Sword of Inquest (La Patron's Sword Book 1) (6 page)

“
You should turn and look below to make sure it’s clear
.” Hawke moved back, the soft warmth of his fur vanished.

Asia
ground her teeth at his suggestion and jumped. It was further to the ground than she thought. The graveled walkway near the castle jolted her system on contact. Moments later, Hawke hit the ground beside her. He had partially shifted, which made for an easier landing. Their gazes met, and he returned to his wolf. She took off running into the woods, not quite sure what to do now. Once again she hadn’t thought beyond the mission, that whole act first think later thing had to change. For now the safety of the tree beckoned. The world appeared different from that vantage point.

“
Where are we headed?”

Asia
ignored his question and continued running. Boris would send hybrids after them as soon as he realized all the test wolves were missing, including Hawke. Goddess please let the plane be on the way.

“
I need to access a computer.”

She
rolled her eyes as they ran around trees and jumped over thick roots or vines. Where did he expect her to get a computer?

“
This is important. I need to get to a computer.”
He sounded cross.

She
stopped, turned and glared down at him. Two wolves slammed into his side, knocking him back, snapping at his hind legs. His inability to fight surprised her. He stood taller than his attackers and yet he didn’t fight. In human form she doubted she would’ve defeated him. Was his wolf that much different? These wolves were getting the best of him. Asia stepped forward prepared to grab one of the animals.

“
Don’t
.” Hawke said to the savior who looked like Jerry the security guard. His wolf didn’t agree. He’d puzzled over the inconsistency since he heard the disturbance in his lab. Something big happened. Bigger than the destruction of the lab, the excitement of a new discovery niggled at the edge of his reason. He’d deal with her ability to alter her appearance later and focus on surviving the night.

Hawke recognized the scents from the test wolves before
they attacked. Both had undergone several operations and were unwell. He refused to hurt them further. After allowing them a few nips, he batted the older wolf across the jaw with his paw, knocking him across the grass. The other wolf whimpered and ran to check on her mate. Both wolves shifted to human. Their combined pain and sorrow and anger buffeted him.

“
You travel with this scum?” the female hissed at Jerry. “He is a murderer, a defiler of innocents.” She spit in his direction. “I would kill you for what you’ve done. Goddess strengthen me to kill this abomination.” She rose, and he saw the glint of steel as she ran toward him. Hawke prepared to shift to his hybrid form, but Jerry stopped the woman.

“No,
you cannot kill him. You don’t know everything, and cannot judge him.”

The remarks surprised Hawke.

“I know what I saw,” the woman said, her chest heaving.

“That doesn’t mean what
you saw was real, there’s always more sides to the truth. At any rate I won’t allow you to kill him.” Jerry stood between him and the woman.

The older woman broke
down in tears. The loud sobs cut Hawke to the core. He looked away, right into the eyes of her mate. The man lay on the ground but his hate filled gaze didn’t falter. The mate would gut Hawke in a split second.

“
He killed my pups. Slaughtered them on the operating table while trying to turn them into something hateful.”

Hawke sensed surprise from Jerry and wondered if
he’d be left alone in the woods which were more than he deserved. He had little recollection of what happened when the computer ruled his actions. His wolf hid from the horror in a small corner of his mind ignoring the outside world. At the time hiding seemed the best way to survive, listening to the female wolf now, he wasn’t sure.

The older man stood
slowly never releasing Hawke’s gaze. “Come, the Goddess will judge him. He will not have peace or rest easy. A mark will always be on his back. One day he will sire pups and experience the pain of loss.”

Hawke flinched beneath the harsh words and hoped
the man spoke from anger speaking and not a prophetic declaration. The woman dried her face with the back of her hand, threw a hard glare in his direction and went with the male. Together they left the clearing.

Heavy hearted with a gut full of guilt and shame, Hawke looked at
his rescuer. Their gazes locked.

“Let’s go.”
Jerry turned and ran.

Surprised and pleased at not being abandoned, Hawke followed.

Chapter 10

Ingrid ran through the trees trying to find
the way home. How long had she been a captive? Five? Ten years? The time no longer mattered, she ran free down the road. Oh how she missed mother, and her sisters. She stopped at the cross-road and read the battered sign.

Highlands Cross.
Ingrid smiled and wiped the moisture that ran down her nose in a constant drip. Home wasn’t too far. Last night she’d told the others she could make it on her own and she had. Turning down the dirt road she ran. Her vision blurred, but she ignored it. Grandmother’s house came into view first. Ingrid slowed down and veered toward the front porch. The house was dark. And she heard the heartbeats upstairs in the bedrooms. One moment she thought it strange she could hear their heartbeats, the next it disappeared from her mind like the morning mist.

