Un.Breakable (Slayter Series Book 4)

by Reese Morgan

  Now things seemed unnaturally silent.

  Turning, on edge, Hayden stiffened further when she watched a group approach their pack’s bonfire. Unsurprisingly, it was Tobias in the lead.

  She could see his arrogant smirk, even from an exaggerated distance away.

  “No,” Addie breathed with denial, standing abruptly.

  The pack stood with her, realization crossing their features. They all knew what this meant and they all feared the day it would undoubtedly happen.

  Now that Falco returned to reclaim his old pack, Tobias unquestionably wanted control over another pack, namely the Slayter pack.

  Tobias considered Blake vulnerable, someone he could easily conquer for the position of Alpha. Hayden remembered when Nathan had foolishly defended the position of Alpha from Tobias those many months ago.

  Nathan never stood a chance.

  He’d hardly had the opportunity to stand on his feet.

  If Hayden hadn’t stopped the combat, he would have died.

  Defending the Alpha position from an outsider usually required a death duel. Most werewolves would readily die defending both their pack and position versus living with their failure. Hayden thought it was a silly tradition and entirely barbaric.

  Before the group closed in, Hayden turned and locked eyes with Blake.

  “Don’t do it,” she insisted. “Don’t defend the position to the death.”

  He blinked, as if not quite understanding her words, before his expression tempered. “I’m not an idiot like Nathan, Hayden.” Said twin overheard the statement and sneered. “The pack needs me right now. I’d rather sacrifice my pride than to abandon all of you.”

  Hayden wondered if his position as a Sired werewolf had anything to do with his decision. Unlike Nathan, who was born a werewolf, Blake did not give much weight or consideration to werewolf traditions.

  “Still,” Nathan started under his breath, “Tobias is going to make our life hell.”

  She couldn’t agree more.

  Through half-lidded eyes, she watched Tobias saunter over. The man focused solely on her. She could not imagine him as their Alpha, simply because he would take advantage of the position. He did not understand the pain they were experiencing.

  No, he could not fathom their pain.

  “Tobias.” Blake greeted unemotionally. He was the last one to stand and he did so slowly with impressive control. “I was wondering when you’d make an appearance. I take it Falco took repossession of his pack?”

  “With ease,” Tobias replied, giving Hayden one last lingering look before addressing Blake. “I voluntarily gave it back to Falco. Considering our circumstances, each pack should have a well-deserved Alpha at its helm.”

  Hayden grimaced at the dripping arrogance.

  “Fortunately,” she drawled apathetically, “we already have two capable Alphas in the Slayter pack. You might as well look elsewhere, preferably someplace where you’re needed.” She paused. “And welcomed.”

  Tobias offered an oily smile, his gaze growing lidded with interest.

  Around the reservation, quite the crowd of spectators gathered. All the werewolves were restless and desperate for entertainment, a break in the usual mundane drone of hiding in the wilderness with nothing to do.

  She couldn’t exactly blame them for gawking.

  As the werewolves waited for Celeste to make her move, the tension and anticipation swelled and festered. Tempers escalated and impatience grew amongst the males. With resources growing limited, as well as space, the werewolves grew antsy.

  They wanted to see a proper duel.

  They’d get one with Blake and Tobias.

  “Don’t you worry, little puppy.” Tobias leered. “No one is challenging your position as female Alpha. In fact, I think it’s time the Slayter pack had a true, mated Alpha pair.”

  Over his shoulder, near the tree line and away from the crowd of gathering werewolves, a dark figure moved gracefully.

  Hayden focused on the shape, identifying it as Nicolas. As the man moved unnoticed through the crowd, his pale eyes intently watched Tobias’ back.

  Her heart skipped a beat at his focused intensity.

  It had been awhile since she’d seen Nicolas in battle mode.

  All too soon, he disappeared in the shadows, not once looking in her direction. Hayden tried not to feel slighted at his avoidance, but rather optimistic. He was most likely back at the reservation for tomorrow’s excursion to New York.

  But surely he wouldn’t stand by and watch Tobias take control of the Slayter pack.

  As soon as her thoughts registered, she scowled at herself.

