by Reese Morgan
Hayden whirled around, her feet crunching noisily on the rocks as she frantically sought the source that silenced nature. Her eyes jumped from tree to tree, peering into the shadows and even looking up into the surrounding trees.
She could feel the eyes on her. She could feel her hairs stand on end. Yet, her observer remained elusive.
And then a single leaf fluttered from above and settled gracefully at her feet.
With her heart in her throat, Hayden craned her neck back and looked straight above her head. There, crouching on a sturdy branch, was one of Celeste’s puppets. His grey eyes were blank, yet malevolent as they stared unwaveringly down at Hayden.
Her courage faltered and wavered at the sight of such a detached enemy. Her mind replayed the scene that took place in the Nevada woods. Tracer’s puppet had ripped out that female’s throat with such impeccable ease. Even if he’d been fatally injured at the time, it hadn’t distracted him from his master’s last orders.
Whatever orders this one was following, Hayden was clearly involved.
The puppet lunged itself off the branch, his entire body one fluid motion as he zeroed in on Hayden. She stumbled backward, hesitating just briefly over her options. Like a fool, she could courageously stay put and try to fend off the puppet with a throwing knife, or maybe she had time to unsheathe her sword.
Opting for survival, she turned her heel and sprinted away.
Running on a rocky incline was a challenging feat, but she channeled as much grace as she could into her steps. Her toes hardly touched the ground as she flew across the terrain, hoping her speed was at least superior to the beast behind her.
Throwing a peek over her shoulder, Hayden’s hopes sunk miserably. The puppet kept up easily, matching her stealth and silence with equal fortitude. Throwing his arm back, he swung it at the back of her head.
She had enough forewarning to drop to the ground before his fist hit its mark. The puppet hit the tree trunk, causing the bark to explode and the tree to groan wretchedly. Hayden rolled out of harm’s way and flipped back around onto her feet. Only, as soon as she sprang to her toes, a hand grabbed her around her neck and hauled her off her feet.
Clawing at the clammy hands, and kicking the solid torso, proved to be ineffective. Hayden briefly thought back to Nolan, one of Celeste’s main Carriers that brought down Cole. He was a brute and nothing, it seemed, would slow him down.
Her breathing came out hitched as her airways were crushed. Nolan had broken her neck before, but that had been clean and quick. She knew this puppet would bite her throat out, or if she was lucky, he’d just tear it out with his hands.
Neither option sounded especially inviting, but she’d rather it end than continue to have her windpipe pulverized to dust.
Looking into her enemy’s face, she could see no malevolence, no amusement, nothing but a blank slate. Her legs and arms became tingly and limp and her vision turned black at the edges.
As soon as she thought the end was near, Hayden was suddenly thrown through the air like a simple rag doll. She hit a tree hard and slumped to its base. Coughing, and trying to blink her vision back to normal, Hayden squinted at the figure standing before her.
Somehow managing to maintain an aura of elegance and sophistication, Nicolas stood in front of Hayden, his chin held high in the face of Celeste’s puppet.
With his feet planted shoulder width apart, the Alpha male stood his ground as the marionette charged forward.
The fist that struck at Nicolas was meaty and unforgiving. Only, the Alpha ducked abruptly, taking possession of the fist and turning the entire arm at an awkward angle. The joint popped, yet the puppet hardly let that deter him as he shook his prey away.
Repositioning himself, Nicolas waited once more until his enemy was within reaching distance. He struck out, grabbing the puppet’s neck with one hand. While maintaining a tight hold, he flipped onto his adversary’s shoulders and rolled across his back. As he landed on the other side, the puppet’s neck snapped audibly.
Manipulating the continued momentum to his favor, Nicolas flipped the large body onto the ground.
Hayden scrambled up, in awe and rather envious at how easy Nicolas made it look. While both Cole and Nicolas possessed a natural grace, it was the eldest brother that excelled in the art.
