Un.Requited (Claimed Series)

by Morgan, Reese

  Hayden paled, closing her eyes. “Too late?”

  Joseph gave a twisted grin, his eyes alighting. “After Nicolas collects you, I’ll bring an unconscious Devan back to the town. I’d tell Cole I was too late to save you from Nicolas’ grasp. I was outnumbered.” He turned to gaze amiably at Devan. “And then life will go on normally. And I now have the authority to take Devan as my mate.”

  Eyes widening, Hayden suddenly pieced everything together. “You did all this to be together?” she exclaimed fiercely. Now that Joseph was Alpha, he had the power to declare Devan as his mate. He had no one to answer to, no father, no Alpha to tell him he couldn’t do as he pleased.

  “You…” she trailed off, too hysterical to form the right words. “You destroyed your pack, your father.” She trembled in fury and glared heatedly at Joseph. “You killed innocent people just to take position as the Alpha. You’re a cruel and cold-hearted bastard.”

  “We didn’t kill anyone,” Devan argued. She withdrew from Joseph as he tried to reach out a comforting hand. “Joseph asked his father for permission to take me as his mate the day after I was assigned Nathan’s mate. Falco laughed and reprimanded Joseph for even having the balls to ask.”

  Devan gave a sidelong glance at Joseph before continuing. “Nicolas happened to be there with an offer. He said he would find a way to make Joseph the next Alpha without killing Falco and we agreed to deliver you to him. The rogues and Nicolas were the ones responsible for the deaths of Robert and Ian. Joseph only planted the scent suppressants in Falco’s rooms.”

  “And the attack on Red Donovan?” Hayden asked. When Falco had lost control, it had been the final act to Nicolas’ plans. But how could Falco fall into the trap so easily?

  “The stress from losing his pack members really got to him,” Joseph responded. He had his head turned to the side, away from Hayden’s repulsed gaze. “Donovan kept accusing him of being the one who murdered Ian and Robert. Coupled with Falco’s hate toward Red and his guilt over his pack’s misfortune, it was easy for his wolf to be taken advantage of.”

  Hayden furrowed her brows, feeling something discerning in her stomach.

  “Just as there’s a drug to suppress your wolf, there’s also the serum that has the opposite effects.” Devan crossed her arms over her chest, finally appearing remorseful. “When Falco was injected with it, his wolf became too much for him to control properly.”

  “And Sasha? Joseph took her as a mate,” Hayden pressed.

  “Grasping for straws, Hayden?” Devan shook her head mockingly. “You’re too naïve. People always have ulterior motives. Sasha has her own reasons of going along with accepting Joseph as her mate.”

  “You’re absolutely disgusting,” Hayden whispered hoarsely. She felt immense pity for Falco and Red, and everyone else who had been caught up in this sickening scheme. Ironic, really, that they were doing this to obtain love and the consequences only resulted in death and despair.

  Devan lost her defensive air at Hayden’s words. She bowed her head, her eyes downcast.

  “Everything was Nicolas’ idea.”

  “But you went along with it!” Hayden cried out, not willing to let this drop. “You’re a coward. There were other ways to get what you wanted without making a deal with the devil.”

  Joseph took an advancing step forward, rage clear in his eyes. He raised his arm and backhanded her harshly across the face. His sharp nails opened up diagonal wounds across her cheek, causing them to sting horribly.

  “Joseph!” Devan chastised.

  “You talk too much for someone who is ignorant.” He fisted her long hair, tilting her head at an awkward angle. “We didn’t take up Nicolas’ deal just to secure my position as Alpha.” Joseph leered down at her. “Nicolas also granted the town immunity from the rogues. How can you find fault in our decision? We had to sacrifice a few lives in return for a whole town’s worth. Albertville and the packs here won’t be touched by what the rogues have planned for the rest of the werewolf communities.”

  He pushed Hayden’s head away and her body strained limply against the sharp wire. She stared lifelessly at the ground, the blood on her check dripping rivulets down her neck and staining her shirt.

  If it was any other person Joseph and Devan made the deal with, Hayden could reluctantly understand the reason behind their cooperation. She could never accept how they went along with the murders, but if it granted protection for the town, it would be tempting for many to take the deal.

