The Time Keeper Legacy 2

The Hawke and His Keeper

[Siren Publishing: The Stormy Glenn ManLove Collection: Alternative, Paranormal, Shape-shifter, Vampires/Werewolves, MM, HEA]

Dick Dickerson had one night of passion with Hawke. The sex was fantastic. Fan-tas-tic. And then the world might as well have ended. Hawke didn't want him. But boobs didn't always make a good mating. Before Dick could straighten Hawke out, he was attacked and the nightmares began.

One night in Dick's arms made Lord Hawke question everything. When he accidently claims Dick, his joy in the act soon turns to anguish since he knows he can never have the man, not unless he wants to go against everything he knows.

That's easier said than done, especially when he's kidnapped and Dick has to come to his rescue. And if that wasn't enough, the woman his elders chose for him refuses to give him up. Between fighting for his right to mate Dick and getting Dick to forgive him, finding out Dick is a time keeper seems like the easy part.

Length: 35,000 words

THE HAWKE AND HIS KEEPER

The Time Keeper Legacy 2

Stormy Glenn

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

The Hawke and His Keeper

Copyright © 2020 by Stormy Glenn

ISBN: 978-1-64637-137-2

First Publication: April 2020

Cover design by Jess Buffett

All art and logo copyright © 2020 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

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PUBLISHER

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stormy believes the only thing sexier than a man in cowboy boots is two or three men in cowboy boots. She also believes in love at first sight, soul mates, true love, and happy endings.

You can usually find her cuddled in bed with a book in her hand and a puppy in her lap, or on her laptop, creating the next sexy man for one of her stories. Stormy welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website at www.stormyglenn.com.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

THE HAWKE AND HIS KEEPER.. 7

Chapter One. 7

Chapter Two. 15

Chapter Three. 27

Chapter Four 37

Chapter Five. 46

Chapter Six. 55

Chapter Seven. 62

Chapter Eight 70

Chapter Nine. 79

Chapter Ten. 85

Chapter Eleven. 92

Chapter Twelve. 106

Chapter Thirteen. 119

THE HAWKE AND HIS KEEPER

The Time Keeper Legacy 2

STORMY GLENN

Copyright © 2020

Chapter One

He could hear people talking. He knew they were talking about him. He just didn't care. He didn't care about anything. If he died tomorrow, he wouldn't even protest.

What was to protest?

Richard Dickerson's world had ended a month ago. At least, the naive innocent place he'd grown up in had ended. Now, he knew the truth. The world sucked, and it didn't seem to matter if it was the human world or the shifter world. They both sucked. Humans were monsters and shifters weren't too far behind them.

So, what was the point?

He only got out of bed each day because his friends made him. They made him bathe and eat and walk around the vast Harrington Estate. They tried talking to him, but he had nothing to say, not to anyone. Not to his best friends, Tom and Harry. Not to Tom's mate, Rogan Behr. Not even to Mannford, the Harrington manservant and butler.

He especially didn't have anything to say to Dakota Hawke, the man who'd walked out on him because he wasn't a woman. The man who was supposed to be his fated mate, but had rejected him because he wasn't a woman. The man who had stolen his heart in one night of passion then dismissed him as if he didn't matter because he wasn't a woman. The man who didn't want him because he wasn't a woman.

Well, fuck him.

Dick didn't need him. He didn't need anyone. He was just going to sit there and stare out the window until his body caught up with what his heart and his head already knew and realized he was already dead. He might be still breathing, but there was no life left in him. He'd started to die when Hawke had rejected him. He'd truly died when he was kidnapped and assaulted.

Dick glanced down at the scars on his wrists. The zip-ties the guards had used to tie him down with had cut into his skin when he struggled to get away. They had healed, but had left behind faint white scars around each wrist. He'd probably always have them. A reminder of the hell some sick freak had put him through.

He had no idea why they had singled him out. He wasn't sure he wanted to know, and now, it was a moot point. They were dead. That had been the one good thing Hawke had done before shifting and flying away, leaving Dick to live through his nightmares alone.

Knowing the men who'd hurt him were dead didn't help the nightmares. Nothing did. Dick suspected nothing would. He resigned himself to having nightmares until he took his very last breath. Nothing could make the horror of that night go away. Nothing.

He had thought, for a brief moment when he'd seen Hawke running toward him, that he'd have someone to hold him and protect him, to keep him safe from the evils of the world. That there might be someone to protect him from the nightmare his life had become. He couldn't believe how wrong he had been.

Epically wrong.

For all their talk about fated mates, it seemed that not every shifter believed in them. Hawke certainly didn't. Dick probably wouldn't have even known they were mates if the bite mark Hawke had left on his neck hadn't scarred over instead of healing and fading away.

Hawke certainly hadn't said anything.

Well, he had. He had made it clear that they had no future together, but only after giving Dick a night of passion he'd never forget. For a moment, he had dreamed that he'd finally found someone to call his own.

He'd been epically wrong about that, too.

He couldn't remember ever feeling this alone. It felt as if he had a huge, gaping hole in the middle of his chest. It hurt when he was alone with his chaotic thoughts. It hurt when someone touched him. Sometimes, it even hurt to breathe.

Dick jumped when his door banged open. He gasped as stark, cold fear flooded him when he saw the large form that filled the doorway. Horrific memories of the last time he'd seen someone fill a doorway slammed into him, stealing the last breath in his body.

He pressed a hand to his aching chest as he started to tremble.

Nausea built up in his throat.

Spots formed in his eyes.

"Dick! You've got to see this."

Dick blinked until the spots faded away, then frowned. "Tom?"

He could breathe again.

"Come on." Tom ran across the room and grabbed his arm, pulling him to his feet. The man was practically vibrating with excitement. "You have so got to see this."

"See what?" Dick asked as Tom dragged him toward the door. He really didn't want to leave his room. He was safe in here. He wasn't safe out there. "Tom, where are you taking me?"

"Camelot."

Dick shot Tom a confused look. "Have you lost your mind?"

"No." Tom's grin was almost ear to ear. "We found the veil between worlds. I was able to open it up."

Dick's eyebrows lifted. "It's an actual doorway?"

"Yeah, cut right into the wall in Nana's room."

Huh.

Tom held up his hand, showing off the scarred design in the palm. "This was the key."

"So, wait, your grandmother was telling you the truth when she said this was the key to the world?"

"Looks like it."

Huh.

Dick had to admit he was curious. As much as he didn't want to leave his room, he wanted to see this new world. He allowed Tom to drag him down the hallway to Lady Sophia's room. Rogan and Harry were waiting for them.

"Come on," Harry said. "Hurry up. I want to go explore."

"We probably need to make our presence known at the castle," Rogan said. "I'm sure Merlin knows by now that the veil has been opened. I suspect someone will be coming for us soon, and we need to pay our respects."

Dick dug in his feet and refused to take another step. "Who's coming for us?"

"The king's guards."

Dick sucked in a breath and took a step back. "Guards?"

"It's okay, Dick," Rogan said. "These are the good guys. I promise."

Dick wasn't sure Rogan could promise that. He wasn't sure anyone could promise that. "Maybe I'll just stay here." It sounded like a wonderful idea to him. "I'll just go back to my room and—"

"Oh, no." Tom grabbed his arm. "You're coming with us."

"But—"

"No buts, Dick." Tom tugged harder. "You've locked yourself away long enough. It's time to come back to the land of the living."

Dick so wasn't ready for that, but Tom didn't seem to be taking no for an answer. When Tom pulled him toward the weird archway in the wall, Dick dug his feet in again. "Just give me a minute."

He shook off Tom's hand and walked over to lean back against the wall. He bent over and rested his hands on his knees and then started to try and breathe in and out.

"If you really don't want to do this, Dick," Tom said in a much more subdued voice, "I won't make you, but I'd really like you with us. We kind of started this adventure together. I'd like you to come along for the rest of it."

"No, it's okay. I can do this."

Maybe.

"I just need a minute." He needed to gather up his courage and wrap it around him like a cloak.

"Are you sure?"

Dick offered Tom the first smile he'd had since this had all started. "I'm sure."

Tom gave him a look as if he didn't know if Dick was telling the truth or not, but turned and walked over to stand with Rogan and Harry in front of the open doorway. Dick drew in a deep breath, stood up straight and squared his shoulders, then walked over to join them.

He could do this.

Rogan held his hand out to Tom. "Ready?"

Tom grinned as he took Rogan's hand then walked through the doorway. Harry went through right after them. Dick blew out the breath he'd drawn in then stepped through the glowing opening.

He hissed and shook his hand when he felt something like an electrical shock. He shook his hand for a moment then turned it over. Dick's mouth dropped open when he saw a glowing red design in the palm of his hand, just like the one Tom had.

That wasn't possible. It just wasn't possible. He wasn't a Harrington. He was a Dickerson. The mark shouldn't be on his hand. He'd never even touched the watch Tom's grandmother had given him.

"Dick?" Tom called out. "You coming?"

"Yeah." Dick hurriedly pulled the sleeves of his sweatshirt down over his hands. They were just long enough to hang over his fingertips, hiding the mark on his palm. He loved baggy lounging clothes, including oversized sweatshirts. He normally never wore them anyplace except at home. Now, he was really glad Tom hadn't given him the chance to change before dragging him out of his room.

He clenched the hand with the scar then walked over to join the others. It wasn't until he was standing with them that he truly got a good look at their surroundings. "Wow."

Tom grinned at him. "I know, right?"

It was lush with grass and trees and flowers of every color under the sun. Tall snow-capped mountains sat off in the distance, a backdrop to the large stone castle at its base. People were moving about, coming and going from a town farther down the mountain.

"There's a castle."

Tom chuckled. "I know, right?"

"You already said that," Dick pointed out.

Tom waved his hand out in a big arc. "You don't think that deserves saying it again?"

Okay, Tom had a point.

Dick nearly pissed himself when several men on horseback appeared over the horizon and started riding toward them. For some reason, he'd expected cars or something. He didn't know why, but he had. On the other hand, considering this was a world run by shifters, it kind of made sense that there were no motor vehicles.

One of the men slid off his horse and walked over to stand in front of them. "State your name and your business."

Rogan stepped up, moving slightly in front of Tom. "I am Lord Rogan Behr of the shifter council. I am here to escort Lord Thomas Harrington to see King Arthur."

The man's dark eyes snapped to Tom. "You're a Harrington?"

Tom nodded. "I am."

"Prove it."

Tom waved his hand back toward the open veil. "That's not proof enough?"

The man's dark eyes flickered to the veil. He swallowed tightly before looking back at Tom. "I need to see the seal."

What in the hell was the seal?

Dick glanced at Tom, but he was looking at Rogan.

"What's a seal?" Tom asked.

"I think he means your hand, baby," Rogan replied.

"Oh." Tom held up his hand, the one with the scar.

Dick's eyebrows shot up when, as if choreographed, all the men on horseback dismounted then dropped to one knee, crossing their fisted hands over their chests. None of them moved after that. The utter silence was eerie.

"Why aren't they getting up?" Tom whispered.

Rogan chuckled. "You need to tell them to rise."

"Oh, uh…please rise."

The men stood, but it was a little eerie the way they stared at Tom. It was like they thought he was wearing the Crown Jewels of England or something. Dick made sure his shirt sleeves were pulled down over his hand to hide his own strange scar. He wasn't ready for people to look at him like that.

He should have worn gloves.

"I am Captain Olwen of the Camelot Royal Guard. Please allow us to escort you to the king, Lord Harrington." The man glanced at Dick and Harry. "And your friends, too, of course."

"They are my advisors," Tom said in a curt tone. "They go where I go."

The man returned Tom's nod. "Of course, Lord Harrington." He gestured toward the horses. "Can we offer you a ride?"

Tom blanched before shaking his head swiftly. "We'd rather walk."

Dick barely kept from snickering. No matter how many times Lady Sophia had tried to get Tom interested in polo and other sports done on horseback, he wanted nothing to do with horses. They scared the hell out of him.

He really hoped the castle was closer than it looked.

Dick trailed behind Tom and Rogan as they walked with the captain. Harry walked beside him with the rest of the men who'd been on horseback, walking behind them, leading their horses.

He could hear some of them whispering, but he couldn't quite make out what they were saying. He was pretty sure it had to do with Tom. The man was a time keeper after all. The first one in over twenty years. He was pretty special to the paranormal world.

Dick still couldn't get over the fact that the legend of King Arthur was real, although it was nothing like he'd learned of even mythological legends in history class. He seriously doubted the truth was written down anywhere in the human world for people to read.

The human world. That was what made this so incredible. Apparently, there were two planes of existence. The human world, where Tom, Dick, and Harry were from. And Camelot, the paranormal world, where shifters were from.

And King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table were all shifters.

Who knew?

From what Tom had told him and what he'd been able to piece together from different conversations, Tom was a direct descendent of King Arthur, making him a time keeper, someone who could breach the veil between the two worlds to allow people to come and go.

According to what they had heard, there could be only one time keeper at a time. The last one had been Tom's grandfather, who was poisoned and died when Tom was five years old. Everyone had to wait until Tom turned twenty-five for him to become the next time keeper. That had been several weeks ago.

He glanced down at his sleeve-covered hand. So much had changed during that time. He wasn't sure he was ready for whatever was next.

Chapter Two

Dick drew in a deep breath and reminded himself that he was stronger than the chaos around him. It was a motto he'd been living by since he learned what mottos were. Whatever life threw in his direction, he could deal with it.

Granted, he hadn't been doing a very good job of it as of late, but he had a very good excuse. He'd been kidnapped and attacked and…well, he didn't want to think about the and. He'd actually be really okay forgetting the entire thing. He didn't think it was going to happen, but he'd be okay with it if it did.

Pretty much everything about the last couple of months sucked, even the new scar on the palm of his hand. Dick had no idea what it meant for him. According to what everyone had said, there was only supposed to be one time keeper at a time.

Maybe the design burned into the palm of his hand was just that. A design. Maybe it wasn't a key to the veil between worlds. Maybe it would fade when it started to heal. Maybe it was just a figment of his overactive imagination.

Maybe, maybe, maybe. Maybe he'd wake up and be back in the apartment he shared with Tom and Harry and none of this would have happened.

He could only hope.

The closer to the small town they walked, the more people seemed to come out of the woodwork, and all of them were curious. The whispered words from before turned into a low rumble of conversation.

Dick scooted closer to Tom and Rogan. Tom seemed to have some sway over people here, and Rogan was big enough to stop a truck. He'd be safe with them. Maybe. There seemed to be a lot of maybes in his life lately.

He needed to stop that.

"Damn, will you look at that."

Dick glanced up. Damn, Tom was right. The gray stone castle coming into view was pretty spectacular. They'd been able to see some of it when they came through the veil, but up close, it took on a whole new sense of wonderment.

"I don't remember any castles in England looking like this," Harry said.

"Well, according to history, King Arthur and his knights lived over a thousand years ago," Dick said. "Who knows what they could have had back then?"

He did have to admit the place was pretty impressive. The wall that encircled the castle had to be close to two stories tall. He could see guards walking along the top of the wall, so he assumed there was some sort of walkway up there. There were square turrets placed evenly apart around the entire wall.

It was what was beyond the raised portcullis that really threw Dick. When they had been looking at the castle before, Dick had noticed that it sat at the bottom of a mountain. Now, he knew that the castle was actually carved right out of the side of that mountain.

He couldn't wait to see the inside.

They were escorted through the portcullis then across the open yard to a large set of stone steps that led up to the entrance of the castle. The massive wooden doors opened just as they reached the bottom of the steps. A man with a long white beard, dressed in long flowing blue robes and carrying a staff, came rushing out.

He stopped at the top of the steps, his golden eyes raking over all of them. "Who is the time keeper?"

Tom raised his hand. Dick kept his tightly tucked in his shirt.

The old man stared at Dick for a moment before moving on to look at Tom. "You are a Harrington?"

"Lord Thomas Archibald Harrington."

"Finally," the man whispered before smiling. "Please, come with me. King Arthur is waiting to meet with you."

When everyone started up the steps, the old man held up his hand. "Just the time keeper."

"I don't go anywhere without my mate or my advisors," Tom said firmly.

Dick was fine with waiting out here.

Really.

The old man stared at them for a moment—long enough for Dick to start feeling uncomfortable—before nodding. "Very well," he said before he turned and walked into the castle.

"So, what?" Dick asked. "We just follow him?"

Tom shrugged and started walking. Dick hurried to catch up, making sure he kept close to Rogan, Tom, and Harry. He knew he'd be safe with them. He had no idea about everyone else. And they were surrounded by a lot of everyone elses. It seemed as if the entire town had come out to greet them or gawk.

It was the gawking that was getting to Dick. He reached up and rubbed the ache in the back of his neck. He felt as if someone was stabbing him with a hundred tiny needles. It made his stomach roll and knot.

"You are unwell, sire?" Captain Olwen asked.

Dick didn't reply, positive the man was talking to someone else.

"Sire?"

Dick glanced at the man. For someone who was the captain of the Camelot Royal Guard, he didn't seem much like a leader. Dick envisioned someone built more like Rogan, with muscles to spare. Captain Olwen was muscular, but not overly so. He was rather tall, though.

"Are you unwell, sire?" the captain asked again.

"I'm okay."

"Can I get you something to make your stay more comfortable?" the man asked. "Some wine? Water?"

Captain Olwen seemed like a nice guy, and Dick didn't want to insult the man, but he didn't want anything from anyone. Not until he knew what exactly was going on. His trust in people, including shifters, was a little dented at the moment.

Dick plastered a smile on his face. "I'm good, thank you."

"So, you're from the other side of the veil?"

"If you're asking if I'm human, yes, I am."

The captain smiled. "I've met those who came from the other side of the veil because they were mated, but I've never met anyone who came with a time keeper."

"Did you know the former time keeper?"

"I did." Captain Olwen nodded. "I'd met with the man several times to discuss security. We still don't know exactly what happened to him or why the veil closed."

"I think Tom should explain that."

"Tom?"

"Lord Harrington."

Captain Olwen glanced over to the man in question. "Do you know him well?"

"He's my best friend. Well, him and Harry."

The man frowned. "Which one is Harry?"

Dick pointed. "The reddish-brown haired man. We're roommates."

"Roommates?"

"We share an apartment on campus." When the man squinted, Dick continued to explain. "We're all in school. We have an apartment we share on the campus of the university we attend."

"Ah, you are an educated man then."

"I'm getting there." He still had a couple of years to go yet. Assuming he went back to school. At the moment, he wasn't sure what he was going to do. His life was in an upheaval in ways not even Tom and Harry knew about, and he wasn't ready to share.

"You are one of the time keeper's advisors?"

Dick really wasn't sure how to answer that. "I suppose you could say that."

"And his best friend?"

"Who would you go to for advice?"

Captain Olwen stared for a moment then nodded. "That does make sense."

Dick was glad something did.

They fell silent as they walked down a long corridor. There was a lot to see and conversation could be stilted if they continued. Large colorful tapestries hung on the stone walls. Wooden beams crossed overhead, creating a canopy that Dick imagined would look fantastic lit up at night. The floor was as stone as the walls.

It felt cold to Dick, and he didn't think it was the temperature. There was a coldness to the place that made Dick shiver, almost an unwelcome vibe. He had received more than one hate-filled glare from the people they passed.

"Are people upset that we're here?" Dick asked.

"We are delighted the time keeper has finally come. I think the hostility you're seeing comes from the fact that we don't know what happened to the former time keeper. One day the veil was open, and then it closed and it didn't open again for twenty years. People will want to know why."

Dick knew exactly why, but he didn't think it was his place to say. He wasn't a time keeper. "I know people were separated from their families and others weren't able to go through the veil to search for their mates, but we didn't do this. These people have to know that."

"I suspect they do," Captain Olwen replied, "but it may not matter to all of them."

That's what Dick was afraid of.

"We're here."

They stopped at the end of the long hallway facing a large set of dark oak doors. Two guards stood on either side of the door. Dick found it interesting that the world of Camelot seemed so medieval in nature, and yet the guards at the door had semi-automatic weapons.

Guess some of the human world rubbed off on them.

The old man in the robes walked up to talk to the guards. Two of them pulled the doors open. The man gestured. "Please, come this way. King Arthur is waiting."

