Un.Bridled (Claimed Series #2)

by Reese Morgan

  Though the compliment had been modest at best, Adolf had offset his praise by making a snide remark, questioning what underhanded trick she was doing to aid her in their exercises. He said werewolves were prone to learn quickly and efficiently, but not as quickly as Hayden was accomplishing.

  Ever since then, he watched her with suspicion. She didn’t understand the root of his doubts. It was her determination that drove her success in their lessons. She even felt natural when she fought.

  Besides determination, what else could be aiding her success?

  Recognizing she’d been quiet for far too long, Hayden cleared her throat. “It does make me… a bit queasy to imagine stabbing someone. But I’d rather stab then be stabbed.”

  “A bit queasy,” he repeated, giving her another narrow-eyed stare. “If it didn’t make you queasy, I would be concerned for your sanity.”

  Above all else, Adolf had a vindictive sense of humor. Hayden appreciated it. At times. “Does this mean we get to move on to daggers?” She wondered if she veiled her excitement well enough. Judging from the skepticism across Adolf’s face, she had not succeeded.

  “You are not done with hand-to-hand combat.” He frowned, flustered that they had gone off topic. “Back to our earlier subject, you will either kill an unarmed enemy or you will come across an opponent who also wields a blade. In which case, you may find yourself in knife combat.

  “It is not necessarily a graceful art, certainly not as graceful as swordplay. It is aggressive and it relies on extreme physical and mental strength. Despite your knack of learning quickly, I am still leery of teaching you the dagger, simply because it is close rage. Males will take advantage of your proximity.”

  Her initial reaction was to protest, but she’d grown accustomed to Adolf these past few days to know he had an alternative up his sleeve. “What do you have in mind?”

  Adolf hurriedly concealed his astonishment at her controlled response, least she suspect it was another compliment. One did not excel quite as well as Adolf when it came to avoiding intentional praise.

  “You have passable reflexes and you’re of average speed.” In Adolf terms, one had to assume Hayden had excellent reflexes and quick speed. “Those assets will help you with knife combat. I still intend to teach you, but I’d also like to introduce the throwing knife.”

  Hayden fell in love the moment the words left his mouth. She focused on the unique blade, marveling at its beauty. “It sounds incredible. I hadn’t even thought about throwing knives.”

  Adolf finally lowered the blade and held it out to her. “It takes a great deal to kill a werewolf. One way to kill them is by burning them entirely. Or, your Alpha’s personal favorite, decapitation.”

  Hayden recalled the night Tracer found his way into the pack house. A rogue had snuck up behind her and Cole had tackled him to the ground before gnawing straight through his neck. She supposed snapping a neck would not effectively kill a werewolf, otherwise decapitation would not be Cole’s preferred method.

  “Of course, there is always the more traditional method. Silver. However, with healing tonics available, it is becoming increasingly difficult to kill werewolves with blades and even bullets, though the latter is more difficult to heal and has a higher chance of killing the victim.”

  Hayden accepted the throwing knife. While it had no hilt, one of the ends wasn’t sharpened. It was a comfortable weight, not heavy but not lightweight either. It was pure silver, she realized with awe.

  “Throwing knives aren’t necessarily meant to kill, but if you excel at the art, you may be able to catch your opponent through the heart or through the eyeball and into the brain. In such cases, they will automatically drop.”

  At the mention of piercing an eyeball, Hayden grimaced in abhorrence. “And what if you aren’t that good?”

  Adolf inclined his head, a small smile gracing his lips. It was gone before she could take proper note. “Throwing knives slow down your opponent. Depending if you’re fast enough to hit them, and depending on where you hit them, they will be in pain and you’ll have an advantage.”

  The silver-haired Alpha stopped abruptly and gazed over Hayden’s head. At first, Hayden thought it was a member of Adolf’s pack. Throughout their training exercises, a few had approached out of mild curiosity and a need to see if she hadn’t bitten off their Alpha’s head.

  When she glanced over her shoulder, she was surprised to see the other Alphas and their betas enter Adolf’s property. Fortunate for her, tonight was the full moon and Cole was away on his business trip. Still, she shifted under their curious gazes. Nathan, in particular, looked ready to object at her presence, but Blake quickly intervened with a few whispered words.

  “Stay,” Adolf ordered before gliding toward the other Alphas.

  Something big must have happened for the Alphas to cross into another Alpha’s territory without permission. She tried to catch their words, but they intentionally lowered their voices several octaves.

  Just as she thought she wouldn’t discover any inside information, Hayden noticed Asher amongst the group. Her hopes soared when the blond beta snuck away from the others to approach her.

  “When I caught you on Adolf’s property that day, you really weren’t sightseeing.” He appraised the knife in her hand. “There is something strangely sexy about a woman wielding a knife.”

