by Reese Morgan
With a distressed grunt, Shane jumped up and raced after a tumbling wrapper. He was far more upset with the prospect of littering than looking like an idiot as the packaging got the best of him.
Hayden remained perched at the end of Shane’s driveway, barely flinching as her hair flew in her face as a result of Cole’s passing speed. The Alpha hardly slowed down, which meant he hadn’t seen her. Narrowing her eyes on the car, Hayden realized how late it was.
Standing, she brushed off the back of her jeans. “You never mentioned how your grandfather was doing.” There was no hurry to get back, but she’d been absent since early that morning.
Having just tackled the stray ball of garbage, Shane nodded. “He’s… doing alright. I guess I just need to be patient. He sleeps a lot more than I thought he would, but the doctors tell us he’s past the dangers of getting an infection.”
“Knowing how persistent he is, I’m sure he’ll be back to his old self in no time.”
Shane offered a fleeting smile. “Thanks, Hayden. For everything.”
She waved her welcome and retreated off his property.
The approaching twilight darkened the already cloudy skies, giving off the impression of an impending storm. The swollen clouds had wanted to snow all day, but not a single flake fell from their ominous hold. The November full moon was approaching, but there was no sign of the silvery orb through the heavy cloudscape.
With her mind heavy with concern for Red Donovan, and uncertainty over Nicolas’ schemes, Hayden jogged up the steep incline of Cole’s property. Instead of the burning aroma that usually accompanied Addie’s dinner preparations, Hayden was surprised when the delicious smell of lasagna wafted from the house.
Stealthily, she entered the house, pausing when she heard the unmistakable sound of Addie’s bell-like laughter rising above Blake’s and Fergus’ guffawing. The sound was so foreign to her. Since Devan left, the pack rarely laughed and was rather subdued.
She peeked inside the kitchen, stopping short at the scene.
Rachel sat in the midst of Blake, Fergus, and Addie, a bashful smile gracing her lips as if she just told an endearing joke. She had an apron on, evidence that she’d been the one to make the lasagna. Moments ago, Hayden thought it smelt delicious, now she couldn’t swallow past her bile.
The other woman wore a modest skirt, her legs exposed to anyone who bothered to look. On the inside of her ankle, the Slayter tattoo was displayed proudly. Granted, she’d gotten it a long time ago, but the mark was just as prominent as the one inked on Hayden’s ankle.
Bitter resentment soured Hayden’s mood. Before they had a chance to take notice of her, she slipped past the kitchen and toward the staircase. However, just as she was about to escape for the night, a throat cleared quietly.
Down the hall, Cole leaned against a doorframe. Even though he was further away from the front door than the others, he was the only one who’d noticed her arrival.
He caught her eyes and motioned inside his office before disappearing.
Reminded of her insistence to keep a respectable distance between herself and Cole, Hayden hesitated. Meeting with him in confined spaces was at the top of her list of things to avoid. But she was curious to know what he wanted. Cole hardly ever made a habit of calling her out. Whatever he wanted must be important.
Hayden slithered around the corner of the door, entering the masculine, yet classy office. A leather chair faced his intimidating oak desk and an empty fireplace stood opposite of the wall-to-wall bookcases.
“Sit,” Cole invited, throwing his suit coat over the back of his chair.
She rolled her spine alongside the doorframe until she faced him fully. “I’d rather stand, thank you.”
The dark-haired Alpha froze at her aloof admission, but ultimately decided to sit behind his desk. He scrutinized her from head to toe before busying himself with a few papers. “How is Red Donovan?”
Clearly, he’d seen her at the end of Shane’s driveway when he had driven past. It was almost shocking that Cole didn’t stop and scold her for visiting Shane without protection. “He’s still recovering,” she replied. “Shane said he’s past the point of relapsing with an infection.”
Cole appeared to have his mind elsewhere as he read over a document. Hayden wondered why he had requested her presence. Did he ask about Shane Donovan as means as a subtle warning? Did he want her to know that he was aware of her visit and disapproved? It would be his way of scolding her without actually scolding.