It had been hundreds and hundreds of years, and the king was still alive? He had to look ancient. Of course, if Dick was right and the old man was the legendary mage Merlin, who knew what kind of spells or potions he'd taken.

Dick didn't know what he'd expected exactly, but it wasn't the room he walked into. The famed round table sat directly in the middle of the room under a large domed ceiling. The stained glass in the dome rivaled anything he'd ever seen. He could tell each pane told a story, but hell if he could put it together.

What wasn't there was the long red carpet leading up to a dais with a throne. In almost every movie he'd seen about royals, that was kind of a staple. Dick's jaw dropped when a tall man wearing a simple white cotton shirt and a pair of faded blue jeans walked toward them, a large smile on his face. His feet were bare.

"Time keeper," he called out before giving them all a slight bow. "We've been waiting to see you for a very long time."

Tom stepped forward. "I'm Lord Thomas Harrington, grandson of Lord Thomas Archibald Harrington."

The man's brow flickered. "And where is your grandfather?"

"He was killed when I was five, poisoned."

The man's face darkened. "He was poisoned?"

"Yes, sir," Tom replied. "I just turned twenty-five a couple of months ago. Needless to say, with my grandfather's untimely death, he did not have time to train me, or even tell me about being a time keeper."

"That explains why the veil closed, and there has been no time keeper for twenty-five years." The man's dark face softened, becoming bright again as he smiled. "Welcome to Camelot, young Harrington. I am King Arthur Pendragon."

Dick swallowed tightly before bowing. The man might be dressed in jeans and a simple cotton shirt, but he was still a king.

"Who are your friends, Lord Harrington?" the king asked as he glanced at them.

"This is my mate, Lord Rogan Behr," Tom said, "and my friends and advisors, Harry Lennox and Dick Dickerson."

The king smiled before gesturing to the large round table. "Please, come, sit. I will have food and wine brought in. I'd like to hear about your adventures."

Boy, did they have some.

Dick followed the others to the table then sat down between Harry and Tom. Rogan took a seat on the other side of Tom. The king, the man in the long robes, and Captain Olwen sat across from them, or as across from them as they could get at a round table.

"You said that Lord Harrington was poisoned?" King Arthur asked.

Tom nodded.

"How?"

"Lady Erika Foxx poisoned him when he rebuffed her advances. With her mate, who turned out to be my father, they planned to take over Harrington Hall and use me to access the veil."

The old man in the robes gasped. "Erika Foxx is my sister Morgana's daughter."

Dick's eyebrows shot up. "Morgana Le Fay?"

Oh man, he'd read some strange things about that lady.

"Yes." The old man nodded. "Lady Erika is my niece."

"And where is Lady Foxx now?" the king asked.

"Lady Foxx, her mate, and the people who were working for her are all under guard at the Harrington Estate." Tom glanced toward Rogan before continuing. "My understanding is that it is against your laws for someone to attack a Harrington."

"It's a death sentence," the king replied. "Everyone knows that."

"Well, apparently, Lady Foxx didn't believe she was subject to that law. Not only did she kill my grandfather, but she attacked me and had the men working for her attack my friends. Frankly, I'm not quite sure what to do with her."

"If you will allow, I will have Captain Olwen and some guards accompany you back to your estate to remove Lady Foxx and the men working for her."

"And my father," Tom said quickly. "He needs to go as well."

King Arthur's eyebrow lifted. "You want your father to go to prison?"

"I believe you said it was a death sentence."

"It is."

"Then he needs to pay for his crimes."

The king gave Tom a hard stare. Dick knew what he was thinking, and he couldn't allow that. "John Butler is not a nice man," Dick said, drawing the attention of the king. "He's never been anything but cruel to Tom. But even then, Tom didn't hold it against his father. He just wanted to be left alone. When Butler tried to cause issues when Nana died, Tom—"

"I'm sorry, Nana?"

"My grandmother," Tom whispered.

"Lady Sophia?"

Tom nodded. "She passed away a few weeks ago."

"You have my condolences. Lady Sophia was a formidable woman. She will be greatly missed by many on this side of the veil," the king said before glancing back at Dick. "Please, continue."

"Well, I was just saying that you shouldn't question Tom's dislike of his father. The man is evil in ways you can't even conceive of. His sole purpose in life is to cause havoc."

"No," Tom corrected, "his main purpose in life is to gain power."

That was true.

"If he's set free," Tom said, "he'll continue his pursuit of power, no matter what it cost in lives or manpower. He just doesn't care unless he gets what he wants."

"How do you mean?" the king asked. "What sort of things has he done that would make his son turn on him in such a manner?"

"Lady Foxx and my father knew they were mates before he met my mother," Tom said. "After my grandfather spurned Lady Foxx, they hatched a plan to get a time keeper of their own. Knowing they had to have a Harrington, my father sought out and married my mother. He acted the perfect gentleman until I was born and he believed his access to a future time keeper was assured. He was wrong. My grandparents banned him from the family estate. I banned him from the estate after my grandmother died. It did me no good. As soon as Nana passed, my father and his true mate decided on their own to move into Harrington Hall and take it over." Tom shrugged. "I disagreed with their plan."

"I could see where that could be a problem." The king chuckled. "Well, let's see about getting you all something to eat, and then I can take you on a tour of Camelot."

"If it's all right with you, I'd like to head back." Dick wasn't really hungry, and he was starting feel like a circus clown. Everyone was staring.

"Of course." The king nodded to Captain Olwen. "Can you please escort Lord Dickerson to—"

"I'm not a lord," Dick said quickly. "I'm just Dick."

Dick felt the blood drain from his face when he realized he'd interrupted a king. He could lose his head over something like that.

The king smiled. "Of course."

"I'd like a moment of your time before you head back, Dick," the man in the robes said.

"Who are you?" Dick had an idea, but he was beyond guessing at this point. He did have an inkling, however.

"My apologies." The older man gave a respectful bow. "I am Merlin."

Nailed that one.

"There have been some interesting things written about you in human history." Now that he'd visited Camelot, Dick had serious doubts anything he'd read was true. "Can you really command dragons?"

"Command? No." Merlin smirked. "Argue with? Yes."

"Argue?"

Merlin shot the king a glance that Dick couldn't decipher. "Dragons are…persnickety at best. They tend to believe they are above everyone else."

Right.

"Well." Dick plastered a smile on his face. "Since I doubt I'll ever meet a dragon, I think I'm good."

"They don't tend to come down from the mountains, so the likelihood is pretty low."

Dick figured as much.

"What did you want to talk to me about?"

"I'd like to show you something in my lab."

Merlin had a lab?

When Merlin got up and started walking away, Dick shot Tom a questioning look, raising one eyebrow. Tom nodded. Dick stood and started after the mage. He had no idea where the man was going, but they went up several floors before Merlin stopped in front of a large wooden door.

"My lab is on this floor of the west tower. My living quarters are just above us, and there is an extensive library on the floor below us."

Must be nice.

Merlin pushed the door open then stepped inside. "Please, come in."

Dick felt a shiver of foreboding as he stepped inside Merlin's lab. He glanced around inside, somewhat surprised to find a fully functional laboratory. He let out a nervous little laugh. "I kind of expected potions and herbs everywhere."

Merlin smiled. "I will admit that my lab used to look like that, but times have changed. Camelot is a lot like the human world, although we have been stuck in a time warp for the last twenty years or so. We have made our own advancements."

"Do you need help updating your lab?" Dick asked. "Is that why you needed to speak with me?"

"No, not exactly." Merlin shut the door then turned to look at Dick. "While I do hope to update my lab now that the veil is open, I had another reason for asking to speak with you."

Dick raised an eyebrow. "And that would be?"

"That nifty little emblem you have emblazoned on your palm."

Dick quickly slid his hand behind his back. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Sure you do." Merlin gestured to Dick's back. I saw the seal on your hand while we were sitting at the table."

Dick gasped.

"No, no." Merlin held up his hand. "Don't worry. I don't think anyone else saw it."

"There can only be one time keeper," Dick said. "That's what everyone told us."

"Technically, that's true, but there was something I read in an old manuscript many years ago." Merlin walked over to a table laden with old books. He started flipping through them, his finger moving across the pages of each book.

"Here it is." Merlin held tight to the leather-bound book in his hand as he turned and started walking back toward Dick. "And so shall it pass, in times of strife, the time keeper shall function as a unit to bring peace and harmony to man and animal."

"And that means what?"

"That there can be more than one time keeper."

Dick squinted. "Didn't you guys invent the time keepers?"

"In a manner of speaking," Merlin replied. "In all actuality, the fates created time keepers when our world was in peril. We simply benefited from their creation."

Dick reached for a chair, quickly sitting down. "I'm a time keeper?"

He'd never really believed it. Since the moment he'd stepped through the doorway and the emblem appeared on his hand, he had believed it was some sort of fluke. "How is this possible? I'm not a Harrington."

"That, I cannot answer. The veil chooses who will have a key and who will not."

Dick swallowed down the fear building in his throat, slowly taking away his ability to breathe. He didn't want to be a time keeper. He saw the attention it had brought to Tom, and the trouble. He'd been a part of the trouble. He didn't want to deal with anymore.

"You have to promise me you won't say anything to anyone," Dick said vehemently. "I don't want to be a time keeper."

"I'm afraid that ship has already sailed, Dick. You have been chosen."

"No!" Dick jumped to his feet and raced out of the lab. He ran back down the stairs they'd come up. He ignored everyone he passed, even those who called out to him. His one objective was to get back through the veil to Harrington Hall. Where he went from there, he didn't really care. He just wanted out of there.

Chapter Three

Lord Dakota Hawke stared out the window, not really seeing anything. He'd been staring out the window since early this morning. His mind wasn't his own. It belonged to Dick, as it had over the last month. The man had been center most in his thoughts since the moment he set eyes on the gorgeous blonde.

It was taking all of his concentration to keep his feet rooted to the ground when his every desire was to shift and fly back to his mate.

His mate.

He wasn't supposed to have a male mate. He wasn't supposed to have a male anything. He was his father's son, the last Hawke in his line. He was supposed to produce the next Hawke in his line. And he wasn't supposed to do it with a man, even if that man was his mate.

Hawke didn't see a way out of this mess. He wasn't even sure there was a way out. He had made the mistake of bonding with Dick. There was no taking that back. Worse yet, he'd acted the coward after their shared night of passion, denying the bond, and Dick.

He was obviously an idiot, but he was an idiot without choices. Even if he could get Dick pregnant because he was a shifter and Dick was a human, the man wasn't a female and his hawk cast would never accept him.

Worse yet, after his behavior, he doubted Dick would accept him. He had betrayed the sacred bond between them, and he was sickened with himself.

It had all been so clear for him at the time. He'd taken one look at Dick and been unable to deny himself. He should have just walked away, but then, he wouldn't have the memory of that one perfect night when Dick agreed to be his.

It had started when he had snuck into Dick's room after everyone went to bed. He had sat on the side of the bed and stared down at the object of his desires. Dick was a beautiful man, his short-cropped blonde hair hugging his face. His facial bones were delicately carved for a man, but the shadow of his beard gave him a strong masculine look. No one looking at the sleeping man could ever see him as anything but male.

His mouth was full and begging to be kissed. Hawke could no longer help himself. He leaned over and pressed his lips to Dick's. He felt Dick's response almost immediately as his lips softened and his tongue came out to touch Hawke's. Hawke moaned as he gave himself up to the passion of the kiss.

He kissed a path down Dick's neck to his shoulders then up to whisper in his ear. "I want you, Dick, just for one night. Please." Between each word, he planted kisses on Dick's shoulders, neck, and face before moving up to recapture Dick's mouth.

When Hawke pulled away a few moments later, Dick looked up at him with wonder and shock warring on his face. Hawke couldn't help grinning down at him.

"Hawke? Wha—" Dick's voice trailed away when Hawke latched onto his bare nipple. "Oh god, Hawke, what are you doing?"

The sound of Dick's words combined with the heady taste of his skin had Hawke's cock nearly busting his zipper. He grabbed the bottom of his shirt and pulled it over his head, dropping it on the floor.

Standing beside the bed, he quickly kicked his shoes from his feet and shucked his jeans, letting them fall to the floor as he climbed back up on the bed, pulling the covers off of Dick.

Hawke felt all the air in his lungs leave his chest when he gazed down at Dick's naked body. He reached out a trembling hand to gently caress Dick's smooth skin before running his hand up the length of Dick's cock. He squeezed him gently then ran his thumb over the tiny slit on the top.

Dick's hips arched off the bed at the contact. "Hawke," he moaned again, "what are you doing here?"

"I need you, Dick, please," Hawke whispered as he crawled over Dick. He moaned when their cocks brushed against each other as he settled between Dick's legs. "Just one night. No promises, no demands, just one night in your arms. Please, Dick."

Dick stared up at Hawke, then dropped his eyes to Hawke's mouth. Hawke could tell he was wavering between telling to leave and kissing him by the way he licked his lips.

He was overjoyed when Dick grabbed him by his hair and dragged him down, pressing their lips together. Dick's moist, firm mouth demanded a response from Hawke, which he eagerly offered up as he wrapped himself in Dick's arms and gave himself up to the kiss. It was soft and gentle, at the same time furious.

Hawke shivered as he felt Dick's hands run down his body to grab his ass. God, it felt so good to have Dick's hands on him.

"More, baby, touch me more," Hawke begged even as he caressed Dick's naked body. It had been so long since someone had touched him because they truly wanted him, and not just wanted something from him.

He began kissing and stroking Dick's body. His hands and lips were everywhere. Dick's fingers gripped Hawke as he wrapped his lips around the head of Dick's leaking cock. He began to suck, his tongue tracing the veins, his cheeks hollowing.

The pleasure felt so intense that Hawke was nearly overwhelmed, especially when Dick thrust his hips towards Hawke and cried out.

"Oh, damn, Hawke, I'm gonna…" Dick exclaimed out as his orgasm shot through him.

Hawke moaned at the delicious taste of Dick releasing into his mouth, spurt upon spurt. He moved over Dick, kissing and flicking him with his tongue as he cleaned every last drop of cream off of him.

"Here, you're going to need this."

Hawke looked up to see Dick holding out a bottle of lube. He popped the top and poured some out on his fingers before reaching down and pressing them against Dick's sensitive skin. He looked up in surprise when Dick's body jumped.

"Did that hurt?" he asked in concern.

"Hell, no. Do it again, damn it!"

Hawke grinned and looked back down to what he was doing. He pressed his finger against Dick again, sinking it in slowly. He could hear Dick's breathing suddenly increase when he started moving his finger around, before adding a second one.

By the time he inserted a third finger, they were both breathing heavily. Hawke couldn't take it anymore. Sitting up between Dick's legs, he smeared lube on both his cock and Dick's ass, then placed Dick's legs over his shoulders.

Hawke pushed his hard cock slowly into Dick past the first ring then more until he was buried up to his balls. He stayed still, waiting for Dick to get comfortable. After a couple of minutes Hawke started to move, pulling out then pushing in. He moved his cock until he found Dick's prostate with his long, smooth strokes.

"Oh, fuck," Dick moaned as he arched his back, squeezing Hawke's arms with his thighs, "Oh, fuck, again, do that again." Dick arched his back, squeezing Hawke's arms with his thighs. Gripping Dick's legs, Hawke began to move faster and faster until he pounded into Dick.

Hawke pushed his cock farther inside of Dick and held still as he groaned, "Come for me, baby."

Dick lost it and cum splashed all over Hawke, both their bellies, and the bed. The mere thought of the pleasure he gave Dick put Hawke over the edge, and he stiffened, yelling out Dick's name, as he had the most powerful orgasm he could ever remember.

Hawke leaned over and sank his teeth into the soft juncture between Dick's neck and shoulder. He groaned even as his hawk screeched loudly in his head, both of them overcome, but for vastly different reasons.

The feelings tumbling through him were out of control, frenzied, urgent, and Hawke groaned at the intensity, but then, reluctantly, he pulled away and flopped onto his back, his arm wrapped around Dick.

After several minutes of silence, Dick pulled himself away from Hawke and rolled to the side of the bed. As he stood and headed for the bathroom, Hawke got up behind him and started to dress.

He'd had his fun, and now it was time to break Dick's heart.

"Lord Hawke, the elders wish to see you."

Hawke stiffened as he was pulled back into the real world and away from the one good memory he had in his life. He didn't look away from the window. "Thank you, Carron. Tell them I'll be right there."

He waited until the door closed behind Carron before he sighed and let his shoulders slump. He really didn't want to meet with the elders. He knew how the conversation would go. It was the same conversation they had every time they spoke.

The elders would ask if he'd chosen a mate. He'd say no. They would ask, why not? There were plenty of beautiful women in the cast. Hawke would explain that none of the women in the cast drew his interest. At which point, the elders would start trying to set him up with woman from other casts.

He could skip the entire visit and still hear it all.

Hawke shoved his hand through his hair. His frustration was at an all-time high. Even worse, he was afraid to let his hawk free. His insides felt as if they had been ripped to shreds. His hawk was pissed.

Knowing he had no other choice, Hawke left his office and walked down the hallway to his living room. He supposed he was lucky in the fact that there were only three elders in his cast. Most shifter groups had five or more.

Still, he couldn't help feeling ganged up on when he walked into his living room and found the three elders standing in front of the fireplace. They were an imposing trio, two men and one woman. They deserved his respect due to their advanced age and experience, but sometimes it was hard for Hawke to remember that, especially when they were invading his private life.

"Elders." Hawke clasped his hands behind his back and gave a respectful bow. "How may I help you today?"

"We received some disturbing news today, Lord Hawke," one of them started. "We were hoping you could clear it up for us."

Damn. He'd been hoping to avoid this conversation just a few days more.

"Of course," he replied.

"Is it true that a time keeper has been located?" Elder Saul asked.

Oh, that conversation.

"It is." Hawke nodded. "The grandson of Lord Harrington has come into his own, and he has taken over his duties as time keeper."

"Is he going to allow us access to Camelot?" the elder asked.

"I believe so, yes." He didn't know Tom well, barely at all really, but the man seemed decent. "He's a good man, a credit to the Harrington name."

Elder Myon nodded a couple of times before stating, "We've also heard that he has mated with Lord Behr."

"Yes," Hawke agreed.

"And you don't think he will show the bears preferential treatment?"

"I don't believe so, no."

"Hhmmm."

"I think that now the veil is open, you should seek an audience with the king and discuss this with him," Elder Myon said. "We've never had a time keeper mated to a shifter before. I'm not sure what the rules are on that, but I don't believe it should be allowed."

Hawke lifted an eyebrow. "And how would you change that?"

Rogan and Tom were already mated. It wasn't like they could be torn apart, not without dying.

"If Lord Behr has been granted a time keeper, it is only fair that the hawks are as well."

Hawke almost rolled his eyes. The elders were pompous and egotistical. They always had been. They believed hawks were the superior shifter race because they were not bound to the ground as other shifters were.

"There is only one time keeper at a time, as you well know."

"You should have claimed him."

Since when were male mates allowed?

Hawke's eye twitched. "He is Lord Behr's true mate."

True mates were sacred to all shifters. So few were lucky to find theirs. Hawk rubbed his chest right over the ache coming to life where his heart was located. He'd found his own true mate, but the elders would never accept him.

Hawke didn't know what to do. He was pretty much damned if he did and damned if he didn't. If he took Dick as his mate, he'd have issues with the elders and probably quite a few cast members. If he refused his mate—as he pretty much already did—he'd never get another one. He'd spend the rest of his life knowing his mate was out there, but never being able to have him.

Both options sucked.

"Have you thought anymore about Alpha Bainbridge's daughter?" Elder Saul asked. "He assures us that his daughter is agreeable to the match."

"No." She was a drama queen at best, a nightmare at worst. She was also a power-hungry social climber. "She's not a good fit for the cast."

Or him. He'd get arrested for murder within a week. The woman drove him batty. She grabbed onto him every time he saw got within two feet of her and didn't let go until he was ready to forcibly pull himself away. The scary part was that she thought he was receptive to her charms.

He suspected that was due to something the elders had told her. He didn't even want to think about what that might have been.

"Maybe Alpha So—"

"Stop." Hawke held up his hands to stop the elders from speaking. He'd fucking had enough! "I will choose my mate, not you."