  “Sexy.” Hayden lifted her eyebrows in disbelief. “I’ll take your word for it.”

  He stuffed his hands into his pockets and struck a casual pose. Looking around the clearing, he finally put the two and two together. “I can’t believe he’s training you. Does Cole know about this?” He shook his head, chuckling. “Don’t answer that, I shouldn’t have even asked.”

  She tried to suppress her curiosity, at least until she could ease her way into it, but she relented. “What’s wrong with the Alphas?” Over Asher’s shoulder, the men were still whispering amongst each other.

  “I shouldn’t tell you.”

  Her eye twitched, but she remained calm. “You shouldn’t, but that doesn’t mean you can’t.”

  Asher flashed a dimpled grin, though it vanished a moment later. “Remember the rogues I told you about at The Lounge? The ones that are settled outside of town?” At her nod of remembrance, he continued. “The Alphas, mainly Cole, decided to leave them alone.”

  “Instead of executing them?”

  She was shocked. Usually, Cole favored execution over sheltering, even when the rogues weren’t loyal to Nicolas. She wondered if his decision to grant immunity was an attempt to see things from her perspective. After all, Hayden had argued with him on countless occasions about his quick decision of elimination. Evidently, he had listened.

  “Yes.” Asher glanced over his shoulder and lowered his voice. “The pack of rogues haven’t caused any trouble or entered town yet, so the Alphas decided to leave them alone. Unfortunately, the Hunters found out about them. They plan to execute them tonight during the full moon.”

  “How many are there?” Shock paralyzed her senses before horror took its place. “How can they… Shane said the Hunters don’t kill werewolves unless they prove to be a menace to society.”

  “They are a menace to society, a potential menace. They have no order, no control. Without an Alpha and a proper hierarchy, they could invade town during the full moon and prey on humans.” Asher sighed, his face weary. “I know what you’re thinking, Hayden. You can’t help them.”

  “The Alphas.” She motioned toward the counseling crowd of males. “They have to help them. I could call Cole and he could convince them to…”

  Asher appeared frustrated. “I knew I shouldn’t have said anything.” His normally warm eyes were full of pity. “The Alphas don’t plan on doing anything, Hayden. No amount of persuasion from Cole will change their mind. They would be putting themselves and their packs at risk.”

  “But the rogues are just scared.”

  A few of the Alphas turned to look at Hayden after her brash ad
mission. Ignoring Asher’s quiet hiss for her to be silent, she continued, refusing to let the situation lie.

  “I was a rogue once,” she addressed the Alphas, hoping to spur some sort of understanding from them. “I was scared and alone. I didn’t know what was happening to me. They’re just as confused.”

  “You don’t know if they are newborns,” Adolf rebuffed. “They could be veteran werewolves.”

  “If they weren’t newborns, they would have established a hierarchy. But you said they don’t have a hierarchy, didn’t you? There is no Alpha, no pack order. They’re newborns. They have to be. They don’t know any better.”

  “Hayden, stay out of this.” Blake made a shooing motion with his hand, a sort of placating gesture. “Cole doesn’t want you in this business.”

  “You were one too, Blake,” Hayden persisted. “You didn’t understand what was happening to you. What right do the Hunters have slaughtering people? They are vulnerable and exposed!”

  Blake took an advancing step forward, his eyes hard. “That’s enough.” Breathing deeply, he tried to control his anger. “The discussion is over, Hayden. Our decision has been made.”

  She reared up to her full height, hardly daunted over Blake’s temper. “Cole said we’re both in charge during his absence. I have a voice too—”

  Asher abruptly interrupted her by steering her away from the Alphas’ narrowed stares. “Fighting with him in front of the others will not get you anywhere. Blake will want to establish his dominance and control.” He pressed a consoling hand against her shoulder before leaning down and whispering in her ear. “I can show you where they are.”

  Hayden jerked at the confession. Uncertainly, she tightened her hold around the throwing knife. “You can?”

  The blond-haired beta appeared indecisive, as if a great weight settled on his shoulders. “I know where they are, yes. Maybe…” he trailed off with a sigh but pressed onward. “Maybe we can warn them in time.”

  “Asher.” Eric, Asher’s father, quickly began approaching his son.

  “Meet me outside your property at four o’clock,” Asher continued in a hushed, hurried tone. “Sunset shouldn’t be until five. The Hunters won’t move until the full moon is up, maybe a little bit before. We should get there with plenty of time.”

  All she could do was nod as he was pulled away from her.

  * * *

  “Where are you going?”

  Out of the entire pack, Hayden hadn’t expected Fergus to be the one to catch her sneaking out.

