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look at the fallen stones
littering the courtyard.
    “There are documents hidden inside, I’ve seen
them. But I cannot translate them. Hawke can.” He looked at Hawke,
who held his gaze and then nodded.
    “How do you know you can translate these
pages without knowing what language they’re written in ?”
Asia asked through their link.
    “I’m fluent in most languages and can make
out the rest. Chances are I’ll figure it out .” He followed her
as she followed Radoff into the castle. Radoff turned on a
flashlight and it became obvious his pack had cleared most of the
cobwebs and tidied the place.
    “Do you have pack members staying here?” she
asked.
    “Yes, I purchased the land. I thought it was
important to secure the location until we had an opportunity to go
through everything. Some areas cannot be accessed, but for the most
part the building has held up well over time.” He moved down a dim
corridor and turned left. Fire lit wall sconces provided the only
light as they ventured further into the castle. Both the interior
and exterior walls were made of heavy stone. Uneven floors, high
ceilings, and large candelabras with mounds of melted wax hung from
the rafters.
    Radoff stopped in front of a large blackened
fireplace and looked over his shoulders at her and then frowned at
Hawke. “Stoop low.” He pressed the mantle above the fireplace, and
the wall opened with a grinding sound. Radoff’s grin showed his
pleasure at his discovery.
    Once inside the small room, Asia understood
Radoff’s happiness. On the wall was a tapestry in mint condition of
a large black, green eyed wolf and a pale man sitting on the ground
as if having a conversation. The image of the black wolf struck a
chord in her, he seemed familiar.
    “Here’s a book we found tucked away.” Radoff
handed the leather bound book to Hawke with all the reverence of a
man in the presence of a great treasure. Hawke stared at it for a
moment, sat and then opened it with equal care. The pages stuck
together, until he gently pried them apart.
    Intrigued, Asia sat next to him while Radoff
stood slightly behind him at his shoulder. Quiet, Hawke stared at
the page without turning for so long, Asia thought he couldn’t
translate it.
    Hawke sighed and shook his head. “This is the
notes of one of the meetings of the Roundtable Lords.” He dropped
his head into the palm of his hand and continued staring at the
page.
    “What does it say?” Asia asked, glancing at
Radoff. The man had stepped closer and stood directly at Hawke’s
elbow peering over his shoulder.
    “It does not translate too well into English,
so I will paraphrase. The Lord is reminding the men of their
commitment to protect and serve the wolf-shifter in all its forms.
They were the custodians of Konstantin’s wealth which was set aside
for shifters.” Hawked shook his head. “Hard to believe this is the
same group.” He turned the page.
    Asia glanced around the room. “Were all of
these things here when you found the place?” she asked Radoff
pointing to the small statues of wolves and artwork.
    He nodded and moved toward a bookcase with
several black wolf figures the size of large chess pieces. His
index fingertip traced the body of one piece before he spoke.
“Imagine what he dreamed for us. He set aside all of his wealth and
gave away his land so that we could co-exist in harmony with man.”
He turned to face her. “But greed is a terrible thing.”
    Hawke released a bark of laughter grabbing
their attention. “What?” she asked, looking at the letters and
symbols on the page and then back at him.
    “Seems Konstantin expected greed and prepared
for it. None of the land can be taken from the packs by humans, the
packs can sell it or give it away if they chose. Plus, there is a
curse on any member of the Roundtable if they misuse the money left
for anything other than research to assist shifters, to make their
lives better.”
    “Well, that’s open for interpretation,