by McKayla Jade
Hawk continued. “I want you all to watch over Cassidy,” Confusion covered his men’s faces. “As you already do, but also if my demon gets out of control. I want her to go to any of you, knowing you will protect her.” They nodded in agreement and he continued. “So now, we take this a step further. None of us know what our demons are like when protecting our females. We need to vow to each other and our women. Right here and now. That we as a group will do what is best for each other’s mates.” He heard murmurs of agreement among the men and noticed Gareth was smiling.
“If I may, intercede here, Hawk.” Dalton spoke up. “This is meant for our lifetimes and theirs, correct?”
“Yes, Dalton. I can only see this as a good thing. If our egos or tempers get the better of us, our women need to know they have a safe place to go. And if the fates be harsh and we perish, I want our mates protected. I believe it will help greatly, especially Cassidy, with her recent troubles.”
“I agree with this, M’ Lord, however, what kind of retribution will we face if we step in.” Keith wanted to know.
“None.” Hawk told them. “It is that simple. First and foremost, we cherish our women. This is a law I am instating as of now. As I am sure you all know of my past actions toward and against Cassidy.” His men started to defend him, and he held up his hand. “I know what you will say. I was under a spell. I was. That does not excuse my behavior when I think of another touching her. My rage becomes intense and I do not think clearly. It is as if my demon side takes over and rational thought eludes me.” The men all seemed to agree. “I need to know she is safe, above all others and I want that for the women who will become your mates.”
This is why he had chosen these men in the first place. They were all men of good character. He felt Cassidy before she touched his wing. Damn he loved this woman. He took hold of her other hand and kissed it. He sat before the fire and she moved herself in front of him. She snuggled back to him, so her rear was pressing against his groin. If she kept it up it would not be long, and he would be carrying her to a hidden spot for some privacy.
He and his men talked for a bit longer, when he noticed Cassidy had fallen asleep in his arms. He moved her forward just a bit. So, he could sit with his legs stretched out on either side of her. He closed one wing over her like a blanket and the other he held open to the fire, so the heat would be directed toward her. Gareth had done the same for Megan. Jenna sat across the fire, but he would have to wait to offer her protection from the cold. She was not a woman who needed others.
To his surprise, Keith sat down next to her. His wings stretched wide and they talked quietly. He held his eyes almost closed. It was a technique taught to all warriors in their youth. He covertly watched as Keith slowly, inched his way closer to Jenna. His wings moving in slightly as he went. Soon he had her protected, but not trapped within his wings. He hoped Jenna might just be a good fit for Keith. Satisfied, he closed his eyes fully and drifted to a light sleep.
Chapter 27
Halfway through the night he transferred his sleeping wife to Marcus’s arms and took his shift as watchman. She murmured but did not wake. Once she was settled with Marcus, he kissed her forehead and left the camp. Heading to the top of the bluff, he would be able to see a great distance. Almost to his former home. It seemed strange to call it his former home. The land surrounding him was quiet and dark and he froze, in mid step. His foot still hung in the air, just above the leaves and twigs on the ground. It was quiet. No creatures of the night made sounds around him. To the north he could hear grass blowing in the wind and the occasional call from a bird.
Here, right next to him, nothing made a sound. Every nerve ending tingled. He listened a bit more intensely and he heard it. There were at least two men whispering in the brush nearby. He waited. His wings were folded down over his shoulders like a cape. Alone, he was sure he looked out of place a bit, and like an easy offering to a thief. He waited. They would make their move soon enough. He just needed to be certain of where they were exactly. His ear twitched. He heard his name.
“That Lord Hawkins got special favor with the king and married that wench from Lounsbury’s keep.” The man sneered. He had heard this voice before but could not put a name with it.
“That means this group of riders most probably have a lot of coin with them. I am not a great fighter, but I can maim a bloke pretty well.”
“If these are Lord Hawkins Elites’ we stand no chance.”