  Nicolas no longer associated with the Slayter pack. Nor would any of the members embrace him as their Alpha. Quite honestly, Hayden assumed some of them would even prefer Tobias to Nicolas.

  Blake placed a hand on her shoulder and approached Tobias. “I will not give the Alpha position voluntarily,” he informed quietly. “You will have to fight for it.”

  Around him, the crowd whispered excitingly.

  Blake versus Tobias proved to be a far more challenging battle than Nathan and Tobias. Cole put a lot of effort and time into training Blake as his second in command. Considering Slayters were notorious for their combating skills, Blake would surely impress.

  Perhaps he would conquer.

  “To the death?” Tobias inquired innocently.

  He seemed far too pleased at the notion.

  Hayden immediately lifted her lip in a snarl.

  “No,” Blake emphasized firmly, taking off his shirt and throwing it aside. “Until one of us surrenders. I think we need as many fighters as possible against Celeste. Wasting a life on something as trivial as this seems pointless.”

  The traditional werewolves did not like that admission.

  Hayden watched as they looked at Blake disapprovingly, as if they couldn’t imagine an Alpha willingly choosing to live with the shame of losing his pack.

  There would be shame, Hayden knew, but Blake did not follow the general mold of traditional wolves. He realized he held far more potential to assist his pack alive than dead. She was proud of him for standing up for his own beliefs.

  Tobias did not seem pleased at Blake’s decision, though he did not say anything on the matter. He stripped his shirt and handed it to Hayden.

  “Hold this for me, won’t you, sweetheart?”

  Hayden flashed him an insufferable look, keeping her hands firmly at her sides. He merely smiled at her attitude and dropped the shirt at her feet.

  “We will have to work on your obedience—”

  “Are you ready?” Blake pressed, interrupting Tobias’ concentrated attention on Hayden. “I’d like to get this over with as soon as possible.”

  Hayden maintained eye contact with the man, hardly intimidated with his proximity.

  Tobias lived in Albertville long ago, once the Alpha of Falco’s pack before he left town and named Falco the new Alpha. Rumors spread that he’d taken advantage of a female in the pack and decided to leave before allegations exploded.

  For the lack of a better term, he was a slime ball.

  Tobias gave her a slow once-over before turning his back and approaching Blake.

  They stepped away from the bonfires and the werewolves eagerly formed a circle around the two males.

  Hayden remained at the front of the crowd. Across the circle, she witnessed Rylee Donovan standing next to Kieran. The other female seemed absorbed on the two males, as if she’d never witnessed an Alpha challenge before tonight.

  Blake lunged first.

  Tobias caught the fist with both hands, the impact sounding like a thunderclap across the woods. Immediately, the crowd grew louder, nudging each other to get a closer view of the fight. With a towering twin on either side of her, Hayden watched the two fighters closely, unaffected by the rowdy crowd.

  With his hand held captive, Blake seamlessly turned and slammed his opposite elbow into Tobias’ exposed throat. After receiv
ing repossession of his fist, he rolled across Tobias’ back and kicked the man’s legs out from underneath him.

  The tawny-haired werewolf hit the ground before thrusting his body back to his feet.

  They circled each other, Blake assuming a defensive position with his fists raised. His amber stare focused intently on Tobias, watching for any openings.

  Tobias threw a punch.

  Blake blocked it and countered with one of his own.

  Their fighting style was intimate and brutal. It was very close range and Hayden compared it to a boxing match. It was not her style, but it suited Blake. It appeared as if Tobias wasn’t accustomed to such a close-range fight, for he didn’t look nearly as tight.

  Hayden resisted the urge to cheer with the werewolves around her when Blake hit Tobias in the face twice in rapid succession.

  Her hopes soared.

  Blake held his own and he manipulated the fight to his favor.

  Blood smeared heavily across Tobias’ face as he shuffled quickly, ungracefully as Blake threw another punch. Frustration and keen anger brightened Tobias’ eyes as he punched violently, his fist soaring straight past Blake’s ducking head.

  Tobias roared in frustration.

  Hayden realized he was not accustomed to losing, especially to someone he considered lower standing.

