Un.Wavering (Claimed Series Book 3)

by Reese Morgan

  She remembered Nicolas’ claim the day they’d witnessed the Hunters’ massacre. While the traditional werewolves had their backs turned, Celeste had worked diligently behind the scenes, constructing and breeding an unrelenting army.

  How many of these monsters Sired others, and in turn others?

  Their population was enigmatic and problematic.

  As much as Hayden hated to agree with Nicolas, she couldn’t dispute his earlier claim. This was no longer about fighting to win. This was about surviving.

  When the sounds of struggle ceased, Hayden forced herself to peek around the tree. The gore was obvious where the woman once stood, but Tracer’s puppet was no longer in sight. Stiffening, she glanced over her shoulder, desperately looking through the darkness to spy the hulking creature.

  Just because he bypassed her earlier didn’t mean he wouldn’t circle back around.

  But no one lurked nearby.

  Slowly, she got to her feet, noticing her trembling knees and her stomach growling with extreme hunger. Pushing past her vulnerabilities, Hayden continued forward. She kept her eyes focused straight ahead, refusing to study the mangled corpse on her left.

  The journey to the double-peaked mountain proved a longer trek than she’d initially thought. If her scent weren’t enough to lead enemies to her whereabouts, her growling belly, which sounded more like a wounded animal, would suffice.

  She missed Addie and her cooking. She missed the pack home. She missed Cole, Fergus, Blake and even Nathan. She wondered where Asher was and if he knew what happened to Albertville. She wondered how Shane was doing, and if he decided to hunt werewolves after what happened to his grandfather.

  How long would Nicolas lead Cole around the South, hoping to discover their parents’ past? As selfish as it seemed, Hayden hoped it didn’t take too long. She wanted to be back with her pack, back in numbers.

  “As usual, I see you’re not doing as you were told.”

  Snapping her neck around, Hayden spied Nicolas standing solitarily to the side. Unsurprisingly, he was tranquil and poised, revealing nothing on his expression. Blue eyes stared at her blankly, if not mockingly, no doubt amused he was able to sneak up on her.

  “You were told to meet us at sunset.” He looked at the sky. “Not nightfall, my dear.”

  “I ran into some problems, nothing I couldn’t handle.” She grimaced, not seeing Cole anywhere. “Did you even have any rogues following you?”

  Nicolas’ lip quirked. “One or two. They were of no consequence.” He cocked his head. “I knew you could handle yourself just fine. Cole had his doubts, but that’s to be expected. He hasn’t truly seen you in action as I have.”

  His eyes flickered beyond Hayden’s head and into the surrounding woods. A slow, unnerving smile crossed his features.

  “Oh hello, Igor.”

  As soon as the words left Nicolas’ mouth, a gun clicked audibly behind Hayden and a muzzle pressed into the back of her head. Fear washed her cold, yet she remained standing tall and composed. Shame washed through her for allowing Nicolas and Igor the Great to sneak up on her undetected.

  “I admit killing you now won’t accomplish much. But this will be just as satisfying, if not more so.” The gun dug further into Hayden’s skull. “You destroyed our last—”

  “Hope? Chance?” Nicolas finished briskly. “I am truly sorry about that, Igor. Truly.” He appeared anything but apologetic. “But your first mistake was threatening the girl instead of shooting her immediately.”

  Hayden glowered at Nicolas, her mind quickly running through her options. She knew the man standing behind her was double her size, if not triple. While she was confident in her abilities, taking down a giant wasn’t on her list of specialties.

  “I’m not afraid of you,” Igor stated coolly.

  Nicolas remained uplift. “Nor should you be. I am over here and you are over there. I wouldn’t get to you in time. But you should be afraid of her mate.”

  Just a short distance away, the snow churned softly as something shuffled stealthily through it. Hayden, sensing the upcoming confrontation, lunged away from Igor just as the gun fired.

  Though, the bullet hadn’t been for her.

  She threw a distracted look over her shoulder, watching as Cole knocked the gun from Igor’s hand. The weapon landed on the ground and Hayden quickly grabbed it before Igor retrieved it. Though, he was probably too distracted with Cole’s fury to think of anything but defending himself with his forearms.

