Nicolas lifted his lip in displeasure, his eyes cutting through the trees to see something only he could see. Hayden supposed the other werewolves that accompanied Cole were approaching. She could hear the rapid paws and feet hit the forest ground, nearing the trio.
“Until next time, I suppose,” Nicolas bid his brother farewell.
Hayden frowned deeply. There was a loaded gun in Nicolas’ pocket. He had taken if from Joseph and placed it in his coat after shooting Devan. Yet, despite all the opportunities to shoot Cole, Nicolas had never taken the shot. If the rogue was really out to kill his brother, he had missed his chance several times tonight.
That begged the question as to why Nicolas decided to refrain from killing Cole. Was he just bored and he considered Cole a source of entertainment? Or was it something completely different, a hidden agenda?
As if reading Hayden’s mind, Nicolas snapped his head around to look at her. A slow, languid smile crossed his lips as he held up his dagger between two fingers. With a flick of his wrist, he sent it spiraling toward her with heightened speed.
Cole made a lunge for it, just missing it with his fingertips. Hayden hardly flinched as Cole cried out her name. She only stayed rooted against the tree trunk, her eyes surveying Nicolas, ignoring the flying blade as it closed in on her. As she expected, it embedded into the tree just inches from her head.
“I call your bluff,” Hayden whispered icily.
Nicolas blinked, taken aback at her calm and aggressive demeanor. He then laughed pleasantly. “A dangerous game you play,” he crooned. The Alpha took a step backward, and then another. “Take it. It’s my gift to you,” he encouraged. “I hope you can learn to use it before we meet next time.”
He then disappeared.
Hayden barely caught a glimpse of Cole before the shadows in the surrounding trees shifted and materialized into werewolves, all members of the neighboring packs. Some of them were in their wolf form, while others had preferred to fight in their human skin. She could only see a few wounded, but the majority of them were unharmed.
They were all talking amongst themselves, crowding mostly around Cole and even approaching her for answers. Among the werewolves, Hayden spied a wolf with a golden pelt and warm eyes.
His presence was familiar to her, and she knew it was Asher. He sat down on his haunches next to her, poking his nose reassuringly against her hand. His silence was preferred, as the swarm of voices was beginning to have a strange effect on her.
“Are you alright, Hayden?”
Blake was there, reaching out and curling a hand around her shoulder. She nodded, wanting to tell him everything, but finding herself unable to speak. In an attempt to avoid any direct contact or conversation, she occupied herself by tugging out the dagger from the tree.
Her reflection mirrored back at her as she stared down at the blade, her fingers curling over the hilt. Deep sorrow welled up in her chest as she recollected everything that had transpired. From the shock of Devan’s betrayal to the confrontation with Nicolas, the events finally hit her.
She hunched further against the tree, wanting to disappear away from the hustle and bustle of the aftermath.
Strangely, the atmosphere seemed to quiet down. When Hayden glanced up, she noticed the crowd of werewolves parting and stepping aside for a lone figure. When the last few men stepped out from her line of sight, she was surprised to see Cole approaching her, his expression set, but his eyes oddly gentle as they looked at her.
“Come here,” he coaxed as he held out a hand to her.
Hayden moved automatically. She stepped into his solid torso and into the shelter of his arms. He enveloped her with his body, shielding her from the outside world and somehow muffling the hollow emptiness inside her. Closing her eyes, she inhaled him, relaxing further against him at the familiar scent.
In response, Cole tightened his hold, burying his face in her hair and nuzzling his cheek against her. In the back of Hayden’s mind, she was aware of him escorting her away, his arm around her shoulders a heavy, but comfortable weight.
“Cole—”
“I need to be with my pack now, Adolf.”
Hayden blindly followed wherever Cole led her, her mind in turmoil and her emotions haywire. It took a great deal of effort to stay standing and to remain dry-eyed. “The silver,” she whispered uncertainty. “Your back—”
“Will be fine,” he interrupted smoothly.