Pain, sharp and nauseating, ripped through
her head. Ingrid fell to the ground and rolled into a fetal position moaning as waves of mind-numbing needles pierced her brain. The intense pain lasted for a few moments. She tried to stand and emptied her stomach.

Dizzy
, she by-passed the house and headed to the pasture where the cows lay resting. Her gums tingled at the sight of Beth, her granny’s old milk cow. Hunger ripped through her belly and she bent forward again.

Something was wrong.

Ingrid knew it but didn’t stop moving toward the old cow. Tears rolled down her face as she picked up the machete hanging on the tool rack in the shed. The pounding in her head ramped up as she tried to change direction. Her hand shook like a leaf in the wind but didn’t relinquish the heavy blade. Not when she lifted it over Beth’s neck, not when she whacked over and over again through skin, flesh and bone, and not when the cow dropped dead on the ground. The machete continued to shake in her hand in a morbid dance.

A light flicked on in the distance. All thought of family and the dead cow disappeared. Drawn by the brightness in the midst of darkness, blade in hand
she moved forward.

Chapter 11

Asia ran faster, trying to escape the faces of the wolves. They’d be lucky to make it through the week. Why hadn’t the wolves left with Tobias? Guilt weighed on her. She’d given them their freedom and it may cost them their lives. What should she do? Not abandon Hawke that’s for sure, her wolf would never allow that. And those two would never travel with him.

“
What is your name?”

“Asia,”
she said out loud without thinking and wished to could recall the information the moment it left her mouth.

“
Asia? I’ve heard that name somewhere. Where have I heard that name?”

She
stopped and looked down at him. “Good question. Where?” She crossed her arms, and waited. When she met Angus he mentioned a group overseas had been asking questions and looking for clues into her past.

“
My memories are returning but not fast enough. I am getting snapshots that don’t make a lot of sense yet. Some things are crystal, but personal information, pack, littermates, where I’m from… all of that is blurred
.”

Asia’s
heart pounded at the familiar confusion. She had experienced the disorientation, trying to bring order to chaos.

“
This is the first time
.”

“What?”
She had no idea what he referred to.

“
That I have been able to think clear for any length of time, to win against the computer chip in my brain. The chip doesn’t have full control like before. Before it would’ve forced a shift, to return to human
.”

That bit of information surprised
her. “That’s unusual.” She slipped again. “I mean… I thought nothing affected the chips after installed.” She did not want him to know anything about her previous connection to the Liege.

“
Yes. I thought that as well. Where are we going tonight? I need to rest
.”

Asia
blinked at the change in conversation. Perhaps he didn’t trust her either. Smart man. “I have been sleeping in the tree.”

“
Tree?
” Hawke sounded surprised.
“But I need to access the database I uploaded to the cloud. If I don’t log in with the correct password, the file will self-destruct and the chips in the minds of those wolves will stay live.
”

“What?”
Asia hadn’t heard correctly.

“
I didn’t wipe out the files; I moved them into a lockbox that no one else can access. I froze the codes so that Master… damn. So that the Liege cannot activate the chips and destroy the test wolves. But that is just a delay mechanism. There’s more work to be completed in the program to permanently deactivate the chips
.”

“What about
your chip?”

“
I never had control of mine. Just the test wolves
.”

Asia
nodded. “Maybe there will be one on the plane.”

“
Plane?
” Hawke took two steps backward. “
What plane
?”

She completed another scan, no one was near. “We can talk about this in the tree. I need to rest as well.” The amount of energy she’d used to rescue him cost her big time. Each step became harder to make. If she didn’t rest soon, she’d be vulnerable and dependent on him. That notion stiffened her resolve.

“
What plane
?”

“
To take me home.”

“
I understand but I must undo the damage first, otherwise the wolves will be recaptured and tormented worse. This must be done and I need your help.”

It
was on the tip of her tongue to tell him to go do it, but Jasmine’s face flashed in front of her with a warning. “Okay.” She turned and climbed the tree without a backward glance. Her wolf whimpered and then stopped when he climbed behind her. By the time she reached the three branches, she realized he’d have to find limbs to support his weight. She had no intention of sharing her space.

Asia
grabbed the bag from the short limb, pulled out her canteen and drank. The large meal from earlier had long gone. She pulled out an apple and dried fruit from another purchase that day. Hawke settled in the next tree on two limbs and watched her.

