by Reese Morgan
“Shane Donovan,” Hayden said numbly, her voice, despite being it soft, echoed loudly across the woods. “He was the deflector.”
From the corner of her eye, she saw Rylee Donovan shift closer, her eyes bright red and puffy from crying. Fortunately, Kieran still stood amongst the others. It was not his death she mourned, but probably another member of her pack.
“Shane?” she repeated dubiously. “I don’t believe that.”
Hayden scoffed bitterly. “Like Cole, he was playing his own role. He fed information to Celeste and the enemy Hunters in order to gain their trust.” Her attention remained on Evan’s decapitated head.
It was much easier to look at than Cole.
She didn’t know how to react.
“Where is he now then?” Rylee demanded. “If he’s not with the Hunters who betrayed us, he could be in danger—”
“He’s with Zane,” Hayden cut off quietly, tiredly. “They were keeping Zane in one of the houses within the gated community. They wanted to prevent Zane’s ally Hunters from uniting and fighting against Celeste. So they kept him captive.”
Rylee’s desperation was nearly palpable.
Kieran placed a hand on her shoulder and the other female sagged against his support. Hayden watched them from the corner of her eye, unfeeling.
“Was my dad ok?”
Hayden looked away from Evan and back toward the others. “He escaped just fine. He and Shane were together the last time I saw them.”
They didn’t need to know the details.
What happened in that basement was irrelevant.
To them, at least.
A biting chill seeped into her bones and Hayden shuddered. Now that the adrenaline no longer raced through her veins, she was exhausted and cold. Jaded. Defeated. A strong feeling of sadness coursed through her and Hayden did not know the exact source.
An arm wrapped around her shoulders.
Hayden turned, staring at Devan in disbelief. The other female smiled sadly and pulled her close.
“I think it's best we regroup,” Logan announced to the others. “Regroup, eat, and rest. Then we will get answers and formulate our next plan of action.”
She hardly heard the suggestion, too shell-shocked as Devan lured her away from the others. Hayden did not argue. Her mind was in disarray, her feelings even more so. She wouldn’t have been able to stand there much longer amongst the others.
Especially when they emitted a heavy fog of melancholy.
Looking over her shoulder, Hayden watched as the rest of her pack crowded Cole and readily embraced him. Their expressions were jubilant, relieved.
Cole looked over Nathan’s shoulder and caught her eye.
Hayden hurriedly looked away, wondering why she felt herself sink further into despair. His healthy return had been the most prevailing—most prevalent—mission on her mind these past few months.
She would have thought she’d be exuberant upon it becoming a reality.
Only, reality had a funny way of purposely avoiding expectations.
15. Chapter Fifteen
Their numbers were abysmal.
Hayden emerged from the trees and lingered at the edge of the woods, carefully analyzing the remaining werewolves. She didn’t see Eric, though she was sure a few members from his pack were present. Falco and Adolf’s packs were thin at best.
Her brother was missing.
So was Nicolas.
Still.
Kieran was present, as was the majority of his pack. Many of the other packs who had joined them earlier in the fight against Celeste were also missing, though she could not make a specific estimate, simply because she never paid much attention to the unfamiliar Alphas.
Fortunately, her pack all made it to safety.
She focused on the five werewolves huddled around their breakfast. They were as lively as Hayden had seen them in a long while.
Since Addie. Since before Cole left them.
Hayden had thanked Devan for bringing her away from it all. Away from all the scrutiny, the questions, and the false encouragements. After which, she convinced Devan to go back to the pack, claiming she’d only be a bit longer before rejoining them.
That was nearly an hour ago.
Her bones were still cold. Her skin still frozen to the touch. The lit and roaring bonfires looked agonizingly inviting, but she remained a coward. Fortunately, she had an excuse for her distance. Her ribs were on the mend, forcing her to stay standing upright so they healed correctly.
Even her right arm hung at her side, tingling as it healed.
Still, her attention remained on the distance, watching for Nicolas. Most the time, she glanced over at Cole, making sure he was still there and not an illusion. No matter how often she looked, the conclusion remained the same.
He was back.
“You should eat. Warm up.”
Hayden glanced narrowly at her father as he came to a stop next to her. “I know.” She went back to watching the distance. “I will after they arrive.”
Logan leaned against a neighboring tree. “That could be hours.” At her stony and intentional silence, he chuckled softly. “So stubborn.”
“I was told I get that from you.”
A smug grin crossed his features, making him appear almost boyish with his mischievous charm. Abruptly, that smugness died down as he withdrew a sword from his side holster and handed it to her.
“Earlier, Adolf was quick to notice you were without a sword. We have an excess number of weapons. You need to be armed.”
Hayden considered the sword, noticing it was rather plain and generic. The balance would be similar to her old blade, and considering their current situation, she didn’t want to be without one. She would make due. No matter how pretty or boring the sword, decapitations only relied on a sharp blade.
Mumbling her thanks, she accepted the sword and placed it into her back holster. She withheld a wince as her healing ribs protested at the movement.
“Are you here waiting for your brother and Slayter? Or are you here because you want to avoid your pack?” Logan inquired knowingly as he studied her side profile.