“Devan… she…”
“Betrayed the pack,” Cole replied darkly. “Let’s focus on getting you back to the pack house. When you’re ready to tell us what happened, we’ll be here. There is no need to hurry.”
He escorted her through the woods, his shielding presence all the therapy she needed to chase away the nightmare of the night’s events.
17. Chapter Seventeen
Two hours later found Hayden standing in Devan’s room with the rest of the pack. All six of them were surveying the damage to her room. Drawers were torn from their hinges, clothes were off their hangers, and there was blood. A lot of blood.
“I didn’t know the extent of what was happening,” Addie confessed. Her thin arms wrapped around her torso, a gesture meant to comfort and defend. “While everyone was gone, Joseph showed up with Devan. I helped him heal her as much as possible, but he didn’t wait long enough to stabilize her condition. They left long before you came back.”
Hayden stared unseeingly down at the blood on Devan’s sheets. After Cole had gotten his wounds healed and inspected, Hayden had insisted that she was ready to tell them what happened. The last thing she wanted to do was hold it off and dwell on how to break it to the pack.
They had listened in a stony, depressed silence. Losing Devan, no matter the circumstances surrounding her disappearance, was a heavy blow. And to make matters worse, Addie didn’t think Devan would make it through the night.
“You wouldn’t have been able to stand in their way. It was better you let them leave without interference,” Cole comforted gently as he stared at the destroyed bedroom.
There was deep distress painted across his face, bringing attention to the turmoil in his eyes. While the rest of the pack was shook-up over what happened, Cole was the one to take it personally.
Nathan reached out to clasp Cole on the shoulder. “It’s not your fault, Cole.” His face was grim. “You couldn’t have known what was going on between those two. Even Hayden didn’t know how deep their relationship went, and she was the one who knew about it the longest.”
Guiltily, Hayden kept her back turned to the rest of the pack.
“And it isn’t Hayden’s fault either,” Blake swiftly intervened. His voice came directly behind her, a solid buffer between Nathan’s allegations and her vulnerability. “Was there anything else that she said that explained why she would betray the pack, Hayden? Was it all just for Joseph?”
Devan hadn’t wanted to betray the pack. She had every intention of returning and pretending as if nothing had ever transpired. In Devan’s exact words, she had never considered Hayden a part of the pack.
She could have reassured them that Devan had never meant to hurt anyone with the exception of Hayden, but somehow, the words were too painful to speak, especially when she had considered Devan a part of the family.
“No,” she whispered. “Devan only did this for Joseph and her belief that Nicolas would keep his word and protect the town.”
Her fingers plucked at the sheets as she pondered over everything. Devan had done this all out of some sort of frenzied need to be with Joseph. Love like that shouldn’t have brought out the crazy in someone, should it have? Hayden had never loved someone with that much intensity, she couldn’t fathom.
“Were they life mates?” she asked the others.
Vaguely, she remembered Cole telling her that his father and mother had been life mates, two souls destined to share a strong and unbreakable affection.
“No.”
Hayden’s eyes widened and she whirled around to l
ook at Cole. His face contorted menacingly as he stared down at her. He had denied her inquiry with such strong conviction, he almost sounded offended. The others were just as taken aback as Hayden at his quick and firm answer.
Cole kept his stance. “Life mates are not as desperate or as cheap as Devan and Joseph. What Devan was experiencing was blind fascination. She became infatuated with the idea of Joseph and became susceptible to his influence, to his every whim. The bond between life mates is strong, but it certainly doesn’t consume the two people involved to the point of losing their own identities.”
“It sounds like you think highly of life mates,” Hayden observed as she suspiciously eyed his guarded stance. “But you… you look down on your father for killing himself over his life mate. I thought you were disgusted with the very thought of having attachments.”
Immediately, his eyes narrowed and his voice was cold. “Have I ever said that?”
