Un.Wavering (Claimed Series Book 3)

by Reese Morgan

  Hayden slowly advanced forward, trying not to look too closely at the decapitated head. She issued a choked sob, her face crumbling. She hardly knew him, yet she mourned his loss.

  Jax must have been the first and only werewolf to follow her when she attacked Tracer’s puppets. He’d had her back, just as he’d promised. She hadn’t known he was so close behind her. She’d been blinded by her rage.

  There was someone inside the rogue compound that loved this man and relied on him to save her. There were many someones inside the compound that had their chance of a rescue taken from them because of Nicolas’ brilliant scheme of backstabbing.

  Bending down, she picked up the sword that belonged to Jax’s wife. She considered taking it, but then thought better of it. Her guilt would make it too heavy to carry. She felt responsible for Jax’s death and she wouldn’t be able to properly honor the sword.

  It belonged besides him, even in death.

  She curled Jax’s lifeless fingers around the hilt of the sword, making sure he had a proper grip. Hayden closed her eyes, her fingers lingering on Jax’s wrist.

  A choked, shuddering gasp suddenly sounded and Hayden’s eyes snapped open, her hopes high as she looked at Jax. Maybe she hadn’t seen right. Maybe his neck hadn’t been entirely decapitated—

  But it wasn’t Jax who was gasping for air.

  Another wheeze sounded and Hayden stood up, snapping her neck around to search for the source. When her eyes fell on Tracer, her body grew rigid.

  Slowly, she stalked toward her fallen Sire. Celeste’s venom made him indestructible. Nicolas’ bullet should have killed him instantly, but he still grasped for life.

  Hayden stared down at the struggling man, feeling… nothing.

  She crouched next to him, catching and holding his mismatched eyes. “You deserve to suffer,” she whispered. “You deserve every bit of pain that comes your way.”

  Whether subconsciously or not, Hayden pressed her knife to his exposed throat. He grunted, too much in pain to form a coherent plead. She imagined him to be pleading if he could. He’d gotten this far without dying. Ironic she now held his life in her hands.

  “You’ve ruined so many lives…” Hayden smiled without humor. “It’s only appropriate that you meet the same end. Don’t you think?”

  As she pressed the knife further against his throat, a hand suddenly curled around her wrist, stopping her from cutting mercilessly into Tracer. It was strong and it was commanding.

  “No.”

  Hayden blinked, taken aback at Tracer’s unexpected savior. She turned, staring into deep green eyes. Her hostility abruptly crumbled and turned into shock.

  “This is not you, Hayden.” Cole tightened his hold on her wrist. “This is not vengeance, its cold-blooded murder.”

  Her hand opened around the knife, letting it fall to the ground. “Cole.”

  She lunged at him, embracing him tightly. He embraced her back just as fiercely, nuzzling her cheek fervently and brushing his lips across her jawline. Though he’d been the one held prisoner for days on end, it was Hayden who sunk into him and let him hold her.

  She’d never known relief like this. It made her knees weak and her body limp. To have such a large and solid figure encasing her made her strength disintegrate.

  “Endearing, really,” Nicolas praised somewhere outside the fog. “But we need to move. And quickly.”

  Cole shifted and squeezed Hayden’s shoulder. “We can find our own way from here.”

  “Now isn’t the time for dramatics,” Nicolas countered. “You can’t even stand on your own two feet, let alone defend yourself and your mate. You need my help.”

  At the man’s proclamation, Hayden pulled away from Cole to properly look at him. Scars claimed the inside of his elbows, appearing like injection points from needles. Black and blue bruises lined his arms and his skin appeared pale and ashen.

  “It’s time you held up your end of the deal.”

  Nicolas was not speaking to Cole, but to her, Hayden realized.

  Cole lifted his lip, revealing a sharp canine. His eyes dilated and appeared fevered and glazed. “What did you blackmail her with?”

  It took Hayden a moment to reference Nicolas’ words. Earlier, he said he needed her to tame Cole and convince him to stay south for a few more days. She was supposed to be the mediator, someone who could persuade Cole to listen to his brother.

