by Reese Morgan
But the food filtered in from outside and all thoughts of escaping vanished.
There were six males bumping shoulders inside the den and three females, including Hayden, squeezing between them. Moreover, as the food came in from outside, evidently right off the fire, she suspected there wouldn’t be enough meat to go around.
The meat was fresh, deer it smelt like, but that was all. A few wild mushrooms offset the main course and a few green leaves piled together to replicate a salad. The poor attempt at stretching the food reminded Hayden of something Fergus would do in hopes of lending a hand.
Fergus…
She grimaced as she thought of her pack. She missed them.
“Nicole. Come sit.”
Her supposed alias startled her, yet Hayden recovered quickly. She smiled gratefully at the leader of the pack, the man with the bushy amber beard, and sat next to the woman she’d interacted with earlier.
There was no table, only a flat, hard surface on the ground. Nonetheless, the rest of the werewolf pack appeared grateful. The large serving of venison passed amongst the group, murmurs of appreciation chorusing around the circle.
Nicolas wasn’t amongst the others. If the pack weren’t so helpful and ordinary, Hayden would be suspicious. However, even from the start, she’d known that Nicolas always possessed his own agenda. She just hoped he would make a reappearance in time to extract Cole from Celeste’s hideout.
The pack members said nothing of significance as they dished out their portions. There were no forks, no plates, nothing but hands and dirty ground. Hayden accepted the venison without a single complaint, her empty stomach willing to eat anything edible.
Back at the cabin, standing amongst the slaughtered Hunters, Nicolas told Hayden that Celeste had already won this war. According to him, it was impossible to reverse the damage, and things would never be as they were. Examining the condition of this pack, Hayden wondered if this was the future.
Would there be no normalcy? No more of Addie’s home-cooked meals? Would werewolves gradually leave behind their human etiquette and embrace the habits of their wolf? Of the wilderness?
“I’m sure you’re wondering where your mate is, Nicole.”
Truthfully, Hayden was more concerned over having a second helping of venison, though she doubted the pack would appreciate her lack of concern for Nicolas. “I am,” she agreed placidly. “I’d also like to thank you and your pack for healing me.”
A collective pause swept through the group, instantly putting Hayden on edge.
Had she said something wrong?
“This is not my pack,” Amber Beard informed. “We call this an… impromptu pack, if you will. Many of us happened across each other out of mere coincidence. We all have one thing in common and one common goal. It was easier to band together rather than fail individually.”
Hayden examined each member of the ‘impromptu pack’, noticing there was no general hierocracy. Amber Beard seemed to take the lead; otherwise, everyone else, even the males, seemed rather subdued.
There was no struggle to gain dominance, no struggle for authority. Each member only shared a collective ominousness.
She was afraid to ask, but she was never one to back down from a challenge. “And? What is it that you all have in common?”
“Nicolas Slayter.”
Hayden froze at the admission. “Nicolas Slayter,” she repeated, her tongue turning heavy with shock. “What… what do you mean?”
Had she underestimated this pack? Was she wrong to assume Nicolas was safe and unharmed? She’d thought his absence was because he didn’t like socializing and mingling with others. But what if the pack had found out his true identity and killed him?
Amber Beard and the others gazed at her with various levels of perplexity.
“He’s the rogue Alpha, of course.”
Hayden straightened her shoulders, losing her appetite. She had to play along. It was difficult to remember that most others didn’t know about Celeste. “I know that. But how is he tied to all of you?”
“And you,” the female next to Hayden mumbled.
“The rogues took someone whom we love very much.” Amber Beard jerked his chin towards the group in general. “We were able to trace them to a compound, which is guarded by a pack of rogues. We all have a mate, a child, a pack mate, or in your case, a brother that is being held prisoner there.”
She tried not to outwardly react to the admission that Cole was now her brother. Nicolas certainly knew how to twist things.