  A feeling of unrest settled in her stomach the longer Blake remained on top. She could feel Tobias’ anger and the uncontrollable rage when his fists could not make contact with Blake.

  Harnessing a wicked sneer, Tobias struck.

  Grabbing Blake’s striking arm, Tobias forcibly slammed his opposite arm upwards near Blake’s armpit. The action caused the arm to break cleanly. He then forced Blake to double over, throwing his knee up.

  Hayden assumed Tobias was aiming for Blake’s stomach, a common move amongst combaters, however, the knee slipped lower and intentionally connected with Blake’s groin.

  Her eyes widened at the cheap shot.

  Because of the odd angle, only a few werewolves were able to witness the cowardly move. Cries of outrage spread amongst the crowd, Nathan being the loudest protester as Blake went down hard.

  Lines of pain and anguish wrinkled Blake’s face as he cupped his groin. Tobias, not wanting the draw attention to his cheap shot, slammed his boot into Blake’s face, knocking the man flat on his back. He continued his assault when Blake was down, taking advantage of his vulnerable state.

  Blake wasn’t going to get back up.

  Hayden dropped her hands from her mouth, not realizing she’d raised them in the first place. She tore away from Nathan and Fergus and ran towards Blake. The man hardly had the chance to call surrender with Tobias’ frenzied assault.

  “Stop!” Hayden screamed above the crowd.

  Tobias continued kicking, a deranged look in his eye.

  She felt a wave of déjà vu as she stepped in front of Blake and faced off against Tobias. Only, this time, she stayed on her feet and slapped the unsuspecting man across the face.

  Hard.

  “I said stop.”

  Tobias, who’d stopped abruptly upon Hayden’s assault, slowly turned his sights on her. Once his surprise fell way, he snarled and reached for her. Before his hands could come in contact, however, both his arms were taken captive.

  Nathan and Fergus stood on either side of him, holding him back.

  Sensing the Omega was the weakest link, Tobias rotated his arm free and punched Fergus in the face. He kicked him aside, laughing as the Omega tumbled away.

  Hayden pulled out a throwing knife, flipping it in her palm. She contemplated giving him a lethal wound. Perhaps—hopefully— he wouldn’t live through it. Tobias had deep-seeded issues. It was better to put him down permanently.

  Silence hushed over the crowd and Tobias halted his ministrations. He turned, looking at Hayden. However, upon closer observation, his attention focused marginally over her head.

  His expression twisted into something that looked remarkably like incredulity.

  She turned, finding Nicolas standing firmly at the edge of the crowd.

  The other werewolves gave him a ridiculous amount of room, as if they didn’t want to get too close. Their own expressions were full of suspicion, disbelief, and utter skepticism.

  Nicolas calmly observed Tobias, his face entirely unreadable.

  The silence was deafening.

  Unhurriedly, Nicolas unfastened the buttons of his coat.

  Surrounding werewolves took another few steps back, as if they hadn’t already given him enough room. They looked between Tobias and Nicolas and slowly, the excitement flared to life once more. Voices grew in volume as they spoke amongst each other at the same time.

  Hayden felt her mouth grow dry at the image Nicolas made.

  He was untouchable.

  The other werewolves knew it, and more especially, Tobias knew it. The tawny-haired werewolf shook off Nathan’s hold and laughed once.

  “You cannot be serious,” he admonished. “You cannot vouch for the Alpha position.”

  Nicolas simply ignored him and folded his coat before setting it calmly on the ground. With intentional purpose, he tugged his sleeves up to his elbows, clearly forgoing the tradition of a bare torso.

  That action spoke volumes.

  It would be a fast and unchallenging battle.

  “What better Alpha to lead the Slayter pack than a blood Slayter?” Adolf drawled from the crowd, his features relaying his repugnance as he looked at Tobias. “Contenders can contest the newly declared Alpha for his position until no further challenges are made.”

  Hayden knew the silver-haired Alpha liked Nicolas. Out of all the derisive comments Adolf made about Xavier and Cole, he had never once insulted Nicolas, the black sheep of the Slayter family.