Briefly, Hayden considered telling Cole her theory of Nicolas building a strong hierarchy among the rogue werewolves but thought better of it. The more she stared at Cole, the more she noticed his exhaustion. Standing this close to him, Hayden could even feel his weariness through the bond they shared.
Dark circles hugged the underbelly of his eyes and hard lines decorated the corners of his mouth and eyes. Even his proud posture was stiffer than usual, as if it took a great deal of endurance to keep his shoulders back.
She felt a bit silly. Here she was, avoiding him because of their reluctant status as life mates, and Cole was probably ignorant to her intentional distance. Clearly, he had other things on his mind, more pressing concerns. Before Nathan left the pack, he’d mentioned that Cole had inherited debt from his father’s company.
Considering how many hours Cole put in, Hayden assumed the situation was far direr than she imagined.
“I’m going to be out of town for three days,” Cole abruptly informed. “Unfortunately, one of those days is the full moon. I will not be back in time for the transformation. You and Blake will be in charge during my absence.”
“Where are you going?”
The idea of Cole being away for more than a day flabbergasted her. Granted, he worked overtime occasionally, but he’d never been absent for days at a time. She felt a bit vulnerable, though she’d never admit it.
“Business.” Cole leaned back in his chair and rubbed the stubble across his jawline. “New York specifically. I’ve been building the company’s profit these past few weeks in hopes of pitching it to potential buyers. I’d like to sell it.”
“New York?” she asked faintly. “Are you sure you don’t want a business partner to come along with you? Maybe a personal secretary?”
He gazed at her seriously. “I’m afraid a personal secretary would need to take orders and adhere to them without questions or arguments. You don’t fit that job description.” Cole leaned forward again and stared unseeingly at the mass of documents laid neatly on his desk. “I will not be in the same region where your family lives. Besides, I want you to stay here and watch the pack. Blake is distracted. I want someone I can trust to stay with the others.”
“No pressure.”
Dark eyes glanced up at her. “You are capable.”
It was flattering that he thought so highly of her abilities, but Hayden had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. With how unstable the pack was, she didn’t know how well she’d keep them together. Of course, Rachel seemed to be doing a good job of it.
As if to prove her point, muffled laughter came from the kitchen.
Keeping her expression as flat as possible, Hayden stared at Cole. “Is that all?”
He watched her, using his unfathomable ability to see straight through her bravado. “I have warned the others, but I refuse to continue doing so. Once Nathan builds a stable environment, Rachel will retreat back to her pack. Or, our pack will suffer a mishap, and she’ll find another stronghold to wiggle herself into. She’s an opportunist and a leech.”
Hayden didn’t know if Cole truly felt that way about Rachel or if he was just saying it to sooth her petty jealousy. She crossed her arms over her chest, an action—she realized too late—that broadcasted her vulnerability.
“I don’t know. She seems genuine to me.” At least to the other pack members. “She fits in well enough. Maybe you can invite her back into the pack. She was able to bring everyone together with charm alone.”
>
A devilish smile crossed his mouth. “You don’t honestly believe that.”
Hayden shrugged. “She wasn’t responsible for Devan’s betrayal. Of course the pack would take to her, a new face—”
“She’s not a new face,” Cole growled, surprising Hayden with his dark tenor. “Everyone in that room knew her when she was a member of the Slayter pack. They all saw her leave with the others. They’ve had their warning but would rather be blissfully ignorant. It’s their way of coping with grief over Devan’s absence.”
Hayden wondered what Cole was doing to cope with his grief. He was probably in denial that it ever happened. In fact, he’d started throwing himself into his work not too long after Devan’s absence.
“And I never want to hear you blame yourself for what happened to Devan,” Cole continued, his firm tone hardly softening. “You were not responsible.”
