by Sydney Addae
“Those jobs must have good benefits,” Damian said, walking into the room and dropping his bag on the floor next to his chair.
“They do, actually,” Barticus said, smiling at Damian. “He was excited, said something about the vessel returned.” He leaned forward, dropped his hands between his legs, and stared at Hawke and then Asia. “Now you may think the vessel is Amynta. It’s not. It’s our child. She gave birth to a daughter, my daughter. When Amynta left me, she was pregnant. She had the child and left her with some people she thought were her friends. When she returned, the child was gone.” He paused and then cleared his throat.
“The High Priest was angry because the sect failed to provide Nicromja with his sacred vessel.”
“What?” Asia gasped. Hawke sent calming energy to slow down her heartbeat and ease her fear.
“All those years of changing my body was for the purpose of impregnating a particular woman to give birth to Nicromja’s seed. When Amynta and the child disappeared, Nicromja punished the priests. I don’t know how, but I was told it wasn’t good.”
“So he’s real?” Damian asked.
“As real as gods are,” Barticus said irreverently waving his hand. “After that, the High Priest ordered Alpha Bertoff’s death and cursed Lyrill for the role it played in Amynta’s disappearance. No kings will live over the age of eighteen.”
“So the High Priest thinks the vessel, Amynta’s child, has returned,” Hawke said. “What does that mean for him? Why’s he excited?”
“The bounty on Amynta’s head isn’t really for her, it’s to get information on the vessel. They will kill her either way if they catch her. In the minds of the High Priest, her stubbornness and disobedience is the basis for all their problems through the years.” He watched Asia and then Hawke.
“The thing that concerns me about all of this is timing. I don’t believe in coincidences. The vessel returns to the continent after being away for over a century. Amynta returns and is on the loose.” He smiled at Hawke’s raised brow. “Yes, I know about that. Not much happens in this part of the world pertaining to wolves which I don’t know.” He tipped his chin. “Then the four, now three, of you show up. Like I said, I don’t believe in coincidences. So I figure you know who the vessel is, or you’re searching for her along with countless others.”
“Why would we know her or search for her?” Damian asked.
“Because that’s the only way you’d know to call Amynta a princess. No one knew that. It was never spoken of before. And Amynta only mentioned it in her writings to our child, sort of a proof check.” He stared at Hawke and Asia.
“Do your children know about Amynta?” Damian asked, drawing Barticus’ attention.
“What?”
“Randi and Raoul, do they know about Amynta? Your relationship with her?”
“No. I never mentioned it to them, why?”
Damian exhaled and looked at Hawke. “What would they do if they knew you had another child from another woman? And that child was much older than them and your heir?”
No one spoke as they stared at Damian. Is that what he’d wanted to share earlier? “Damian, what happened?” Hawke said.
“If he could answer the questions that would help me explain.” Damian stared at Barticus.
“Those two are spoiled and probably wouldn’t take it well. That’s why I sent them to England until all of this is cleared up.”
Damian shook his head slowly. “They didn’t go. Randi came here last night.” He told them about the smell, his wolf being out of control, the way his body responded, and the conversation when he revealed the information on Amynta. When he was done, Barticus stood and looked out the window.
“I am so sorry I didn’t hear you call out to me,” Hawke said. “I sense your questions now in our link but I hadn’t noticed before. She used powerful pheromones on you pup. You weren’t ready to handle that.”
“Is there a way to fight against that? I don’t want to be used like that again.”
“Yes, I will teach you some meditation that removes your mind from the action. It does nothing for your body, it simply responds even if you don’t follow through. Your wolf wants to mate and nothing else will matter unless you’re mated. That trumps everything.”
“Thanks, I’m sorry for telling information. I don’t want to get kicked off the team.”
“You’re my pup, who’s on my team. But our den comes first, remember that. Where we go, you are always welcome. When we board the plane I’ll go over some things that will help control your beast better. They have strong opinions because they see things in black and white. They aren’t concerned about what others think, so we must control them with an iron grip.”