  But this wasn’t just anyone they made the deal with. This was Nicolas. He was extremely intelligent, manipulative. She remembered the first and only time she had met him. He had those eyes, the predator-like eyes. He had enjoyed initiating a chase with Hayden simply out of fun. It had been a game to him. And when he thought Cole was just as interested in Hayden as he was, Nicolas had used her to lure Cole out.

  He wanted to lure Cole… It was all a game to him…

  Hayden’s heart dropped and she arched into the wire, suddenly afraid when she realized Nicolas’ intentions. “You’re both idiots. He’s just using you. You think you’ll be able to return to town and forget about all of this? He never intended to grant the town immunity, he only wanted you to deliver me as bait. He’ll discard you when he’s done.”

  Devan began laughing. She leaned her back against Joseph, who looked equally as amused. “You act like you know him better than I do, Hayden. Just because he marked you as his mate doesn’t mean you know anything about him.” She lifted a finely-shaped eyebrow. “After all, I spent over fifteen years with him in Xavier’s pack.”

  Hayden blanched. “Nicolas was a member of Xavier’s pack? Is that how he was able to kill Cole’s mother?” It would explain how Nicolas got so close to Xavier’s life mate without Cole’s father detecting his movements.

  “You mean she doesn’t know?” Joseph exclaimed. Surprise washed over his features before he grimaced. “That’s pretty pathetic.” He curled an arm around Devan’s shoulders and pulled her closer.

  The sudden onslaught of confusion caused Hayden to stop pulling at her restraints.

  “I never understood why Cole didn’t tell you,” Devan murmured. “I know he doesn’t like to talk about it, but still.” She was silent for a moment before she shifted wearily. “Nicolas is Cole’s older brother.”

  It took Hayden a long time to register the information and even longer to breathe past the initial shock. At first, she was livid that Cole would keep something like that from her. Did he really think it was fair to keep her in the dark about Nicolas? Nicolas had pulled her into the sick and twisted game he liked to play with Cole. Hayden had every right to know the man whose presence was constantly in the back of her mind.

  Then her shock turned into extreme sorrow. She could understand Cole’s reasons. He didn’t want to acknowledge Nicolas as his brother, the man who killed his own mother, and by proxy, his father.

  She inhaled steadily and slowly raised her head to catch Devan’s eyes. “Nicolas isn’t interested in me like you think he is,” Hayden whispered. Trying to get Devan to understand would be impossible, but she had to try for Cole’s sake. “Don’t you see? He only wants me here to draw Cole out. He’ll do anything to get at him.”

  Devan appeared sour for a moment. She tilted her head in order to look at Joseph, seemingly communicating mentally with him. Seconds later, she constructed a poker face and waved a careless hand. “Don’t be stupid. It was Nicolas’ idea to give Cole a false lead. Why would he go through that trouble of luring Cole away?”

  “You said Nicolas is late!” Hayden roared. Her anger began to manifest and she lurched against the wire strung around her. She was afraid for Cole, for herself. She was simple bait and all three of them were pawns to Nicolas’ intentions. “If Nicolas really wanted me, just me, he would have put me in that van. Even if Cole could somehow trace the van initially, he wouldn’t be able to keep up with it.”

  Hayden struggled and arched against the restraints, ign
oring the pain as the wire cut lesions into her skin and compressed her chest. She ignored the blood that swelled and rained steadily to the ground, the sight of it only renewing her efforts.

  Devan cried out, trying to get Hayden to stop. Hayden tossed her head away from the reaching hand, refusing to cease her attempts of escaping. She refused to be responsible for Cole’s demise.

  Suddenly, a warm void smothered her frantic anxiety. Startled, Hayden sagged against the trunk and stared unseeingly at the woods in front of her. The void in her mind wasn’t just a bottomless pit that ate her fear, but it seemed to give Hayden its own feelings of comfort and reassurance. The presence in her mind was unmistakably Cole, somehow reaching out to her at a distance.

  I’m coming.

  “No!” Hayden shouted her denial.

  His voice was clear and strong as it resonated inside her head. The thought of him coming for her only caused a whole new wave of panic to surge. Cole’s persistent mental embrace only tempered her anxiety, calming her when she wanted nothing of the sort.