"Of course, Lord Hawke," Elder Saul said, "but if you could just consider Alpha Bainbridge's daughter. She comes from a good family. Bonding with her would bring our two casts together. We would have one of the strongest casts in the country."

"No." It was two letters. Simple to understand. What part of that weren't they getting?

"People are going to wonder why Lord Behr bonded with a mate before you," Elder Darron pointed out. He was the quietest of the bunch, not say much very often. When he talked, Hawke tended to listen. "They are going to wonder if something is wrong with you, if maybe your leadership should be questioned."

Hawke crossed his arms and gave the elder a hard glare. "They can wonder all they like. I refuse to mate to make others happy."

He did not miss the irony of that statement, especially considering he was refusing his true mate to make the elders and others in his cast happy.

Obviously, he was an idiot.

He needed to fix that.

"The discussion of mating is going to end here and now. I don't want to hear another word about it. I will inform you when I have chosen a mate."

"Lord Hawke, surely—"

Hawke let out a caw, one loud enough to shake the windows. "Enough!"

The three elders jumped, which made sense. He had never raised his voice to them. He wasn't thrilled with the fact that he was doing it now, but they were not listening to him and he was tired of it. They needed to hear him.

"I will not repeat myself," he snapped. "My mating is my business. Period. Just because I am lord of the hawk casts does not mean I lose the right to bond with a mate of my choosing, and I will do the choosing, not you. Is that clearly understood?"

Elder Saul tilted his head back and looked down his long hooked nose at Hawke. "How dare you raise your voice to us. We are the elders of this cast. Our word is—"

"Your word is a suggestion, not law." Hawke's grin was pure evil. "My word, however, is law."

Elders were a part of the very fabric of a cast, but they were not the ones in charge. Hawke knew he needed to remember that. The elders kept the history of the cast and remembered the laws. They did not make them.

"Continue to fight me on this, and you can, and will, be replaced." He had no idea where he'd find more elders, but he would if it came right down to it. He was tired of other people thinking they had a say in who he spent the rest of his life with or had in his bed.

"Lord Hawke," Elder Myon began, "I'm not sure you understand the magnitude of what you are saying. Elders have always led this cast."

Hawke narrowed his eyes. "Then maybe it's time for a change."

He spun and stormed out of the room without another word. He really didn't have anything left to say to the elders because they never listened to him, no matter how loud he shouted.

"Carron!"

"Yes, Lord Hawke?"

"The elders are leaving. Please see them to their cars."

"Yes, sir." Carron nodded.

Hawke continued on to his office. He had a few things to do and even more things to think about. If he was going to change things up, he might as well do it in a big way, and maybe get what he wanted in the process.

He picked up the phone and dialed Harrington Hall. "This is Lord Hawke," he said when someone picked up. "Is Lord Behr available?"

"I'm afraid Lord Behr has stepped out for the moment," someone replied in a very formal voice. "May I take a message?"

He knew that voice. "Mannford?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Do you know when Lord Behr might be back?"

"I do not."

Damn.

"Can you please have him call me when he returns? It's very important that I speak to him."

"Of course, sir."

"How is… Have the others recovered from their ordeal?"

"Master Harry seems to have rebounded quite well, sir. I am more concerned for Master Dick's welfare. He does not seem to be adjusting well."

Hawke swallowed tightly. "How so?"

He'd killed the men who'd held Dick captive, and ever since then he had worried about what Dick must think of him. He doubted he'd ever forget the look of horror on Dick's face after he killed those men. It had very nearly crushed his soul. His despair had been so great, he'd flown off to get away from the heartbreak. Having claimed Dick just the night before, it had almost broken him.

Now, he wondered if he'd made a mistake in leaving. He never wanted to frighten Dick, and that had been exactly what he'd done. But running away might not have been the answer. Hawke felt as if the chasm between them was opening wider by the second.

If he followed through with the elder's plans and aligned himself with a woman from one of the hawk casts, that wouldn't be a problem. Except now, he was starting to think he might be able to have Dick in his life, and that meant rectifying his mistake.

"Is Dick with Rogan and Tom?"

"No, sir. He returned from Camelot a couple of hours ago. He's resting in his room. I can get him if you'd like?"

"No, that's okay." He didn't want to talk to Dick over the phone. He needed to see with his own eyes if the guy was still terrified of him. That would dictate his next move. He just hoped his next move wasn't taking a one way trip to a hell of his own making. "I'll head over there and check on him myself." He could only hope that his mate would agree to see him.

If Dick was a smart man, he'd run.

Chapter Four

Dick glanced out the window when he heard a car pull up in front of the manor. He hadn't been expecting anyone, and the others were gone, so he wondered who it was.

His heart took a perilous leap when he saw Hawke climb out of the front seat of a late-model sports car. Figured he'd be driving something like that. Apparently, flying through the air wasn't good enough. He had to fly down the road as well.

Dick's hungry gaze ate up every inch of Hawke as the man walked toward the manor. It had been almost a month since he'd laid eyes on Hawke. Dick hadn't thought it was possible, but he seemed even sexier than he had been before.

His stride was confident, his bearing commanding. Dick wanted nothing more in the world than to be wrapped up in those muscular arms. He knew safety lay within Hawke's strong embrace. But as much as he wanted it, he knew it would never happen.

Hawke had made himself perfectly clear. Dick was okay for a one-night stand, but there would never be anything between them except a night of meaningless sex. Dick wasn't good enough to be his mate, even if that was exactly what he was.

He didn't have the right parts.

Wait.

Dick pulled in a slow, sharp breath as he stared down at his hand. Maybe he did have the right parts. If this mark was anything like Tom's, he could carry his mate's child and give birth. He could give Hawke the heir he seemed so desperate to have.

That would be great if Hawke wasn't so dead set on mating a female. As much as Dick wanted to find the man and let him know he could give him the children he seemed to want so badly, he had been rejected once. He wasn't going to put himself in a position to have it happen again.

Besides, he didn't want Hawke to accept him just because he was suddenly a time keeper and could give birth if mated to a shifter, which he was. He wanted the man to accept him because he would die without him, kind of like Dick was feeling right now.

Dick dropped his hand back to his lap, curling it into a fist, and then glanced out the window again. Tears welled up in his eyes when he realized he couldn't see Hawke anymore. He must have come inside the house. Dick had no idea why the man was here, but he knew Hawke wasn't here to see him.

He got up and headed over to his dresser. At some point during the last few weeks, someone had gone back to his apartment and packed him a bag. His stuff had been put away in the dresser. He wasn't sure if that was a hint that he could stay as long as he liked, or just the servants doing their job.

Either way, he was glad that he had clean clothes to change into because he needed a shower. Technically, he knew he wasn't dirty. He'd had a shower just a few hours earlier, but he couldn't shake the feeling of grime on his skin. No matter how much he scrubbed, he still felt dirty. He was starting to wonder if he would ever feel clean again.

Dick grabbed a clean pair of jeans, a pair of underwear, and one of his heavy sweaters and set them on the end of the bed. The room was warm enough, and even if it wasn't, he could start a fire, but he felt chilled right down to his bone. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been warm.

In the bathroom, Dick couldn't resist the call of the sink set on a gorgeous wooden pedestal. He grabbed the thin sliver of what was left of the bar of soap and turned on the faucet. He waited for the water to heat as hot as possible before soaping and washing his hands.

Over and over again, he scrubbed. He needed them to be clean. He needed the filth gone. Tears slipped down his cheeks. They would never be clean. He scrubbed harder, his hands becoming red.

Dick let out a little sob when large hands closed over his, stopping all movement.

"It's okay, baby."

Dick shivered at the sound of Hawke's voice, the same voice he'd dreamed about almost every time he closed his eyes. Well, when he wasn't having a nightmare, that is.

Hawke reached out and turned off the water then took the scrub pad out of Dick's hand and laid it on the counter. Dick was mesmerized watching Hawke's thumb rub over the faint white lines on his wrist.

"What happened here?"

"The zip-ties they used to restrain me," Dick whispered. "They cut into my wrists."

Dick sucked in a sharp breath when Hawke's chest rumbled behind him. He felt the vibration right down to his toes.

"What the hell? Why did you keep this from me?"

Something inside of Dick snapped. All the anger and pain and heartache he'd been feeling since the moment Hawke told him he would never measure up came roaring forward. He snatched his wrists away and turned to glare up at the tall man.

"Why the hell do you care?" he snarled. "As far as I know, I haven't grown breasts lately, and I'm pretty sure that's not going to change anytime soon."

Hawke's forehead wrinkled. "Breasts? Wha—"

"Just go away, Hawke." Dick pushed at him, then took a step back when the man didn't move an inch. "That's what you're good at, isn't it?"

"Dick!"

Dick took another step back when Hawke reached for him. "Don't touch me!"

Hawke's eyebrows shot up.

"You don't ever get to touch me. You gave up that right when you threw me away because I didn't have boobs."

Something flashed in Hawke's eyes. "I never threw you away, Dick."

"Bullshit!" That was exactly what Hawke had done. "Let's see if I can remember your words." Dick tapped his lips for a minute. "Oh yes, I remember. It's not you. It's me. There are expectations I have to follow as alpha of my cast, and those expectations don't include getting involved with a man." Dick lifted one eyebrow. "Does that sound about right?"

Dick firmed his lips as he glared at Hawke before turning away and storming out of the bathroom. Guess that shower he'd wanted wasn't going to happen now. The overwhelming need to cover himself was riding him harder than the need to be clean.

He could hear Hawke follow him out of the bathroom. He chose to ignore the man as he stormed over to the end of the bed and grabbed the clothes he'd set there. He heard a gasp when he dropped his pajama bottoms. He ignored that, too.

It took every bit of Dick's self-control to pretend Hawke wasn't standing there staring at him as he got dressed, but he really had no other choice. He refused to be naked in front of the man. He'd done that once, and it had gotten him nothing but heartache.

Dick felt a little bit better after he pulled his heavy sweater on, but there was still something missing. He walked over to his dresser and grabbed the fingerless gloves he kept around for when his fingers got cold, but he needed to be able to use them.

The relief he felt when he pulled the soft cotton glove up over the hand with the mark on it was enough to make his knees shake. Maybe he'd start wearing fingerless gloves all of the time. At least until he figured out what he was going to do about the mark.

He wasn't ready to be a time keeper.

"It wasn't like that, Dick."

Dick clenched his jaw before turning to give Hawke what he hoped was a scathing glare. "Then what was it like, Hawke? I still had your cum leaking out of my ass when you stood there and told me I wasn't good enough for you because I didn't have boobs. That, even though you had bitten me, I could never be your mate. So, you tell me. What was it like?"

He still remembered the humiliation he'd felt, the total agonizing heartache that had stolen his ability to breathe. Hawke had rocked his world then turned it upside down and ripped the ground right out from under him.

"I'm under a lot of pressure from the elders of my cast to take a female mate and produce an heir. They've paraded every eligible female from every hawk cast under my command in front of me, hoping to get a match."

Dick swallowed tightly when bile rose up in his throat. It gutted him to hear Hawke talk about mating with someone else, even a female. "And why haven't you chosen one of them?"

"None of them fit."

"Well, apparently, I don't either."

"You have to understand, Dick, I—"

"I don't have to understand anything," Dick said. "You made yourself more than clear. I'm okay to fuck for one night, maybe two if you're feeling amorous, but I'm not good enough for anything more than that."

"Damn it, Dick." Hawke shoved a hand through his dark hair before clenching it into a fist. "It wasn't like that."

"I don't believe you." And it was as simple as that. Action spoke louder than words, and all of Hawke's actions of late had shown that Dick wasn't good enough for him, that their one night of passion that Dick still dreamed about had meant nothing to him.

Hawke reached out his hand. "Dick—"

"You need to leave." Dick didn't know how much longer he could keep his despair hidden behind a firm jaw. His eyes were already starting to tear up.

"Is this because of what I did?" Hawke asked in a small voice, his head dropping as he stared down at the floor. "Are you afraid of me now?"

Dick paused. "Why on earth would I be afraid of you?"

That had never been a problem between them. He'd been mesmerized by Hawke, awestruck, enthralled, even captivated, but he had never feared the man.

"Because I killed those men."

Dick shuddered as the memory of that day slammed into him. He had to take in a couple of slow breaths before he could reply. "They deserved to die." Yes, he sounded bloodthirsty, and maybe he was, but he never asked to be kidnapped or assaulted. "They deserved what they got."

"Then why?"

Dick frowned. "Why what?"

"Why are you denying me?"

What the hell?

"What exactly do you think I'm denying? That you don't want me because I don't have breasts and a vagina? That you used me, claimed me, and then very eloquently told me that I wasn't good enough to be yours? What exactly am I denying here?"

Hawke's dark eyes flashed as he snapped, "I never used you!"

"Really?" Dick yanked the collar of his sweater aside. "Then what's this?"

Hawke's eyes grew even darker, but his lips pressed into a firm line.

Dick pointed to the bite mark on his shoulder that had scarred over in the last month, looking now as if it had always been there. No one looking at it would know he hadn't had it for years.

"I'm not stupid, Hawke. I know this is a mating bite. You know this is a mating bite. You gave it to me and then proceeded to tell me how we could never be together because you had an obligation to your cast to produce a kid with someone woman who isn't your mate."

"I was trying to do what was best for my cast."

And there lay the problem.

"And that isn't me, so why are you here?"

"I'm here because…well…" Hawke's face heated as he glanced up, then quickly away.

Dick gasped as a new shaft of pain stabbed him in the chest. It was all so clear to him now. "You want to get laid." He let out a bitter laugh. "Couldn't get one of your little girlfriends to give it up for you so you came to me because you know I'm your mate, so I'm a sure bet."

Or he was up until he'd been kidnapped.

"It wasn't like that, Dick. I swear."

Dick shook his head as he turned away and walked over to the window. He wrapped his arms around his waist. Not even his heavy sweater was keeping the cold away. He could feel a chill that went right down to his bones.

He couldn't stand it anymore. He wanted Hawke's arms around him more than he wanted to breathe, and he knew that would never happen, not for more than a night or two. There was not going to be a happy ending for this scenario. Somewhere out there was the perfect female for the man he wanted and couldn't have.

For a brief moment, he considered telling Hawke about the mark on his hand, but he dismissed that idea almost as quickly as it had come. He was pretty sure that would be the stupidest thing he could do, not that he hadn't done a hundred million other stupid things.

"Please, go," he whispered as tears flooded his eyes, blinding him from the view out the window. "Just go, Hawke."

Dick didn't realize how much not having Hawke in his life would devastate him until he heard the door close. He turned then sucked in a sob when he realized he was the only one in the room.

Well, he'd gotten what he wanted. Hawke was gone. And Dick had never felt so alone in his life. This was even worse than when he'd been locked inside the gatehouse with that sick freak trying to strip his clothes off of him while his hands were zip-tied.

Dick glanced back out the window. When he saw Hawke walking down the steps, he pressed his hands against the glass. Tears started to slide down his cheeks, and there was a hollow ache in his chest.

Hawke walked around his car to the driver's side. He opened the door, but before he climbed in, he stopped. Dick's breath caught in his throat when Hawke dropped his hands on the hood of his car then glanced up toward his window.

Their eyes met. For the longest time, they just stared at each other. Dick couldn't read the expression in Hawke's eyes and he had no idea what Hawke saw when he stared up at him, but his heart leapt in his chest when Hawke slammed the door and started back toward the house.

He was coming back!

Dick almost turned away, but his attention was grabbed by the sight of another vehicle pulling up beside Hawke's car. Hawke stopped on the steps and turned to face the black limousine as it came to a stop.

Two men in suits climbed out of the vehicle. One went to the back door and pulled it open. The other walked up to stand beside Hawke on the steps. Dick caught the flash of purple material before a gun appeared from the backseat, pointing right at Hawke.

Hawke started toward the vehicle. Dick didn't know exactly what was going on, but anything that involved a gun couldn't be good. Hawke paused right before climbing into the vehicle to look up at him. Once again, their eyes met. This time, Dick could read the regret in their murky darkness.

Dick cried out and slammed his hands on the window when Hawke climbed into the limo followed by the two men in suits. Fresh tears flowed down his cheeks as he watched the car pull away from the front of the house and go down the driveway.

Someone had taken Hawke.

Dick slapped his hands on the window again, then swiped at the tears on his cheeks. A blazing anger ignited in his gut and began to burn outward. It wasn't the same type of anger he had felt toward Hawke. No, this was a much more intense anger. Fiery .

Someone had taken what belonged to him. Hawke might not admit that, but it didn't change the truth. Lord Dakota Hawke was his, and he'd kill anyone who hurt the man.

He just had to find him.

Chapter Five

Dick ran out of his room and down the stairs. "Mannford!" he shouted once he reached the first floor. He needed the man to help him find Hawke. Dick needed help figuring out who had taken Hawke. He just generally needed help.

"Master Dick," Mannford said as he stepped out of the salon, "how may I be of service?"

"Someone just took Lord Hawke away at gunpoint."

Dick wasn't sure he'd ever seen Mannford's eyes widen quite so much.

"Tell me exactly what happened."

Dick quickly relayed everything he'd seen, right down to the flash of purple material. By the time he was retelling his tale, fresh tears had sprouted up in his eyes. "I have to find him, Mannford."

"Quite right, sir. Come with me." Mannford turned without another word and marched down the hallway to an office next to Tom's office. It was closer to the kitchen, which Dick realized was the point. It was Mannford's office.

The manservant walked directly to the phone on his desk and picked it up. "This is the main house. Who's come through the gate in the last thirty minutes?" Mannford nodded a couple of times. "Very well. The estate is closed until further notice."

Once he hung up, he glanced at Dick. "The gate says the only people who have come to the estate today were Lord Hawke and his party."

"They're lying."

Mannford stiffened. "My guards do not lie."

Crap.

"No, that's not what I meant. Whoever said they were with Hawke is lying. He came alone." Dick was positive of it. "I watched him arrive and I watched them arrive. They did not come together, and even if they did, there was no reason to pull a gun on Hawke."

"No, you are right, of course, but that does beg the question. Who entered the Harrington estate under false pretenses?"

"I don't know." And he hated that fact. "What about the guards? Can you ask them if they got any type of ID when they let these guys in? Or a name?"

Mannford snapped his fingers before reaching for the phone. "I can do better than that. After the last incident, we had cameras installed at the gate. If we can put a name to a face, we might know where to start looking for Lord Hawke."

"Can you take a look?" Dick asked. "I need to go get Tom and Harry." They would help him find Hawke. He just knew it. It was kind of in the best friend rules.

"How will you get through the veil?" Mannford asked. "Lord Harrington hasn't returned."

"I can get through." He just wasn't ready yet to tell him how. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Hurry, sir. I don't know who took Lord Hawke, but I doubt they have friendly intentions."

Dick had thought that already, so he didn't bother replying. He just took off down the hallway then up the stairs. He slowed when he reached Lady Sophia's room. He wasn't comfortable entering her room by himself, but he had no other choice. This was the only gate to Camelot that he knew of.

He'd have to ask Merlin if there were other gates. There had to be, right? It wasn't as if Lady Sophia had allowed tons of people to traipse through her bedroom all day and night.

When he reached the door that had been cut into the wall, he stopped. It looked like any other doorway except for the faint glow around the edges. Dick drew in a fortifying breath then stepped through the opening. He shivered as something passed over his skin, almost like a soft caress.

That was weird.

"Halt!"

Dick froze.

"State your name and your business."

He panned around until his gaze fell on a soldier with a very impressive looking rifle in his hands, which he was pointing right at Dick.

"My name is Dick Dickerson. I am a friend and advisor to Lord Harrington, the time keeper. I need to see him on a matter of the utmost importance."

"The time keeper is with the king."

"I know," Dick replied. "I was with them earlier."

The guy's eyes narrowed as he reached up and tapped the earpiece Dick hadn't seen until then. "Captain, I have a Dick Dickerson here. He said he came through the veil with— Yes, sir. That's him. He says he needs to speak with the time keeper. Yes, sir."

Dick could honestly say he was surprised. The small village with the castle seemed almost medieval in design, so small and quaint, and yet they were using modern conveniences. It was kind of a mind fuck.

