Hayden mused over his words, reluctantly admitting that Cole was right. Asher hardly ever took things seriously, but he also made Hayden stop dwelling over things to the point of exhaustion. Just being around the beta was enough to distract her from everything.
However, Cole’s assertion brought her back to cold reality. “Falco wanted to come after me,” Hayden repeated dully. Usually, Adolf wanted to go after Hayden, which only meant that the normally cool-headed Falco had a reason to target her. “I was framed again.”
Cole pushed off from his position against the pantry and ran a hand through his unruly hair. “Ian disappeared the morning after Robert Warden’s corpse was found.” Cole’s tone was grim. “It was just this morning they found Ian’s body next to Falco’s territory. Both your scent and mine were near the body.”
It didn’t make sense to her. How could they find their scents when—
Her eyes suddenly widened and her heart skipped a beat in realization. “We were near Falco’s property after the meeting at the bowling alley.” She had remembered running alongside Falco’s territory line. It had been in the back of her mind at the time, just a cloudy warning not to crossover. “I’m surprised Falco didn’t come over here.”
Cole’s face darkened. “It’s fortunate he did not, otherwise I wouldn’t have taken his sudden invasion lightly,” he advised lowly. “Joseph was able to calm his father and a few members of Eric’s pack were nearby to assist. Falco has agreed to lay low until we can gather more evidence.”
Before Hayden had any chance to digest the information, she was startled out of her thoughts by a finger stabbing into her chest. The action was so sudden that she flinched, on edge. Her lips lifted in defense and she exposed her teeth to him.
Cole dismissed her act of challenge by leaning closer, placing their eyes on equal levels.
“Falco may have agreed to stay low, but that doesn’t mean he will keep his hands to himself if the chance presents itself.” He paused for quite some time, making sure to stare through Hayden. “That means you are to stay in the house at all times. I am not only telling you this as your Alpha, but as the owner of this house, as the werewolf who has had more experience than you, and as the man who cares greatly for your safety. You will not leave this house. Do I make myself clear?”
It was rare Cole’s Alpha authority affected Hayden. When she’d been awed and overwhelmed with Nicolas for the first time in New York, it was because of the power he carried as a leader. Cole had never used that power on her, only to calm her and pacify her.
Faced with it for the first time, Hayden could do nothing but nod dumbly in the face of his immense supremacy. Even if she had the slightest bit of interest to meet with Asher tonight, her mind was hazy to everything but agreeing with Cole.
At least for now she’d comply, later she could decide for herself.
13. Chapter Thirteen
Everything for her nighttime exploit was properly premeditated.
Earlier that afternoon, Hayden had done some handiwork and removed the screen from her window. She even went as far as keeping her window open all day, raised far enough for her to escape. No one would have to be roused from their sleep by her noisy window being opened in the middle of the night.
Even the backpack on her shoulders was deliberate, carrying the shoes she would wear after she climbed barefoot down the roof.
Everything was all set. The only thing that kept her sitting motionlessly at the edge of the bed was her conscience. The clock next to her read 11:05, five minutes past her agreed time to meet with Asher.
Hayden tapped her knees, barely breathing as she monitored the rest of the pack. Everyone, including Cole, was fast asleep. She could even hear Blake’s choked snoring from two levels below. And just in case Cole was feeling particularly sensitive to Hayden’s movements and her frame of mind, she made sure to keep her emotions as flatline as possible.
She suppressed the fleeting rush of guilt for her deceit. If she hadn’t already agreed on meeting Asher, she would have easily followed Cole’s orders and stayed within the pack house. She reluctantly understood his orders to stay inside. He was only trying to protect her.
Amber eyes considered the window briefly before making a decision. Shifting her weight silently, she stood from the bed and carefully approached the open window. Focusing on keeping her adrenaline stagnant, Hayden leaned outside the window and stepped onto the overhang of the roof.