Hayden held her ground in the face of his intimidating air. He didn’t need to say it, no, but his actions spoke volumes. Cole was too afraid of loving someone.
Blake shifted uncomfortably when he felt the tension in the room. “At any rate, Devan couldn’t be Joseph’s life mate,” the beta said. “A few years, Joseph was critically wounded. From what I remembered of Xavier and Marie, they had some sort of a sixth sense. Devan would have been able to know Joseph was in trouble, but she never even flinched.”
Heart in her throat, Hayden clutched the comforter behind her. “Sixth sense?” she repeated numbly.
Blake nodded, eyeing her in confusion. “They were aware of each other when they weren’t even in the same room. Kind of freaky, but useful.”
The implications… it was too much.
Hayden took a step back until the back of her knees hit Devan’s mattress. Her mind spun frantically and she did all she could to keep face and remain standing.
All this time, all those uncertain qualities she shared with Cole, was explained by a simple explanation. The answer was always there, always at the tip of her fingers. But for some unexplainable reason, she had wanted to remain ignorant, exactly how Cole had wanted it.
Being Cole’s life mate illuminated everything. It explained why he had decided against killing her when they first encountered one another in New York. It was the reason behind their unusual ability of experiencing the other’s emotions. Each time she was in trouble, it explained how Cole was able to find her despite the obstacles in his path. Above all else, being his life mate would explain why he wanted her close, but far enough not to get too attached.
He was… he was selfish.
Hayden could hardly meet Cole’s eyes, but when she did, he greeted her with a smoldering look. After closing the door behind the last member of the pack, his broad figured-body blocked the exit. They were alone and Hayden had never felt as cornered as she did then.
“You should shower and get some rest.”
She bowed her head, her hair veiling her face. At her sides, her fists clenched. He had to know that Hayden had come to the realization they were life mates. However, he still wanted to pretend as if it wasn’t real, like it wasn’t even an issue worth mentioning.
Two could play at that game. “Why didn’t you tell me?” she demanded breathlessly. Looking up, she caught and savored his expression of trepidation. “Why didn’t you tell me Nicolas was your brother?”
Nicolas was another topic he didn’t want to discuss. Unfortunately, this was something she wasn’t going to back down on. They could pretend all they liked that they weren’t life mates, as Hayden was just as uncertain about the notion as he was, but Nicolas was another matter entirely.
“It’s not any of your business,” he replied in a clipped tone.
He was being intentionally cruel right now. “How many times have you told me that I was now a part of this pack?” She pushed away from the bed and took an advancing step closer to him. “How come every other werewolf in this town can know about your past, but I can’t?”
“You are a part of my pack,” Cole stressed. “I just find it hard to talk about the past. Just like you find it hard to talk about your father and how he left you.”
The comparison actually took her by surprise. She had confessed to Cole that her father had abandoned her and her mother, but she hadn’t wanted to talk about it anymore than necessary. In all actuality, she hadn’t thought Cole would remember the conversation from that evening. It felt like so long ago.
“My father left us,” Hayden explained emotionlessly. “He made us love him unconditionally before walking away. Apparently, a domestic lifestyle was tying him down and he wanted nothing more to do with us. I had to take care of my mother for days before she had enough strength to pull herself out of bed.” The memories were always there, always fresh, but she forced them away in favor of confronting Cole.
“But my father isn’t a threat right now. My father didn’t kill his family and he’s certainly not after you. I don’t think the issue of my father is anywhere near the complexity of your relationship with your brother. You can’t compare the two when they aren’t even similar.”
She understood why he didn’t want to talk about it. He was so closed off, stubborn, and clueless to the people who loved him. He wanted to protect his pack. He believed it was his one and only duty, but he didn’t realize that his pack loved him in turn.
“Hayden.”