"Please, come with me," the guard said. "Captain Olwen is waiting at the castle to escort you to Lord Harrington."

Perfect.

Dick followed the guy away from the gate and down the street toward the castle. For once, he was glad soldiers tended to walk fast. Granted, he had to almost run to keep up, but he was pretty much doing that anyway.

Captain Olwen was waiting at the bottom of the steps of the castle just like the guard said he would be. There was a wrinkle of concern on his face as Dick approached him. The man crossed his arm over his chest, placing his fisted hand over his heart, and gave a brief nod. "Sire."

"I need to see the time keeper."

"Of course, sire." Captain Olwen waved his hand toward the massive doors of the castle. "He is still meeting with King Arthur."

That was going to be dicey.

Once again, Dick followed someone, this time heading into the castle. He was led to the same grand room as before. As soon as the two guards at the doors pulled them open, Dick hurried inside.

"Tom, Harry," he called out as soon as he spotted them. "I need your help."

Both men stood.

"What's wrong?" Tom asked.

"I need your help. Hawke's been kidnapped."

"What?"

Dick quickly related what had happened and what Mannford was doing about trying to identify who had kidnapped Hawke. By the time he was done, he was surrounded by Tom, Harry, Rogan, King Arthur, and Captain Olwen.

"This Hawke," King Arthur said, "he is one of ours?"

"Lord Dakota Hawke is head of all the hawk casts and serves on our council," Rogan said. "If someone has kidnapped him—"

"It's also important to note that he was kidnapped from right in front of Harrington Hall," Dick pointed out. He wasn't sure why that was important, but Mannford seemed to think it was. "Whoever took him did so on the estate grounds."

Dick swallowed tightly when King Arthur's jaw firmed.

"Captain Olwen, I want you to gather together a unit of your best men and send them through to the Harrington Estate to assist in the retrieval of Lord Hawke and security for the estate. It is incomprehensible that someone has perpetrated such a crime on the time keeper's estate. It cannot be allowed."

"Rogan and the other lords of the council did arrange for guards and security at the estate," Dick said. "Hawke came to the estate to see me. Whoever took Hawke told the guards at the gate that they were with him. Since they arrived not long after he did, they had no reason not to believe them."

"Did they check ID?" Rogan asked.

"Mannford is looking into that now." Dick rubbed his hands together as he glanced back toward the doors. "He had security cameras put in place after the last attack. He says we might be able to ID whoever came in on those."

"Last attack?" King Arthur asked. "What attack?"

"It's a long story," Tom replied, "but it has to do with Lady Foxx and my father and that whole mess."

That was the incredibly simplified way to describe the hell he'd gone through, but Dick was kind of grateful Tom was stating it like that. He didn't need a bunch of new people staring at him, not when all of his concentration needed to be on finding Hawke.

"We need to head back," Rogan said. "The trail is going to go cold if we don't get a head start on it, and then we'll never find him."

Dick almost whimpered. Not finding Hawke wasn't an option.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Your Highness." Tom gave the king a short bow before holding his hand out. "If you could find that book for me, it would be very helpful."

The king shook Tom's hand then Rogan's. "I'll have Merlin look into it."

Dick leaned toward Tom when the man started toward him. "What book?"

"Oh, the king mentioned that there is a manual of sorts that outlines the duties of the time keeper. He thinks it'll help me figure out what I'm doing."

That would be helpful. Dick wouldn't mind getting a look at the book himself. Not only did he have no idea what he was doing, but he was pretty sure he wasn't supposed to be doing it. He didn't care what Merlin said. There was no way he was supposed to be a time keeper.

He'd say not in this world, but he wasn't in his world. He had no idea what was acceptable in Camelot. At this point, he wouldn't be surprised to see a rainbow-colored unicorn prancing down the street.

Okay, he would be surprised, but come on. This place was right out of the fairytales books. Lions and tigers, oh my. And don't forget the dragons and the mage or the castle with an actual king, the one written about in all the human history books and fairytales.

Yeah, this place was weird.

Dick clenched his hands, then shoved them quickly into his pockets, hoping no one saw his anxiousness. He seriously wasn't ready for all this crap. A couple of months ago, he'd been a simple human attending law school and hoping to get laid.

Now, he was walking through a shifter world created by magic and run by the legendary King Arthur. Maybe he'd write all this down someday. No one would believe him, of course, but he'd make millions in the fiction genre.

Dick walked out the front doors of the castle and skidded to a stop. King Arthur had said he wanted a unit of soldiers to go with them, but this looked more like a full-scale invasion.

"They can't all go with us, Tom." People would notice so many new faces.

Tom chuckled. "Captain Olwen?"

Dick gave a little squeak when the man appeared suddenly as if he'd popped right out of thin air.

"Yes, sire?"

"You need to cut back on the guards." Tom waved his hand to the crowd of soldiers, all standing at attention. "That's a little overkill."

Olwen's eyebrows lifted. "Sire?"

"Four guards, Captain, six at the most. Not…" Tom started counting pointing to each man standing at attention. "Geez, Olwen, twenty guards?"

"That is a unit, sire."

"Yeah, no." Tom shook his head. "We're already overrun with guards provided by the council. We don't need an entire unit."

Captain Olwen winced. "Ten, sire?"

Tom groaned. "Fine, ten, but not any more than that."

Dick thought ten was overkill, but he understood that they had to compromise. Besides, more eyes meant a better chance of catching whoever took Hawke if they came back.

"Can we go now?" He wasn't trying to be rude, but he really wanted to get back and see what Mannford had found.

Tom nodded and started walking, Rogan right on his heels. Harry sped up to walk along Tom's other side, bending his head to talk to him. Dick walked next to Captain Olwen.

After a few moments he realized he couldn't hear anything behind him, which was weird considering there were supposed to be ten guards following them.

When he glanced back, he was shocked to find all ten men marching along behind them. His eyes widened when he turned back around. "You're men are good, Captain Olwen. I couldn't hear them at all."

"But of course. My men are trained to be silent so the enemy won't hear them coming."

"Are they all shifters?"

"No, we actually do have some humans here. When the veil went down, many were caught on this side. They have lived here with us ever since, integrating with our society."

"Huh." Dick frowned as he considered that. "Do you think they will go home now?"

"Some will, some won't. Many have made Camelot their home. Others dream of going home to the families they left on the other side."

"Do you have anyone on the other side?"

"Me?" Olwen shook his head. "I have not been so blessed yet." He sent Dick a warm smile. "But I hope to change that soon."

Dick swallowed tightly then gave Olwen a weak smile. "I'm mated."

Olwen glanced to the man walking ahead of them. "And your friend there? Is he mated?"

"Harry?" He had to be talking about Harry because Rogan was plastered all over Tom's side, letting everyone around them know he had staked a claim on the time keeper. "No, Harry isn't mated."

At least, not that he knew of.

"Is he…seeing anyone?" Olwen asked. "That is how you say it, right? Seeing anyone?"

Dick chuckled. "Yes, it is, and no, he's not."

"Good, good."

Dick couldn't keep the smile off his face as he glanced toward his friend. He wondered if Harry realized he had an admirer. "He's going to be a doctor, you know."

"He is a healer?"

"Uh, yeah, pretty much. Well, he will be once he finishes school. He still had a few years to go."

"Beauty and brains. That is a heady combination."

Oh, this guy was great. Harry was either going to bust something laughing or bust something trying to climb the man like a tree. He wasn't the most sociable of people. His studies took up too much of his time. But he had a weakness for tall, brawny men, and Captain Olwen was very tall and brawny.

"Would it be rude to ask what kind of shifter you are?"

The man smiled. "I forget that you are human and can't smell it. I am a wolf shifter."

"I can't imagine what that must be like."

Olwen chuckled. "Furry."

Dick snickered. "Yeah, I suppose it must be." He shook his head. "I didn't even know about all of this a couple of months ago. We didn't find out about it until Nana died and—"

"Nana?"

"Oh, uh, Lady Sophia Harrington. Tom's grandmother."

"Yes, I'd heard she passed away. She will be missed."

It was weird to Dick that everyone seemed to know who Nana was. "Did she come here often?"

"No, but many who went through the veil had the pleasure of meeting her."

"That reminds me. Is there more than one entrance to the veil? The one we've been using is in Nana's bedroom. I just can't see her allowing a ton of people to pass through her bedroom on a daily basis."

"There are actually many doorways," Olwen replied. "There should be one set up wherever there is a chief alpha."

"Chief alpha?" He hadn't heard that term before.

Captain Olwen gestured to Rogan. "Those who serve on the council."

"Oh, that makes sense." It really did. "So, there's a gate through the veil at each of their homes or something?"

"I have never been through the veil, so I am unsure of exactly where they are located, but each chief alpha should have someplace set up for people to come through the gate, someplace that will not garner too much attention from humans."

"I'd use an office building if I was in the city," Dick said. "Out in the country, it doesn't really matter, especially if you have a lot of land."

"That does make sense, yes."

"Yeah, I have all sorts of good ideas."

Just none of them good.

Chapter Six

Hawke kept his lips pressed into a thin line as he stared straight ahead. He refused to even acknowledge the men who sat on either side of him. There'd come a point when he would acknowledge them, but they weren't going to like it. They might not even walk away from it. He could almost guarantee it.

He was pissed.

Not only had they interrupted him just when he felt as if he was getting through to his mate, but they had done it at gunpoint. It was totally unacceptable. How they believed they could get away with this, he would never know.

He narrowed his eyes as he stared at the man sitting in the seat across from him. It was bad enough that he had been kidnapped, but to be kidnapped by one of his own was a bitter pill to swallow. He wasn't exactly best friends with Elder Saul, but the man was an elder. He was supposed to have higher standards than this.

"You've brought this upon yourself, Hawke."

"And how did you come to that conclusion?"

"You refuse to see reason," Elder Saul said. "Alpha Bainbridge's daughter is a good choice for the hawk casts. She comes from a good, pure bloodline. Unlike some of the mutts around here, her cast hasn't been polluted."

That caught Hawke's attention.

"Polluted?"

"Those in her cast are not allowed to bond with humans."

Hawke growled. "You know some of us have mates in the human population." Like him. "It is against paranormal law to interfere between mates. You know that."

"That is what the law says, yes."

The sly smile that crossed the elder's lips sent a shiver of unease down Hawke's spine.

"Specifically, the law says any and all are not allowed to interfere between mates. It says nothing of what happens before they meet their mate, and once bonded…" The elder shrugged. "What is done, is done."

Hawke stared. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Are you saying you'd deny someone their chance at finding their true mate, a mate gifted to them by the fates?"

"True mates are a myth perpetrated by people who wanted to go against the teachings of the elders. People like you who seem to think they know better, that they do not need their elders." The elder snorted as he shook his head, giving Hawke the same disapproving look he'd given him as a child. "Ridiculous."

Hawke's eyebrows lifted. "So, you thought kidnapping me at gunpoint was the answer?"

That was what was ridiculous.

He glanced out the window when the limo slowed. Somehow, he wasn't surprised to find himself at Elder Saul's estate. It was a good fifteen minutes from his place by car. He knew he could fly it even faster, assuming he could get away from these morons.

When they all climbed out of the car, Hawke glanced around, trying to gauge the moment he'd be able to shift and fly away. Unlike others, his shift was pretty quick, taking only a few seconds. He could shift and fly away before they knew what he was up to.

Except for the gun he felt pressed into his side. Elder Saul's guard could pull the trigger faster than he could shift. He had no choice but to follow the elder into his large house.

"Can I offer you a drink?" Elder Saul asked once they reached the man's office.

It galled Hawke that Saul was acting as if they were just shooting the breeze. He imagined, if someone looked at them and didn't see the guy standing by the door with a gun, they'd think that very thing. Too bad appearances could be so deceiving.

Hawke settled himself into one of the chairs by the stone fireplace. "I am lord of the hawk casts, Saul. You could lose your life for this." Hawke was pretty sure he was going to demand it, especially if this had fucked up any chance he had with Dick.

Fuck, he could never let Saul know about Dick, not now. The man would probably order Dick's death, and then he'd really die.

"It's not too late for you to end this mess, Saul." He had to try and get the guy to see reason. Hawke didn't really want to kill him if he didn't have to. He wouldn't be just fighting an elder, but someone who kept the history of their casts. No matter how he went about it, people would be upset.

He also didn't want to have to fight off the guards Elder Saul had brought with him. He knew they were hawks by their smell, but he couldn't quite place them, which told him they did not belong to his home cast. They were either rogue—which meant Elder Saul had truly lost his mind—or they belonged to one of the other casts Hawke oversaw.

"Oh, I am ending it." There he went with that creepy smile again. "My way."

A low growl rumbled through Hawke. "I'm getting tired of this game, Saul."

"This is no game!" the elder snapped. "If you had just done as you were told, none of this would be an issue."

"Done as I was told?" The insolence in this man was epic. "I am chief alpha, not you. I don't take orders from you."

"Which is exactly why we are in this mess."

"We're in this mess because you lost your ever-loving mind."

The elder's eyes narrowed, and Hawke swore he saw steam coming out of the guy's ears. He didn't really give a crap if Elder Saul was pissed. He certainly was, and it was all due to the good elder, and that was a really loose term to describe the man holding him hostage.

"What do you hope to get out of this?" Hawke asked. The guy had to have an angle, but damned if Hawke could figure it out.

"You have a duty to the casts, and I'm going to see that you fulfill that duty."

Yeah, you and what army?

Hawke crossed his arms and glared. Hard. "You have no idea what my duty is, and I'm beginning to think you never did."

"I know what your duty is," Saul snapped right back. "I was doing this before you were a glint in your father's eyes."

Hawke snorted. "Doesn't mean shit when you take me hostage. If you've been doing this that long, then you know this is wrong."

"No, what you are doing is wrong."

Hawke was at a loss. "And just what am I doing?"

"You have a duty to find a mate and provide the hawk casts with an heir. And even though we have presented you with eligible females for months, you continue to turn each of them down."

"I will not allow you to choose my mate for me."

It just wasn't going to happen.

"It's done," Elder Saul said. "There is nothing you can do to prevent it."

Hawke frowned. "It's done?"

What the hell was he talking about?

"Alpha Bainbridge has graciously accepted your request for his daughter's hand. Plans for a bonding ceremony are already underway.” The elder gave Hawke that smile again. "They will be here in the morning to sign the marriage paperwork."

"I won't sign."

He would never betray his mate like that, even if Dick hadn't accepted that they were mates yet. Hawke had high hopes that he eventually would. He'd seen the look in Dick's beautiful blue eyes before the limo pulled up. Dick wanted him just as much as he wanted Dick.

"You will sign," Elder Saul said, "or Roland here will take you downstairs to the basement and teach you about respecting your elders."

"I can't respect someone who doesn't deserve it."

Hawke knew he shouldn't have said that a mere second before a blinding pain exploded in his head. He growled as he rubbed the back of his head and turned to glare at the guy who'd hit him. "You better pray you kill me, because I'm going to make it my life's mission to kill you."

"Is all this violence really necessary, Lord Hawke?" Elder Saul asked.

"Yes," Hawke answered, still glaring at the guard. "It's totally necessary when dealing with assholes who kidnap me then assault me."

Elder Saul sighed. "You've brought this on yourself, Hawke." He gave a quick nod. "Take him downstairs. Try not to cause any permanent damage. The bride-to-be and her father will be here in the morning, and we will need him to be able to sign the papers."

The second the guard went to grab him, Hawke started fighting. He'd be damned if he walked to his doom without resistance. Maybe he'd be lucky and they'd break his fingers. Wouldn't that piss the elder off.

Hawke swung out with his fist, wincing when it connected. Damn idiot had a head made of rocks. He wasn't going to let that keep him from handing the guy his head. Hawke might not be the biggest guy around, but he could hold his own.

Hawke cried out and spun around when he heard the loud retort of a gun then felt a stinging pain in his arm. He slammed into the wall. When he glanced down at his arm, for some reason, he was surprised to see blood spreading across the fabric of his shirt.

He slapped his hand over the wound then glanced up, his upper lip curling back when he saw Elder Saul standing there with a gun in his hand. "You shot me, you fuck!"

"You still have one good arm," the man replied as calmly as could be. "You can still sign the paperwork."

"I'm not going to sign any paperwork," Hawke snapped. "When will you get it through your thick skull?"

The elder sighed again before gesturing with the gun in his hand. "Take him downstairs."

Hawke didn't fight when the guard reached for him this time. With a bullet wound in his arm, he wasn't up to full power. He needed to get somewhere he could shift and heal. He couldn't really do that while he was fighting someone off.

He was led out of Elder Saul's office and down the hallway to a set of stairs hidden behind a door. Once they reached the bottom of the stairs, the guard escorted him to a small windowless room, which kind of made sense. As a hawk shifter, he was bigger than a normal hawk, but he could still fit through a window.

Hawk was pushed inside the small room, and then the door was slammed shut behind him. He growled when he heard the lock engage. He really didn't like being locked up.

He was surprised the guard had walked away without a single punch thrown. As far as he knew, the guy had been ordered to beat him up. It didn't make sense for him to simply walk away, although Hawke was grateful that he had. He wasn't looking forward to having his head handed to him.

He walked the entire circumference of the room, hoping there would be something there to help him get out of this mess. There wasn't. It was simply a room. No weapons, no window, no nothing. He didn't even have a chair to sit on.

Hawke glanced around for a moment then shifted into his hawk form. He felt the relief for the ache in his arm almost immediately. He wasn't sure if it was due to his status in the casts, but he'd always been able to heal faster than others.

Personally, he thought it was because he was more in touch with his animal side than most shifters. He had always felt that they needed to be a team to be able to function properly. They had always been in tune with each other.

Well, until Dick.

Technically, he knew his hawk and him were one and the same. They were not two separate entities, but sometimes it felt as if they were. His human side seemed to be pretty level-headed. His animal side was all about instincts.

Unfortunately, his instincts were screaming at him that Dick was theirs and he was an idiot for denying him. He was positive if they weren't in a windowless room, he'd be flying right back to his mate.

Assuming Dick wanted him.

Chapter Seven

Dick paced back and forth across the expanse of Tom's study. His ability to sit still was nonexistent. He rubbed his hands up and down his arms, trying to relieve the creepy-crawly ache that seemed to slither just under his skin.

He was back to waiting. He supposed that was why he was feeling so out of sorts. He wanted action, not anticipation. He wanted concrete proof of who had taken Hawke, and then he wanted Hawke.

He had no idea where their relationship was going or even if they had a relationship, but he'd be damned if he let someone else make that choice for them by taking Hawke out of the picture. If he was going to kick the guy to the curb, he wanted to do it to his face.

Dick jumped when the office door swung open and Mannford hurried in. He held his breath, anticipation rolling over him like a tidal wave. "Did you find anything?"

"The limousine belongs to Elder Saul," Mannford said, "a member of Lord Hawke's cast."

Wait…what?

"An elder from his cast kidnapped him?" How was something like that even possible? Didn't people understand loyalty?

"I've done a little research into Elder Saul, and he's a man in need of a lot of money." Mannford sat down at the laptop on the table and started typing. Images began flashing across the television on the wall. "He tends to live outside of his means, and not only does he owe quite a bit of money, in order to maintain his current lifestyle, he would need a large influx of cash."

"So, why kidnap Hawke?"

"Elder Saul has arranged for Lord Hawke to bond with the daughter of Alpha Bainbridge."

Dick gasped before quickly turning the sound into a cough when everyone turned to look at him. "Sorry."

"With the marriage comes a rather large dowry, which the elder has arranged to have deposited into his bank account," Mannford continued as if Dick hadn't made a sound. "I believe that is how he intends to pay off his current debts."

"Over my dead body," Dick growled. His eyes widened when he took in the shocked looks on everyone's face. "Did I say that out loud?"

Tom slowly nodded his head.

Oops.

"Something you want to tell us, Dick?" Tom moved closer from side of the room. Harry moved in from the other until both men had Dick surrounded. "You seem a bit more worried about all of this than anyone else. Did we miss something?"

"No?"

Tom lifted an eyebrow. "Are you asking or telling?"

Dick winced. "Telling?"

"Uh uh." Tom wiggled his fingers. "Spill."

Dick rubbed his neck, his fingers grazing over the bite mark on his skin. "So, a strange thing happened to me on my way to the opera."