Heaving an inaudible sigh of relief, Hayden tiptoed across the shingles, scoping out the prime area to jump and land. Cole’s bedroom was on the main level, but it was on the opposite end of the house. Still, she had to remember that he had the sharpest hearing out of the entire pack.
He also had the ability of sensing when something was amiss with the property. All Hayden had to do was act as if she was permitted to leave. Cole’s senses were more inclined to detect when an unwelcomed guest entered the territory, not when a pack member left.
She braced herself at the edge of the roof, gathering her courage. If she’d been human, the jump she intended to take would have seriously injured her.
Never one to back down from a challenge, Hayden crouched down low and leaped. A thin smile crossed her lips as she descended. This time, the adrenaline and exhilaration was almost too hard to suppress.
Fortunately, the whirlwind-like drop was over before her excitement grew too difficult to contain from Cole’s notice. Her feet landed on the ground with a small thud, hardly enough to alert the others in the pack.
Gracefully, Hayden stood from her crouch and quickly moved with the shadows. Her eyes peeled through the dark, easily spotting the lone figure standing further down the road.
“A feat only accomplished by the female Alpha,” Asher appraised as soon as Hayden crossed the territory line. “I almost thought you wouldn’t show.”
Hayden kept her back half-turned, glancing at the dark house behind her. She was holding her breath, hoping Cole hadn’t noticed her departure. A part of her expected the Alpha to tear out the house at any moment, snarling and foaming at the mouth.
Pushing away the lingering remorse and the staggering relief over Cole’s ignorance, Hayden turned her attention on the blond beta next to her. “How could I ever stand you up?” she teased quietly.
For the most part, her reason for going against Cole’s orders was because of her loyalty to Asher. She could already see him stalking Falco by himself and doing something as stupid as being caught. Hopefully, with her presence, Hayden could distract him enough to deter him away from doing something ridiculous.
He scoffed while approaching her with a confident swagger. With his hands in his pockets, he bumped shoulders with Hayden. “Falco is still deeper into town, but he should be looping his way back here. We should probably find a place to observe before he gets there.” He pointed his chin toward town. “Would you like to race?”
Hayden had to smile as she fished out her shoes from her backpack. Things always seemed to turn into a competition when she was with Asher. “On the count of three,” she conceded, forcing her foot into her shoe.
Before she started the countdown, Asher was already off, chuckling at her misfortune. She scrambled to get her shoes on fully before taking off after him. If it weren’t the dead of the night, she would have yelled after him for cheating. Then again, if he thought he could only win by a head start, then she would gladly keep her comments to herself.
The October night was crisp and it provided relief for her flushed face. Hayden closed her eyes, smiling at the freedom running had to offer. She had never been one to enjoy the activity when she was human, but with her new abilities, running had a therapeutic effect on her. Her improved speed made it all the more enjoyable. What would normally take her a good five minutes to arrive into town was easily cut in half.
She advanced closer to Asher, catching up and running neck-to-neck with him as they crossed into town. As Hayden began reducing her speed, she noticed the blond beta beside h
er began to pick up his velocity. Uncertainly, she watched as he headed directly toward the side of a flower shop. At the rate he was going, he would collide into the wall.
With a grunt, Asher leaped, his foot hitting the side of the wall once before he grabbed the edge of the roof. Fluidly, and never missing a beat, he pulled himself over and onto his feet. He laughed quietly, looking smugly down at Hayden.
“Clearly, I win,” he boasted. “But I might consider it a draw if you can get up here.”
The challenge was clear, but Hayden had never used her abilities this way. Running was one thing, but jumping was an entirely different playing field. One particular bad memory of hers involved two hurdles, a sprained ankle, and countless of spectators at her high school track meet.
“Come on, you can’t back down,” he taunted from the roof. Taking pity on her, Asher crouched at the edge, holding a hand down to her. “You don’t want Falco to catch you down there. He’d make a meal out of you.”
With her faced screwed up in concentration, Hayden backpedaled a few feet, considering the wall in front of her. She pushed off on her toes and sprinted toward the wall. Timing it just right, she jumped, the balls of her feet hitting the side of the wall before she skipped a second time.