“Makes sense. Last night I lost control at times, damn frustrating.”
“You did fine. Thanks for telling me rather than trying to cover it up, now that we know those two could be a problem, we’ll prepare for them.”
Barticus turned and looked at them. “Just talked to security. The pups boarded a flight to London two hours past, maybe they changed their minds after speaking with you. Thanks for letting me know they were here, I appreciate it.”
“Our plane is waiting at the airport, we’re returning to Radoff’s to continue our search,” Hawke said, standing and motioning for them to get their things.
Barticus moved toward the door.
“Wait,” Asia said.
He turned, obviously in a hurry to leave.
“What if she returns to her homeland, Albuslupos? Won’t she be safe there?”
Barticus stared at her for a few seconds. “That would be smart. Few people can enter the ward, unfortunately Wulfgar is one of them. Good idea, let’s hope she considers it.” He pushed open the door.
“Wait, why do you care? Why are you running to find her? Will you give her to the High Priest?” Asia asked.
Hawke sensed she teetered on the edge of her emotions and knew the cost for her to ask that question. If he said yes, she’d be forced to stop him. If he said no… well, Hawke hoped he said no, because Asia need some normalcy.
Barticus snorted. “Haven’t you figured it out by now? Amynta is my mate.” He walked out without seeing Asia’s mouth drop and Damian’s eyes widen.
Chapter 19
Amynta pressed the gas pedal, speeding up the highway towards Albuslupos. Now that she’d left Asia a message where she’d wait for her, she wanted to sink her feet into the soil of her homeland again. It had been too long.
“Amynta?”
She ignored his call again and rolled the window down a bit, delighting in the breeze blowing across her face. Her wolf pressed against her to run, to be one with nature again. “Maybe later,” she told her beast in a soothing tone. Soon everything would be alright. She would return her pack to their lands and continue to seek the Goddess for wisdom.
“Amynta, I just saw Hawke. Do you know him?”
She frowned. The name sounded familiar.
“Hawke and his mate are seeking you, they know you were at Konstantin’s, and they know you were a princess.”
Her breath caught. “How? How did they know that?” she asked through their link.
“So you can hear me.”
She rolled her eyes and waited.
“I asked, they never answered. Now that I think about it, the pup diverted me with another discussion on the pups.”
“What pups? What do they have to do with Asia?”
“I don’t know, just a feeling I have. Ira knows she is here and he’s looking for you as well as the bounty hunters. I’ll keep an eye on Ira, you find our girl, take her to Albuslupos lands, the wards will hold and protect you.”
“That’s where I’m headed. I left her a note to meet me there.”
“Smart. I’m boarding a plane now, headed there.”
She glanced at the gas gauge. “Damn, I have to stop for petrol.”
“Be careful. I don’t want to see you in the temple.”
She laughed
. “I know, but I’m tired of remaining in the dark. I want to serve the Goddess in the light.”
“What are you saying?” His voice deepened.
“Just that. When I find Asia we will fight and win against Ira and his bullshit. With the help of the Goddess we will win.”
“I like the sound of remaining in the light. I grow tired of random quick hideaways with you. We will find common ground to be together.”
He knew how she felt about her pack, but that was a discussion for another time. “We shall see. I see petrol up ahead.”
“I’m boarding the plane. Stay open so I can find you if necessary.”
“Okay, bye.” She slid out of their link and turned into the station. After parking she waited for the attendant, when he didn’t come out to the car she opened the door and headed toward the small shops. Pulling her hoodie over her head, she reached for the door when another car pulled in behind her and another pulled around in front, blocking her.
“Well that sucks” she muttered, walked into the building and saw no one, but heard them in the back. Searching for something sharp she grabbed a handful of tire pressure gauges from the display, and then threw cash on the counter to pay for her petrol as well.
