Un.Breakable (Slayter Series Book 4)

by Reese Morgan

How many of them could be betrayers? The unknown was exhausting. She once saw them all as allies, but Julian had opened her eyes to the reality.

  They were all possible enemies.

  * * * *

  It was late.

  And cold.

  Hayden pulled her jacket closer around her body, wondering if she was cold from the chilly air or the sudden isolation. She’d never been a particularly suspicious person, which was why she currently felt so unsettled with an onslaught of mistrust and skepticism.

  She wanted to trust the others. She wanted to trust Julian.

  Yet, even she wasn’t that naïve.

  Julian had something she desperately wanted, and that was Logan’s whereabouts. He’d seemed genuinely interested in weeding out Celeste’s influence from his pack, yet Hayden still saw him as her enemy’s son.

  “I didn’t think you’d come.”

  Hayden hardly flinched as Julian made an appearance next to her, having already sensed his approach. He leaned against the tree, gazing at her attentively.

  “I still don’t understand why I couldn’t tell the others.”

  Julian’s lips thinned at her obstinate persistence. “Besides Slayter, I don’t really trust anyone else for this mission. If they leaked out this ambush, or so much as spoke amongst each other, the whole thing would be futile and I—we—would be back to square one.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “No one trusts Nicolas. What makes him trustworthy to you?”

  Her brother laughed once. A bitter laugh.

  “Slayter is a very easy man to understand.”

  “Others would disagree.”

  “That’s only because it’s easy to hate him. You don’t fuck with Slayter or his flock. It’s as simple as that. You are his flock. I trust him for that very reason.” Julian grabbed his hood, easing it further over his ears. “Very few people trust others who are willing to go to the extreme, who are willing to commit such immoral acts, just to protect the ones they care about.”

  Hayden stared at Julian, wondering why he suddenly seemed like a completely different man. “You seem to speak from experience.”

  A shrug.

  He seemed to favor that indifferent gesture.

  “Maybe.”

  She continued to watch his side profile, all the while, keeping an eye on her surroundings. “How did you get away from your pack tonight?”

  “I told them I found a female I wanted to spend the night with.”

  Hayden blinked. “And they believed you.”

  “They think I’d rather sate my desires than take life too seriously.”

  “In other words,” she started, “you’re immature. I can’t say I don’t blame them for believing that particular attribute.”

  Julian rolled around the circumference of the tree before standing toe to toe with Hayden. They were of similar height, making it easier for Julian to gaze unwaveringly at her. His eyes traced over her features, features that mirrored his own.

  “I get it.” His upper lip twitched once, a semblance of a grin before it deepened into a frown. “We got off the wrong foot. Honestly? I was obsessed with you, the very thought of you. I grew up knowing about you and being told I should hate your very existence.”

  She didn’t doubt it.

  Celeste was his mother, after all.

  “When you came to me, I was eager to put you in your place. I wanted to belittle you and possess you at the same time. I also just wanted to know you.”

  Hayden remained unimpressed. “You certainly made an impression.”

  “I still want to know you,” Julian continued, overlooking her derisive comment. “I’ve seen what Celeste can do, what damage she can inflict on this world. That’s my mother. I want to try to stop her, but I can’t do that when I have men willing to stab me in the back.”

  “Is that why you’ve decided to come here?” Hayden asked. “You feel partially responsible because she’s your mother? You could have just feigned ignorance and continued to remain neutral. Celeste would have left you alone.”

  Julian glanced away for a moment.

  “There’s another reason.” He looked back at her. “I told my pack I was going to lead you to Logan tomorrow. I know, undoubtedly, there will be a couple members who leave tonight and try to warn her.”

  Before Hayden could inquire what his other reason was for fighting against Celeste, she saw a group of men break through the trees a distance away.

  She stiffened. “You said just a couple members.”

  Julian’s handsome features twisted into bemusement before he turned to see what caught her attention.

  “Shit.”