Harry crossed his arms and leveled a narrowed eyed glare at Dick. "You haven't been to an opera a day in your life, Richard Dickerson. Try again."

Crap.

The bad thing about being best friends with someone was that they knew everything about you. "Okay, so Hawke and I might have slept together a while back and he kind of…um…bit me."

"He bit you?" Tom asked. "As in claimed you?"

"Yes and no. He bit me and then told me we couldn't be together because he had to mate a woman."

Tom's nostrils flared. "He what?"

"Why in the hell are you so worried about him if he was such an ass to you?" Harry asked. "Seems to me the guy is getting exactly what he deserves."

"He came back, Harry."

Harry's head snapped back. "He came back?"

"Yes," Dick replied. "We argued and I told him to leave, but he was headed back inside to talk to me when he was kidnapped." Dick just knew he was. There was no way he could have misconstrued the glint in Hawke's eyes when the man looked up at him. He'd been coming back.

"We'll find him, Dick," Tom assured him.

That was the hope.

"Sir," Mannford said, "I'm not sure if you are aware of this, but a shifter can bond with anyone, just as a human can, but he can only claim a true mate. Once he claims his true mate with a bite, the uh…equipment doesn't work for anyone except his mate."

Dick's eyebrows lifted quickly. "Hawke is…" What was the word? "Impotent?"

"Only with someone else," Mannford replied. "With his mate, he'd perform just fine."

Well, that was one worry off Dick's mind.

"We really need to find Hawke," Dick said. "He told me that he had to marry a female from his cast and produce an heir. If he can't perform"—he really hated that word—"they'll kill him."

"I have narrowed their location down to two possible places," Mannford said. "As egotistical as Elder Saul is, I truly believe he does not think he is doing anything wrong. As such, I have doubt he is covering his tracks."

"How does that give us a location?" Tom asked.

"Because, if he is not covering his tracks, then I suspect he is holding Lord Hawke either at the cast manor or his own estate."

Dick started to shake his head almost immediately. "He wouldn't take Hawke back to his place. Hawke is a good man. His people respect him. If they thought he was in trouble, they'd come running. It makes more sense that he would take Hawke to his own estate."

Dick wasn't the master of strategy, but that made the most sense to him.

"We need two teams," Rogan stated. "One to go to Lord Hawke's estate and one to go to Elder Saul's estate."

"And one to go to Alpha Bainbridge's estate," Dick said. "If he is involved in all of this, I think it's important to figure out how much. He could be innocent. I mean, an elder of his cast is making the arrangements. Would Alpha Bainbridge have any reason to disbelieve him?"

"Harry, can you take Captain Olwen and some of his guards and go to Lord Hawke's estate? You need to search the place and make sure Hawke isn't there. I think with Captain Olwen there to back you up, no one will give you too much trouble."

"I can do that," Harry said, "but are you sure?"

Tom nodded. "Rogan and I are going to go see Alpha Bainbridge while Dick and Mannford go to Elder Saul's estate. I think we will have a better chance at getting in to see the alpha since I'm the time keeper and Rogan is my mate. With Dick being Hawke's mate, he can go to Elder Saul's estate. Lord Hawke is the head guy, and that makes Dick head alpha mate. That damn elder wouldn't dare refuse Dick entry onto his estate."

"While your reasoning is sound," Captain Olwen said, "I must insist that they take some of my soldiers with them. King Arthur tasked me and my men with keeping you safe, all of you, and I would feel better if my men were there to do as we have been ordered."

Mannford nodded curtly. "That is acceptable."

Dick kind of thought it was more than acceptable. It was encouraged. They needed all the help they could get. "We need to go."

Olwen walked out of the room, issuing orders to his men.

Dick turned to look at Tom and Harry. "I don't know what's going to happen between me and Hawke, but I have to bring him home." The knot in his stomach tightened every second the man was away from him.

Tom smiled as he reached over to pat his arm. "I get it, Dick. If you remember, things weren't always rosy between me and Rogan in the beginning. We had a pretty rocky start."

Considering they knew each other just a few weeks, it was weird to hear Tom talking as if he and Rogan were an old married couple. Still, the man did have a point. "Is it always so hard between mates?"

"I don't know," Tom admitted. "But it's worth it, if that helps."

At the moment, it really didn't.

"Men are pigs," Harry said. "Doesn't matter if they are human or shifter. They're still pigs."

Dick lifted an eyebrow as he turned to look at Harry. Harry wasn't a player by any means, but he had his share of guys over the years they'd known each other. Dick had never heard him be so bitter.

He didn't ask the question hovering on his lips, but he wanted to. He couldn't help but wonder if some shifter had pissed him off. Considering how long they had actually known about the shifter world, that didn't seem possible.

He could be wrong.

"We need to get moving," Rogan said as he stepped up beside Tom.

"Everyone have their cell phone?" Tom asked.

Dick patted his pocket. "Yep."

"Okay, first one to find Hawke, call in the others. Good?"

Dick nodded before turning to look at Mannford. "You don't have to do this, you know."

"I am aware, sir."

Right.

Dick headed outside. It wasn't until he stood on the front steps that he realized he had no idea how they were going to get to Elder Saul's house. It wasn't like he had a car, and he was pretty sure taking a taxi would cost more money than he had.

"Uh, Mannford?"

Two large black SUVs pulled up in front of the manor house. Mannford walked down the steps and opened the back door of the first vehicle before turning to look at Dick. "Sir?"

Dick shook his head. "You're really good at this."

A ghost of a smile crossed Mannford's lips. "Of course, sir."

Dick chuckled as he climbed into the car while Mannford walked around to climb in the driver's seat. He scooted in and buckled up before turning to look at Mannford. "Are Olwen's guards in the other car?"

"Yes, sir. I thought it would be better to take two cars in case we did locate Lord Hawke. Considering we don't know his current condition, we may need to put down the seats."

Dick swallowed hard. His heart ached with the thought that Hawke might be injured. "Do you really think we'll need to?"

"No, sir, but I'd rather be prepared for the worst than not and need it."

Okay, that made sense.

"How soon will we be there?" Dick asked as they got underway. He wanted to be there right now.

"It will take some time for us to reach Elder Saul's estate. Lord Hawke's territory is a little over sixty miles away."

Well, crap. That gave him a lot of time with his own thoughts, which wasn't exactly a good thing. Each and every one of them circled around Hawke. Dick had no idea what condition the man would be in when they found him. If they found him.

They had to find him.

Dick wasn't under any disillusions. He knew things weren't settled between him and Hawke. They might never be. Just because Dick was trying to rescue the man didn't mean they would get their happily ever after together. He just couldn't leave Hawke out there in trouble, not while there was a breath left in his body.

"Do you think we'll actually find him, Mannford?" Dick asked without looking away from the scenery flying past his window. "The chances of Hawke being at the elder's house are pretty slim."

"I have every confidence that we will find Lord Hawke. If not at Elder's Saul's estate then somewhere else, but we will find him."

Dick wished he had Mannford's confidence.

He slowly turned to look at Mannford. He needed to stop thinking about Hawke or he'd drive himself insane. "What's it like being a shifter?" he asked. "Do you enjoy it?"

"I enjoy it quite well," Mannford replied. "Having been a shifter my entire life, I know no other way, but I can't imagine what it would be like not to have a second form."

"Gargoyle, right?"

"Yes, sir."

"Huh." Dick really didn't know what to think of that.

"I don't shift often, but there is something to be said for freeing myself from this form."

"Uh, I'm not sure I understand what you just said."

"Our shifted forms are a lot simpler than our humans forms. Humans tend to think things to death. Shifters are ruled by instinct."

Dick reached up and brushed his fingers over the bite mark in his neck. "Do you think that is why Hawke bit me?" Was he running on instinct?

"I imagine that is part of it. His hawk obviously recognized you as his true mate and pushed to claim you."

Dick grimaced. "So, his human side didn't want to claim me? His hawk side did?" Considering how Hawke had reacted after they'd had sex, that actually made sense. It also made Dick sick to his stomach.

"I guess he was telling the truth when he said he didn't want me." Those hadn't been his exact words, but close enough. Dick had received the message loud and clear. "I think once we find Hawke and free him, I'm going to go to Camelot for a while."

It was as far away from Hawke as he could think to get, and without a time keeper, the guy couldn't follow him. Maybe he'd take up studying with Merlin and try to figure out how he'd ended up with a time keeper seal on his hand.

It was better than sitting at home with a broken heart.

Chapter Eight

"We're here, sir."

Dick glanced up to see where they were. There really wasn't much to see besides trees, and it was dark enough outside that all he could see was the shadows in those trees. "You don't think it's going to be weird for us to be visiting so late at night?"

"We are here under the authority of the time keeper," Mannford said. "They wouldn't dare refuse us entry. We have King Arthur's guards to back up our story."

Dick turned to look at Mannford. "What story?"

"The time keeper has called for the Council of Lords. We have been unable to locate Lord Hawke. As senior elder for the hawk casts, Elder Saul might know where he is."

"Okay, that works." Maybe.

"Sir." Mannford's hand landed on Dick's arm. "You must believe it. Shifters can smell a lie."

"Okay, maybe that won't work." Dick wasn't good at lying, but he'd try anything to locate Hawke. "Maybe you should do the talking. I'll just pretend to be along for the ride as one of Lord Harrington's advisors."

Mannford frowned. "I'm not sure that will work, sir. Elder Saul may not speak to me. I am merely the Harrington steward. I doubt he will lower himself to speak to me unless it's to give me an order."

Dick's eyes widened when he growled. That wasn't a sound he never expected to hear come out of his mouth. "I don't know why I did that."

The corner of Mannford's mouth curved up, something else Dick never expected. "You and your friends are very unusual people, Master Dick, and it has always been my pleasure to know you, now even more."

Did that mean they weren't going to talk about that weird sound?

When the SUV slowed then came to a stop in front of a large mansion, Dick climbed out and walked around to the other side of the vehicle. When he got to the other side, he stopped and stared up at the mansion.

It looked nothing like Harrington Hall. The Harrington estate had been around for centuries and had an old stately feel to it. This place felt old, but there were cracks in the facade that made Dick think it wasn't very well maintained. Chips in the stone steps, a cracked window on the second floor, fading paint. It really was a disaster.

He leaned toward Mannford, whispering out of the side of his mouth, "You would never let Harrington Hall fall into such disrepair."

"Bloody right I wouldn't."

"Maybe Elder Saul should have spent just a little bit more money on making sure his house wasn't falling down around his ears than spending it frivolously."

It was a thought.

"You are assuming he intends to stay here," Mannford pointed out. "Lord Hawke's estate is much bigger than this. Maybe he had hopes of taking up residence there, so keeping up his current residence was not important."

"Yeah, that isn't going to happen." Not as long as he was breathing.

Dick started up the stone steps, very aware of the fact that Mannford had fallen a step behind him and three guards walked after him. That left just a couple of the guards in the vehicles.

He drew in a hard breath then knocked on the door. He really hoped he was going to be able to pull this off. He just needed to channel his inner asshole.

When the door opened, Dick tried to look haughty. He doubted he pulled it off, but one look at the three massive guards behind him, and the maid who'd answered the door stepped back, holding the door open.

"Master Dick Dickerson to see Elder Saul."

The woman stared for a moment before walking to a set of large oak doors next to a grand staircase. She tapped on the solid wood door then slid one open and stepped inside.

Dick lifted an eyebrow and glanced at Mannford when he heard whispering voices. He couldn't hear what was being said, but he bet Mannford could.

"Who?" someone shouted, making Dick swing around.

When an older man came storming out of the room, the maid right behind him, Dick plastered a smile on his face and held out his hand. "Elder Saul?"

"Yes," the man replied without shaking Dick's hand.

"My name is Dick—"

"Who are you?" the man snapped.

A slow burning anger ignited in Dick's gut as he lowered his hand back to his side. He had been pretty sure he wasn't going to like this guy when he only suspected he might have kidnapped Hawke. Now, he was positive of it.

"My name is Dick Dickerson," Dick replied. "I was sent by the time keeper to—"

"Is he here?" The elder's whole demeanor changed. He leaned to one side trying to look around Dick as if he thought Tom might be standing right there.

"Not at the moment."

"Oh." The elder's gray eyebrow arched up high over his face. "And why are you here? Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Yes, sir. Lord Harrington sent me. He's hoping, as head elder of the hawk casts, that you might be able to help us locate Lord Hawke."

There was a slight paling to Elder Saul's skin, but it was so minute that Dick would have missed it if he hadn't been watching so intently.

"Lord Hawke?"

"Yes, sir," Dick said. "After speaking with King Arthur, Lord Harrington has called the council together, and we have been unable to locate Lord Hawke. We're hoping you might be able to help us find him."

"I haven't seen him," Elder Saul said just a little too quickly. "I mean, I spoke to him earlier today, but I haven't seen him since then. I'm not sure how I can help."

"Any idea where he might be?" Dick had a pretty good idea, but it wasn't time to say that quite yet.

"Have you tried his estate?"

"Lord Harrington has someone checking that out right now. He sent me here."

"Then I'm afraid I don't know."

Dick might not be able to smell a lie, but even he could tell this guy wouldn't know the truth if it hit him over the head. "That's too bad."

"May I ask, why did Lord Harrington want to meet with the council? Maybe I can be of help in that manner. Lord Hawke often comes to me for advice."

Somehow, Dick doubted that.

"It seems some new information has come to light concerning the time keeper, and Lord Harrington wanted to discuss it with the council." That was vague enough, right?

"New information?"

Dick smiled as he clasped his hands together in front of him. "I'm afraid I am not at liberty to discuss it. That is for Lord Harrington to do."

"Hmm." Elder Saul eyed him in a manner that made Dick wish he was wearing a suit of armor. "And who are you again?"

"My apologies. I am Master Dick Dickerson. I act as an advisor to Lord Harrington."

"I see."

Dick wasn't sure what else to say. He knew Elder Saul was lying with every word that came out of his mouth. More and more, he was starting to believe they had the right place for where Hawke was being held captive. He just had no proof.

"Maybe if I met with Lord Harrington…"

"I'm afraid he's out searching for Lord Hawke at the moment," Dick replied, "but I will certainly pass along your kind offer."

Dick wanted to go so that they could regroup. Standing around chatting with the very guy he suspected of kidnapping Hawke wasn't getting them any closer to finding the man.

"Thank you for your time, Elder Saul. I apologize for interrupting your evening." Dick gave what he hoped was a respectful nod, then turned and headed for the door.

"Wait."

Dick paused at the door and glanced back to the elder.

"Maybe I can make a few phone calls to try to help you track Lord Hawke down. I don't know all of his friends, but I know a few."

Damn.

"That would be very helpful," he replied instead of telling the elder to go fuck himself, as he really wanted to do. "Thank you."

"Can I offer you a drink, Mr. Dickerson?"

"That would be wonderful, thank you."

"Why don't you release your escorts and then join me in my study. I'm sure Mary can find them something to eat in the kitchen." He snapped his finger, and the woman who'd answered the door rushed forward. "Take these men to the kitchen and see to it that they have something to eat."

"Yes, sir," she said before glancing at Mannford and the others. "If you'll please follow me."

"Go ahead," Dick said as he stared straight at Mannford. "Make sure everyone has a chance to stretch their legs. It's a long ride back to Harrington Hall."

Dick knew Mannford got the message when he nodded then started after the maid. The three guards who'd entered with them followed after Mannford. Dick didn't know if they were with the program or not, but he knew Mannford would set them straight.

Dick followed Elder Saul into his office. He wasn't sure how long he could keep up this pretense, but he'd play the game as long as he could if it meant finding Hawke. He just had to figure out how to do it without letting on that that was what he was doing.

He felt like a bump on a log as he stood there and watched the elder walk over to a small table by the wall and start pouring two glasses of some amber liquid. He wasn't sure what to say to get the conversation started.

He seriously doubted the man would come right out and admit that he was holding Hawke hostage somewhere. Dick needed to convince him to voluntarily give up the information.

"I really appreciate all of your help with this, Elder Saul. I'm kind of new to this world of yours, and frankly, I'm lost."

The elder smiled as he brought over one of the glasses and handed to Dick. "It's no trouble at all. That's what the elders are there for."

If he didn't know what kind of rat bastard Elder Saul was, he might actually like the guy.

"Tom, Harry, and I are—"

"Tom is Thomas Harrington, I assume, but who is this Harry you speak of?"

"Oh, Harry Lennox. Tom, Harry, and I share an apartment in the city. We all attend the university together. When Tom became Lord Harrington, he designated me and Harry as his advisors."

"I see."

Dick shrugged. "I'm not sure what help we can be, but who else would you have as your advisors if not your best friends?"

"Elders, usually."

"Ah, but see, the elders Tom would have gone to were his grandmother and grandfather, and they are both gone. Harry and I are all he has left."

"I was under the understanding that Lord Harrington recently found his mate."

"Yeah, Lord Behr." Dick snorted. "Do you know he bit Tom without asking? One moment he was human and the next he was a bear, and then he just grabbed Tom and bit him. That was how we discovered the shifter world."

That wasn't exactly what happened, but close enough.

"I don't think I've ever been so scared in my life, and now look at me. I'm having a drink with the elder of a hawk cast." Dick shook his head for a moment before taking a small sip of whatever was in his glass. He coughed a little when it burned its way down his throat. It might have been scotch.

"Lord Harrington does have the right to reject Lord Behr's claim."

"I know. Lord Hawke told him that, and I think that Tom is considering it."

"Oh?"

"It's not that Tom doesn't like Lord Behr, but he hardly knows the guy." Dick frowned. "Uh…bear…whatever. Tom still pretty pissed about it."

"I wonder if this is why he wanted to meet with the council," Elder Saul mused. "Maybe he wants to formally reject Lord Behr's claim."

"I honestly don't think so. As I said, Tom discovered something having to do with his duties as a time keeper, and he needed to discuss that with the council."

"And you don't know what it is?"

Dick shook his head. He wasn't sure how much of this Elder Saul was buying, but he had to go with something to keep the guy occupied while Mannford searched the place. "No, I was getting a tour of the castle while Tom was talking to King Arthur. Afterwards, he told Mannford to call the council together. I was tasked with tracking Lord Hawke down, and I just can't seem to find him."

He took another sip of his liquor as he watched Elder Saul's response to his words.

"Do you think Lord Harrington intends to disband the Council of Lords?"

Dick's jaw dropped. "Uh, no, not that I know of." How had the man gotten that idea out of his words? "I mean, he is pretty angry at Lord Behr, but I'm not sure that has anything to do with the rest of the council."

"Maybe he wishes to replace members of the council."

"Well, my first vote would be to replace Lord Hawke." He quickly held up his hand when Elder Saul opened his mouth to speak. "I'm sorry. I know he's your alpha and all that, but if he's supposed to be serving on the Council of Lords, then he needs to be available. It's ridiculous that we have to go running all over the place trying to locate him."

"I'm sure he has good reason for being unavailable." Elder Saul smiled. It was a creepy smile. "He has recently chosen a mate from one of our casts. I imagine he is busy planning their mating ceremony, which is the shifter equivalent to a human wedding. For shifters, it can be quite extravagant."

Dick swallowed the bile creeping up his throat when his stomach churned. "He's getting married?"

"Yes, to Althea Bainbridge, the daughter of one of our cast alphas." Elder Saul seemed quite pleased. The smile on his face actually looked real. "Such a nice young lady. Good breeding stock. She will give Lord Hawke many eyas."

Dick almost growled.

"Eyas?" he asked instead.

"Baby hawks."

"Right."

"Althea is a pure blood, which means if she mates with Lord Hawke, then they will produce pure blood hawks."

Dick felt a bit of trepidation rumble through his chest. "And that's important?"

"For the hawks, it is." Elder Saul sighed as if the weight of the world rested on his shoulders. "All too often, our young hawks are mating with others not of our kind, weakening our bloodlines. If it continues, I fear we will lose our ability to be hawks."

Okay, that might be a legitimate thing. Dick would have to ask Hawke about that, when he found him. If he found him.

No, he'd find him.

Somehow.

Chapter Nine

Hawke leaned his head back against the stone wall he was resting against. He'd given up trying to escape after he'd searched the place. Until someone remembered he was there and came for him, there really was only one way out of the room—the door he'd entered through.