“I’ve been here the longest amongst this group,” the man continued, “I’ve seen many individuals try to take on the security at the rogue complex by themselves. It never ends in their favor. Never. I’ve seen more beheadings these past few weeks than I have in my entire lifetime.”
Hayden grimaced, scanning the others in the group and instantly noticing their grave, but determined expressions. She realized she did share a comradeship with these people. Like Cole, many of their loved ones were taken captive by the rogues.
She assumed Celeste wanted to turn Cole into her fourth Carrier. What Celeste wanted with these other werewolves, Hayden didn’t know and could only speculate.
“You’re planning on attacking the rogue hideout together,” she presumed.
“We are.” Amber Beard motioned toward two burly men. “With these two having just arrived, and you and your mate, I believe we have enough people.” There was a sudden shift in the leader’s expression. “We can’t thank your mate enough.”
Several members nodded sincerely, their expressions clearly indicating they thought highly of Nicolas. Hayden could only stare in muted horror, her stomach tightening with dark humor.
“Cayden was able to recover weapons for us and more ammunition. While you were healing, he accompanied Jax to a Hunter’s supply shed and brought back much needed artillery.”
It was difficult to comprehend. Even Jax, cryptic and bitter man who greeted her upon waking, appeared appreciative of Nicolas’ assistance.
Somehow, while she’d slept, Nicolas had interacted with and manipulated every single member of this group. Hayden knew the Slayter male. He did not do things out of the goodness of his heart. He was playing a game with these men and women… she just didn’t understand why.
It was also a bit unsettling that the majority of the werewolf community knew of Nicolas Slayter, yet not many people could identify him upon contact.
“Where… where is he now?” Hayden ventured slowly, still not accustomed to lying. “I expected him to be here when I woke up.”
She wondered if they believed her false vulnerability and insecurity. Then again, if Nicolas twisted these people in his favor, then Hayden could too. Though, one would argue that Nicolas was far more charismatic and far more cunning.
The man thrived off pulling strings.
“While he did help us obtain more weapons, we still could have used more.” It wasn’t Amber Beard who responded, but Jax. “Despite our forewarnings, he traveled further south to get more weapons and possibly more manpower.”
There was a heavy silence and Hayden grew unnerved.
Had Nicolas died?
“Don’t worry, Nicole.” A hand landed on Hayden’s knee, squeezing reassuringly. “I’m sure he will be alright.”
“I would greatly appreciate it if you could just spit out what you’re not saying.” Her sharp tone caused the encouraging hand on her knee to quickly retreat.
The other werewolves stared at her warily, apprehensive.
“The further south you travel, the higher the population of Hunters. It’s a breeding ground,” someone provided. “There was a risk involved… Cayden seemed hesitant in leaving you, but he knew how much your brother meant to you. He said if he wasn’t back by morning, we should proceed without him.”
She sat in silence, mulling over the words. They all seemed generally concerned about Nicolas’ safety. Unlike her current company, Hayden wasn’t the least bit concerned for him, as h
e was capable of taking care of himself, but she was concerned over what he had up his sleeve.
Why leave now? Why leave when they found an army willing to take down Celeste’s stronghold? It didn’t make much sense to her. As usual, Nicolas cloaked himself in secrecy and it unnerved Hayden completely.
What was he planning?
“We move tomorrow?” Hayden asked for confirmation. “And… Cayden told you to move on without him if he wasn’t back by morning?”
“Are you going to slow us down if he doesn’t come back?” One of the gruff, muscled men demanded sourly. “If you are, you can stay behind and worry for your mate here, in the den. We would extract your brother better ourselves rather than carrying your dead weight.”
“Stop,” Amber Beard interrupted before Hayden had the chance to defend herself. “All of us need to be ready tomorrow morning. If Nicole doesn’t feel up to it tomorrow, she can stay behind. Otherwise, we would welcome her assistance.”
Hayden stared at him through lidded eyes. He wasn’t so much a leader as he was a mediator. Although she wanted to give muscle-man a piece of her mind, she held her tongue, realizing there was a time and place.