“Hungry?”
she held up the apple and fruit.

“
No, you eat
.”

She
returned the canteen and zipped the bag. Lying across the branches she gazed at the half moon and ate.

“
Mistress
?”

“Asia?”

She told Jasmine everything that happened since their last communication. “
A place to access a database? I’ll ask Silas. He’s meeting with the Alphas now, when he’s done, I’ll get back with you. He may insist this gets done before you leave. That way he can use that information as a bargaining chip with the European packs.”

“
Yes, Ma’am
.” Although disappointed with the delay she understood it would be easier to insure damage control’s successful implementation before leaving. Otherwise, she’d need to return. She waited for Jasmine to tell her La Patron’s response at her disobedience.

“So how is
it?”

Asia frowned. “
What?
”

“
Being mated? How does all that feel?”

Since Jasmine didn’t bring up
her recent infraction she didn’t either. She thought about it for a moment. Neither she nor Hawke addressed being mates or talked about Gunnolf. She needed time to re-energize for both issues. “
He’s bossy, annoying, caring and is sad. I don’t know what to do with him.”

Jasmine laughed. “
His wolf and memory is returning, give the man a few days to regroup and you won’t need to know what to do with him
.”

Asia scoffed. “
Sex is easy and meaningless. What I mean is Hawke throws off these emotions, like a juggler. Happy, sad, embarrassed, pleased… I’m not sure what to do with all that.”

“
Hmmm, you have forgotten some things, nothing about mates is meaningless. But I’m not going to get into that, mating’s too hard to explain. Remember when you were locked in the lab, you went through the same thing. You said you were free to feel, that could be what he is experiencing. He’s lucky you’re his mate, you can help, make his transition easier.
”

“
Perhaps
…”

Jasmine sighed. “
Asia. You won’t win. Not if Hawke’s your mate. I’m a breeder and I couldn’t hold out against Silas. You’re a wolf, so is he. If you take too long, your wolf will take over. I’ve seen that and so have you. Don’t play with this
.”

“
I
don’t want a mate.”

“
You don’t want a mate or you don’t want Hawke?”

“Both.”

“Tough. Deal with that. Everyone else has. Don’t throw this gift into the face of the Goddess.”

“
I’m… I don’t know what to do. I’m not you. I don’t nurture. I destroy. I fight. I don’t think things through and I work better alone.”
Asia hadn’t meant to expose so many of her fears, but once released she breathed easier.

“
I know sweetie. But he’s your mate, both of you will accept each other’s flaws and all. Once you bond he will see the strong, courageous woman you are and thank the Goddess daily for your love
.”

“Love…
I cannot love him, or anyone. The Goddess has decreed I am his mate, but I have no love to give.”
Love consisted of four letters with no meaning. Nothing touched her any more. In the beginning, the killing had been hard, she’d return to the lab sick over her brutal actions. Now, she plowed her fist through flesh and bone, yanking out body parts to remove computer chips without blinking. She’d cut off a hand, break a neck, dismember anyone who stood in the way of her completing a mission and not blink. She didn’t chat, or laugh, or hang around people, she had no friends, no expectations from anyone, except her Mistress. And that was new and scary. Instead of thanking the Goddess, he would curse the day he united with such a broken mate.

“
I want you to be happy, you believe that right?
”

“Yes,
I do.” 

“
Good, I’ll contact you with information on the computer.”

Asia had
been so engrossed with her conversation with Jasmine she’d forgotten Hawke sat in the next tree. “I asked for help in locating a computer, we may need to travel into the city.”

“
I cannot shift from my wolf or hybrid form into human, going into a populated area will be risky.
”

“
You ask me to help and then tie my hands,” she snapped.

“
I fear the chip will retake control in human form. I cannot risk that, not until the test wolves are free and I destroy the research information.”
That made sense even though it would make things difficult.

“Why destroy?
Some of it may be useful. You can send the files to La Patron so he can look at them. What kind of research took place in the lab?”

“
Why do you refuse to speak to me through this link? You speak to others through a link but refuse me, why?”

Asia
stared at the moon and counted to ten. How could she explain her fear? According to Jasmine it would happen sooner or later. The very idea of bonding with him through their link sent chills skittering through her body. “I’m not ready to bond with you. I share a link with one other person, my Mistress.”

“
You aren’t ready to link with me? But it would be safer for us to communicate in silence
.” Hawke didn’t bother masking his surprise.

Asia
didn’t bother masking her annoyance. “I’m working on it.”