Her mouth twisted sourly. “Aren’t you concerned for Julian?”
“Of course I am concerned.” He hardly blinked at her change of subject. “But to stand here and await his arrival would indicate I don’t have confidence in his abilities. I am confident he will return, just as I know you are confident in Slayter. Which begs the question as to why you’re avoiding your pack.”
Hayden shook her head.
Underneath the many layers of anxiety and grim defeat, a flame of amusement flared.
“You got me.”
“I know my daughter,” Logan replied confidently.
His hazel eyes warmed as he reached out and placed a solid hand on her head. It nearly took up the entirety of her skull and it radiated a warm aura of fond affection.
“No one said you had to accept a proposal from him.”
“It’s not that.”
A part of her died with Cole. Literally and figuratively. Hayden had transformed, so had her canine side. It wasn’t a change she wanted to make, but it was a necessary change in order to survive.
In order to protect the others.
Now that he was back, Hayden didn’t know if she wanted to confront that part of her she’d bid farewell to so long ago.
“You’re upset that he decided to keep you and the pack in the dark about his intentions with Celeste,” Logan guessed correctly. His hand slid off her head and landed on her shoulder. “There is nothing unusual about what you’re feeling, Hayden.”
“Apparently there is, considering the others got over it quickly enough.”
She looked back at the pack, tensing when she noticed their rather somber expressions and futile glances her way. They were talking about her, obviously, probably trying to catch Cole up to speed with what happened these past few months during his absence.
Hayden looked away stubbornly.
“I should be proud of him,” she murmured. “He had to sacrifice so much to play that role. He undoubtedly had to go through hell and back by obeying Evan and Celeste to the point of mind-numbing obedience. I can’t imagine what he had to do.”
Logan squeezed her shoulder. “At least you can acknowledge that in your anger.” He hesitated. “But you relied on Cole to always be there for you and the pack. You’ve made it your mission to see him safe and back with you. As such, it most likely felt like a betrayal when you found out he was safe all this time.”
“Something like that,” Hayden confessed.
From the corner of her eye, she saw him smile.
“And sometimes, emotions are far too complex to put into words, no?” He slid his hand off her shoulder, yet remained a companion beside her. “Nonetheless, the other Alphas are very interested in hearing what he has to say. Like Falco, we are hopeful he has some leeway on the situation. Some good news.”
“How many werewolves do you think died in the attack?” she asked softly.
Logan inhaled and exhaled deeply. “It’s hard to say. Some may have run in the opposite direction, others died in their pack home.”
“Did you see Nicolas?” she pressed, unsatisfied with his vague answer. “You were in the group that went outside the walls to ward off Celeste’s men. So was he.”
“And Julian. Both of whom disappeared early on. I did not see them again.”
Hayden pursed her lips, displeased.
“They will show up.” Logan pushed off from the tree and inclined his head toward Cole and the others. “Be with your pack, Hayden. Do not take this time for granted.”
As he departed, Hayden saw Cole stand from his position by the fire and slowly approach her. She choked. With each step he took, her spine stiffened further. Obstinately, she kept her stare forward, though she was aware of his every gesture, his every move.
The other werewolves, the Alphas especially, watched his approach.
Clearly, they wanted his information and they wanted it badly.
Hayden did not fault Cole for keeping his secrets close to his chest. After all the betrayals and everything that had happened, he was smart for keeping things as discreet as possible. Knowing Cole, he accomplished quite a bit under Celeste’s thrall.
As such, the others were just as untrusting of Cole as Cole was of them. They would be suspicious of his motives now. They would wonder if he was truly out from underneath Celeste’s control, or if he would stab them in the back the moment he was able.
Hayden couldn’t quite blame them either.
However, she knew, without a doubt, Cole was in control of himself.
“One might assume that you are unhappy to see me.”
At his immediate presence, Hayden felt him with foggy awareness. Painstakingly, she noticed their bond was not like before. It was an awkward sense of completion, one that had once seemed flawless in its connection, but had either overgrown or shriveled with time.
“On the contrary,” Hayden replied quietly.
Cole’s fingers bypassed her and touched the tree bark just above her head. He maneuvered himself so the tree stood between them, yet he still kept a close distance.
Almost immediately, Hayden took note of his aura.
It was no longer full of youthful wildness, but unstable harshness.
He watched her, though Hayden did not look in his direction. Something told her if she were to look, her carefully built wall would crumble.
“I know that,” he replied solemnly. His voice was very rough, most likely from disuse. “The others told me how much you sacrificed to see me back with the pack. You never gave up. Just as I imagined you wouldn’t, Hayden.”
“I sacrificed everything,” she emphasized breathlessly. Her voice was high and pinched. She didn’t understand her body’s reaction. “And you were playing a part all along.”
Hayden laughed bitterly as the tears came uninvitingly. She had hoped she could have remained in control, but control was a fickle thing. It had slipped so cleverly through her white-knuckled hold. Nothing could stop the hot tears that slid relentlessly down her cheeks.
Ashamed, Hayden turned her back on him, on all the other werewolves and cupped a hand to her forehead in an attempt to compose herself.
Her face burned with both embarrassment and frustration.