She picked listlessly at her venison. Fortunately, she gave off the impression of being worried without trying too hard. Only, they would think she fretted over Nicolas’ return and safety. In reality, she was worried over his intentions and his deceiving mind games.
All that mattered to Hayden was that Cole got out of Celeste’s hands.
If that meant she had to abandon Nicolas and team up with this impromptu pack, so be it. All of them appeared capable of handling themselves in a fight. Even the women appeared battle-weary and prepared.
She supposed having a loved one in danger gave even the most unlikely candidates the courage to fight. Most vulnerabilities and uncertainties were set aside in order to reobtain what was lost.
Despite the sobriety of the situation, there was one thing that sent an excited thrill down her spine. One way or the other, she would see Cole tomorrow.
* * * *
“Are you certain you want to accompany us?”
“I’m certain.”
Hayden busied herself by strapping her knives around her torso, making certain they were properly secure. The last thing she needed was her holster to come loose when she grabbed a knife.
However, she didn’t have to worry about her knives in the immediate future. During the upcoming conflict, or battle as these werewolves liked to call it, she would wield a sword. While she was good with her knives, she knew they weren’t a realistic weapon during a combat with so many close opponents.
“Nicole, I know you want to see your brother again—”
Hayden looked up, effectively silencing the woman with an uncompromising look. “Will you stop questioning me?’ She exhaled levelly, trying to calm her temper. “I said I was fine. I’ve been looking forward to this since... my brother was taken by the rogues.”
At Hayden’s less than friendly response, the other female narrowed her eyes before turning her heel and leaving. Clearly, she believed she was doing Hayden a favor by constantly questioning her about Nicolas’ absence. In all actuality, it was an insult.
The Slayter male never returned from his ‘mission’ that morning. Because of his ominous absence, the rest of the impromptu pack grew worried for Hayden. With an empty stomach, and a growing restlessness, her irritation only grew under the constant surveillance of the other werewolves.
They thought she’d be the weakest link of the group because of Nicolas’ absence. They thought she’d be a dead weight. Even if they were foolish enough to leave her behind, Hayden would attack that rogue complex with or without their damn help.
“Here.”
A man thrust a rifle in her hands rather rudely.
Hayden stared blankly at the weapon before looking up at the man who’d given it to her. “What is this?” she asked softly with a hint of menace.
The male, Muscle-man, she liked to call him, grimaced at her. “It’s a rifle,” he said slowly, as if she didn’t quite appear adequate enough to understand simple English. “Raise it. Point it at enemy. Use it.”
“I requested a sword.”
“All the females are using rifles.” Muscle-man bared his teeth in a mocking grin. “I’m sure you can handle aiming and firing. Can’t you…woman?”
Hayden’s fingers curled around the rifle, the only sign of her anger. Her face betrayed nothing as she raised the rifle expertly and aimed directly at the male werewolf. She released the safety and offered a simple, coy smile.
“Like this?” she inquired innocently.
The man backpedaled, his face turning crimson with anger. “Are you insane?”
She kept the rifle aimed. “I will gladly ‘aim and fire’ during the battle. Unfortunately, one cannot guarantee my aim will prove true. It may accidently slip to one of my own people. I require a blade. Can you handle that, man?”
He stared at her. She stared back stonily, hardly daunted as he puffed out his chest and doubled his size to intimidate her.
“It is quite impressive to encounter an Alpha female, despite her rather unpredictable temperament.” Amber Beard appeared next to her, offering a sword hilt-first. “You can put down your rifle, Nicole. I have your blade right here.”
Without taking her eyes off Muscle-man, Hayden lowered her rifle and exchanged it for the sword. “Thank you.” She acknowledged the man’s concern and attempted to soften her tone. “I will be more useful to the group if I have a blade in my hand.”