His face was cold, his eyes even colder as he surveyed his fallen prey. His posture remained regal as he circled relentlessly, never lowering his guard, yet somehow appearing victorious despite his detachment.
It was then when Hayden was struck with an incredibly unsettling realization. Her appreciation for Nicolas wasn’t entirely platonic or professional. He was attractive, she admitted meekly. She’d always known it, but it was suddenly an issue now.
A big issue.
Cole had a rugged attractiveness to him, a wild flame to Nicolas’ cold collectiveness. She’d always appreciated her life mate’s unruliness, but somehow, Hayden no longer thought the cold as lifeless or as inferior.
His pale eyes suddenly pinned her with a stare, startling her and making her feel guilty. “They may possess remarkable strength, but their lack of freewill prohibits true intelligence in combating.” He held out a pale hand. “Sword, Hayden.”
Glancing at the puppet on the ground, she noticed it stirring. Her hands trembled as she reached towards her belt and unsheathed her sword. She avoided eye contact with Nicolas as she handed him the weapon.
His long fingers lingered over the sword before they swiftly changed course and encircled her wrist. With his opposite hand, he grabbed her chin and forced eye contact. He peered down into her eyes.
“Did you hit your head? Does it hurt terribly?” A smirk crossed his aristocratic features. “Why the sudden submission, my dear?” Nicolas’ pupils suddenly dilated and his grin faltered, as if he knew what she was thinking.
“That is interesting,” he drawled, entirely intrigued.
Forcing herself to regain composure, Hayden batted him away, flushing with anger and shame. “What took you so long to get here?” She motioned at the puppet, who slowly got back to his feet. “And you haven’t finished your job.”
Nicolas took a step back, choosing not to take the weapon. “No matter how superior a creature is, they are still disorientated after a broken neck. I would like to see you finish him off.” At her startled glance, Nicolas smiled thinly. “Go on.”
Hayden gritted her teeth and withdrew a throwing knife from her holster. Just wanting the situation to be over, she threw it at the man’s forehead with deadly accuracy. It imbedded between his eyes, but Hayden knew it wouldn’t kill the beast immediately.
She advanced forward and kicked his knees. The disoriented puppet never had the chance to land, for Hayden swung her sword and beheaded him before he touched the ground.
Staring at the corpse, she felt pity for the beast. She never enjoyed taking a life, no matter how corrupt and brainwashed it may be. This man had been someone before he’d been bitten by a Carrier. He could have had a family.
When it used to be simple rogues without altered venom, their bitten victims had a chance of being someone. With Celeste, they were mindless, and they were minions.
She sheathed her sword and retrieved her throwing knife.
Turning, she was startled to see Nicolas leaning against a tree, simply watching her. There was nothing distinguishable on his expression, yet his eyes were contemplative and intense. The man was always shrouded in shadow, never one who favored expressing his inner thoughts. And yet, Hayden hadn’t seen him this closed off since she’d first met him.
“Are we going to continue? Or do you need to rest?” she asked, breaking the silence.
His eyes swept the length of her. “Not like that, we’re not.” Pushing off from the tree, he began to descend the hill. “We aren’t far from our destination. You need to wash off as much of that mud as you can.”
“It’s a small creek.” Hayden started after him. “It’s not going to do much of anything.”
Ignoring her, Nicolas continued to lead the way.
She stared at his broad shoulders, grimly observing his immaculate and clean form. Trust Nicolas to escape the altercation flawless.
* * * *
Hayden supposed there were worse things in life than soggy boots. It was an uncomfortable feeling, but at least she’d been able to remove a significant amount of mud from her person. Her clothes were nearly dry and she smelt cleaner than she had in a long time.
Fortunately, Nicolas discovered a deeper body of water she’d comfortably used without complaint. And despite his sudden disappearance, Hayden knew he had taken advantage of bathing just as well.
“Celeste is after you.”
Hayden paused at the abrupt admission. Since the incident with the puppet, Nicolas had stayed silent, opting for intense glances and stewing silences.