  Shuffling backwards, she stood beside Nicolas, watching in awe as Cole effectively took down the larger man. Usually one to preach control, animalistic amber outlined Cole’s dilated pupils. His strikes were fast and they were lethal.

  Hayden could sense the change in him.

  Whatever drug they pumped through his body remained a prevailing influence. He seemed far less in control and extremely resilient despite the silver poisoning lingering in his system.

  “It will eventually wear off,” Nicolas informed, having sensed Hayden’s unease. “One of the ways Celeste holds control over her Carriers is through dependency. Any longer in Celeste’s hold and Cole would have thought nothing more important than his next dosage.”

  Her stomach plummeted with disgust. “Drugs?”

  “Similar, but not quite. If it were that simple, anyone could control the Carrier’s loyalty.” Nicolas glanced sidelong at Hayden. “No one can mimic Celeste’s formula. And she gave the formula to no one.”

  “Cole wouldn’t have sunk that low. Even if he were held prisoner for weeks, he wouldn’t let something as meager as dependency get in the way of his morals.”

  As she said this, Cole ripped out Igor’s throat with ridiculous ease. Hayden could only compare the scene to what Tracer’s puppet did earlier to the desperate female.

  She looked away, doubting her earlier claim.

  “Don’t be so melodramatic,” Nicolas scolded lightly. “Cole is just like the rest of us. Flawed. He is destructible, and he is not perfect. Celeste knows what she’s doing. She wouldn’t create mindless addicts, but she would use everything in her power to make them dependable on her alone.”

  Hayden could only marvel at Celeste’s brilliancy. The woman was extremely intelligent and influential. It would be difficult to destroy her.

  “Are you quite done?” Nicolas called toward Cole. “You are unsettling our pup here.”

  He placed a condescending palm on top of Hayden’s head, but she angrily pushed him away. She didn’t need them to see her as easily distraught, though Cole’s current demeanor did put her on edge. It was as if he were a different person.

  Even after just a couple days with Celeste, she’d managed to affect him.

  Snapping out of his haze, Cole stepped away from Igor’s fallen form and wiped a forearm across his face, removing any excess of blood around his mouth. He stared steadily at Hayden, his eyes still amber, yet far more tame than they had been earlier.

  “I’m hungry,” Hayden said abruptly, extinguishing the heavy silence. Despite the thick gore in front of her, she managed to conjure an appetite. “I’ll get us some dinner.”

  Just as she was about to retreat alone, Nicolas called out behind her.

  “You don’t need to worry about dinner. While you were taking your time getting here, Cole and I caught enough game to cook for all three of us.” He smirked at her, knowing perfectly well he thwarted her attempts to escape the situation. “Come.”

  He turned his heel and led the way, leaving Hayden and Cole to follow suit. She looked at her Alpha, sensing his extreme unease. His glazed eyes were evidence that the old Cole wasn’t present, but it still wasn’t enough to shun Hayden.

  She took a small step closer and curled her fingers around his hand.

  “It’s good to have you back, Cole.”

  He stared at her in silence, still struggling to come back down from his bloodlust. His eyes dropped to their locked hands and then to the safe distance she positioned herself. A sh
adow passed across his face, an unidentifiable emotion.

  “Cole—” Hayden began to explain, but found herself a loss for words.

  How could she possibly explain that she was ecstatic to have him back, but also a bit wary of him at the same time? It hadn’t been her intention to keep a distance, not when she wanted to demonstrate her support.

  Detangling their hands, Cole turned his shoulder and started after Nicolas.

  “You need to eat.”

  Hayden released a heavy breath, staring after the two brothers. Her eyes drifted towards Igor, or what was left of him, but then quickly looked away.

  It was best not to let her mind linger.

  * * * *

  Hayden never thought gnawing the flesh off a bone would be luxurious for her, but it was. For the first time in days, she was content as she ate her fair share of meat.

  And then some.