When she exited the shop, a tall thin male walked up behind her holding some type of device. Spinning on the balls of her feet, she swung her arm around and stabbed him with the gauge. The force of the blow sunk the metal into his neck. His eyes bulged and he made a gurgling sound as he grabbed at his neck.
Someone plowed into her, knocking her off her feet and into the concrete wall. Pain rolled up her back and down her arms before flowing out her fingertips. She rolled to the side and avoided another blow.
She stood and grabbed the back of their neck, but they twisted in her hand and head-butted her in the chest, knocking her back a few feet. Shaking her head, she stepped aside just as the bitch flew toward her, arms outstretched. Her fingernails scraped Amynta’s arm, causing it to burn and sizzle.
The brown haired bitch laughed and licked the blood from her fingers while taking deep breaths. Asia pushed the poison through her system, watched as it beaded out through her skin and dropped to the ground.
Growling, the bitch turned, pulled a weapon from her pocket and shot the front tires of Amynta’s car and those of the car in front of her. She then ran to the car behind Amynta’s. Amynta ran after her, reaching the door just as the woman slid inside and locked the door.
Amynta smashed her fist through the window, clipping the woman on the jaw and then unlocking the door. She opened the door and was removing her arm when the bitch cranked the car, hit the reverse, and then mashed the pedal, all in a matter of seconds. The car shot back, yanking Amynta by her arm with it.
She trip over her feet, jagged glass pierced her arm and broke off. When she saw the oncoming traffic, she snatched her arm, cutting through to the bone in the process, and rolled to the side. The loud crash deafened her ears. The car slid to the side, hitting the car in front of it and barely missing her lying on the ground. The brown haired bitch flew forward, her face merged with the windshield in a bloody, pulpy mess.
Amynta turned to the side and vomited. Traffic screeched to a halt as other cars slammed into each other, unable to stop in time on the busy highway.
Sounds of sirens in the distance snapped her out of her misery. Sirens meant police. Police worked for everyone but the common man. They’d turn her in for the bounty without a backward glance. She needed to get moving.
Standing slowly, she crumpled into a heap and realized she hadn’t healed. She focused healing energy to her arm, reopening cuts, and pushed pieces of glass through knitting skin onto the ground. After a few painful minutes, she exhaled and stood again. Successful this time, she moved toward her car to grab a few things. She swung her cape around her shoulders, grabbed her bag containing her credit cards and laptop. People stood outside their cars looking at the commotion, smoke rose from opened hoods. The car with the bloody body of the brunette sat on the concrete, blocking the way into the petrol station. Amynta locked her car and started walking down the road away from the accident. After a few hours a car pulled alongside her. It wasn’t the first to stop, but it was the first with full-bloods.
“Need a ride?” The front passenger door opened.
Her feet hadn’t completely healed from being dragged by the car and the blood loss made her lightheaded. From time to time her vision blurred as she placed one foot in front of the other. Grateful to be out of the sun and sitting for a few miles, she nodded and slid inside, feeling better immediately. The blond female who’d offered her the ride sat in the back.
“Thank you,” she said as the car moved forward.
“You’re welcome. Water?” The female handed her an unopened bottle of cold water.
It looked better than a bucket of gold. Amynta accepted the bottle and guzzled it down in a few swallows. It was only after she drank it that she realized it had a bitter flavor.
“Thank you,” she said, trying to pinpoint the taste.
“No, thank you, Amynta. You led us a merry chase, and for a moment I thought we’d lost you back there. But now we have you and everything will be fine.”
“What?” How did they know her? Did she introduce herself? She couldn’t recall. Pressure formed between her brow, pushing her down, dragging her into the dark.
“Who?” She barely pushed the word out of her mouth before passing out.