On the upside, sitting in that tiny little room with no way out had given him a lot of time to think about Dick and how much he'd like to change things with the man. At this point, he was even considering what he'd need to do to give up his position on the Council of Lords and as chief alpha of the hawk cast.

If being chief alpha meant he couldn't have his mate, he didn't want the position. Probably not a thought an alpha was supposed to have, but one he couldn't seem to shake from his mind. The thought of never having Dick was worse than no longer being in charge.

Hawke glanced toward the door when he heard footsteps. He was on his feet, his razor-sharp talons extended, by the time the door opened and the guard who'd brought him here stepped into the room. Hawke sniffed the air, his jaw dropping when he realized he was looking at a human and not a hawk.

"Come with me, please, sir," the guy said. "Be quick and be quiet. If Elder Saul finds out I'm helping you, he'll kill me."

"Wait," Hawke replied. He was a little confused about what was going on right now. "What is your name?"

"Roland, sir."

"Why are you helping me, Roland?" The guy had helped kidnap him, after all. Hawke had no reason to trust him now, even if he hadn't beaten him like he'd been ordered to do.

"Because what Elder Saul is doing is wrong, sir. You're our alpha, not him. Kidnapping you and ordering me to beat you because you won't do what he says is wrong. I get it that he's supposed to be the voice of reason and wisdom, but there is nothing reasonable about this."

"You do understand that he's trying to get me to mate with someone he chose for me, right? That's what this whole thing is about. I want to be able to choose my mate." And he had. "It's not up to him who I mate."

"Truthfully, sir, Elder Saul could care less who you mate with. It's the dowry he's after. He needs the money Alpha Bainbridge is paying him to arrange this mating."

Hawke's nostrils flared, anger igniting in his gut. "This is all about money?"

The man nodded.

Hawke clenched his fists, uncaring when his claws cut into the palms of his hands. He didn't even feel the bite of pain. He was too enraged. His mating with Dick was being jeopardized because Elder Saul wanted money.

"Is Alpha Bainbridge aware of what Elder Saul is doing?"

Roland huffed. "Alpha Bainbridge is a good alpha as far as I can tell, but he has a weak spot for his daughter Althea. He gives her anything she wants, and she wants to be alpha mate to the chief alpha. You're just the poor sap who currently has the position."

Hawke's eyebrows lifted before he chuckled. "Poor sap, huh?"

"Sir," Roland said with earnesty, "I wouldn't want your job for love or money."

"Yeah, well, I'm currently not seeing the draw either."

Roland stepped back and gestured to the door. "Will you come with me, sir? Elder Saul is currently busy with a delegation from Harrington Hall. I've arranged for a car to be waiting for you not far from—"

Hawke's heart felt as if it had stopped beating. "A delegation from Harrington Hall?"

"Yes, sir."

"Who?" He swallowed hard. "Who is it?"

Roland frowned. "A Master Dick Dickerson, sir."

Hawke gasped. "Take me to him now."

"But, sir—"

"Now!"

Roland's eyes rounded. "Yes, sir."

He hurried for the door, Hawke following after him. He was led back to the stairs he'd come down before then up to the first floor. Before they could start down the hallway, a tall man stepped out of another room.

Hawke stiffened for a moment until the man turned and his face shone in the hallway light. "Mannford." He'd never been so thankful to see the Harrington steward than he was in that moment.

"Lord Hawke," the manservant said as he walked over to him. "We've been looking for you."

"Where's Dick?"

"He's stalling Elder Saul while the men look for you."

"Men?" Hawke cocked an eyebrow. "What men?"

"King Arthur sent guards to help with security when it was learned that you had been taken. They accompanied us here to Elder Saul's estate."

That actually made Hawke feel a little better, but just a little. He didn't think his heart would start pumping again until he laid eyes on Dick. "Can you take me to my mate?"

The word mate had slipped out of his mouth before he'd even thought about it, but the smile that crossed Mannford's lips before the man nodded made him feel as if he'd made the right choice.

"Right this way, Lord Hawke."

Once again, Hawke found himself following someone to get to his mate. He hoped that one of these days, he wouldn't have to follow anyone. He'd either know the way himself or have Dick at his side. He knew which one of those choices he'd prefer.

He just needed to convince Dick to be at his side. That actually might be a bigger battle than fighting an egotistical elder who wanted money over the good of their people.

Hawke still couldn't believe Elder Saul had fallen so far from grace. He was a man so many looked up to. His council and wisdom had been an asset to the hawks for longer than Hawke had been alive.

When they reached a door by the bottom of the grand staircase, Mannford stopped and gestured to it. "Master Dick and Elder Saul are inside, sir. I will go round up the guards and have them take up places surrounding the room, if that is acceptable to you?"

"Yes, that's fine, and take Roland with you. He'll be coming back with us."

"Sir?"

"He saved me, Mannford, and disobeyed Elder Saul's orders to have me beaten. That deserves to be rewarded."

Mannford shot Roland a quick glance before nodding. "Of course, sir."

"I want him on my personal guard detail."

Roland's eyes were rounded. "Me, sir?"

"Yes, Roland, you."

"Even though I'm a human?"

"Yes." He wanted men around him that had a strong sense of honor and what was right. He also wanted men around him who weren't automatically prone to violence, especially if he was able to convince Dick to stay with him. His mate had been exposed to enough horror. He didn't need any more. "Now, go. I need everyone in place."

Mannford and Roland nodded before heading off back down the hallway.

Hawke turned toward the door. He drew in several long breaths and retracted his talons. The gauges in his palms had already healed, but there was nothing he could do about the droplets of blood on his shirt cuffs. Maybe Dick wouldn't notice.

Hawke could feel his hawk close to the surface as he turned the door handle then opened the door and stepped inside Elder Saul's study. One sweep of the room told him everything he needed to know.

He shut the door and walked over to stand next to Dick. He swept the man from head to toe, looking for any sign of injury. When he saw none, he reached up and stroked his knuckles over the side of Dick's face.

"You are well?"

Dick seemed to be in a bit of shock. His eyes were rounder than his open mouth. He just nodded.

Hawke smiled at him then turned, placing himself slightly in front of Dick as he faced off against the elder. "Elder Saul, I see you've met my mate."

* * * *

Dick gasped.

Hawke reached back and gently patted his hip, but it didn't lessen the shock rippling through him. Dick pressed his hand to his stomach when it started churning. Hawke was admitting that they were mates to one of his elders? Did he truly understand what he was doing?

"Mate?" Elder Saul's disgusted tone made it sound like he'd said a dirty word. "Are you insane? Althea Bainbridge is your mate."

"No," Hawke replied. "Althea Bainbridge is a woman being used by you to line your pockets. She is not my mate. She will never be my mate. No one will ever be my mate except Dick. I have already claimed him." Hawke leaned forward to plant his hands on the desk. "And nothing can change that."

Elder Saul's eyes narrowed, which sent Dick's stomach into a tailspin. Nothing good ever came from that much anger. He'd seen it more than once in the eyes of Tom's father right before the man exploded in rage.

Dick grabbed the back of Hawke's shirt and took a step back, pulling the man with him. He really didn't want Hawke in the line of fire, so to speak. Elder Saul was insane, and Dick didn't want Hawke anywhere around that man.

"You can't have a human as a mate."

Dick rolled his eyes. First he wasn't right because he wasn't a woman and now he wasn't right because he wasn't a hawk shifter? These people seriously needed to get over themselves.

"You know what, you can both go fuck yourselves. I'm tired of people telling me I'm not good enough. First I wasn't good enough to be your mate because I wasn't a woman, and now I'm not good enough because I'm not a hawk?"

Dick snorted as he spun and headed for the door. He paused and glanced back at the two men. "I'm better than a shifter and I'm better than a woman because I don't discriminate against people for things they have no control over. If living in your world means I have to feel as if I am less than I am, then I want no part of it."

Dick turned and walked out of the door. Mannford was waiting for him at the bottom of the grand staircase. Dick waved a hand at him. "Come on, let's go."

"And Lord Hawke?"

"He obviously can take care of himself." He certainly didn't need Dick to do it. He didn't need Dick for anything. Which was fine. Dick didn't need him either. "Take me back to Harrington Hall."

Chapter Ten

Hawke growled as the door slammed behind his mate. He slowly turned to look at Elder Saul even as his talons extended. He wanted a piece of this despicable man just as much as his hawk did.

"You're done, Saul. As chief alpha of all the hawk casts, I strip you of your position as elder of our casts. And once I confer with the Council of Lords, I will see to it that your freedom is stripped from you as well."

"You don't have that power," Saul insisted.

"Want to bet?" Hawke could just as easily kill the man where he stood, but he wanted to make an example out of him. He wanted other people to know that they couldn't interfere in matings. It was wrong and it went against everything they believed in.

"Don't you care anything about the purity of our race?" Saul snapped. "How many of our people have to mate with humans before we lose the ability to shift? How many children have to be born human instead of hawk? Don't you understand what this is doing to our people?"

Hawke narrowed his eyes as he glared at the man. "You don't care about our people. You care about lining your pockets. I know all about your little scheme with Alpha Bainbridge and the dowry. That's why you did this, not because you care about our people."

"Maybe I did want the money, but that doesn't mean I'm wrong."

"Except you are wrong, Saul. Everyone knows if your mate is human, any children born from that mating will be shifter. It's a fundamental part of our genetic history."

"It's not!" Saul shouted. "My wife was human and she gave birth to a human, not a hawk. If our genetic history was as you say, he would have been born a hawk."

"You're assuming he's your kid." Hawk hated to break it to the man, but you couldn't mess with genetics. Shifter DNA meant shifter kids. There was no other way around that. "If your wife slept with another human, then you get a human child."

Saul gasped as he stumbled back. "How dare you say my wife was unfaithful to me. She was a sweet, innocent woman who loved me till the day she died."

"She obviously wasn't your true mate if you're still standing here." Once mated to your true mate, you died when they died. Your life threads were intertwined. She was your bond mate, wasn't she?"

"Yes, but that has nothing to do with it."

"But it does," Hawke argued. "If she'd been your true mate, then neither of you would have been able to be intimate with another. If she was your bond mate, then you could both sleep with whoever you wanted to, and if you had a human child, then she obviously did."

Saul's nostrils flared and spittle flew from his lips as he shouted, "Roland!"

The door flew open, slamming into the wall. Roland stepped into the room. His eyes went to Hawke then shot to Saul. "You called, sir?"

"How did this man get free?" Saul snapped. "I specifically ordered you to make sure he learned a little respect, and so far, I haven't seen it."

Pure panic laced Roland's green eyes. "I…uh…"

"He's human, Saul," Hawke pointed out. "Do you really think he could get one over on me? Not only am I the chief alpha, but just being a shifter, I am stronger and faster. Why would you even…" Hawke slowly turned to look at Roland. "He's your son, isn't he?"

"And what if he is?"

Hawke glanced back at Saul. He hated to have to do what he was about to do. "Then you know as well as I do that you are not his biological father. No shifter can sire a human. We can only sire other shifters, no matter who we mate with."

He winced when he heard a slight gasp behind him.

"Is that true, sir?" Roland asked. "Are you not my father?"

"I am your father!"

"No, Saul," Hawke said. "You are not. Stop lying to the boy." He turned to look at Roland. By the blank look on his face, he couldn't tell if Roland was elated or devastated. "I'm sorry you had to find out this way, Roland, but there is no way that Saul could be your father. Shifter DNA won't allow it."

"He's not my father?"

Hawke shook his head. "No."

"Then how…"

"I'm not trying to cast your mother in a bad light, but if she gave birth to you, then she had to have slept with someone else, another human. Did she ever mention anyone who she might have been close with, an old boyfriend or something?"

"My mother died when I was born."

"Oh, sorry."

"I never really knew her, so…" Roland shrugged.

"I'm really sorry to break it to you like this."

Roland drew in a long, shaky breath then stiffened his shoulders. "No, I needed to know. Thank you for telling me the truth."

"I still want you on my personal detail."

A ghost of a smile slid across the man's lips. "Thank you, sir. I will not disappoint you."

"Enough!" Saul shouted, gaining Hawke's attention.

He slowly turned to look at the man only to be brought up short by the sight of the gun in his hand. It was mere feet from his chest and aimed right at him. Hawke curled his lip back, flashing his teeth. "You dare pull a gun on me?"

"You are not going to ruin everything I have been working for," the man snarled. "I've had it with you coming in and thinking you know better than anyone else. I was around when your grandfather was in diapers. I've led the hawk casts for decades. You're just a figure head who doesn't know what's good for him when it's put right in front of him."

"I am not going to mate Althea Bainbridge."

"Then you are of no use to me."

Hawke saw the flash of the bullet leaving the barrel of the gun a split second before something hard slammed into him, sending him crashing to the floor. He heard a high cry right before the sound of glass shattering filled the room.

It took him a moment to realize the heaviness on his chest was Roland. The guy moaned when he rolled him onto the floor. A bright shade of red was slowly spreading across the man's white shift.

"Damn, Roland."

"I think it's a through and through, sir." Roland winced as he tried to sit up.

Hawk gently lifted the man up before looking behind him. "Yeah, it came out the other side, but you have a very impressive hole in your shoulder."

"Yes, sir."

Hawke pulled his shirt off then bunched the material up, pressing it against Roland's wound. "Thank you," he told the man. "You just saved two lives."

"Two lives, sir?"

"Yes, mine and my true mate's."

"Your true mate, sir?"

"Yes, Dick is my true mate and I've already claimed him, so all your father's grand plans are for naught. I won't be mating with anyone else."

"My father, sir." Panic flooded Roland's eyes as they rounded. "You have to stop him."

Hawke felt like slapping himself. He had totally forgotten about Saul. When he glanced up, the sound of shattered glass suddenly made sense. The window behind Saul's desk was broken, and there was no sign of the man. There was a gun lying on the desk, however.

"He's gone." Hawke reached down and grabbed Roland's good arm and helped him to his feet. "Any idea where he might have gone?"

Roland shook his head. "No, and I don't really care."

Oh, so that was the way the wind blew.

"You're not close to your father?"

Roland shook his head. "I've always been a disappointment to the man, and now I guess I know why. He hates humans."

"I don't think he hates humans, but he certainly has some very outlandish ideas about them. Personally, I don't think we can live without them. I mean, the time keeper has to be human, and that's one of the most important position in the shifter world. Without a time keeper, we can't go to Camelot."

"Is it true that a new time keeper has come forward?"

Hawke nodded as he led Roland over to a chair. "Yes, Tom Harrington turned twenty-five not long ago and took over his duties as time keeper. My understanding is that he has already gone to Camelot and made contact with King Arthur. Some of those men outside are the king's guards."

"I thought they had come with your…mate? That's right, right? The man who was in here is your mate?"

Hawke grinned as he lifted the bloody shirt and tried to assess the damage. It didn't look too bad, but he still needed a doctor. Shifters could heal with a shift. Humans took a bit more. He pressed the cloth back to the wound then tore a strip off the bottom of Roland's shirt so he could tie it in place.

"Yes, that's my Dick." He chuckled when Roland raised an eyebrow at him. "That is actually his name. Richard Dickerson."

Roland winced. "Dick Dickerson? Did his parents not like him or something?"

"I'm not sure." Hawke hated to admit he knew nothing about Dick's parents. He didn't even know if they were still alive. There were so many things they hadn't had the chance to discuss. Hawke didn't even know if Dick wanted kids, what he was going to school for, or even if he wanted to be mated to a shifter.

He sucked.

"Come on, we need to get out of here." Hawke helped Roland to his feet. "We need to get you to a doctor, and then I need to find my mate and your father."

"I'd appreciate it if you referred to him as Elder Saul, and not my father. Even when I thought he was my father, he wasn't much of one. Knowing my mother slept around on him was like getting a birthday present early."

"Sorry." He had to stop screwing up and saying the wrong thing before he had to apologize to more people than his mate. "No idea at all who your father might be?"

"No."

"I can try and look into it if you want."

Roland shook his head. "No, but thank you. I'm just not ready to go there yet."

"Well, if you change your mind, the offer is open."

"Why do you care?"

"You saved my life, Roland. Not once, but twice, and you saved Dick's life. Why wouldn't I care?" Hawke asked. "You have a sense of honor that goes all the way to your core. I want people like you around me, people I can depend on to do the right thing even when it's hard."

Roland nodded, but he didn't say anything. Hawke knew the man had a lot to think about so he didn't press him. He had a lot to think about as well. He still needed to apologize to his mate and ask for his forgiveness.

He just needed to find him.

When he stepped out into the hallway with Roland, he was surprised to find two guards standing at attention. "Where's Mannford?"

"He took Master Dick back to Harrington Hall, sir," one of them replied. "We were ordered to stay here with you then escort you to your destination."

"And then what?" Hawke asked.

"We are to stay with you, sir." The man gave him a puzzled look, almost as if he thought Hawke was a few crayons short of a box. "We're your protection, sir."

They weren't doing a very good job. "Then where were you a few minutes ago when Elder Saul tried to shoot me?"

Both guards stiffened. "Someone tried to shoot you, sir?"

Hawke lifted his eyebrows in surprise. "You didn't hear the shot?"

"We just came inside a moment ago, sir. We didn't hear anything."

Whatever.

"Yes, someone tried to shoot me. Luckily, my new security chief pushed me out of the way and took the bullet for me." Carron was going to have words with him over this, but Hawke felt as if it was the right decision to make. Roland might not have a shifter's strength and speed, but the man had good instincts. "I'd like to get him to a doctor before he bleeds out."

"He's human, sir?"

Hawke narrowed his eyes. "He is."

"And he's your security chief?"

"Yes." Hawke's tone was firm. "Do you have a problem with that?"

The guard who'd asked the question quickly shook his head. "No, sir."

"Good, then let's go."

"Where to, sir?"

If Dick was on his way to Harrington Hall, then Hawke had only one destination in mind. "We're going to Harrington Hall."

Chapter Eleven

The sun was just starting to come up by the time they pulled up in front of Harrington Hall. Dick felt as if his feet were dragging a mile behind him as he climbed out and started up the steps. He was tired, bone-assed tired. He wanted to sleep for a week.

Mannford was at the front door and pulling it open before he even reached the top of the steps. "Shall I have a tray delivered to your room, sir? You should eat something before you go to sleep."

Dick swallowed tightly as he rubbed his stomach. "Maybe something light. My stomach is a little upset with me at the moment." Considering he hadn't eaten in hours and his stress level was through the roof, that made sense. Dick was pretty sure he could sleep it away.

"Very good, sir."

"Would you find out of Tom and Harry are back yet?" he asked. "I'd hate for them to go traipsing all over the countryside looking for Hawke now that he's been found."

"Of course, sir."

"Thank you, Mannford. You are a wonder."

A small smile graced the normally straight-faced steward's lips. "Of course, sir."

Dick chuckled as walked inside the house. He doubted Mannford would ever change, and he was grateful for that. He was one of the few people Dick knew he could rely on. Tom and Harry were the other two. Everyone else could chase a rolling donut down a gravel driveway as far as he was concerned.

Climbing the stairs to the second floor almost took more energy than Dick had, but a shower and his bed were calling to him. Once he reached his room, he headed straight for the bathroom. He stripped off his clothes and tossed them in the hamper.

He pulled his glove off and set it on the counter. His hand felt weird without it, and Dick so didn't want to think of why that was. He stared down at the emblem emblazoned on his hand. He knew at some point he'd have to tell Tom and Harry about it, but he just wasn't ready. Maybe tomorrow...or next year.

Dick turned on the shower. Once the water had heated up to his normal lobster hot, he climbed in and shut the glass door behind him. A long groan fell from his lips when he stood fully under the large showerhead. He didn't care about getting clean in that moment. He just wanted to feel the hot water beating down on his aching muscles.

Dick stood there for the longest time, but he knew from experience that the hot water would eventually run out. His motions were sluggish as he washed his hair and then his body. By the time he turned off the shower and climbed out, he could barely see two feet in front of him.

He dried off then stumbled his way back into the bedroom. He stared at the bed for a moment. He thought about climbing in and just going to sleep, but he knew Mannford would fuss until he ate something, which meant clothes.