“They ride toward Thorn Claw Castle now. They come from the Lounsbury keep. That must mean they are not Lord Hawkins men.”
His smile stretched his face taut. Listening to these two was almost entertaining, but then his demon side perked up. “They have three wenches with them. I saw them huddled near the fire. One even sat on a man’s lap. They must be camp followers. We could steal their coin and their women.”
They were speaking about his mate. His Cassidy. His blood rushed through his veins, pounding in his ears. His heart slammed against his chest. His demon roared for release. He clenched his jaw tight. He would kill them before they had a chance to touch her. He took a step toward the bushes they were hiding behind and let his rage take over. Roaring his outrage, he grabbed the one nearest him by the neck and raised him up off the ground. The other man stumbled backward before thinking to grab his sword. Once he had it raised however, he could not seem to swing it. Hawk could feel the fear rolling over him. Good. He should be fearful. There was no place for thieves in this world or any other.
‘Keith. I need you with me at once. I have found some thieves.’
‘I too, have found some rubbish.’ Came Keith’s reply. ‘Calum is free now. I will send him.’
He turned his attention back to the man he held in his hand. “How many of you are there?”
The other man chose that moment to attack. Hawk turned toward him still holding his partner in his grasp. The sword blade meant for Hawk sliced the man’s partner almost in half. He dropped him and pulled his own sword from the scabbard on his back and stretched his wings wide. The thief stumbled backwards, trying to make a quick dash away. He came up short when he collided with Calum. Stepping into the clearing, he spread his wings as well. They completely blocked the path.
“Again, I will ask you. How many of you are there?” Hawk growled at the man, letting his demon take over. “It is your last chance.”
“There are only five of us.” The man panted.
Calum grinned. “He seems to be out of breath, Sire.”
“Indeed.” He waited for his other warrior to arrive, before dispatching this thief.
They did not have to wait long. Keith came down the trail then, with the other three in tow. All their hands bound together, and each looked a little worse for wear. Keith looked irritated and gave the rope binding the three men together, a hard tug. They all stumbled and fell against one another.
“Here be the rubbish I found lurking in the bushes.” He told them, seeing the other two he said. “I see you found their companions.”
“Indeed.” Hawk’s tolerance level was at its maximum. He had had enough. “It seems they think us to be of the Lounsbury employ. We could not possibly be Lord Hawkins Elite Warriors.”
Keith raised an eyebrow. “Interesting.”
“I thought I might inform them of who we really are before we tortured them for information.” He nodded at Keith knowing it was an empty threat. They would most probably tie them all together and let them sit for a day or two. He showed his weariness then and rubbed his forehead. Keith stepped in front of the thieves, not wanting them to see his leader had a weakness. He cursed himself for letting it slip.
“These men are not worth breathing the same air as us.” He turned to face the thieves and finished his statement. “Because we are, indeed, Lord Hawkins Elite Warriors.”
The warriors laughed when they saw the thieves faces turn white. One non-believer spoke up. “That can’t be. If you were truly Lord Hawkins Elite, we would not have been able t
o sneak up on your campsite and watch you.”
Calum stepped up and told them. “What makes you think we did not know you were there? How do you think we found you so easily?”
“It was pure luck, you stumbled upon us. You have more numbers than we do. It was luck. Nothing more. Lord Hawkins warriors are ten feet tall!” The leader continued to protest the possibility.
“All I am concerned about is why you stalk our camp? Who sent you? I care not if you believe in who we are, or not.” He told him.
“No one sent us. They live this life. ‘Tis easier than any other.” The young man in the group spoke up, earning elbow jabs from his fellow thieves. “Ahh. M’ Lord. ‘Tis true. A motley crew they be, but ‘tis truth I speak.”
“What is your name?” He asked the young man. He knew there was power in names for witches. He wondered if Gareth might know of a way to spell them to tell the truth.
“Nathaniel.” The man replied, earning more elbow jabs from his comrades.