Out of all the scenarios she’d pictured upon Cole’s homecoming, being angry and breaking down in front of him had never crossed her mind. She felt like an idiot, a very selfish idiot, but she couldn’t help herself.
She felt betrayed by him.
A shadow of gut-wrenching sorrow pierced through her, an emotion that was not her own. She hated to feel it, only because she knew it belonged to Cole. Their bond was still intact, but it was so different. So unfamiliar.
Strong hands settled on her shoulders and tightened when she stiffened.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered heatedly into her ear. He pressed his jaw against her head. Like in the past, pieces of her hair clung to his beard. “I’m sorry, Hayden.”
She closed her eyes as his hands moved down her shoulders and wrapped around her torso in a firm embrace. Throwing away her objections, Hayden turned in his arms and hugged him fiercely. She inhaled him, marveling at his presence and his health.
He was safe.
He was actually here with them.
This was what she’d wanted. This was what she so desperately fought for and desired. Her father told her to take advantage of this time while she still had it. His advice reminded her of all the loved ones she’d lost without warning.
Time was far too short to be angry.
“I’m sorry too,” Hayden whispered. “I’m happy to see you back with us, Cole.” Her words came out muffled against his broad chest and she couldn’t help but admire the heat coming off from him.
“You truly don’t know how relieved I am to be back with you. With the others.” Cole pulled back, cupping the nape of her neck. “You’re freezing,” he observed, his thumb brushing her jawline. “Come back to the pack. Warm up.”
His touch was bold, his gaze penetrating. He did not address the topic of his eldest brother, and for that, Hayden was thankful.
However, Nicolas’ scent masked her, a very clear sign to others that a territorial male had claimed her as his. One did not miss the scent, but in Cole’s case, he willfully overlooked it. She didn’t want to discuss it now, but she could discern from the look in his eyes that he would fight on that particular issue.
His thumb brushed the sensitive area beneath her ear and near her pulse point. He was scent marking as much as he could with one touch, disrupting Nicolas’ claim.
“Cole…” Hayden trailed off at his clenched jaw and his hardening features.
“No,” he said simply, dropping his hand. “You need to eat.”
She didn’t want to deal with this. Earlier, when she was with Nicolas, she didn’t think she had to confront her feelings about both brothers for a long while. She’d focused solely on getting Cole back safely.
Now she had to face this conflict prematurely.
It seemed like a silly issue to contemplate, given their current conditions. However, these were two Alpha males and Hayden knew she could not pull both of them along.
Hayden sighed heavily, watching as Cole started back towards the pack.
“Why did you do it?” she asked softly.
Cole stopped, his back turned towards her. He was silent for a moment before he looked at her over his shoulder. “I thought it was the only way. At the time, Hayden, everything seemed to tilt in her favor.”
“It still tilts in her favor,” Hayden rebutted. “Only your absence made things worse.”
“Hurting the pack was never my intention. Saving it was my primary goal,” he said. “Though it seems as if our numbers are taking a hit now, don’t be too sure her foundations were as solid as they once were.”
Her attention fell to his hands, which trem
ored faintly. Just underneath the cuffs of his coat, Hayden noticed the prominent veins in his wrists. Her attention then honed in on his eyes, noticing the large pupils.
Earlier, she’d marveled at his heat. After mulling it over, Hayden knew Cole was not simply giving off a normal temperature for a male werewolf, but fevered heat. Like most of Celeste’s puppets, Cole’s scent was inconspicuous, yet there was a very faint trace of sweetness. One would only carry such a sweetness when they were fighting off an infection.
“Was it worth sacrificing your health?” she asked firmly.
Cole appeared surprised at her observation. “Troy reassured me the serum would be out of my system within a few months of being clean. After which, I will no longer go through withdrawals.”
Hayden lifted her chin. “You worked directly with Troy Arnold? Often?”
He cupped his jaw and ran his fingers across his beard. He watched her carefully as if judging whether he could trust her. “Between you and I, Sophia worked more often with Troy than I did.”
Her eyebrows rose at the admission. “Sophia? Julian’s Sophia?”
Sophia, Celeste’s beta and the very same female her brother admired. So much so, he vowed to destroy his own mother in order to help her. Hayden hadn’t been very impressed with the other female, but then again, they tried to kill each other.
“The very same.” Cole dropped his hand. “She had freer rein than I did. I caught her trying to thwart Celeste. I convinced her I was trustworthy before we began working with Troy Arnold.”
“To do what?” Hayden pressed.
He smiled thinly at her thirst for information. “I will tell you, and everyone, everything I know in due time. Adolf and Kieran believe others will slowly start to trickle back to us during the day. Until then, you’re shivering and you haven’t eaten. Come.”
It was if he were luring out a wild and deranged animal from the trees. Slowly, he backed up and kept his eyes on her. Hayden wasn’t particularly pleased with the gesture, as she wanted to know about Celeste.
Nevertheless, her stomach growled and sitting by the fire seemed inviting.
For the first time since leaving the gated community, Hayden stepped out into the open and approached the others cautiously. Though Cole was by her side now, she still felt hollow, empty, and uneasy.