  Adolf was, most likely, the only werewolf present who did not look upon Nicolas with extreme distrust and dislike.

  Moreover, she also knew Adolf held no love for those who struck below the belt. He had emphasized as much when he trained her. By no means was Hayden to hit a man in his groin. In his words, it would reflect poorly on him as an instructor.

  Blake stood up and cupped Hayden’s shoulders. He dragged her to the outskirts of the crowd, making sure they had a prime position for the fight about to take place.

  He nuzzled her cheek. “Thank you.”

  Tearing her unblinking eyes away from Nicolas, Hayden assessed her pack mate. She didn’t ask him if he was all right, she knew he’d shrug and claim he was fine.

  “You did well. It was a cheap shot,” she whispered. “All of us saw that.”

  Blake’s gaze hardened as he watched Tobias.

  “I have a feeling he’ll get what’s coming to him.”

  Hayden glanced at Nicolas and back at Blake. “You’re not upset that Nicolas is intervening?” She’d thought the whole pack would protest at the very idea.

  “Nicolas is the lesser evil right now,” Blake replied gloomily.

  Without going into detail, Blake turned to Fergus and Nathan and quietly exchanged a few words. Nicolas abruptly recaptured Hayden’s attention.

  Her canine adrenaline piqued at his presence.

  He was an entity all on his own as he stood patiently for Tobias to recover. Though there were words he must have overheard from the crowd, words of scorn, suspicion, and of complete disrespect, he not once batted an eye.

  Standing tall and proud, he readied himself to defend the Slayter pack from Tobias. Hayden thought she knew him well enough to know he did not want this, but here he was, putting himself in the spotlight just to protect the pack Cole left behind.

  Tobias paced back and forth, keeping an eye on Nicolas as if he thought the rogue Alpha would lunge without warning. “If this is about her, you can have her. She’s your claimed mate, I understand.”

  The hand thrown in her direction was dismissive, belittling. Hayden scowled at his words, knowing he was trying to wiggle himself out of combating Nicolas.

  B
ut Nicolas simply stared back at Tobias, his aura chilling. “If you need to recover from your previous spectacle, then please, take all the time you need.” Nicolas clasped his hands in front of his body and stood patiently. “I have nowhere else to be.”

  Tobias’ gaze widened before they narrowed.

  “I’ve known you since you were a child. You don’t frighten me, boy.”

  A small, nearly inconspicuous smirk lifted Nicolas’ lips. Otherwise, he remained motionless, preferring the endless abyss of silence as opposed to pointless words. He knew Tobias was wasting time, prolonging the inevitable.

  Suddenly, blue eyes riveted towards Hayden for the first time that night.

  At the scrutiny, Hayden’s body flushed hotly. Her shoulders straightened and her neck arched. She realized too late that she subconsciously bared her neck to him.

  Why she could not fathom nor understand.

  Though her submission was small, his attention immediately focused on her throat. At his sides, his fingers twitched, though he grew distracted when Tobias charged. Remaining tall, he watched as the tawny-haired male closed in.

  Tobias sprinted, his hackles raised as he threw the first punch.

  Nicolas simply sidestepped the fist, whirling around the backside of Tobias’ unprotected side and appearing at the man’s back. He reached out a hand and curled it around Tobias’ neck, squeezing.

  The animalistic screech coming from Tobias was earsplitting. Whether it was out of pain or fierce protest of an enemy touching his neck, Hayden didn’t know.

  Nicolas voluntarily released him, abruptly silencing the cry.

  The events that transpired next weren’t anything short of sheer humiliation.

  For Tobias.

  Hayden was silent, her stare wide and unseeing as the hushed crowd watched the disgrace of Tobias. Nicolas evaded every attempt the other male made of touching him. He threw out a few arms to block, but Tobias’ hands never hit anything other than Nicolas’ strong forearms.

  Clearly, Nicolas could have ended the fight seconds after it started. However, he wanted to humiliate Tobias, perhaps payback for disgracing the pack earlier.

  Nicolas abruptly blocked a hit before manipulating Tobias around and on the ground. The other man landed heavily, but he scrambled back on his feet.