‘Gareth, can you spell them? Or do you know of a way to get the truth from them?’ Hawk wanted to know.
Gareth stepped into the clearing then and told Hawk out loud. “I have contacted Alexandar and neither of us have found dishonesty in Nathaniel. He was brought into this group under duress. This group threatens his family.”
That had Hawk raising his eyebrow, intrigued. “Do they now?” He turned to the young man, Nathaniel. “This group threatens your kin?”
He tried to step away, as much as his rope ties would let him, and said. “Aye, Sire. They live on Lounsbury lands to the south.” Seeing he might be believed; the young man began telling his tale. “After cutting down my father, they raped my mother and threatened to do the same to my younger sisters, if I refused to go with them. My sisters are just ten and six. I agreed, to get them away from my family.” The man tied closest to him kicked out with his boot, knocking Nathaniel to the ground. Keith and Calum pulled them apart and Calum cut Nathaniel loose.
Rage took over Hawk’s thoughts. How dare they terrorize Cassidy’s people. He turned away from the group and took a few steps more, trying to clear his racing thoughts. ‘Dalton, and Marcus, I need you here at once’. When they arrived at his side, he told them. “Take this young man and let him guide you home. Check out the situation. I want his family taken care of if his story is true.” He made sure Nathaniel could hear him when he spoke next. “If it turns out his story is a lie, kill him. I will not tolerate liars.”
The young man swallowed hard and blinked rapidly. He truly hoped for the safety of the women, the story was a lie, but his instincts said it was not. He turned back to Dalton and Marcus, nodding to them he said. “Trust him only after you see that his story is true. I do not trust the others. They have already signed their death warrants.”
Marcus put out his hand to Hawk and they clasped arms. “It will be done, M’ Lord.”
He turned back to the thieves and Calum. “I am a busy man. They have signed their death warrants by threatening Cassidy and her people. Kill them.”
“M’ Lord?” Calum asked.
“You may give them swords.” He smirked. None of his men liked killing and they liked killing unarmed men even less. They would give them swords and most probably a generous head start, but they would die for their crimes against Cassidy’s people. He turned away from the group and headed back for the camp. He would warn the others the men would be released and might make it to camp before they were cut down.
As he emerged from the brush, he saw Cassidy pacing near the fire. He could feel her need and he quickened his steps, but before he reached her, he gave Caden and Lucas the details. They turned toward the brush line. He continued to Cassidy, who had stopped in her tracks to just stare at him. Her mouth was watering for him. He heard her thoughts and his member jumped in his breeches. He took a deep breath to calm himself and wrapped his arms around her. They exchanged no words. It was not needed. He simply extended his wings in the early morning light and bending his head, slid his hand behind her head, and sunk his fangs deep. Drawing out the poison, she moaned deeply as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
He released her and kissed those two pinprick size holes as they closed before his eyes. She murmured his name and slid down his chest.
She smiled shyly up at him and whispered. “Should you not fade those, M’ Lord?”
He chuckled. “Yes, love. I will fade them.” As he said it, they were gone. “We found thieves in the woods. We need to be ready in case those thieves make it this far.”
Her whole body went rigid in his arms. She was ready. She turned out of his arms and started scanning the brush. He was proud of her when she tried to reach out to Calum, telepathically. That was the first thing he would have told her to do, as Calum would know where and in what condition the men would be. Before Calum had time to answer her, he stepped into the clearing.
He nodded to Hawk. “It is done, Sire.”
Hawk returned the nod. “So be it. Let us continue this journey.”
Jenna had led Cassidy to the horses and was helping her gather the saddles and weapons. The whole time he was sure Jenna was training and teaching her. ‘Of course, I am, M’ Lord.’ Jenna replied to his thoughts. He shook his head, Jenna never ceased to amaze him.