  There were at least a dozen werewolves, all grouped together, making their way down Nicolas’ territory. They were heavily armed and they moved silently.

  If Hayden wasn’t actively searching for deserters, she’d be oblivious to their escape.

  “That’s nearly half your pack,” Hayden admonished fiercely, hardly able to believe her eyes. Julian clearly hadn’t prepared for such a large number of infiltrators. “I told you we should have informed the others. We can’t fight them alone.”

  He turned back around. “I already told you it would have been unsuccessful if we involved the others.” Reaching out, he touched her shoulder. “You’re right, though, we can’t fight them. It’s best if we let them go.”

  Hayden reared back as if struck.

  “Let them go so they can tell Celeste, you mean,” Hayden countered fiercely. “And then ruin our chances of getting Logan. How does that make any sort of sense to you?”

  “What is your deal with our father? You think Logan is going to be the answer we’ve all been waiting for. Celeste is his lifemate. They hated each other, but they were still madly in love. They’re both twisted.”

  Hayden unsheathed her sword.

  Ignoring him, she advanced towards the group.

  Julian followed closely behind her, drawing his own sword. She wondered what he felt right now. This was his pack. Nearly half his pack had actively betrayed him. It was probably why he fiercely tried to discourage her from facing them. Why he tried to convince her Logan wasn’t worth it.

  A part of him most likely wanted to spare their lives.

  Hayden sprinted alongside the group, a silent shadow.

  These men couldn’t reach Celeste.

  She had to get to Logan first.

  Hayden jumped from the adjourning trees and stood in front of the group. They seemed startled at her sudden appearance, but other than a brief glimmer of disbelief, their expressions soon hardened.

  “I find it amusing you thought you could leave undetected,” Julian remarked from just behind Hayden’s shoulder. “You are so predictable.”

  A dark-haired man in the lead simpered at Julian. “No hard feelings, Julian.” He motioned at Hayden with his sword. “We just find your current company uninspiring and unimpressive. They can’t hope to defeat Celeste with their dysfunctional hierarchy. They’re a mess. We want the winning side.”

  “Don’t pretend as if you just decided to choose this.” Despite the betrayal, Julian stood tall and calm. “Celeste planted you in my pack from day one.”

  Another man, further back, withdrew his weapon.

  “You would have made a remarkable Alpha one day, pup.”

  It was a farewell if Hayden ever heard one.

  She readied herself, knowing they’d attack at once and they’d attack to kill. It was their only option of escaping undetected.

  A wolf suddenly leaped in front of Hayden, snarling at the group of males. She identified the wolf as one of Nicolas’ rogues who roamed and protected the territory line. Currently, the wolf stood opposite of Julian’s pack mates, identifying them as the enemy.

  For a moment, everything stood standstill.

  Both parties remained motionless, inactive.

  Then suddenly, the dark-haired male slashed his sword at the rogue werewolf in front of Hayden. She yelled in protest, hearing the wolf
release a high-pitched squeal as the blade caught the side of his belly.

  Throwing out her blade, Hayden blocked his second attack on the wolf, refusing to sacrifice one of Nicolas’ rogues as it stood and protected her.

  Julian eased himself next to her as three members charged.

  He was a good fighter, she knew. They might even stand a chance.

  A safety of a rifle suddenly unlocked, instantly dispelling any further attempts of fighting. Hayden turned, staring at the rifle pointed unswervingly at the male she currently had at sword point.

  Standing behind the rifle was none other than Rylee Donovan.

  Next to her, Kieran stood.

  Hayden took a startled step back, watching as familiar faces emerged from the woods, encircling Julian’s wayward pack with enough numbers to dominate. She spied Blake, relieved to see him, to see all of them, but fiercely acknowledging the error of her ways.

  She should have told them sooner.

  The crowd parted and Nicolas suddenly appeared, throwing a wayward man into the middle of the group. Said man lost his balance and collapsed next to the others, clearly afraid, clearly a coward for trying to run earlier.