  For a moment, nothing worried her. Her stomach was full, the fire was blazing, and Cole sat opposite of her, free from Celeste’s hold. The only thing that ruined the picture of serenity was in the form of a scheming man, who sat only a short distance away from her.

  Nicolas appeared occupied with his dinner, but Hayden knew he was simply biding his time. Occasionally, he would glance at his brother, a soft smirk lifting the corner of his mouth. It was if the man eagerly awaited for the calm to break.

  Hayden knew Cole was restless. She knew he had questions, and she knew the initial relief during their reunion would fall way to frustration. He would want to know why she left the pack and chose to accompany Nicolas, of all people.

  “I think you owe me an explanation.”

  As predicted, Cole broke the silence.

  Unsurprisingly, his demand was directed towards Hayden, not Nicolas. She barely paid him any heed, acknowledging his ire and countering it with tranquility.

  “Blake and Nathan are more than capable of defending the pack together,” Hayden rebutted, throwing a clean, spotless bone into the flames. “After Celeste’s attack, we assembled and agreed to part ways. They joined Adolf’s pack up North and I accompanied Nicolas to rescue you.”

  Cole made a noise, halfway between incredulity and amusement. “Celeste.”

  Hayden looked at him sharply, frustrated, but she understood his disbelief. It had taken her awhile to accept that Nicolas was not solely responsible for the destruction. It would take Cole even longer, especially when Nicolas still had to answer for their parents’ death, and for the fact that he had joined forces with Celeste.

  “You remember that town of slaughtered humans on our way to your father’s cabin, Cole. Remember they began to turn? A werewolf shouldn’t have the ability to turn humans on nights that aren’t the full moon. But we witnessed it that night. You even commented on the abnormality.”

  It was upsetting, the way Cole looked at her. His face normally reflected strength and reservation, but tonight, darkness and obscurity took its place. Hayden tried not to let his change of demeanor affect her.

  Hayden exhaled at his silence. “You even told me you’ve noticed some of the rogues beginning to appear stronger. And some without scent. And when… when Tracer, Evan, and Nolan attacked you that day… you could barely fight back.”

  She remembered it vividly. At the time, she didn’t understand their enemies’ brute strength. It had been difficult to watch Cole go down so easily. The three Carriers had toyed with him, thought it was amusing to bring him down to his knees.

  “You are trying to tell me Celeste is creating a genetically-altered werewolf.” Cole’s expression remained carved from stone. “That sounds unreasonable, Hayden. It is far-fetched and far too fanatical.”

  Hayden glanced at Nicolas, noticing the eldest Slayter’s insistence to remain silent. It was probably for the best. If he tried to explain anything to his brother, Cole would purposely disagree and turn a deaf ear.

  However, Cole was also being difficult with her.

  In truth, he was being childish.

  “What’s unreasonable is that you’re intentionally trying to argue with me when you know what I’m saying is true.” She straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin defiantly. “How can you rebuke their strength when you faced it yourself? How can you possibly explain why you were injected with serum and held captive?”

  He remained silent, observing, and dangerously still. Slowly, he looked at Nicolas and then again at Hayden. His lips twisted into a semblance of a smirk, as if he saw some sort of comradeship.

  “I am not rebuking you.” He studied the fire briefly, the amber in his eyes glowing as it reflected off the flames. “What does Celeste hope to accomplish?”

  She tittered between relief and suspicion. Either Cole believed her, or he was simply humoring her. It was difficult to discern, she realized. She never felt this distant from him.

  “Nolan, Evan, and Tracer are her three Carriers,” Nicolas began. “They are the ones who Sire humans into superior creatures, gaining complete control over them. And in turn, Celeste has full control over her three Carriers. She was planning on turning you into a fourth Carrier.”

  “And Hayden?” Cole demanded unexpectedly. “What of her? Tracer was her Sire.”

  “Hayden was the first prototype.” Nicolas smiled grimly, as if reflecting on something fondly. “According to Celeste, a failed prototype. Hayden was too defiant. She also didn’t possess the strength Celeste demanded in a soldier. Back then, the serum hadn’t been perfected yet. Tracer wasn’t at full potential, not even half.”