  A palm tapped her smartly across the cheek. It was a soft tap, a light-and-day difference from Joseph’s previous slug across the face. Hayden blinked up at Devan’s looming face, the other female’s eyes wide and full of turmoil. Her hands were raised in a soothing gesture, a feeble attempt to calm Hayden down.

  “Relax, Hayden.”

  Hayden leaned closer to her, pushing harder against the wires. The pain was at the point of feeling so good. “He’s late,” she persuaded again. “Nicolas is waiting for Cole, testing him. You and Joseph won’t have any chance of getting back to town undetected. And Cole will be cornered here alone.”

  Devan’s hazel eyes darkened and a distressed gleam seemed to carve her face from stone. “Joseph,” she called softly. “Help me get her out of this.” Without waiting for his approval, Devan began tugging at the wire, her hands becoming slick and stained red from Hayden’s blood. “Give me a knife!” she demanded fiercely to her lover.

  When no response came forth, Devan and Hayden glanced back at Joseph, spying the man’s stiff posture. All movement ceased as they became aware of the darkening environment.

  The dried leaves on the forest ground began to rustle, and light footsteps, sounding especially like muffled heartbeats, began to surround them from every angle. Several pairs of amber eyes appeared and gleamed from the dark brush and the depths of the trees. Everywhere Hayden looked a hunched figure of a wolf sat, veiled by the darkness and lying in wait for a command.

  Then she saw him.

  He was a lone figure, an approaching silhouette of a tall and lean man. His knee-length coat fluttered behind him as he gracefully and slowly advanced toward the trio. As he neared, his sharp-featured face came into view.

  His demeanor, his expression, and his eyes were cold. Everything about him was cruel and impassive. Even his aura had a chilling power that easily forced those in proximity to submit and remain passive.

  Hayden stared at Nicolas, digging past her initial fear in order to see signs of his relation to Cole. When she had first come across the two men, she hadn’t seen much of a similarity. However, after experiencing some of Cole’s withdrawn and cold moods, she could see the resemblance to his brother.

  Both men had the same chiseled face and muscular, yet agile bodies. Though, the similarities all but ended there. Cole had a wild, warm, and almost mischievous air to him. Nicolas, on the other hand, was unemotional and refined, his pale blue eyes like shards of ice.

  Being in Nicolas’ presence wasn’t as nearly overwhelming as it had been when she first encountered him in New York. Maybe it was because she had gotten stronger since then, or maybe it was because her worry for Cole outweighed any sort of desire to be submissive to this man.

  Joseph shifted, putting his body in front of Devan and Hayden. “You’re over a half-an-hour late.”

  Nicolas planted his feet in a solid stance, his eyes coolly assessing Joseph before they flickered over at Devan and proceeded to land on Hayden. He took in her nearly-healed wounds across her cheek and the blood-soaked clothes near the wires.

  A single eyebrow rose. “A little unnecessary, don’t you think?” Nicolas’ inquiry was unfriendly as he disregarded Joseph’s earlier comment. “If I knew you couldn’t handle her, I would have bargained with someone more suitable.”

  “It was self-inflicted,” Joseph snapped impatiently. He flinched when Nicolas brushed past him without another word.

  With her fingertips, Hayden punctured the soil beneath her, a useless gesture meant to give her support as Nicolas approached. Sheer determination alone kept her eyes open and locked on his face. She tried to ignore the small tremors that quivered inside her body as the rogue Alpha crouched before her.

  It definitely took a great deal of effort to look into those haunting eyes and keep her face blank at the same time. All she could see in front of her was a brother and a son who had betrayed and destroyed his family.

  Nicolas seemed to take her lead and kept his own emotions under control, though his eyes were extremely expressive. “You’d better hurry,” he drawled.

  With only a marginal turn of his neck, Nicolas spoke to Joseph and Devan while keeping his gaze firmly locked with Hayden. He seemed curious to see how long she could keep challenging his stare. “I overheard that there was an unannounced inspection in your room, Joseph. They found many incriminating items in your belongings.”

  Joseph jerked in surprise. “Y-you bastard. You promised us that Devan and I would remain undetected.”