Hayden pursed her lips. “I suppose not.” She paused. “It didn’t help that I was there and directly involved. And it especially didn’t help that I had to break the news to everyone. They may not blame me directly, but it is in the back of their minds.”
“Not mine.”
Hayden remained slouched against the doorframe, drowning in the sound of lighthearted teasing and conversation from the kitchen. She was bitter and jealous that she wasn’t the one in the kitchen. Maybe she wasn’t that kind of person to ease grief away flawlessly. Or maybe Hayden should just accept what Rachel was doing for the pack and be grateful they were at ease.
She kept Cole’s steady stare, not at all intimidated by his gaze as she was the first time she’d met him. Of course, it didn’t help matters that something new—something alien— curled pleasantly in her stomach the longer she retained eye contact with him.
It warmed her insides and tempted her to leap across the desk and tackle Cole to the ground. She wanted to establish dominance over him in the most pleasant of ways.
Blinking, Hayden pushed that imagery from her mind. She cleared her throat and shifted uncomfortably, fighting the flush on her cheeks. She wondered if Cole ever had those bizarre notions. Though, one look at his eyes, which were now hooded with dark pleasure, Hayden realized that he had those imageries more often than not.
“If you’re right about Rachel, and she does leave, the pack will be heartbroken again.” Hayden pushed off from the doorway, becoming anxious with Cole’s unwavering stare.
Reluctantly, he pulled himself upright and dropped his gaze back to the papers. “As I told you before, one warning is enough. They must make mistakes to correct their future behavior.”
“Hm.” Hayden raised an eyebrow. “One nightly mistake between Blake and Rachel may be enough to clear a place for her in the pack.”
Cole slowly looked up at her, his expression blank.
She huffed. “A pregnancy,” she emphasized heavily, surprised Cole of all people hadn’t caught her meaning. “She could get pregnant with Blake’s… why are you laughing?”
The Alpha wasn’t so much laughing as he was chuckling lowly, his teeth bared in a humorous leer. “You mean to tell me Addie hasn’t spoken to you on this issue?” He ran a hand through his hair, the unruly waves becoming increasingly wild. “I suppose it’s so common knowledge to her that it slipped her mind.”
Hayden dropped her arms from around her chest. It was her turn to look at him blankly.
Humor vanished from Cole’s face. It was almost impressive how well he was able to put on a professional countenance. “I believe a part of the reason why human females don’t survive the initial transformation into werewolf is because their reproductive system changes so dramatically. More so than men.”
She glanced down at her jean-clad lap before glancing up at a skeptical Cole. “I can’t say anything has changed too dramatically down there,” Hayden supplied ignorantly.
A single eyebrow twitched. “Really?” he pressed with just a sliver of amusement. “You still get your period?”
This was a far cry from their earlier, more serious conversation. Hayden would give anything to be weighed down with morbid information than awkward revelations. She shuffled closer to the door.
“Maybe I should go to Addie about this…”
Honestly, she’d thought it was stress and trauma that caused her menstrual cycle to skip. She’d never thought there was an explanation behind it.
Cole ignored her inelegance and continued as if this were an everyday teaching. “Female werewolves reflect the nature of wolves in the wild, especially when it comes to their menstrual cycle. It’s why it’s so difficult for female werewolves to bear children.”
Hayden stared, wondering why he felt comfortable explaining this to her, with a straight face no less. She figured if Blake or Fergus were in the room, they’d burst into fits of giggles and crude jokes. But that was before Rachel.
“You go through heat,” Cole emphasized.
This time, it was impossible for her to suppress the blush. “Oh.”
A tiny smirk lifted Cole’s lips. “Yes, oh.” His eyes glittered as he watched her. “Though it varies among females, they usually experience it once a year. That is when you are fertile. But as I mentioned earlier, it is very difficult for a female to conceive.”
Words slipped from her mouth before Hayden could sensor them. “Would you… would you be…”
“Affected?”
Hayden was going to say tempted but figured it wouldn’t be appropriate.