  “What are the consequences?” Cole bit out. “With the serum in her system?”

  Nicolas glanced at Hayden and she gazed stonily back. She’d wanted to ask the same question earlier, but her mind was always preoccupied with Cole’s rescue.

  “She does have heightened ability—”

  “That isn’t my question.”

  Nicolas raised a simple eyebrow. “She has lived this long. There were others that were Sired around the same time. Most weren’t as lucky. Some are still alive. Some died periodically through the transformation.”

  Hayden flushed hotly the same time as Cole stood up. He held his temper in check, though, and refrained from crossing over to Nicolas’ side of the fire.

  “What do you mean periodically?” Hayden pressed.

  Though she was just as upset at Nicolas for withholding the information, she knew she needed to offset Cole’s wrath with composure, otherwise, her resentment would only fuel his anger through their bond.

  “Most died early in their transformation, my dear. I highly doubt you need to worry. You were the only female who survived, which is why Celeste finds you so captivating.” His eyes peered over the fire and on to Cole’s trembling figure. “If it wasn’t for me, Hayden would be in Celeste’s hold. I’d appreciate more gratitude.”

  Cole snarled at Nicolas’ audacity. “You’d appreciate more gratitude?”

  Hayden shifted, sensing the dangerous change of atmosphere. She didn’t want to see the two brothers start a fight. They had an extremely long road ahead of them.

  “Celeste has turned the Hunters against all the werewolves, traditional and rogues alike,” she interrupted sharply. “She’s perfected the serum and has been turning humans into mindless soldiers. Things are changing, Cole. This isn’t about pointing fingers.”

  As soon as she said it, she regretted it. Not only would he see her comment as belittlement, but also an attempt to defend Nicolas.

  Cole zeroed in on her and Hayden immediately lowered her eyes in submission, slumping her shoulders in apology. “I’m not asking you to forgive him,” she whispered, her words barely heard over the crackling fire. “I’m just asking you to keep an open mind.”

  “Open mind,” Cole repeated acidly. “Regarding what, exactly?

  Hayden paused, realizing they hadn’t broached the topic of Nicolas’ stipulation.

  “We are going to unearth how Xavier and Marie Slayter were involved in the scheme of things, of course.”
As usual, Nicolas remained coolly unaffected. “In order for you to believe it, I’m going to have to show you evidence. Proof.”

  Refusing to acknowledge his brother, Cole kept his eyes on Hayden. “This is what you agreed on? Without me?” He gave a dour laugh, a single bitter bark. “You’d rather spend an unquestionable amount of time with him, as opposed to going back to the pack?”

  Hayden shifted, sitting up straighter at the accusation. “You know I’d rather go back to the pack, Cole. But in return for Nicolas’ help, I agreed to—”

  “Dig up the past?” Cole interrupted. “The past should remain where it is. If Celeste is as much trouble as you claim she is, we need to get back to the others and focus on the present. We need to collaborate and establish a counter attack.”

  Nicolas tipped back his head and laughed coldly. “A counter attack? Don’t be so ignorant, pup. They are too strong. And as much as you think the past is not worth your time, it may be exactly what we need in order to destroy Celeste.”

  “Celeste wanted your parents dead, Cole,” Hayden added quietly.

  She understood Cole’s insistence to return to the pack. Who knew what Celeste had in mind? Protecting the pack from the unknown would be Cole’s top instinct as Alpha.

  On the other hand, Hayden knew the past might hold valuable information. Nicolas seemed to think so. Perhaps he already knew the details of the past, but understood the consequences of exposing it without evidence.

  “Their own son wanted them dead, Hayden,” Cole growled out. “There is no point hunting for skeletons. I need and will return to the pack. You are coming with me.”

  “I’m staying here.”

  The words were out before she could stop them. A small part of her regretted it. After all, what kind of Alpha chose the company of an enemy over her pack?

  However, Nicolas thought Cole needed to discover something for himself. And Hayden didn’t want Cole to live the rest of his life, never knowing the full story or the events leading up to his parents’ death.