  Nicolas claimed he wanted to show Cole their parents’ past.

  “From what I’ve seen, she is more than capable of defending herself. Something as simple as blackmail would hardly deter her efforts.” The appraisal in both his tone and eyes were hard to miss and it riled Cole up even further.

  But that was Nicolas’ aim.

  Hayden never realized how difficult it would be to stand between two Alpha males.

  “I don’t think this is the best place or time to discuss it.” Hayden intervened before Cole exploded. “We need to get out of here—”

  And then chaos erupted. Again.

  A suctioned pop sounded and a needle-like bullet soared past Hayden. It graced her cheek just barely, the proximity causing goose bumps to dance across her skin. She gave a startled yelp, touching her cheek.

  “Go,” Nicolas ordered sharply. As he made a move toward the forest, he stomped on Tracer’s chest and aimed his gun at the wounded werewolf.

  He was going to finish Tracer off, Hayden realized after she picked up her discarded sword and knife. Only, as Nicolas pulled the trigger, nothing happened but empty clicks. There were no bullets left in the gun despite being nearly full before entering the rogue compound.

  The man looked at Hayden and something passed between them.

  It unnerved her that she knew what Nicolas was thinking. They’d only been traveling together for a couple of days, after all. Nonetheless, using a quick backward toss, she gave him her sword.

  In one fluid motion, Nicolas caught the blade and ended Tracer’s life.

  Hayden tried not to meet Cole’s eyes. The weight of his observance was stifling, yet she somehow managed to look past him and toward their assailants. She compared them to zookeepers, because that’s what their objective was; keep the beasts confined.

  They were the ones responsible for holding dozens of werewolves captive.

  She knew they were the brains of the organization, simply because their weapons were meant to stun and not kill. The object that had brushed Hayden’s cheek had to have been a tranquilizer of sorts.

  The other figures that emerged from the compound, however, were not zookeepers, but aggressors. And their weapons were far less friendly.

  A warm hand curled around the nape of Hayden’s neck and abruptly pulled her out of her stupor. She stumbled as he pushed her towards the woods, desperately trying to regain her footing. As she recovered, she offered Cole an unabashed look.

  She didn’t need him to remind her to retreat.

  They hadn’t been apart for long, but she’d forgotten about Cole’s smothering protection. Hayden didn’t know whether his insistent safeguard insulted or charmed her. She supposed it depended on his intentions; was it underestimation or a sense of duty?

  She sprinted alongside Nicolas and Cole, not needing to look at the latter to know of his exhaustion. He put up a brave face and matched Nicolas’ and Hayden’s speed with equal vigor. However, compared to his usual stride, it was heavy and lacked the grace of a stealthy hunter.

  Hayden dodged into the surrounding forest, the long, wispy needles of the evergreens scraping her face and exposed skin. Snow from their branches showered down on top of them, settling in the crevices of their clothing and on top their heads.

  “We’ll never outrun them,” Nicolas commented from behind Hayden. “Cole is too weak in his current state.”

  Dissatisfaction stemmed from Cole, yet the Alpha male remained silent to Nicolas’ words. It unnerved Hayden to see him so weak and abused. Usually the man was her cornerstone. Times like these were a vivid reminde
r to reality.

  Cole was not as indestructible as he seemed.

  “And what do you propose we do?” Hayden asked, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “Climb the treetops and hope they don’t sniff us out?”

  Nicolas chuckled lowly, appeasing her. “No, my dear. We simply split up.” He held up a hand, already sensing Cole and Hayden’s passionate rebuttal. “We have a better chance of getting rid of them if we force them in two different directions.”

  “Two.” Cole repeated darkly, already assuming where Nicolas was headed.

  “Hayden will go one way. You and I will go another.”

  Though it was a struggle just to keep up, Cole had enough energy to leer mockingly at his brother. His teeth gleamed threateningly in a contemptuous grin and his eyes sparkled manically.

  “I think not.”