Dick grabbed his lounge pants and a long sweater. Probably not the most comfortable thing to sleep in, but they were great for lounging in, and right now, he wanted to lounge. He could always take them off later.

He jumped when someone knocked on the door. He pressed a hand to his chest then called out, "Who is it?"

"Mannford, sir."

"Come in, Mannford."

The door opened, and Mannford walked in with a silver tray. "Where would you like this, sir?"

"Oh." Dick pointed to the nightstand. "You can put it there."

Mannford walked over and set the tray down. "Cook made some soup and homemade bread. I added some crackers and ginger ale. It might help settle your stomach."

"Thank you, Mannford."

"Try and eat something before you go to sleep. When you're done, just set the tray outside the room. I'll have someone pick it up later."

Dick nodded as he reached for the crackers. "Were you able to get a hold of Tom and Harry?"

"I did, sir. I explained to them that we had located and freed Lord Hawke and that we were now back at Harrington Hall. They are both on their way back. Lord Harrington suggested you all get some sleep and you can meet up in the morning to discuss things."

"Sounds like a plan."

Mannford gave him a nod. "I will see you in the morning, sir. If you need anything, just use the phone. Someone will answer."

"Don't forget to take care of yourself while you're taking care of everyone else."

"I will, sir. Good night."

Dick gave it ten minutes, eating a couple of the crackers and drinking some of the ginger ale, before picking up the tray and carrying out to the hallway. He didn't think he could handle soup and bread, no matter how good it smelled.

He'd try real food in the morning…evening? The sun was already up, so it wouldn't be morning when he woke up unless he slept for twenty-four hours, which sounded like absolute heaven.

Dick didn't even bother pulling off his clothes. He just stumbled back to the bed, stretched out, then pulled the comforter up over him. He was asleep before the blanket even settled against him.

* * * *

Dick hadn't had any nightmares, so he didn't understand the instant fear he felt as soon as he opened his eyes. He tried not to move as he stared around as much of the room as he could see. When he couldn't see enough, he sat up.

It was dark out, but he could still see the silhouette of a large man standing by one of the windows. Dick's quick inhale alerted the man that he'd woken up. When he turned, a shaft of moonlight lit up his face.

Hawke smiled at him as he started across the room. "You're awake. How did you sleep?"

Dick stared at the man he wanted more than his next breath, but the knowledge that he'd never get him sent him flying out of bed then across the floor to the bathroom. He barely made it to the toilet before tossing up the crackers and ginger ale.

A wet washcloth appeared in front of him when he was done. Dick took it, and then wiped down his face. He reached up and flushed the toilet then climbed to his feet. Hawke stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame.

"What are you doing here?"

Hawke frowned. "We need to talk."

No, they really didn't, but he doubted Hawke would leave until they did. "Give me a few minutes. I need to brush my teeth."

"I'll have Mannford bring up some coffee."

Dick grimaced as his stomach threatened to rebel again. "Maybe I'll have some tea."

Hawke nodded before turning and walking away. Dick reached over and pushed the door closed then turned to look at himself in the bathroom mirror. Surprisingly, he looked pretty good. He felt like death warmed over.

Dick brushed his teeth then ran a comb through his hair. He wiped his face down again. He straightened the bathroom a little, making sure everything was put away where it was supposed to be. He did everything he could think of to keep from walking out of the bathroom.

Finally, he admitted that there was nothing else he could do but go out and face the music, or Hawke. He slid his glove on before clenching his hands and opening the door, thankful he had left it in the bathroom the night before. Maybe he'd subconsciously known he'd have a visitor.

Hawke was sitting at the small table by one of the larger windows, drinking a cup of coffee. When he saw Dick, he gestured to the cup and pot sitting on the table. "Mannford wasn't sure what kind of tea you wanted, so he sent up a variety and some hot water."

He didn't really want anything. He was too afraid it was going to come back up. He probably should have eaten the soup the night before so he had something solid on his stomach, but he was pretty sure that would have come up, too.

Knowing he had no other choice, Dick walked over and sat down in the chair across from Hawke. He picked through the different option of teas then found one that didn't sound too horrible and went about making himself a cup.

"Elder Saul got away, but I have people tracking him down. I will catch him."

"That man hates you." Dick glanced up. "You do know that, right?"

"He hates what I stand for," Hawke replied. "I doubt he hates me personally."

"No, I'm pretty sure he hates you." That had been the vibe he'd gotten from the man.

"Do you hate me?"

Dick quickly dropped his eyes. "No."

"But you don't like me."

"I like you just fine."

"Then why won't you look at me, Dick?"

Dick sighed before slowly raising his eyes to look at Hawke. It was actually hard to look directly at him. Not because the man was looking back at him with a hunger that made him ache, but because he knew he could give into the hunger all too easily.

"What do you want, Hawke?" he asked.

"You," Hawke replied. "I want you."

"You had me, and then you no longer wanted me. You tossed me away for a set of tits, remember?" Dick knew he'd never forget.

"I didn't mean it, Dick."

Dick felt Hawke's words like a punch to the gut. His heart had been ripped out of his chest when Hawke said they couldn't be together, and now he was saying he didn't mean it? "You didn't mean it?"

Hawke shook his head. "No."

"Then why say it?"

"Because I thought I had to, Dick. The pressure I was getting from the elders of my cast to mate with a female of our race was constant. Every single day I was being hammered by them, told I needed to do right by my casts, by my people. It was intense, and I folded under that pressure. I met you and I panicked."

Dick's eyebrows lifted. "You panicked? You?"

Hawke let out a rueful chuckle. "Contrary to popular belief, even chief alphas panic. We're just better at hiding it."

"So, what's changed?" Dick glanced down at his chest. "I still don't have any boobs, and I'm not going to suddenly sprout feathers. I'm still me."

"I am seriously glad you don't have boobs, and I am very glad you are still you. I kind of like you."

Dick didn't want to admit—even to himself—how much joy those words brought him. "Hawke—"

"I claimed you as my mate, Dick. I won't have another. I refuse to. I don't care if I have to give up my position as chief alpha. I will do whatever it takes to have you."

Dick's mouth dropped open when Hawke went to his knees in front of him.

"Just tell me what I have to do, Dick."

"Hawke." This was a side of the big imposing man he never thought to see. Tears swam in Hawke's beautiful golden eyes. The uncertainty in their golden depths tore something apart inside of Dick, but it also put something else back together again.

"I don't know if I can trust you again, Hawke." He hated admitting a weakness to the powerful man, but it was the truth. "You could destroy me this time."

"I won't," Hawke whispered. "I swear I won't. If you trust me with your heart again, I will treat it like the treasure it is. I swear it on my life."

Dick wavered. He wanted to believe Hawke. God, he so wanted to believe him. He just didn't know if he should. "And what happens when your elders try to get you to mate with another female?"

"They won't." As soon as the words were out of Hawke's mouth, he frowned. "No, that's not true. They might try. The difference is that I have you now. My true mate. If you agree to be mine, I won't give you up for anything. You'll be the alpha mate of not only our home cast, but the chief alpha mate to all the casts."

"I take it that means something?"

"It means you outrank their asses. Hell, you outrank everyone in our casts except me."

That was a plus.

"You can tell them to go to hell, and there is nothing they can do about it."

That was a bigger plus.

"If they even dare to try anything, you can banish them, order them out of our territory. You could even have them locked up."

The pluses were adding up.

"And you, Hawke, what happens when you become interested in someone else?" Dick had feared that from the moment he'd laid eyes on the handsome shifter. A man that perfect could have anyone he wanted.

"Never happen. I've claimed you, Dick. I'm hardwired for you now. I'll never even get hard for someone else. Only you."

"Is that why you want me now, because I'm the only one you can have sex with?"

Dick's heart sank when Hawke dropped his head.

"No, baby." The tears that had been swimming in Hawke's eyes were sliding down his cheeks when he lifted his head. "If I never have sex again in my life, as long as I had you, I wouldn't care."

"Well, I would." Dick slapped a hand over his mouth. He hadn't meant to say that.

Hawke chuckled as he wiped the tears from his face. "Truthfully, I would, too, but I'd do it if that's what it took to keep you."

"So, what happens now?"

"What do you want to happen?"

Dick had a lot of ideas, but he wasn't about to voice a single one of them. "No, seriously. Say I forgive you and everything is all hunky dory. Then what?"

"Well, I am the chief alpha of the hawk casts, and I am Lord Hawke, which would make you alpha mate and chief alpha mate. I would hope you would be agreeable to moving in with me."

"I still have school to finish." Although, after being gone for pretty much the last two months, he'd have to retake this last semester. "And then there's this whole time keeper thing to deal with."

"Does Tom need you here for that?" Hawke asked. "Is there any way you could work from home and go to school from there?"

"Yes." Dick drew in a deep breath then pulled off his glove and held his hand out, palm side up. "But I think I have to be here for the time keeper thing."

"What…how?" Hawke grabbed Dick's hand then gently stroked his fingers over the seal. "How did this happen?"

"I have no idea. I was going through the veil when I felt a burning sting on my hand and this happened. Merlin said—"

Hawke glanced up. "You met Merlin?"

"Yeah." Dick chuckled. "Weird dude."

"He is." Hawke nodded his agreement. "So, what did he tell you?"

"He said that the veil chooses who will have a key and who will not." Dick frowned as he tried to remember exactly what Merlin had said. "He found some passage in an old book. It said, And so shall it pass, in times of strife, the time keeper shall function as a unit to bring peace and harmony to man and animal."

"What does that mean?"

"I don't know, and he really didn't seem to either."

"How many people know about this?"

"You and Merlin."

Hawke grabbed Dick's glove and slid it back onto his hand. "Let's keep it between us for now."

"I have to tell Tom and Harry, and you know if I tell Tom, he'll tell Rogan. And it probably wouldn't hurt to tell Mannford, either. That man is a marvel."

Hawke nodded. "I agree with all of them, but until we know more, we probably shouldn't tell anyone else. I don't know what this means. There has always only been one time keeper. I don't know why there are now two. I don't know what that means for us as a species."

"Hawks?"

"Shifters."

"It doesn't necessarily have to be something bad."

"Didn't you say that passage from the book said in times of strife?"

Dick reluctantly nodded. "It did, but that could be anything. Hell, my life has been nothing but strife since the moment I learned about shifters. Maybe this was what the book was referring to." He could hope anyway.

"I would do anything if it wasn't that way, Dick, but it did bring you into my life. I can't be sad about that."

Dick smiled despite the severity of the moment. "You're saying all the right things, Hawke. I just don't know if you're telling the truth."

"Please take a chance on me," Hawke begged as more tears filled his golden eyes. "I promise I won't let you down again."

"Okay," Dick whispered, because he couldn't do anything else. He wanted Hawke as much as Hawke was saying he wanted him back. "But if you throw me to the curb again, you'll never have another chance. I'll go live in Camelot and have you barred from using the gate."

It was the worst thing he could think of.

"If I betray you again, you won't have to bar me from anything. Without you, I'd have no reason to live."

A bit harsh, but Dick understood the sentiment behind Hawke's words. "Don't betray my trust, Hawke."

"Does this mean you forgive me, Dick?"

"I forgive you, but it's going to take some time for me to forget what you said to me."

"I'm willing to wait, Dick. I'll wait as long as you need me to."

Dick sighed. As much as he wanted to punish Hawke and make him feel the same pain he'd felt when he'd been rejected, he just couldn't do it. For one, that wasn't who he was. For two, he didn't want to be the cause of Hawke's pain. And there was a lot of pain. Dick could hear it in the man's voice.

It was killing him.

"Take off your shirt and sit down."

Hawke's eyebrows lifted, but he did as Dick ordered. Dick could barely keep the smirk off his face as he swung his leg over Hawke's thighs then sat down. The surprise on the man's face was a sight he'd never forget.

Dick let his hand trail lazily down the front of Hawke's chest as he licked his lips. He could almost smell the man's growing arousal, Hawke's eyes flickering with growing arousal as he watched the tiny movement of Dick's tongue.

Dick didn't say a word as he straddled the man's thighs like an expert bull rider. From the desire he could see burning in Hawke's deep brown eyes, no words were needed. Hawke knew exactly what Dick wanted. Dick could feel it in the hard cock pressing up against his ass.

"You smell really good," Dick murmured as he nuzzled his face into the curve of Hawke’s neck. Hawke grunted, but didn't say anything, which drove Dick crazy. "Don't you want me?"

"So bad, Dick. I want you so bad."

"Then touch me."

"Are you sure?"

Dick nodded. "I'm sure."

An involuntary shiver raced through Dick's body when Hawke's large hands closed around his waist and he was pulled closer. His cock ached, his need growing with every passing second.

Hawke’s gaze dropped to Dick’s chest with a deep hunger in his eyes. Dick almost groaned when Hawke licked his lips. It was such a sensuous gesture. Dick wondered if Hawke actually knew that and was just torturing him. Fuck if he didn't want to feel Hawke licking him in other, lower places.

Just the thought had Dick’s cock pulsing.

Hawke grabbed the hem of Dick's sweater and pulled it up over his head. Dick didn't even care where it was tossed. He was too busy groaning when he felt those delicious hands move over his chest, settling on his nipples to pluck and pull at them.

"Does that feel good?" Hawke asked as he gently tugged on the hardened nub.

"Oh yeah." Hell, it felt frigging fantastic. Dick was panting and ready within seconds.

Hawke locked eyes with him and then lowered his head, his tongue flicking out as he lapped at the nipple. Dick was lost in the sight of Hawke tugging on his nipple with his teeth. His cock throbbed painfully, ready to explode, but Dick fought the need to come as he watched Hawke explore him.

"Hawke." Dick's head dropped back on his shoulders as he groaned. It was unintelligible sound but crystal clear in its volume. A deep groan of need, Dick's need. Hawke seemed to know just how much to tug, to pull, how much pressure to use to bring Dick to the very edge of bliss.

That bliss was suddenly ripped away when a deep pain started in Dick's head. He blinked in shock, not from the pain of Hawke's hand fisting in his hair, but from heat he could see building in Hawke's eyes, turning them darker with every passing second.

Dick wound his fingers in Hawke’s hair and pulled the man closer. He swept his tongue over Hawke’s lips then pressed in, exploring tentatively. He could feel the simmering need building, overwhelming him as he opened wider for Hawke, allowing the man to explore.

His brain tried to remind Dick that he shouldn’t be doing this, that he should be pushing the man away, but Dick refused to listen. Hawke’s mouth was devouring Dick's, making him forget all rhyme and reason.

"Hawke," he whispered as he tore his mouth away from the other man’s. He knew what he needed. Hawke.

When Dick was suddenly lifted up and set on his feet, then his lounge pants were pushed down his legs, he knew his dreams were about to be fulfilled. Watching Hawke strip off his own clothes was the best visual porn he'd ever seen.

Hawke grabbed him and laid him back on the bed before moving between his thighs. His hands traced over Dick’s smooth skin. The gentle caress caused a surge of heat to rise within Dick. The man seemed to want to explore every inch of his body at his leisure.

Dick's eyebrows rose when Hawke pulled a single-use lube packet out of his pocket before tossing his pants away. Hawke slicked up his fingers and poured a sufficient amount of slick out onto his fingers. He dropped the empty packet of lube onto the bed.

Dick's high-pitched grunt filled the room as Hawke's fingers pushed into his ass. He stiffened for a moment and then rippled. Dick’s eyes crossed. The man had nailed his sweet spot on the first try. His heart thundered against his chest.

Hawke started thrusting his fingers into Dick's tight ass over and over again, until Dick felt the little ring of muscles stretch and pulse against Hawke's fingers. He added another one and then another until Dick felt as if he had all of them in his ass.

"Need you, Dick," Hawke whispered as he pulled his fingers free. He flipped Dick over onto his stomach, yanked him back onto his knees, then scooted up against Dick's ass cheeks.

Hawke settled behind Dick a moment later, gripped his hips, and then slowly began to split Dick in half. He eased inside Dick, as if Hawke was afraid he would hurt him. This time, Dick didn’t beg the man to rush. He was lost in what Hawke was doing to him, praying it lasted forever.

Dick thought he might pass out. He felt like his ass was being speared in two as Hawke slowly pushed forward, sinking his huge cock into Dick's tight hole. By the time he felt Hawke's thighs brush up against his ass Dick thought he might be able to taste the man's cock in his throat.

He needed Hawke to move, to fuck him, to do something. He was being impaled on a two by four and the man was just kneeling there, not moving. It was driving Dick insane. His ass was stretched so wide he felt like he might be split in half and he ached.

Dick's heart jumped into his throat when he felt Hawke's hands smack down on his ass cheeks. He almost reared back in protest. He didn't do the whole spanking thing. It wasn't one of his kinks.

And then those large, powerful hands slammed down on him again just as the man started to move. Whatever protest Dick was going to give was lost in the loud cry of ecstasy that flew out of his throat.

Every inch of Hawke's massive cock dragged across Dick's sweet spot as the man pulled out and pushed back in. For one crazy second, Dick wondered if Hawke's cock had been specifically designed just for his ass. It felt like he filled every inch of Dick, as if Hawke was supposed to ignite every nerve in his ass.

"Are you mine, Dick?"

"Yes," he answered as his head rolled to the side of his shoulder, feeling Hawke’s cock sink in and out of his ass, stretching his skin to the limits. Dick’s body tingled with a need to come, but he fought against his release. He didn't want this to end…ever.

When his hips were grabbed and he was dragged to the very edge of the bed and then lifted up onto his knees again, all Dick could do was moan. His ass was being pummeled as the man pounded into him at a rate that was, frankly, very astonishing. Dick could barely register the fact that Hawke had pulled out before he was pushing back in.

Dick was suddenly lifted up into the man's arms. And then Hawke sat, dragging Dick down with him. As his body settled over Hawke's, the cock in his ass slid in even further, which surprised the hell out of Dick. He didn't think Hawke could sink any further inside of him.

Dick's legs were spread until they draped over Hawke's thighs and his back was pulled up snug against Hawke's sweaty chest. All thoughts and breathing in general faded from Dick's mind when he felt a hand close around his cock.

Hawke's fangs sank into the soft skin between his throat and shoulder. Dick bowed his back, crying out as his seed was ripped from his body. He jerked, shuddered, and gasped for air as Hawke’s movements became uncoordinated. Hawke's cock began to pulse, hot spurts of seed filling Dick’s ass.

Hawke finally pulled free and then lay down next to Dick. He pulled Dick to his chest, covering them both with a blanket. He nuzzled his face into the side of Dick's neck. "My mate."

Chapter Twelve

"We're almost there."

Dick face flushed. He probably hadn't realized he'd been broadcasting his anxiousness until Hawke said something. Hawke supposed he had reason to be anxious, but he wished Dick was as excited as he was.

They were headed for Hawke's home. Not only did the man want to show him off and announce to the casts that he had found his true mate, but he was hoping to convince Dick to move in with him.

Hawke hit the button on his steering wheel when his cell phone buzzed. "Hello?"

"Lord Hawke, this is Roland. I wanted to give you the report on Elder Saul. Is now a good time?"

Hawke shot his passenger a quick look before saying, "Go ahead."

"As requested, I've had men out searching for him. He was spotted about two hundred miles from here, but he's still in hawk form. The man I spoke to said he was just flying around in circles, sir."

Hawke had been afraid of that. "Keep looking for him, Roland. I think we need to stop him for his own good. He needs help."

"I will, sir."

"Good. Oh, have you had a chance to go through those files I gave you?"

"I'm going through them now, sir."

"Any good candidates?"

"There are a couple, but I want to meet with them personally before I give you my choices. Would that be possible?"

"You are the chief of my security now, Roland. If you need to personally meet with any of my security detail before you choose who will be my mate's bodyguard, then you can. I trust your judgment."

"Thank you, sir."

Hawke chuckled as he hung up. He could feel Dick's evil glare before he even turned to look at the man. "You are chief alpha mate. You need protection."

"And you don't?"

"Oh, I have my protection, too."

Dick waved his hand around the car, which was empty except for the two of them. "And where are they now?"

"I snuck out."

"You snuck out?"

"Yep, I needed to woo my mate and I couldn't do that with a bunch of bodyguards trailing after me."

Dick nodded. "Okay, I guess I can see that. So, your guards are waiting for you at your house?"