Despite Adolf teaching Hayden how to defend herself with knives, he had thrown in a few lessons on swordplay. She wasn’t an expert by any means, Adolf would consent to as much, but she was more comfortable with a sword than she was with a rifle.
Muscle-man scoffed, breaking eye contact. “Wasting a sword…”
He wandered off grumbling about women knowing their place, raucously making up for the fact that Hayden had gotten under his skin. Most males didn’t know how to react to a dominant female.
Cole and Nicolas were familiar with her challenges. They simply met it with their own brand of dominance. They rarely, if ever, let her win, and Hayden respected them for that. She’d rather lose than not be taken seriously at all.
Hayden locked gazes with Jax from across the den. The male watched her closely, simply inclining his head when he acknowledged the seriousness in her eyes. He sheathed his wife’s sword and approached the exit of the hideout.
After fastening her coat, Hayden followed him out of the den, well aware of the eyes following her. They most likely thought it was odd she wasn’t anxious over her mate’s absence. She hardly cared. The only reason Nicolas invented a story was to cover his own hide and scheme some sort of plan.
She clambered out of the den, thankful to be standing above ground with fresh air. Jax lingered behind her, his eyes intent as she turned to face him.
“He risked his life because we saved you.”
“What?” Hayden asked ineloquently.
“Your mate, Cayden,” Jax clarified. “He said he owed us his life for taking you in and healing you. That’s why he went south to gather more men and more weapons.” He watched her closely, looking for something specific or waiting for a certain reaction.
Hayden withheld a sigh and leveled him with an unabashed look.
“I don’t know what all of you are expecting me to do. I’m not going to be a burden today. The man that’s inside that hideout, being held by the rogues, is my main priority right now.” She opened the flap of her coat and hooked her sword holster around her waist. “As much as I don’t expect you to understand, my mate doesn’t influence me—”
“You don’t need to go on the defensive,” Jax interrupted dully. “If anyone understands the mechanics of unrequited relationships, it’s me. I find the whole ‘being assigned a mate’ tradition ridiculous. It’s why I left my pack and found my wife. My own choice. My love.”
; Hayden froze and studied the man opposite of her. Her eyes dropped to his wedding ring, seeing it in a different light. Devan and Joseph had betrayed their packs in order to be together. She was sure there were others, just like them.
Mating inside the pack was a tradition Hayden didn’t support either.
“How about life mates?” She didn’t know why she’d asked, but she wanted to know someone else’s opinion on the subject. “Do you find them just as ridiculous?”
“Why not?” Jax frowned and scrutinized her. “While they are rare, and they do possess remarkable gifts while together, it still doesn’t leave the two individuals much choice, does it? It’s a forced relationship and not one by choice. It is a required obligation.”
“But it is by choice,” Hayden rebutted. “Just because you have a life mate doesn’t mean you need to acknowledge the bond. Or finalize it.”
The brunette-male offered a careless shrug. He touched the hilt of his wife’s sword, more out of habit than a conscious effort. “But once you finalize it, you cannot go back. And just because you are life mates doesn’t mean it forces you to treat your significant other with respect. Contrary to the fables, pup, having a life mate is a condemnation to hell. If your partner is a corrupt soul, you’re forever stuck with him or her.”
She never considered his viewpoint before. To her, she assumed the term life mates meant a perfect relationship between two perfect people. She was fortunate with Cole, but that didn’t mean others were so lucky to be destined with their mate.
“Why the sudden interest in life mates?” Jax questioned. “You don’t remind me of a woman with her head stuck in the clouds.”
“It’s not a silly fantasy,” she bit out. “I was curious to know your opinion, that’s all.”
He hummed in acknowledgement, but made no other effort to continue the conversation. The others filed out of the den, their weapons either in their grasp or strapped across their back.
She spied the two women holding rifles, clearly not as opposed to their weapons as Hayden had been. Muscle-man leered at her from across the forest, clutching his sword as if it were the Holy Grail itself.