Free Sword of Mercy by Sydney Addae Page A

aside.
    Pleased, she remembered his request to allow
him to lead in these type situations he walked down the staircase.
“ Let me go all the way down to test the stairs. No need in both
of us falling through the boards.”
    “No need in going down there
period .”
    He grinned at her sour response and continued
down the stairs, pulling down cobwebs as he went. The wood was in
surprisingly good condition. At the bottom he found a light switch,
flipped it and was surprised when the room illuminated. This room
had been used recently. He inhaled. “Full bloods use this
basement.”
    Asia came down the stairs and looked around.
“Radoff doesn’t know about this. I don’t smell him. These scents
are different, wonder who’s using his land as a
hideout?”
    Hawke walked down the hall a bit and looked
into each room. Some were empty. A few had twin sized beds, a chair
and table. “These are sleeping chambers,” he called over his
shoulder while continuing his search. A sense of familiarity nagged
at him, but he couldn’t recall ever being in this part of the
country, not working for the Liege or on his own. So why was he
down here searching for… something? He didn’t know.
    She came up behind him. “Yeah, someone
probably lives here.” She picked up an ashtray with old cigarette
buds and returned it to the table. They moved further down the hall
and came to a large room with benches and a dais with high back
chairs.
    “What the hell?” Asia said, looking at the
wall.
    Hawke followed her gaze and closed his eyes as
blinding pain ripped through him. He fell to his knees as knives
cut into his brain, sawing and tearing him apart.
    “Hawke?!”
    Her voice echoed in the chamber of his mind
giving it an unreal quality. His wolf snapped and pushed for him to
rise. Time crawled as he attempted and failed to stand several
times. Something was wrong. “ Asia? ” he called through their
link.
    “Busy right now.” Blood ran down the
side of her face while she fought five full-bloods.
    His wolf snapped again at the idea of their
mate in danger. Sobered, he shifted into battle mode and charged
into the fray. His wolf leapt onto the back of the closest beast
and ripped his throat out. Turning, he attacked the next closest
wolf and within minutes that one left the living. Hawke slammed
into the other wolf and went for his neck. The wily beast pivoted
and Hawke missed. Meanwhile, he caught a glance at his mate
standing to the side breathing heavily. Pleased, she was okay, he
focused on his enemy.
    No one attacked his mate and lived.
    Hawke extended his claws and swiped the wolf
across his belly. Blood and organs poured out from the wound. Next
he swiped the beast across the neck to decapitate him. The wolf
flew back against the wall and lay motionless. Hawke shifted to
human and ran to Asia, checking her over. The blood had stopped and
she assured him she was fine. He glanced at the men on the floor
and shook his head.
    “Why would five full-bloods attack
us?”
    “I don’t know ,” she said. “ What the
hell ?” She pointed to the last wolf who’d landed against the
wall. Both of his wounds were healing and he sat staring at them.
Hawke strode forward as the wolf reverted to his human
form.
    “Stop,” the man gasped.
    Hawke grabbed him by the neck, lifted him off
his feet and shook him like a rag doll.
    “Hawke, put him down ,” Asia said,
standing behind him. “ You can’t kill him.”
    The man grabbed at his hands to gain release. “I can kill him. I’ll rip his head from his body this time.” He shook the man again.
    “No, you can’t kill him. Breathe. Inhale.
His scent is familiar to me .”
    Hawke looked over his shoulder at her.
“ What? What do you mean it’s familiar ?” He inhaled and
frowned. Slowly he turned and looked at the man.
    “Who the hell are you?” He eased up on the
hold without letting go.
    “Niall.” The name meant nothing to Hawke. He
glanced at Asia for an answer.
    “He smells