  “Don’t be so foolish.” Nicolas pointed at Hayden and tossed her the sword. “She’s quick. And she’s good with a blade. She will have a better chance of going alone. If I sent her with you, I’d be damning her. She can’t defend both herself and you. I can.”

  She hated what he was doing. She hated even more that he was right.

  It was better to send their assailants in two different directions. And it made sense that a weakened Cole would go with Nicolas. While Hayden was confident in her abilities, she knew she couldn’t protect him and herself at the same time.

  The incident with Rachel was still fresh in her mind. She hadn’t killed the other woman, Evan had, but it was Hayden’s own mistake that ended her life.

  “He’s right.” Hayden found herself taking Nicolas’ side once again. “We will have a better chance if we split up.” She avoided Cole’s eyes, knowing he disapproved greatly.

  However, his disapproval was rather null compared to the frustration in his eyes. Hayden recognized that his frustration wasn’t with her, but at his own weakness. She knew Cole well enough to know he had an abundance of pride. It destroyed him to be a liability, to be a burden.

  “We will meet there at sunset.”

  Nicolas quickly pointed out a distant peak. It was rather distinct in that it had two peaks in close conjunction. Hayden thought it resembled a set of curved horns. It was a good distance away and she wondered if Cole was healthy enough to make it there by sunset.

  “Go.”

  There was an urgency in Nicolas’ tone that made Hayden jerk into action without hesitation. Her sensitive hearing picked up on several bodies making their way through the snow and towards the woods.

  With one last a sidelong glance at Cole, Hayden hurriedly curled away from them and in the opposite direction. She’d been traveling in the wilderness for quite some time now, but whenever she was able to exert herself, she felt alive.

  Her adrenaline heightened as she trekked through the woods, making certain she disturbed the snow as much as possible. She bumped into many tree trunks, intentionally rubbing herself against the bark in order to leave her scent.

  Their pursuers would be conflicted on which path to follow. Cole hardly had a scent because of the silver poisoning running through his veins, and Nicolas’ scent was rather faint as of late. Hayden carried a bit of both males on her coat from her earlier embrace with Cole and her close proximity with Nicolas.

  At any rate, it was difficult for male werewolves to completely ignore a female’s scent. She was confident that she’d distract a good number of rogues from Nicolas and Cole’s trail.

  She dodged and entwined her way through the woods. Her spirits were high now that they’d successfully rescued Cole, but it was vital, now more than ever, to remain alert.

  5. Chapter Five

  As the sun set below the horizon, the temperature dropped eagerly with it.

  Hayden pressed her back against a tree, breathing heavily. Small clouds of fog escaped her lips with each exhalation, a small indication of how cold the mountains were during nightfall.

  Fortunately, her toes remained warm in her boots and her body was generally unaffected by the biting chill. Her thoughts drifted to Cole, wondering if he struggled against the unforgiving cold. She remembered when Evan had given her silver poisoning; she’d struggled with feeling human and dealing with the unfriendly environment.

  Though, from the mental connection she shared with Cole, she knew he was slowly recovering. He was definitely a more prominent presence in the back of her mind. Surely he had enough wolf dominating his human side to withstand the cold temperature.

  At her side, her fingers clenched around the hilt of her sword. She distractedly wiped the blade’s blood on her pant leg, marveling at her current situation.

  Over ten bodies lay in her wake. She had a few lacerations and bruises to prove her altercations weren’t entirely one-sided. However, in the end, she was the last one standing.

  And that was all that mattered.

  Behind her, the horned peak loomed. Judging from the setting sun, she was late to her meeting with Cole and Nicolas. A subtle, persistent worry stemmed from her Alpha’s side of the bond, but he knew she was alive and well. There was no need for him to worry so much.

  She could handle herself.

  Hayden took another deep breath and pushed off from the tree. Silently, she moved over the snow, trying to refrain from making obvious tracks. She imagined most of the rogues either had given up or had died from her blade or Nicolas’ wrath. It was best not to lead any stray wanders to their current location.

  As she trekked toward the double peak, the sound of rapid gunfire suddenly echoed across the mountains. Hayden paused abruptly, stilling in order to pinpoint its general direction. Though, as soon as she paused to listen, a high-pitched scream sounded before it was abruptly silenced.