  “You’ve got this all wrong,” a member of Julian’s pack tried to argue. He sounded nothing short of pathetic. “We weren’t doing anything to warrant this. We just don’t want to support the war. We had little say in the matter.”

  No one responded. No one moved from their position.

  Nicolas approached Hayden, though his focus was on the wounded wolf at her feet. She pressed her lips together, ashamed as he crouched down, carefully assessing the wound on the male werewolf’s stomach.

  He stroked the wolf’s neck. Upon the consoling contact, the wolf struggled to his feet, hunkering low in submission to his Alpha even in his wounded state. With a firm pat from Nicolas, the canine gradually limped into the surrounding trees.

  She was relieved to see the rogue move on his own, though she knew he had to get attention for the flesh wound. The stab wound had been silver.

  Nicolas stood up slowly, his close proximity nearly suffocating her.

  His eyes were hard, his face cruel as he looked at her. Deliberately, he scrutinized the length of her body, as if to reassure himself she was unharmed. When he was satisfied she was unscathed, his gaze refocused on her face.

  Unrelenting waves of displeasure channeled through his expression. She could nearly feel his anger emit from his body and turn hers warm as a result. He would have sharp words for her, she knew, but with so many spectators, he held his tongue.

  He didn’t need words, anyway.

  He was intimidating in his silence.

  Hayden looked down and away in submission, apologizing nonverbally.

  Fortunately, Nicolas didn’t focus on her for long. Like a pursuing predator, he purposely turned and advanced towards Julian. Hayden watched him from the corner of her eye as he focused keenly on her brother.

  “If you ever…” he started quietly, nearly inaudibly, “lure her into danger like this again, I will kill you. Consequences be damned.”

  Judging from his stare, his posture, and his tone, Hayden knew he was utterly serious.

  For his part, Julian impressively kept his ground.

  Maintaining eye contact with Nicolas, her brother nodded once.

  “What do you wager, Slayter?” Kieran asked, breaking the tense silence. He looked at the cornered werewolves. “Kill them? Interrogate them? Force them to lead us to Celeste?”

  Nicolas continued to watch Julian. “I believe that’s for their Alpha to decide.”

  Julian glanced at Hayden before squaring his shoulders. “Interrogate them,” he answered steadily. He considered his pack members. “There could be others in our packs. Afterward, an execution is in order. Lead by example.”

  He seemed wiser, older.

  Hayden was reluctantly impressed that he proved her wrong.

  He wasn’t all that immature or inexperienced. It was a front he seemed to favor in order to make others underestimate him.

  “I’m looking forward to putting my interrogation skills to the test,” a male werewolf from Eric’s pack crooned. He raised a dagger, a glint in his eye.

  Hayden grimaced, though she didn’t get to scrutinize further. Under the nonverbal order from Nicolas, Blake took her by the arm and pulled her away from the scene. She wanted to protest, to heatedly declare her right to be present.

  However, she stewed in silence, reluctantly understanding the situation.

  As much as she was familiar with death and destruction, interrogation was on a completely different level. Hayden didn’t know if she agreed with the method, on the other hand, this was war and they needed inside information to succeed.

  Even if said information was taken by force.

  She glanced at Blake, knowing he was upset with her. “I know it’s my fault.”

  “It is not your fault.”

  Hayden nearly stumbled, not having expected him to side with her.

  “No matter if you would have told us or not, the end result would have been the same. All those men who support Celeste would have betrayed us all. Unfortunately, times like these require desperate measures. They need to be eliminated.”

  The silence stretched, only for a sudden scream to resonate across the woods.

  “You and Julian lured them out, which we’re thankful for,” Blake continued, pulling her in the opposite direction of the others. “But it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth that you didn’t trust us enough to tell us about it beforehand.”

  “I do trust you all,” Hayden argued. “Julian wanted it to remain between us.”