It was not long at all and the other men returned without incident to themselves, and all their horses had been saddled and were ready to ride. The women, wanting to keep busy, had cleared the camp and readied all the horses. He waited and observed as everyone mounted and prepared to leave camp. Again, Jenna used no saddle, just a simple bridle and all her supplies were in a pack that rode low on her back. He supposed her horse would be much faster that way, but it looked sturdy enough to take the saddle and amour.
‘It is, M’ Lord. However, I prefer to travel light. Old habits.’ She tapped into his thoughts to explain a bit. How she did that so easily, he was not at all sure.
The group journeyed onward, the gray morning light fading to bright warm sunshine. His former home was just ahead. In moments they would begin to see the towers of the keep over the last rise. He found himself anxious to show Cassidy his home. His pride was doused with cold water. There were a few things he was not proud of. His temper was on the top of the list. His personal rooms would have to be cleaned. He had not permitted entrance to them since he had been cursed. It had become his last safe place. No one had seen behind those walls, except Gareth. One more reason he should have never accused Gareth and Cassidy of any wrongdoing. Gareth had been loyal from the start. Never having wavered in his dedication and truly had helped him through some dark days.
He heard Cassidy gasp and looked over to see she was staring at the towers of the keep. He had forgotten how it looked to others. It truly was massive, and the gray stones made it sometimes seem to disappear in the mist. The main keep had four towers, the smaller original keep had two of its own. What she had not yet seen was the stables or the inner bailey. He was sure even Lucifer would be impressed with the size and cleanliness.
Moving his horse closer to her, he murmured. “’Tis only my home, love. Do not let the size scare you. ‘Tis no more and no less than our home.”
She turned to look at him with her eyes wide, she said. “’Tis so grand, M’ Lord.”
He could feel her pulling away from him before she physically pulled her hand back to place it at her collarbone. He did not know what words he could say to ease her mind. He hoped showing her would work. In his thoughts he sent her warmth and love, picturing in his mind wrapping her in his arms. It seemed to work, the color came back to her cheeks and she started to smile. “Ah but you, M’ love, are far grander.” He smiled at her and nodded toward his former home. “Come with me. Let me show you a place that has been a large part of making me the man I am today.”
They pushed their horses into a trot and headed toward everything that was familiar to him. The hills and valleys between them and the keep were not difficult to navigate if you knew the way, b
ut looking at it through Cassidy’s eyes, he could see how it would look almost impossible to reach the front barbican and portcullis. He had not thought to bring his colors. As he often traveled without them. However, he thought it a good idea to travel at the fore of the group this time.
“Cassidy. I need you to follow me, but where the trail allows, stay right at my side.” He wanted her to know how important she was to him. More importantly, he wanted his people to know how important she was. She was still looking a little overwhelmed. He reached out and took her hand in his, brought her fingertips to his lips and kissed her there. Releasing her, he spurred his war charger onward. She followed him, and his Elites followed her.
As they neared the gates, he heard the call of those on the wall and he called back to him. “Open the gates! It is I, Lord Hawkins!” He halted the group just long enough to let the portcullis raise above their heads and then charged through. Once he reached the stables, he dismounted and went to his wife. He liked the way that sounded. His wife. He reached up and held her to assist her down, knowing she did not need it, but loving the feel of her in his hands. She had chosen to wear battle gear today and he could not fault her. They did not know what to expect on this trip.
He was taking his fill of looking her over when he heard a familiar voice call out to him.
“Ian. You are back! You are outside! Ian?”
Abruptly releasing Cassidy, he turned around just in time to catch the excited woman in his arms.
“Oh Ian! I cannot believe it! You look so good! I could not believe it when your staff told me you had left the keep!”
He hugged her tight to him and spun in a circle. Overjoyed to see her when Cassidy’s connection in his mind slipped. That brought him up short. It felt wrong. He did not like that feeling at all. It almost made him sick. He stopped and setting his mother down, told her. “Mother. I want you to meet someone.” When she looked like she might keep talking he held up his hand and smiled. “Mother. Please. I want you to meet my wife.”
