Free Sword of Mercy by Sydney Addae Page B

like you ,” she said sending
a caress through their link.
    Hawke opened his hand and stepped back. Niall
dropped to the ground gasping for air and rubbing his throat. “You
didn’t have to do that,” he complained.
    Hawke looked at the others they’d killed and
then turned back to Niall. “Why did you attack my mate?” If Asia
picked up the similar scents, Niall should have known she was his
mate.
    “What? We did not attack him.” He pointed at
Asia. “We were using this old tunnel as a shortcut and walked into
this room. You were on the floor and he attacked without asking
questions.”
    “It’s true. I could not allow them to come
near you while you were in that condition ,” Asia said. Hawke
sensed her shame at the needless killing. He strode to her, place
his finger beneath her chin and kissed her.
    “Never be ashamed for protecting your mate.
I would’ve done the same thing. We are newly mated and things we do
now, we may not do later. But we live in the now. I am proud of
you, my Precious .”
    He turned toward Niall. “Who are
you?”
    “I told you–” Niall stood and faced
him.
    Hawke waved down his words. “My mate says you
smell familiar, who are you to me?”
    “Your litter-mate. That’s why my life was
spared. Litter-mates cannot kill each other.”
    “Is that true?”
    “Yes, several times Angus told the story of
his meeting with La Patron. It’s true .”
    “Who is that?” Niall pointed at
Asia.
    “Timber, my mate.” Hawke glanced at Asia to
see her reaction to the name he’d won on a bet with her. She didn’t
like it then or now.
    Niall nodded at Asia and took a step
back.
    “Is this your home?” Hawke asked, looking
everywhere except the dais.
    “No. We use it as a short cut from time to
time. I heard you had been released and wondered if you’d pay a
visit.”
    Hawke scowled. “Released? Visit? Why would I
visit you? I didn’t know of your existence until a few moments ago.
And would’ve killed you without a thought.” He looked at the bodies
on the ground and then at Niall.
    “I see. I thought you came to assist… but no I
suppose you have no idea. You killed the men I hired to retrieve me
mam. She was taken a week ago by another Alpha north of here. We
were on our way to get her back.”
    Hawke frowned. “What?”
    “Your mother, Hawke. Someone kidnapped your
mother. They were on their way to rescue her, but we, I killed
them .”
    He looked at Asia and read the regret in her
gaze. “Who is the Alpha?” he asked, knowing for her sake he’d get
involved.
    “Verrick,” Niall spat his name.
    “Verrick, the one we met before ?” Asia
asked.
    “In the Ukraine?” He asked Niall.
    “Yes, you know him?”
    “No.” The blasted man had tried to have his
mate arrested for releasing the test wolves from Lancaster’s
Castle. Some of the wolves had no restraint and attacked humans,
putting them all at risk. Asia had done what any of them should
have done, but Verrick hadn’t seen things that way.
    Niall looked at the dead men on the ground and
then at Hawke. “Did you have to kill them?”
    Hawke rubbed the back of his neck and met
Asia’s gaze. “ What do you want to do? Our mission is clear, shut
down the Liege, stop them from stealing pups. This is a
detour.”
    “One that I caused.”
    “If it comes to placing blame, I
caused it. You were protecting me.”
    “What happened? I felt your pain
and then you snapped out of it.”
    “I’m not sure. Something about the
dais, looking at it ripped me apart. Does it look familiar to
you?”
    “Well, I need you to help me rescue my mam,
since you killed these guys,” Niall said, rocking on the balls of
his feet.
    Asia looked at Niall and then Hawke. “ No,
it doesn’t. Maybe this is why you needed to return, to see this
place. Maybe something happened to you here .”
    He nodded and looked at Niall. “What do you
know about this place? The history of it?”
    Niall shrugged. “Nothing, just an old tunnel
that