  The small sigh that escaped Nicolas’ mouth could have been considered a breathless laugh. His eyes became half-lidded as they watched Hayden. “Promises don’t mean anything to me,” he informed softly.

  Hayden forcibly tore her gaze away from Nicolas to watch Joseph tremble uncontrollably. The rage coming off him was palpable, frightening. His fingers twitched near the waistband of his pants and Hayden braced herself, knowing what he was planning. The sudden scent of silver was evidence enough, and her suspicions were only confirmed when he pulled out the gun.

  As the next Alpha of Falco’s pack, Joseph already seemed to have inherited the powerful aura of a leader. His movements were quick and precise as he cocked the gun at the back of Nicolas’ head and pressed his finger on the trigger. There was no hint of hesitation on the man’s face as he fired.

  Only, Nicolas was in a league of his own. One moment he was watching Hayden tauntingly and the next moment he disappeared. Like a shadow, the rogue Alpha suddenly appeared at Joseph’s side and took possession of the other man’s arm. He twisted the appendage effortlessly with one hand, swiping it in a complete arc until it snapped gruesomely.

  The gun fired a second later, the bullet imbedding into the ground at Joseph’s feet.

  Never giving his enemy the time to recover, Nicolas threw his elbow out and slammed it into Joseph’s face. Expertly, he wrestled the gun from the owner’s limp hand and swiped Joseph off his feet. The dark-skinned Alpha landed on his back, never even having the chance to blink, let alone raise a hand to defend himself.

  Hayden could only stare, wide-eyed, as the brawl unfolded in front of her. Nicolas was frighteningly good. In fact, she had never seen anyone move with such quickness, such simplicity. She swore only a fraction of a second had passed between the time Joseph took aim at Nicolas and the moment his back touched the ground.

  Not possessing a single shred of mercy, Nicolas lifted the gun, aiming it precisely between the defeated werewolf’s eyes before firing.

  Hayden flinched, squeezing her eyes shut. She opened them a second later when she felt a breeze fly by her, ruffling her hair. Devan’s familiar presence was no longer standing near Hayden, but was now crouching protectively in front of Joseph.

  A hitched sigh escaped the female’s lips as she buckled, boneless to the ground. On her chest, the pinprick crimson stain blossomed and spread unpleasantly across her shirt, evidence of her determination to protect Joseph at all co
sts.

  “No,” Hayden breathed quietly as shock paralyzed her senses.

  She didn’t care that Devan never considered her part of the pack. It didn’t even matter that Devan had betrayed her. What mattered was that Hayden had cared enough for Devan to consider her a member of the family. She didn’t want to see her life end this way.

  Joseph appeared shocked as he frantically touched Devan, his broken sobs trying to escape past the block in his throat. Trembling hands clutched Devan closer, searching for and covering the gunshot wound on her chest. He curled against her back, bodily protecting her from any oncoming harm.

  Nicolas kept his gun raised and aimed, his gloved finger still resting on the trigger. He seemed fascinated by the scene, a bitter smirk lifting his lips.

  “Love makes us fools.” The gun in his hand inched closer to Joseph, the muzzle pressing against the other male’s temple. “Love makes us weak,” he educated icily as Joseph remained motionless under the threat of being shot.

  All that mattered to the fallen werewolf was being a solid barrier between Nicolas and Devan. He refused to move an inch as he cradled her body closer.

  “Is that why you killed your own mother?” Hayden wondered cruelly. “Is that why you constantly aim to destroy your own brother?” She blinked away her tears in order to gaze back at Nicolas as the Alpha snapped his neck around to stare at her. “I think you’re just afraid of love and jealous of the people who experience it.”

  A lipless smile crossed Nicolas’ mouth as he lowered his weapon. He then kicked Joseph with the toe of his boot. “You’re dismissed,” he ordered cruelly. “Who knows? You may even be able to save her if you hurry.”

  With a sniff to the air, Nicolas hummed in consideration. “Just be careful. You wouldn’t want to run into any rogues on your way back into town.”

  Joseph didn’t need to be told twice. Gathering up his resolution, he hoisted Devan into his arms and began sprinting into the depths of the forest.