Chapter 20
Hawke, Asia and Damian parked far enough from Lyrill that Wulfgar wouldn’t know they’d returned. Getting out, they trekked through the forest to find Albuslupos’ pack lands. Asia felt giddy with expectation. Her mam had left a note in the tunnel room beneath Alpha Radoff’s land saying she would be here waiting for her. They’d spent little time with Radoff and Maheegan, and drove straight here.
When they reached Alpha Radoff’s, the good Alpha offered to allow Damian to remain there while Asia and Hawke entered Albuslupos land. They knew the pup wouldn’t be allowed inside and didn’t want him taken by Lyrill soldiers again while Asia spoke with her mam. Their motives were good but Asia said no before the offer was fully stated. After explaining they needed Damian to watch out for them, everyone agreed his best position was with them.
She wasn’t sure Barticus had passed on her suggestion or not, but she was excited at the prospect of seeing her mam after all these years. They ran over ten miles before they saw signs they remembered. Hawke stopped them when they were close to the entry point, looked around and pointed to a large tree with good branches. Damian nodded. Sliding on his backpack filled with his supplies he jumped forward with the agility of a cat and climbed the tree.
“Is he comfortable?” Asia asked, shading her eyes with her hand and looking up the tree.
“He says he can see the Castle in Lyrill and the surrounding area from there. He will let us know if we have visitors while inside,” Hawke said, touching her shoulder.
She turned and leaned into him, accepting the warmth his arms provided when they wrapped around her.
“It’s going to be okay. You’ll meet your mam, ask your questions and find closure. Are you excited about that?” He rubbed her back in a soothing, circular motion.
“Excited and apprehensive, which is a lot better than scared and nervous. Barticus surprised me though. He comes off as cold and indifferent, but he lit up when he talked about mam. I wonder why she never mentioned they were mated in her journals. Everything she said about him was negative. While he implied they have a relationship.”
He kissed her forehead. “When you see her, ask. She’s the one who has the answers. Let’s go, no need to keep her waiting.” He took her hand and walked toward the opening, allowing her to lead when they reached the barrier.
Once again, her skin tingled as she stepped through and then it was done. Everything looked the same. Time meant nothing in a place like this. They walked the same path they had when previously scanning for Amynta. By th
e time they reached the center, where Alpha Bertoff’s bones lay, Asia wondered if her mam had arrived.
“I don’t think she’s here yet.” She looked at Hawke, hoping he would give another verdict. But she read his agreement in his eyes before he spoke.
“I don’t sense anyone but us.”
She nodded and looked for someplace to sit. They’d have to wait.
“This morning in Athens, when we were at the house, I thought Barticus recognized you.”
“Scared me, but I hoped the blood connection would be stronger than the chameleon. Strange huh?”
“No. Not at all. I understand.”
She heard something and shot up from her makeshift seat on an old tree stump.
“What?” Hawke asked, looking around.
“Has Damian seen anything?”
“No. Why? You see something?”
“Just a feeling we aren’t alone anymore.”
“Is it your mam?”
She threw out her senses, something was on the land but it wasn’t clear yet. “No. I don’t think so, although I can’t be a hundred percent sure.” She tried to relax and get a fix on the source. Her eyes opened, she turned and looked down the empty path. “It’s Barticus. He knows we’re here and is headed this way.”
“I sense him now. I wonder why Damian didn’t see him.”
“He came in a different way, plus he cloaked his presence. I just now picked him up clearly,” she said. She wondered if that ability came from the nectar and herbs he took when he was a young pup.
A few moments later Barticus rounded the corner and walked toward them. “Where is she?” he growled. His blue eyes glowed, his canines were extended, and his face seemed darker than before, allowing them to see his wolf close to the surface.
“We’re waiting here for her,” Asia said without thinking. The moment the words left her mouth she knew she’d have to show herself to her sire, there was no other way to explain that comment.
Frowning, Barticus stared at her. “Why are you waiting for her? How did you enter –” His frown deepened. “What’s going on? Who the hell are you? How do you know Amynta and why are you waiting for her? How’d you know she was coming here?”