He was there promptly, curling a secure hand around her wrist when she would have slipped. “It was pretty good for your first time. It took me days to get the hang of it.” Asher pulled her up and over the edge, motioning at the roof with a sweeping gesture of his arm. “This will be where we scope out Falco and his pack. Normally, people don’t look up when they should.”
Hayden pulled her hand from his grasp, slightly upset she couldn’t accomplish the jump. However, one look at Asher’s enthusiasm quelled any lingering disappointment. “You really are planning on watching Falco, aren’t you?” She followed Asher to the front of the roof, sitting down beside him.
Asher pursed his lips as he dropped on his belly and peeked over the edge of the store. “Of course I planned on watching him…” he trailed off, offering Hayden a quick look of indignity. “Actually, it was more so I could see you tonight, but Falco is my main suspect for the murders. It won’t hurt to put extra surveillance on him.”
Hayden shook her head, having already suspected that he had lured her out of the house just for the company. Flattening herself onto her stomach, she propped her head on her folded arms and stared out into the sleeping town. Across from her, The Lounge’s renovation was almost complete. It had taken a beating from the rogue attack in late September, but luckily, it was something that could be fixed.
“Why do you suspect Falco?” Hayden asked. She was mindful to keep her voice down so only he could hear. “Wasn’t Ian his pack omega? Why would Falco kill his own members?” She kept a lookout for any patrolling werewolves from Falco’s pack. In the distance, she spied two members, but otherwise the streets were mostly bare.
“To cover his tracks,” Asher responded simply. “Falco’s temper slipped with the loss of his pack member, Mathew, last month. Plus, that dead human, Robert Warden, took over Falco’s diner because of debt related-problems. He lost his composure and set the murder up to make it look like you did it. And because Robert’s death was obviously connected to him, Falco needed to shake our suspicions. So he threw us off his trail by murdering someone we would think Falco would never have a hand in killing.”
“It’s hard to believe, but I guess it could be plausible,” Hayden acknowledged lowly. “I just find it hard to imagine an Alpha killing the very same people he swore to protect. If anyone is suspicious, it’s Adolf. He’s wanted me out of Albertville ever since I first arrived. Framing me for murder is his sick way of doing it.”
Asher exhaled in laughter. “Adolf is all bark and no bite, Hayden. Honestly, even I could come out on top if I ever chose to challenge him.”
“He’s that defenseless, huh?” she teased.
The blonde-haired beta scoffed. “Ok, I’ll rephrase that. Even Fergus could come out on top if he ever chose to challenge Adolf.”
Hayden smiled, not knowing if she should take Asher’s reassurances seriously. If there was one thing she knew about Alphas, it was their unyielding duty to protect their pack. Adolf couldn’t have such a sharp tongue and not have the power to back himself up and protect his pack.
The two lapsed into a comfortable silence as they observed the handful of werewolves lingering around the town, patrolling the premises for any rogue activity. As the moon traveled further into the sky, the majority of Falco’s pack began retreating to the pack house, not having encountered any trouble.
Sleepily, Hayden watched the pack members depart, extremely jealous. It didn’t take long to determine that she would never make a good stakeout partner. Already, her eyelids were becoming abnormally heavy, and without much remorse, Hayden closed them.
Her limbs grew weightless and she was mindful of Asher’s breathing matching the steady pattern of her dozing. His warm frame was pressed flush against hers, making the cold concrete roof oddly comfortable.
“You’re really horrible at this,” Asher remarked softly, his voice somehow reaching into the deepest recess of her mind.
Opening her eyes, Hayden found herself face to face with his scrutiny. For the first time that night, she was aware of just how close they were and how easy it was to be relaxed around him. He looked especially endearing with his untidy hair and accusing eyes.
Clearly, he was exasperated at Hayden’s inability to stay awake, but his seriousness suddenly deflated and a dimpled grin took precedence.