“I thought you already knew that,” Hayden replied tensely.
“I don’t quite think you understand what I mean.” He turned to look at her. “She wanted Cole or myself as a Carrier. You happened to be a strong female with a connection to both of us. I’d thought she wanted you for experimental reasons.”
She grimaced. “Does she do that often? Experimenting?” A morbid thought suddenly struck her. “Is that what she’s doing with all those werewolves she captures? She experiments on them?”
Hayden wondered if Jax’s wife was going through experiments. She wondered if all those werewolves whom Amber Beard planned to rescue were being prodded and tested like animals. It made her guilty, more than ever, to realize they’d missed their opportunity of being rescued.
“Among many other things,” Nicolas confirmed. “But I find it doubtful she only wants you for experiments.” The Alpha male frowned. “Her puppet was only after you. Celeste would not use resources to capture a mere female just for research.”
She wondered at his deep puzzlement. There was something else bothering the man, yet he would never divulge that information.
“I think you mentioned it earlier,” she reasoned. “I have a connection to both you and Cole. If she captures me—the weakest link— she will draw one, if not both of you into her possession.”
It really did take a great effort to admit she was the weakest link…
“Perhaps,” Nicolas conceded quietly, yet that was all he said on the matter.
Hayden didn’t like his aloofness, especially when the subject pertained to her. “What do you think it is?” she demanded, her voice hard. “If you have something to add, I’d be more than happy to hear it.”
He remained unaffected by her outburst and continued casually. “You will keep a distance with Cole once he rejoins us.”
“What?” Hayden asked, surprise washing through her at his demand.
Nicolas suddenly turned, reaching out and pressing a dominant hand to her shoulder. “He is not himself,” he explained. “He may not be thinking logically. Perhaps Celeste discovered the bond you share with him. If that is the case, it is vital, now more than ever, not to mate with him. You cannot let her take advantage of that bond.”
She found herself a loss for words, torn between embarrassment and insult.
Quickly unsheathing her sword, Hayden pressed the edge of the blade against Nicolas’ wrist. She maintained eye contact with him as she forcibly nudged his hand off her shoulder, both in warning and intimidation.
“What do you think we’re going to be doing?” she growled darkly. “Rutting in the leaves between battles? Have a bit more respect and confidence in my abilities.”
Even though she had no idea where they were going, she continued the brisk pace Nicolas previously set. She kept her sword drawn, a subconscious effort to regain her pride. Did Nicolas think she was a simple floozy? Had she not proven herself capable?
A foot suddenly came out and swiped her off her feet. Hayden managed to keep her footing, however, but she did not anticipate the fist to her stomach. Her sword abruptly left her grasp and firm hands shoved her against a tree.
It had happened so fast. Her eyes barely had time to adjust.
Nicolas pressed the blade against Hayden’s throat and leaned his entire body against hers. His eyes were bright with sadistic excitement, the brightest she’d seen them in a while.
“You do possess pride of an Alpha, I’ll give you that much.” He pressed himself closer, their lips a near breadth away. “My warning had nothing to do with disrespecting you or your abilities. It had to do with my inclination as to why Celeste may be after you alone. Watch Cole. Keep a distance.”
She stared into his challenging eyes, feeling the wantonness and the aggressive tension. Her stomach clenched pleasantly in response, and her inner wolf all but preened at the firm attention of a worthy Alpha male.
Nicolas suddenly pushed her legs apart, though he didn’t need to extract much effort to do so. Her body may have reacted positively to his proximity, but her mind reeled. She wanted him close, she hardly felt uncomfortable with his advance, yet there was a horrible weight of guilt in her stomach. It made her stiff with fear.
It made her think of Cole.
Leaning into her, Nicolas slid the blade higher on her neck, forcing her head back. His breathing strained as his pale eyes traced possessively across her face. His lips hovered over hers and Hayden wondered if she wanted him to close the distance or not.
He pushed away, turning his shoulder on her in order to compose himself.