  Everything on the mountain was quiet and still.

  Releasing a breath she’d been holding in anticipation, Hayden gradually began moving again, her limbs tense and coiled.

  She’d forgotten they weren’t the only ones on the mountains. Amber Beard’s impromptu pack was still on the run, hunted relentlessly by Tracer’s puppets. However, she wondered if they were still mindless puppets given that their Sire was dead and no longer giving orders.

  Around her, the woods suddenly became unbearably dark. The heavy snow was the only element preventing the forest from being pitch-black. Though, somehow, even the snow seemed darker than usual. Odd shadows and dark shapes darted through the trees, cloaked in absolute darkness and stealth.

  Hayden clutched her sword tighter, trying to remain as silent as possible.

  Only, as the hairs on the back of her neck stood, she knew she’d been spotted.

  Whirling around, she spied the hulking figure behind her. She raced to the nearest tree and crouched behind it, her sword prepared to attack. The figure stood a good distance away. It was possible they hadn’t detected her location yet.

  She pressed her cheek against the cold and unforgiving bark, waiting in trepidation as the figure approached. It was clearly a male and he wasn’t too concerned with speed. His gait was slow, yet hypnotic and stiff.

  Hayden stopped breathing, least her visible breath give away her position. Something about this figure was unnerving. Perhaps the uncanniness stemmed from the sheer expanse of his rigid torso, or maybe the robotic way he moved.

  Nonetheless, Hayden crouched lower, deciding to forgo a surprise attack. Her instincts told her to remain hiding, to remain docile. And a moment later, she realized why.

  As the man advanced closer, Hayden identified it as one of Tracer’s puppets. The blank, yet unnervingly invincible eyes focused obstinately ahead, as if no outside interference was of any consequence.

  And it probably wasn’t.

  The beast carried power like a second skin. It wasn’t like Cole’s natural aura, or even Nicolas’ predatory aura. This puppet, this monster, possessed a wickedness foul enough to raise the hairs on her body and chill her to the bone.

  For a second, Hayden thought the puppet would pass her unnoticed. Her hopes sunk, however, when his
thick neck turned with cruel slowness and vacant eyes stared straight through her. Gasping softly, she inched further behind the tree, as if the flimsy trunk could somehow protect her.

  She needed not to have worried.

  As if stuck in a trance, the puppet turned his neck back forward and never missed a stride. He walked straight past Hayden, dismissing her completely.

  Slumping against the tree in relief, Hayden craned her neck around, studying the monster. Her eyes dropped to the ground, noticing immediately the snow was stained crimson. With each stubborn stride, Tracer’s puppet shed a significant amount of blood. Clearly, he was wounded, yet he didn’t let that slow him as he carried out his mission.

  Further down the woods, another figure stumbled blindly, gasping and wheezing. Hayden’s eyes dilated when she identified one of the females from Amber Beard’s impromptu pack. The woman was just as wounded as Tracer’s puppet, yet she clearly didn’t possess the same amount of determination.

  Desperation, maybe, but certainly not mind-numbing determination.

  Hayden grimaced, clutching the tree for support as the woman struggled to get away from the advancing creature.

  The suffering female hyperventilated. With each inhalation, a choked cry reverberated across the quiet, observing forest. Her face screwed up with intense concentration, though traces of deep terror lined her eyes. She dodged sharply, trying to avoid the puppet’s reaching hands.

  But she wasn’t fast enough.

  Hunching lower, Hayden closed her eyes. The last thing she saw were meaty hands curling greedily around the woman’s neck. Bones snapping and muscles tearing echoed in Hayden’s ears and she could do nothing to erase their memory.

  Adolf once told her that Cole could kill his enemies with his hands and teeth alone. She couldn’t imagine him doing something like this.

  The sudden realization terrified her. She hadn’t thought much about Celeste’s altered werewolves being so unstoppable. But they were. Even when their Sire died, they still carried out his orders with single-minded obedience.