  “Julian probably never trusted anyone in his life. He took a chance with you.” Blake cast Hayden a sidelong glance, a tight grimace on his lips. “We’re stronger united, Hayden. I understand why you wanted to respect his wishes, but it only put you in danger.”

  “Nicolas probably thinks I’m always in need of saving.”

  “He’s fiercely protective and you do find trouble often.”

  She remained quiet at that, knowing she could have prevented Nicolas’ wrath by informing him beforehand. Just like Blake, he was most likely disappointed in her decision to keep things quiet. She would have been just as insulted if he pulled something similar.

  “How do you know you can trust someone?” she ventured hesitantly.

  Blake looked at her curiously before understanding settled across his features. “Distrust is a lonely and exhausting road, Hayden. I believe everyone deserves the benefit of the doubt unless proved otherwise.”

  “Don’t you think Nicolas finally deserves the benefit of the doubt?”

  He appeared unhappy at the question. “He’s proved he cannot be trusted.”

  Hayden pursed her lips. “Like Devan?”

  “Hayden,” Blake started, sounding drained. “Nicolas is a good ally to have, but he’s dangerous and unpredictable. Once he no longer finds a situation or person satisfactory, he will turn his shoulder and never look back.”

  She disagreed.

  Oddly enough, she found herself thinking back to Julian’s perception of Nicolas, realizing it was the perfect description for the rogue Alpha.

  She was a part of his flock.

  “Nicolas chose that road. He finds comfort in isolation and excels in the shadows cast by people’s fear and mistrust. For now, we will trust him,” Blake relented unexpectedly. “Times are only going to get more difficult, Hayden. We need all the allies we can get.”

  A sharp feeling of unease made it difficult for Hayden to breathe.

  She drowned in Blake’s admission, realizing that he spoke the utmost truth. Things were going to get more challenging, more trying.

  However, they would prevail.

  Hayden was certain of that.

  8. Chapter Eight

  “Higher!”

  The world spun wildly as she stared up at the sky. Trying to collect her bearings, Hayden eased herself o
ff the ground and faced Adolf once again. The silver-haired Alpha held his sword lazily and assessed her with an irritable sneer.

  “Would you like a break?”

  “No,” she snapped petulantly.

  He was only mocking her.

  Hayden steadied herself before sprinting towards him. He lifted the sword in the air as she jumped. Gaining enough height, she flipped herself over his tall frame, but just like before, and the several times before that, she didn’t quite clear the sword.

  Before she gutted herself, Adolf snarled and jabbed the sword hilt into her stomach. Wheezing from the blow, Hayden tumbled back onto the ground, landing on her back.

  Adolf wanted her to execute this exercise as a show of physical and mental prowess. It wasn’t something she would likely execute during real combat, but Adolf wanted to see her succeed nonetheless.

  She wasn’t succeeding in the least.

  Hayden stared up at his displeased expression. “I am gaining more height.”

  His sneer twisted further. “You are still failing.”

  “You always seem to consider things with a glass half-empty.”

  Adolf was hardly amused at her poor attempt at humor. “During times like these, there is no situation deemed ‘close enough counts’. You either succeed, or you fail critically.” His expression was hard. “I know you’ve experienced both accounts and can vouch for that.”

  “More often than not, I experience critical failures,” Hayden mumbled as she stood.

  For a moment, she dwelled in a sense of melancholy.

  She knew Adolf had been close with Addie. She knew he’d harbored feelings for her and Addie most likely reciprocated those feelings. For several days, Adolf remained distant from Hayden, distant from everyone, really.

  He hadn’t said anything to her about Addie’s death, but Hayden wondered if he put partial blame on her. With the exception of Devan, no one had witnessed what transpired that day with the Hunters.

  Unsurprisingly, the other werewolves spread wild theories to what happened.

  Some theories Hayden did not appreciate hearing.

  She knew Adolf experienced his own loss that day. Several male warriors from Adolf’s pack had accompanied Addie into town. They hadn’t made it. On top of Addie’s death, Adolf had to mourn his pack members just as well.