His sudden distance was both a relief and a disappointment. Hayden hated that he had the ability of sparking any sort of emotion within her. She watched him warily, noticing his clenched jaw and curled hands. It was a rarity for him to display signs of obvious tension.
She’d gotten under his skin, Hayden realized, just as he’d gotten under hers.
Staring at his stiff and detached figure, she wondered if he’d stopped because he felt it was a betrayal to Cole, just like Hayden did. But as the eldest Slayter turned to look at her, she knew Nicolas was not a man who let much of anything stand in his way.
Even if it was a brother he loved dearly.
His eyes glittered aggressively as he scrutinized her. There was a hunger within his gaze that Hayden couldn’t possibly fathom, could not understand. It made her stomach clench with undeniable curiosity and want.
No, Nicolas did not stop his advance because of his duty to Cole. He stopped because he’d likely sensed Hayden’s turbulent feelings and her reluctance to get too close.
“Your sword holster.” Nicolas held out a hand, an echo of dark lust lacing his tone. “Give me your sword holster.”
Frowning, Hayden reluctantly unfastened her holster from her waist and passed it to the male Alpha. Without a word of explanation, he fastened it around his hips, hiding both the holster and the weapon underneath his long, dark coat.
“What…”
“Civilization is just past those trees.” He motioned west, gradually regaining his detached poise. “The town holds the origins of Logan and Celeste Crow. Unfortunately, the majority of the residents are human. They would not take kindly to swords.”
“Hunters?” Hayden inquired, trying to shake off the earlier situation.
She wouldn’t address what happened. He wouldn’t address what happened… at least not yet. Unlike his brother, Hayden had a sinking suspicion that Nicolas would not let it rest forever. He would never deny his attraction. He would be relentless in his advances.
“A few,” he replied. “Not quite possessing the Donovan passion.”
She grimaced at the mention of Shane’s family. “And what are we going to do when we get there?” Hayden followed Nicolas as the man started towards civilization. “Celeste can’t possibly be here still.”
“Of course not. As I told you earlier, Xavier trusted Logan to a significant amount of his finances. I want to try to find the business he ran in town and any business partner he may have had.”
Nicolas’ eyes swept across the woods, as if sensing something Hayden could not.
“You already know his business,” she guessed. “You just need to show Cole.”
“All in due time.”
Nicolas moved through the line of trees and Hayden hesitated behind him. She breathed deeply, trying to stop her racing uncertainties. She hoped Cole wasn’t so near that he’d witnessed her scene with Nicolas.
Nothing had happened, though. Nicolas had simply asserted his dominance. There was nothing to feel guilty over. She’d done nothing wrong.
Had she?
“Hayden,” Nicolas voice was urgent, yet quiet. “Come.”
Crossing the barrier, Hayden welcomed the sight of ordinary civilization. It seemed like forever ago since she’d last encountered stores, houses, and oblivious humans. It was a small town, granted, but normal people, and normal day-to-day occurrences still transpired here.
It was almost like a culture shock to her.
And then she saw what had caught Nicolas’ attention.
There was a crowd of people congregated around the town center. It was growing dark outside, so Hayden assumed not many people were out and about. Yet, there were still a dozen or so humans lingering about, assessing the situation with an inquisitive air. Curiously enough, most of the members of the group were men, and most of them carried rifles.
The scent of silver poisoned the air.
“Hunters,” Hayden stated in despair.
“No. Just ordinary humans.”
At Nicolas’ admission, Hayden stepped closer and tried to get a better look. Most of the men were out of shape or fearfully clutching their rifles. Nicolas was right. They did not possess a Hunter’s confidence nor did they possess the professional poise.
But oddly enough, they did possess silver bullets.
There were some women and some children trying to catch glimpses into the center of the crowd, their fear prevalent. Whispers and excited murmurs were growing in volume, yet some were reserved with profound concern.
Hayden didn’t quite understand what she was witnessing.
“Their weakness is silver. Keep the rifles loaded with silver bullets.”
She froze.