"Our house," Hawke corrected. "I think you'll like my little cabin. It's very cozy." For a large wooden mansion. "There's a stone fireplace in the master bedroom. When winter comes, I imagine we'll be spending a lot of time curled up in front of it."

Dick smiled over at him. "That sounds nice. Do you get a lot of snow up here?"

"We get our fair share. We have a lot of off-road vehicles for winter use."

"So, hot chocolate and warm fires?"

Hawke's smile matched Dick's. "Cognac and warm fires."

Dick wrinkled his nose. "I'll stick to the hot chocolate."

Hawke chuckled before reaching over to grab Dick's hand. "Whatever you want, baby."

Dick grimaced and his face turned a little green. "What I really want is a little ginger ale and some saltines."

Hawke quickly pulled to the side of the road then jumped out of the car and raced around to the other side. He yanked Dick's door open then squatted down next to the car. He scanned Dick, looking for an injury. Dick didn't look injured, but looks could be deceiving. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, your shifter DNA attacked me."

Hawke lifted his eyebrows in confusion. "Huh?'

"I'm pregnant, featherbrain."

Lord Hawke never felt himself hit the pavement.

* * * *

Dick was grinning when Hawke came around. He blinked several times before his gaze snapped to Dick. The man's words echoed in his head like a sledge hammer.

He quickly climbed to his feet then squatted down in front of Dick. He started to reach for the man, but then he wasn't sure where to touch him.

"Are you...Do you feel okay? Do you need anything?"

"I'm okay, Hawke. A little nauseous in the mornings, but it passes quickly enough." Dick swallowed tightly. "How are you? I mean, with this?"

Hawke had to force himself to raise his eyes to Dick's face. He was too fascinated looking at his flat stomach under his sweater. "I'm fine."

Dick winced. "Fine?"

"Fine might not be the right word." It obviously wasn't by the way Dick's face fell. "I'm extremely happy and excited that we're starting a family, but I would have liked to wait a bit more before we did that. I kind of wanted you to myself for awhile."

"Then you're not upset?"

Hawke stood then reached down and grabbed Dick's hands, pulling the man up into his arms. "I'm ecstatic."

He wasn't lying. The thought of Dick carrying his child filled him with pride. He was just worried about Dick. "We'll need to make sure we have a healer on hand and fix up a nursery, and you'll have to move in with me now. A child needs both his parents."

"Or her parents."

Hawke smiled when the image of a beautiful little blue-eyed girl with blonde ringlet curls came to mind. "You'll make beautiful babies."

"We'll make beautiful babies. I didn't do this by myself."

"No, but you have all the hard work now. I get to just walk around with my chest puffed out."

Dick chuckled.

"Get back in the car," Hawke said. "I want to get you home so you can meet my cast. We have much to share with them."

"Oh yeah," Dick said as he climbed into the car. "It's going to be a regular party."

Hawke waited until Dick put on his seatbelt before going around to the other side and climbing in. His mind started racing as he got the car back on the road.

For one, they were going to need a different car, a bigger car. Babies required a lot of crap. They'd need to pick a room for the nursery and decorate it.

And most importantly, Roland was going to need to up Dick's bodyguards. There was no way Hawke was going to let anyone harm his mate and child.

He still had a grin on his face an hour later when he pulled up in front of his house. "Well, this is it. What do you think? Could you be happy here?"

Dick's eyes were rounded and wide. "This place is amazing, Hawke."

"It's your home now," Hawke replied. "I mean, if you want it to be."

A smile spread across Dick's lips. "I think I might."

"Yeah?" Hawke grinned at Dick as he leaned toward him. He wanted a kiss. Well, he wanted more than that, but a kiss would do for now.

"Who's that?"

Hawke frowned. "Who's who?"

"That man coming out of your house. He looks pissed."

His frown deepened as he glanced toward the house. "That's Carron. He's my second in command."

Hawke's eyebrows shot up when Carron came storming toward him before he even got his door open. "I don't know what's going on here," he told Dick, "but stay in the car."

He opened his door and climbed out just as Carron reached him. He was a bit surprised at the man's appearance. His normally combed hair looked as if he'd been running his fingers through it repeatedly and there was a pinched look to his face.

"Has something happened, Carron?"

"If you mate that bitch, I quit," Carron snapped. "I refuse to stay under the same roof as that...as that woman."

Hawke's eyes narrowed. "What woman?"

"Lady Althea."

Lady Althea? Since when? "I'm not mating Althea." He already had a mate, one who was well and truly claimed, and, apparently, carrying his child.

Carron's head snapped back. "If you're not mating with her, then what in the hell is she doing here?"

"I don't know." Hawke glanced toward the house. "Maybe we should go find out."

He wanted to tell Dick to stay in the car while he went into the house, but he knew that would go over like a lead balloon. His mate was far braver than Hawke was comfortable with.

"Where's Roland?"

Carron frowned. "He's in the house trying to corral Lady Althea's entourage."

There were two things wrong with that statement. "Since when did she become lady anything and what entourage?"

"When she arrived, she said since she was going to be the chief alpha mate, we were to address her as Lady Althea."

Hawke pointed to Dick. "That is the chief alpha mate."

Carron bent down to look into the car. Hawke chuckled when Dick waved and Carron lifted his hand and waved back. "Dick, come out and meet my second in command."

Dick climbed out of the car and walked around to stand next to him. Hawke wrapped his arm around Dick's shoulders and smiled down at him before looking at Carron.

"Carron, I want you to meet Lord Richard Dickerson, chief alpha mate of the hawk casts and the man who owns my heart."

Dick beamed up at him before holding out his hand. "Please, call me Dick."

Carron's eyebrows lifted before he shook Dick's hand. "It's very nice to meet you, Lord Dick."

Dick snickered. "Oh, that's going to be fun."

"Better than Master Dick," Hawke pointed out. 

"Barely."

Hawke hated to burst Dick's happy bubble, but..."So, there's a problem."

"Of course there is."

"That woman Elder Saul wanted me to mate with? Apparently, she didn't get the memo. Carron said she showed up here with her entourage, saying she was going to be the next chief alpha mate."

Hawke was impressed by the growl that came out of Dick's mouth. Given time, he might actually be able to screech like a hawk.

"Over my dead body."

"Yeah, I'd prefer you alive." Very much alive.

"Then I suggest you get that woman out of my house. I have a nursery to decorate."

Hawke's grin almost went from ear to ear. "You heard the chief alpha mate, Carron. Get that woman out of our house. We have a nursery to decorate."

Carron raised an eyebrow. "Nursery?"

Hawke's grin stayed firmly in place as he hugged Dick to his side. "Dick is carrying."

Carron gave a small bow, but envy was alive and well in his eyes. "Congratulations, Lord Dick." He winced. "Yeah, you're right. That's weird."

"Just call me Dick."

"And I'm Carron."

"Why don't you show me around while Hawke goes and cleans out my house."

Carron's eyes twinkled with merriment. "I'd be delighted."

Hawke frowned. "Hey."

Dick's eyebrow was raised high as he turned to look at Hawke. "Yes?"

Hawke swallowed tightly. "Nothing."

He wasn't stupid. He needed to clean house before Dick stepped one foot inside. He curled his lip back as he glanced toward the house. This was not the homecoming he'd been dreaming of.

Hawke strode toward the house, clenching his hands to keep his talons from coming out. He didn't want to hurt Althea. He just wanted her out of his house.

The first thing he noticed when he stepped inside was the amount of people moving about. He had an open door policy with his cast, but he didn't know any of these people, and there were a lot of them.

He grabbed the arm of the first person who walked close enough to him. "Where's Althea?"

The woman turned to look at him, an impish smile crossing her face as she looked him up and down. "Lady Althea is busy, but I'm available."

Hawke clenched his jaw. "Where is she?"

The woman's eyebrows drew together in a frown. "She's upstairs preparing for Lord Hawke's arrival. She wants to be ready for her mate's return."

Hawke just bet she did.

He released the woman and stalked toward the stairs. His ire at this entire situation was building with every step. He paused at the bottom of the stairs and turned to look at the woman.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Janine. I'm one of Lady Althea's ladies in waiting."

"Are you from her cast?"

"Yes."

"Then you need to pack your shit and go back to her cast."

The woman gasped, but Hawke didn't care. He wanted these people out of his house.

He turned to the rest of them. "You all need to pack your shit and leave."

The woman gasped again. Hawke could practically see her feathers bristling with indignation. "We were invited here by Lord Hawke. You can't—"

"I am Lord Hawke and I didn't invite you here. Get the hell out."

It was rude, but he didn't care. These people were preventing him from giving his mate the loving homecoming he deserved.

He stormed up the stairs, his footsteps swift even if they echoed through the house. As soon as he reached the second floor, he lifted his nose into the air and sniffed. His eyes narrowed as he followed a perfumed scent right to his bedroom door.

Guess this meant he'd need to air out the master suite. There was no way in hell he'd make Dick enter a room smelling of someone else, especially when that someone was a woman who was trying to take Dick's place as Hawke's mate.

Hawke's ire turned into a full-blown rage when he pushed open the door and saw what had been done to his suite of rooms. Everything had been changed. He didn't even recognize the room.

The heavy wooden bed he'd built with his own hands had been replaced by a modern looking bed with a diamond tuck fabric headboard. A gray coverlet with white zigzags had replaced the cream-colored comforter he loved so much.

The rest of the furniture in the room had been replaced as well, along with the pictures on the walls, the curtains, and even the rug he'd had in front of the fireplace.

Nothing was the same. He couldn't spot one thing that was his. It had all been replaced by stuff he'd never have in his house. Well, not unless Dick wanted it.

God, he hoped Dick didn't like this crap.

The bathroom door opened and a woman he desperately wanted to strangle walked out carrying a vase of white roses.

Hawke clenched his hands again and growled.

Althea jerked to a stop. "Dakota. You're here. I wasn't expecting you yet."

"Get out," Hawke snapped. "Get out of my house."

Althea blinked at him. "Dakota, what—"

"Hawke. My name is Lord Hawke." No one called him Dakota, not since his mother had died. Dick didn't even call him Dakota.

"Well, yes, but surely...I mean...I am your mate. Surely I'm allowed to call you by your given name."

"My name is Lord Hawke and you are not my mate." He'd rather be dead.

"Not yet, no, but once we're bonded—"

"We are not going to bond. Ever."

Althea's face paled. "Is it because I redecorated? If you don't like it, I can change it. I'm sure I can find something you like."

"Where in the hell did you get the idea that you could redecorate my room?" Hawke almost got sick as he glanced around. "Where is my stuff?"

"I had the servants take it all away." Althea set the vase of roses down and moved closer. "You can't expect me to put up with that furniture. It was hideous."

Hawke's eyes narrowed again as he glanced back at the woman. "I made that furniture. All of it."

"Oh." Althea pressed her lips together for a moment. "Well, we don't have to get rid of it. Maybe we could put it in one of the guest bedrooms."

"There is no we. You do not live here. You have no right to redecorate anything."

Why couldn't she understand that? Just how many times did he have to say it until she did?

"You. Are. Not. My. Mate."

Althea's eyes rolled. "I don't know why you keep saying that. Father told me it was a done deal. He had it all arranged with Elder Saul. Now, I realize Elder Saul was working on your behalf, but—"

"Actually, he wasn't. I never agreed to mate you, Althea. This was all Elder Saul's idea. I had nothing to do with it."

Althea's eyes rounded, but just for a moment, and then they became heavy lidded as she swayed toward him. "Well, however it came about, we'll make a wonderful bonded pair. With me by your side, we can become one of the elite casts."

Hawke shuddered in disgust when she slid her hands down his chest. From the sly smile that crossed her lips, he was pretty sure she thought he was shuddering for a different reason.

If only she knew.

"I know you have a lot on your shoulders what with being the chief alpha and all, but you have me now. I can take care of your house, because seriously, Dakota, it's horrible. The place looks like it's from the dark ages. And the servants. Don't even get me started on them. I brought my own people so I'll have this place in ship shape in no time."

Considering he didn't really have servants, that was going to be quite the feat. Several of the cast members took turns cooking and cleaning for him, but that was about it.

Hawke grabbed Althea's wrists when she started moving them over his chest again. He was tired of the woman touching him without his permission, not that he'd ever give it. He gave her a little push to get her away from him.

"You are not my mate. You will never be my mate. That position has been filled. Permanently."

Althea shrieked as she jerked away from Hawke. "You replaced me?"

"There was nothing to replace. I never wanted you as a mate. Never. Whatever little fantasy you have going on in your head is just that. A fantasy."

"Who's the bitch you replaced me with?" she shouted.

"I believe that would be me," Dick said from the doorway.

Hawke groaned. He had really been hoping to keep Dick out of this.

"You?" Althea asked before she started to laugh. She glanced back at Hawke. "I don't know why you felt the need to tease me like that, but it was very cruel."

Hawke's eyebrows shot up when Althea walked over and picked up the vase of roses as if they hadn't just been yelling at each other.

"Father will be here for dinner tomorrow night and this place needs to be cleaned before then. The living room needs a serious overhaul, but I just don't have time before he arrives. I suppose it will have to do for now, but I expect you to provide the funds I will need to make it presentable. I would be so embarrassed if we had guests with it looking the way it does."

Hawke glanced at Dick. Was he nuts or did this woman live in her own little world? The frown on Dick's face said he wasn't nuts.

But someone was.

Hawke gestured with his hand for Dick to get back by the doorway. "Dick, will you go get Carron and Roland? I'm sure Althea could use their help."

"Of course." Dick hightailed it out of the room like his ass was on fire.

"Althea."

She smiled brightly when she turned to look at him. It was as if they hadn't been arguing at all. Apparently, she only heard what she wanted to hear. "Yes, Dakota?"

Yeah, this woman was a fruitcake.

"I wondered if you could come down to my office with me. I was thinking we could look at...uh...china patterns together on my computer. I'm sure what I have is not up to your standards and I would hate to disappoint your father."

Althea's eyes widened as she pressed a hand to her chest. "I never thought to look at the china."

"I'm sure mine aren't up to par." Not like he'd know. As far as he knew, a plate was a plate was a plate. Hawke stepped to the bedroom doorway then waited for Althea to join him.

He was starting to get the idea that her father placated her, not because she was his little princess, but because she was bat shit crazy.

He couldn't help but wonder if she was violent? He wouldn't be surprised, but it gave him even more incentive to keep her away from Dick.

When Althea joined him, she slipped her arm through his. As much as it made his skin crawl to even touch her, it did give him a good excuse to hold on to her. He didn't want her to run before he had a chance to turn her over to his head of security.

It was obvious Althea needed professional help, and a locked rubber room. She had some serious issues.

Elder Saul had a lot to answer for. Hawke just didn't realize until now that he'd played into Althea's delusions. No matter how much he found her distasteful, the poor woman didn't deserve this.

That didn't mean Hawke wasn't going to see that she wasn't locked up for her own good, because he was. He was also going to make sure anyone who had anything to do with contributing to her delusions paid for what they'd done.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Hawke was a little surprised to find the living room empty. A few minutes ago, this place had been teaming with people.

"Where's Janine?" Althea asked. "She'd know which sites to go shop at to find the best china. That's why I brought her. She's very good at decorating."

"I'm not sure," Hawke drawled as he glanced around. "She was here when I went upstairs."

Hawke let go of Althea's arm as he stepped up to the living room entrance. His heart climbed into his throat when he spotted Carron lying just inside the entrance in a pool of blood.

He rushed to the man's side, squatting down beside him. He was breathing, but there was a nasty gash on the back of his head. Hawke was pretty sure Carron had been hit from behind.

Question was, who had done it?

Hawke pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed Dick's phone. He swallowed tightly and glanced toward his office when he heard it ring from that direction.

He pushed himself to his feet and walked toward the office door. It was partially open. He used the flat of his hand to push the door open the rest of the way.

And then his world crumbled down around him.

He met Dick's tear-filled eyes before raising his gaze to the man holding a razor-sharp talon to his throat. "Elder Saul."

Chapter Thirteen

Dick swallowed tightly, but not too tightly. If he moved an inch in either direction, he was going to die a very painful and messy death.

He still couldn't believe Elder Saul had caught them so unaware. One minute Dick had been standing there explaining to Carron what they needed. The next minute, Carron was unconscious on the floor and Elder Saul was threatening to kill him.

He was still pretty sure the guy planned to do that. After dragging Dick into Hawke's office, he hadn't said another word beyond ordering Dick to his knees. Dick hadn't been stupid enough to argue. he had an unborn baby to protect. That meant waiting for Hawke to rescue him.

Well, Hawke was here and Dick really wished he'd get on with the rescue. He was so done with this whole scene.

"Sorry," he mouthed when Hawke glanced at him.

The man gave him the barest nod in response then glanced at the man behind him. "Elder Saul."

"Hawke, I've come to see if you've decided to listen to reason."

"Reason?"

"Have you decided to mate with Althea Bainbridge?"

"Did I hear my name?" Althea asked as she breezed into the room.

Dick's eyes rounded when Hawke groaned. This wasn't going to end well. The tension in the room was ramping up at an alarming rate. Dick was pretty sure he wasn't going to make it out of this room unscathed.

"Elder Saul," Althea said. "It's so good to see you."

The elder frowned before nodding toward her. "Althea."

"Dakota and I were just getting ready to pick out a new china pattern. Father is coming to dinner tomorrow to discuss the mating ceremony and Hawke told me he didn't think his current china was sufficient." She gave a little laugh as she started straightening the papers on Hawke's desk. "I suspect he's right. You should have seen his bedroom before arrived. It took me nearly an entire day to replace all that hideous furniture."

"You redecorated the bedroom?" the elder asked.

"Of course," Althea replied. "You can't expect me to live in there when it looked like that. I'd have nightmares for sure."

Dick felt the pressure of the talons at his throat lesson. As soon as the elder's hand fell away, Dick scrambled across the room until he could stand up behind Hawke. He felt like a coward, but Hawke was much better equipped to deal with this than him and he knew it.

Dick pressed his hands against his flat abdomen. "Besides, he had something precious to protect.

When someone grabbed him and gave a yank, Dick let out a little squeak. It was quickly cut off by the hand that slapped over his mouth.

"Quiet," someone whispered in his ear.

Dick tilted his head until he could see who held him. He didn't know what to think when he saw Carron behind him. He was glad the man wasn't hurt, but he didn't understand why he was being held until Carron pushed him back out the door and took up a place standing right behind Hawke.

Before Dick could call out a warning to Hawke, the window behind Elder Saul shattered and a dark form came barreling in.

Althea screamed.

Elder Saul screeched.

Hawke dove toward the elder and Carron dove toward Althea. Dick stood in the doorway watching as they were both taken down, their hands bound behind them. When Althea started screaming, Carron gagged her. Dick was kind of hoping the same thing would happen to the elder.

"Good work, Roland," Hawke said as he pulled the elder to his feet.

"Thank you, sir," the man who'd come in through the window replied.

"How could you betray me like this?" Elder Saul demanded. "I'm your father."

Dick felt bad for Roland when he sighed then replied, "No, you're not."

The elder sputtered until Hawk gagged him, too.

"Take them both downstairs," Hawke said as he handed the elder off to Roland. "I'll have someone from the council come and pick them up."

"Very good, sir."

"Call me Hawke, Roland."

Roland nodded. "Yes, sir."

Dick quickly darted into the room and off to one side when Roland and Carron started escorting their prisoners toward the door. When Hawke beckoned to him, Dick darted into his arms.

"I can't believe it's over," Dick whispered before looking up at Hawke. "It is over, isn't it?"

"I still have to have the council pick them up, and then I need to undo whatever it was Althea did to our bedroom, but yeah, it's over." Hawke smiled as he pulled Dick tightly to his chest. "Nothing left to do but have our mating ceremony and plan the nursery."

Dick breathed a sigh of relief as he dropped his head to Hawke's chest. It actually did feel like it was finally over. He knew Hawke had been worried about Elder Saul, but even that had been dealt with.

He was ready to start his new life with his mate.

Dick tilted his head back and looked up at Hawke. "I don't suppose you scheduled in some cuddling in front of the fire somewhere in all that planning, did you?"

Hawke grinned. "I can guarantee it."

"Good." Dick smiled as he patted Hawke's muscled chest. "You still have some ass kissing to do."

THE END

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