walls pulsed around him in welcome. He pulled out and then slid back, in and out, faster with each thrust. Goddess she was hot and snug around him. But he needed more and lifted her off the bed for a deeper angle. Faster and faster Hawke thrust inside her. Her walls tightened. Wanting to fly over the wall with his mate, he drove deeper and then like a four wheeler, pleasure slammed into him. Unable to stop, his fangs dropped and he bit into her shoulder prolonging bliss filled spirals of color and weightlessness.

“Mistress was right,” Asia said later.

Too tired for a full discussion, Hawke limited his words. “About?”

“
Oh… she said sex with a mate was different. There’s no way to prepare anyone for mating. There are no words.” She stretched, yawned and curled into him.

“That’s true.”
Hawke pulled her close and drew the cover over them.