He reached out and traced the silly smile that blossomed across her face. His fingers proceeded to curl underneath Hayden’s chin to pull her closer to him. Encouraged by his beckoning, and intrigued with the prospect of being intimate, Hayden closed the distance between them and pressed her lips against his.
It was just a brief, chaste kiss, lasting only seconds before an animalistic growl tore them apart. They reared away from each other, shock and guilt lining their features.
At first, Hayden thought a member of her pack had discovered them. Fortunately, the growl was coming from the other side of the roof and between the two shops. She looked at Asher, nodding in agreement when he gestured to the opposite end of their current location.
Bracing herself on her hands and knees, she followed Asher toward the growling. She tried to control her racing pulse as she slowly inched her head over the edge of the roof. Just the tops of her eyes peeked over, straining in order to catch a glimpse at the scene below. A small, almost inaudible gasp escaped her lips when she comprehended what she was seeing.
Just a smidgen away from the streetlamp’s glowing reach, Falco had Shane’s grandfather pinned up against the wall. Hayden ducked further away, too surprised at the man’s appearance to trust herself by leaning over the edge. Next to her, Asher was almost bobbing with excitement, obviously not afraid Falco would catch scent of them. Luckily, the wind was blowing away from Falco, giving them an advantage.
“…saw you. I know it was you,” Red Donovan spat in Falco’s face.
Hayden remained immobile, too entranced and afraid to move an inch. Apparently, Asher and Hayden weren’t the only ones who had decided to keep an eye on Falco when the Alpha was patrolling the town.
Falco seemed unusually vicious as he snarled, baring his sharp canines threateningly. His customary blue eyes clouded over with amber, indication that his wolf was near the surface. “You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, human.” Falco’s clawed fingers curled around Red’s shirt collar, shoving the human further against the wall. “If I was the killer, you’d be dead. I assure you.”
Red nodded jerkily, utterly unfazed with the manhandling. It was times like these, when Red’s fearlessness got the best of him, that Hayden remembered that the old human was once a Hunter. It frightened her to think there were other humans out there that weren’t just unafraid of werewolves, but hated them with a blinding passion.
�
�You were in a mood when Robert Warden bought your diner. Now that he’s dead, the transaction fell through and you couldn’t be happier. How does that work, Falco?”
“You think I killed one of my own over the loss of a diner?” Falco bellowed.
Hayden reached over and gripped Asher’s elbow, silently asking him if they should intervene. Falco’s biceps seemed to grow double in size and his body trembled. Fur sprouted on his forearms, a sign that he was close to turning or close to losing control. Next to Hayden, Asher tensed, already standing up to interfere.
However, someone beat him to it and Asher was quick to drop back down against the roof.
“Is there a problem?” Joseph interrupted calmly, stepping into the alleyway and looking at his father with reproof. “We’re supposed to be patrolling the town, father, not wasting our time with meddling humans.”
Falco’s long dreadlocks veiled his expression, but Hayden could see the man’s broad shoulders heave a steadying breath. With one last growl, the Alpha shoved Red cruelly against the wall, releasing his shirt with distaste.
Hayden and Asher both exhaled lowly in relief as the Alpha and beta started walking further into town. She turned back to look at Red, watching as the human shrugged his shoulders, adjusting his clothing. He had seemed so insistent that Falco was the one to blame. And Falco had seemed incredibly out of control for an Alpha, but he’d also been adamant that he hadn’t committed the murders.
“I think that’s proof enough.” Asher rocked back on his heels and watched Falco retreat. “They’re patrolling the town tonight, so it’s going to be hard to convince the other Alphas of what we saw. But I’m sure we can convince Cole and Eric if it comes down to it.”
Hayden didn’t like where Asher was going with his suspicions. She didn’t want to tell the other Alphas. “But,” she began uncertainly, “you don’t know for sure if it’s Falco. He and Red obviously have some pent-up antagonistic relationship, but we can’t automatically assume Falco is the one to blame.”
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