“Of course I would be affected, along with the other males,” Cole answered. “When the time comes, I have a cabin you and Addie would take refuge in.”
She inched closer to the door again, wondering at his odd usage of the word ‘refuge’. The end of the conversation couldn’t come soon enough. But just as she reached for the door, his next words stopped her in her tracks.
“Or maybe it would be best if you and I were alone at the cabin. It may cause less… problems.”
Turning around, she noticed his unfocused eyes. “Less problems?” she quipped dryly. “That’s like putting a block of cheese in a room full of mice and expecting them not to eat it.”
His eyes focused back on the present, back on to her. “Impressive analogy,” he praised in a manner that made her flush hotly. "You don't think I have proper self-control?"
She crossed her arms over her chest again. "Oh, I don't know. Considering you can't keep your hands off me now, it’s hard to say what the future holds." Sarcasm dripped from her tone and Cole was quick to pick it up.
He was entirely wolf as he gazed at her. "You have no idea how difficult it is for me. Watching and imagining only makes it that more difficult." The debauched tone he used was entirely rough and hungry.
She held her tongue, wanting to remind him of who decided on a no-hands policy. Instead, she turned for the door. This time, she was able to duck outside his office, but his voice stopped her once more.
“Hayden.”
Wary that he wanted to discuss the quirks of male anatomy next, Hayden poked her head inside but kept her body angled outside, allowing for an easy escape route. As she glanced inside his office, she was taken aback at the smoldering expression adoring Cole’s face.
“I like your haircut,” he murmured. “It suits you.”
Thrilled, but unwilling to show it, Hayden simply raised an eyebrow. “Enjoy your lasagna, Cole. And send Rachel my regards.”
“Come to dinner with me. We can go someplace in town.”
The suggestion stunned her enough to leave her mute. Quickly, she recovered, smiling sadly at him. They both knew a dinner date was not something they could truly enjoy without feeling the sting of rejection afterwards. She had to remember Cole wanted the distance and she had to support him in that decision.
“Shane and I gouged on hamburgers.” She pushed off from the doorframe. “Maybe next time.”
They both knew there wouldn’t be a next time.
As Hayden walked down the hallway, she felt a sting of desolation when Cole didn’
t call her back. It was better this way, she reminded herself.
5. Chapter Five
“Werewolves usually fight with fists and brute strength.”
The dagger’s blade reflected a warped version of Hayden’s face. The weapon was held aloft by Adolf, seemingly at home in the man’s hand. Though, the more Hayden studied the weapon, the more she determined that it wasn’t a regular dagger. It was lighter, thinner, and it had no defined hilt.
“You will be at an advantage if you hold a blade.” He narrowed his eyes on her. “A blade is not meant to battle someone with. You are not participating in a fanatical duel like the ones you read about in medieval fantasy books.”
Her eyes refocused on his face. “I can only imagine you’ve read those kinds of books if you knew they had duels in them.”
Adolf promptly ignored her interruption. “It is a lethal attack intended to disable or kill your opponent. It’s an unforgiving weapon.” Grey eyes were as sharp as the blade he held. “Do you accept the consequences of using your blade against another? Will you be able to plunge your knife into your opponent with the intentions to kill?”
Hayden stopped to consider, knowing a truthful, yet thorough answer was expected. Could she handle the consequences? Could she use a dagger knowing that it would kill her opponent?
“I can,” she admitted finally. “If it’s self-defense, I can live with the consequences.”
Adolf stared at her as if he didn’t believe her. He kept the blade poised midair, waiting for something more. Hayden tried not to roll her eyes. It was a very delicate situation, she understood, but since training started almost two weeks ago, Adolf never stopped being suspicious.
The first step in their training regime had been physical conditioning with a few hand-to-hand combat lessons strewn in between. Hayden had struggled the first few days, but her wolf had helped build her stamina. The endurance exercises became tolerable and her reflexes had sharpened, so much so that Adolf had actually complimented her.