He reached out to her, the scent of the herbal tonic he used on his back strong and alluring. With his gentle and coaxing tone, Hayden could have easily submitted to him. But she had an unusual amount of resilience right now. The events from tonight spurred her resolve about confronting Cole. She’d take advantage of this abundance of strength as long as she had the opportunity.
“I want to hear about your brother, Cole.”
His retracted his hand and ran it through his hair. The black tresses grew wild and uncontrollable under his ministrations. “There is not much you don’t know already.” With the agitation of a caged animal, Cole paced the length of the room. “My parents were life mates and my mother had an especially weak and fragile demeanor. I didn’t see much of a flaw to their relationship until later in life.”
Hayden considered his words, wondering if that’s what he thought of her. Did Cole think Hayden was too weak to consider her as a proper mate? The events of tonight surely didn’t help matters.
“At the time, my father was expected to name his beta, the future Alpha of the pack. Everyone knew he would choose Nicolas as his second. My brother was more composed, more mature, and a better fighter than I was. Even though we both competed for the same position, I accepted the fact that I would not be chosen. But Xavier did end up naming me as his beta.” Cole grinned without humor, his eyes far away.
“Nicolas could have challenged either one of us to a duel for our positions, but he went mad. He wanted to make my father suffer and he chose the cowardly way to do so. Unlike Xavier, Marie was vulnerable and exposed. He took advantage of her bond with Xavier and killed her.”
It was truly warped, no matter how she looked at it. When she imagined Cole’s mother, she imagined Addie, a warm, generous spirit who would never step on anyone intentionally. It spurred Hayden’s disbelief that Nicolas had really killed his mother out of a pettiness.
How could he take her life just because Xavier hadn’t named him beta? Hayden truly wondered about Nicolas’ frame of mind and if Cole ever thought there may have been something else fueling Nicolas’ actions.
Just what were Nicolas and the rogues aiming for? What were their motives?
Cole pivoted around and looked at her. “I was standing in front of my father when he shot himself in the head. I watched as a highly acclaimed and highly respected Alpha crumble by his own hand. No matter how much I tried to convince him that he needed to stay behind for the rest of the pack, he wouldn’t listen. He willingly chose death over his duty as Alpha.”
“He left you behind,” she perceived. “You needed him
the most.”
To be so young and burdened with the death of his parents, the betrayal of his brother, and the sudden obligation of a pack’s safety must have been a heavy burden on Cole. It was no wonder he liked to close himself off.
He shook his head once, denying it. “He left his pack,” he insisted.
Crossing her arms, Hayden observed him and tapped her fingers anxiously against her arms. He was just as impassive as he gazed steadily back at her. Getting through to Cole with soothing words was difficult, especially when he liked to withdraw further into himself upon hearing them. Maybe the cold, hard truth would work better.
“He left because he knew he was leaving the pack in good hands.” She saw a flicker of something in those emerald eyes, but it was veiled a moment later. “If you ever had any doubt about your father’s decision to name you his beta, you only have to look at Nicolas and imagine him as our Alpha. Your father made the right choice because he knew his children.”
She uncrossed her arms and continued. “It’s unfair you had to take up the mantle as Alpha so early, but you are an exceptional guardian to all of us. You aren’t alone, Cole.”
Cole turned away to hide how the words affected him, but Hayden felt a warm glow in her chest that originated from his side of the bond. It was a bittersweet ache, something he felt gracious toward, but could never truly appreciate.
The chuckle that slipped past his lips was harsh. He rubbed his face with his palm and kept his attention buried for a moment or two. His demeanor then shifted into something predatory. Through his fingers, his eyes pinned Hayden with a heated stare. There was a noticeable amber ring around his normally emerald eyes, a sign of his surfacing wolf.
“When I look at this room, I feel like I’m looking into the future,” Cole grounded out. He dropped his hand from his face and scratched at the stubble across his jaw. He approached Hayden with the air of a cunning predator. “Will this be your room someday, after you run off with Asher?”
Un.Requited (Claimed Series) Page 29