  Fortunately, with Fergus, one did not need an elaborate ruse to fool him. Hayden merely used the first thing that came to mind. “To my tree house,” she bluffed weakly. As she inched closer to the backdoor, Fergus stepped boldly in front of her.

  “But you don’t have a tree house.” A considering expression lined his face. “Otherwise, I’d take advantage of it.” His eyes were gloomy. “We could build one together…” he mused hopefully.

  Distinctively, she realized the omega must be weighed down with a variety of things, from losing his brother to his feud with Blake. Hayden could be upset with him for being blinded by Rachel’s manipulations, but that didn’t mean she could ignore him. Clearly, Fergus needed a solid companion.

  She laid a reassuring hand on his arm and he twitched in surprise. “When I come back, we’ll talk about that tree house.”

  Blond brows furrowed. “Where are you going? The full moon is just around the corner.”

  “I have to go someplace that is very, very important to me, Fergus.” She conveyed the necessary emotion and significance behind her words. “I may not be back in time for the full moon, so don’t be worried.”

  Despite her best efforts, he appeared alarmed. “But without Cole and you—”

  “Blake will be with you.” Hayden winced, remembering Cole’s confidence in her ability to stay and protect the pack. She was going to let him down, she knew. But this was too important. “This is just really—”

  “Important to you. You’ve mentioned that already.”

  Hayden knew Fergus had issues with Blake, so confirming that he’d be alone with the beta probably wasn’t the best idea. She did know that Blake wouldn’t run after her. Unlike Hayden, he would never risk leaving the pack alone on a full moon.

  Fergus frowned and moved aside. “I know I shouldn’t let you go, because you always seem to find trouble. Please. Just be careful. I could never live with myself if something happened to you.”

  Wishing she had more time to reassure him, Hayden settled for a kiss on his cheek. Before he recovered, she was already out the door, racing through the backyard and toward the property line.

  Luckily, she reached Asher without any more obstacles.

  “I want to try to convince Shane to stop the Hunters.”

  Asher blinked as Hayden raced past him. He scrambled after her, following dutifully as they cut through the woods and towards Shane’s home. “Are you sure? Can he even do anything about it?”

  “Probably not,” she called over her shoulder. “But it’s worth a try, isn’t it?”

  They jogged onto Shane’s front yard with a cautious step before approaching the front door. Though she didn’t think Shane’s relatives would come gunning them down, she knew it was best to keep a low profile, especially when they were in a hunting frenzy.

  “Hayden…” Asher trailed off, standing at her shoulder as she rang the doorbell. “I don’t have a good feeling about this.”

  He did appear a bit pale. If Hayden weren’t so determined, she would have felt just as uneasy. “About standing on the doorstep of a notorious Hunter’s home? Or trying to warn a group of rogues away from potential danger?”

  Brown eyes widened a fraction. “Both,” he hissed, apparently thinking she was crazy for not considering both issues. He then groaned when she rang the doorbell a second time.

  “Then why don’t you stay home?” Realizing she may have sounded too harsh, Hayden backtracked. “I know you were born a werewolf and probably have just as much prejudice against rogues as the rest of the Alphas. You really don’t have to do this.”

  “Yes, I do.” He raked a hand through his hair. “You don’t even know where they are. And besides, I’m not leaving you alone. Someone needs to go with you and I’d rather it be me.”

  The door suddenly opened and Shane popped his head out. “Hayden… Asher.” He offered a polite nod to each, his smile strained. “What can I do for you?” Though he seemed genuine in his inquiry, a distinct aura of nervousness cloaked him, as if he knew precisely why they were standing on his front porch an hour away from the full moon.

  Seeing as Asher wasn’t about to divulge anything useful, Hayden took the initiative. “I know this may sound… presumptuous, but I was wondering if you could convince your Hunter relatives and friends not to go through with their hunt tonight.”

  Shane’s face darkened and turned sour. “Hayden.”

  “I realize the potential danger the rogues might cause and I understand the fear involved. But they really are just newborns. If we could somehow induct them into our packs, like we should have done a long time ago, then they wouldn’t be a nuisance.”

  “Hayden,” Shane said again, this time forcibly. “When it comes to protecting werewolves, my grandfather and I can only vouch for the traditional packs here. I have no say in the matter when it comes to rogues.”

  Disenchanted, Hayden tried harder. “Maybe if I could talk to them, their leader, then they may reconsider their—”

  “Hayden.”

  She stopped short when both Asher and Shane called for silence. Her hands fisted and twisted together nervously. She couldn’t remember being this anxious before, not since her first full moon.

  “I agree with you full heartedly,” Shane whispered. “From what I’ve learned, they are newborns. But considering their proximity to the humans, they are a threat tonight. The traditional werewolves here didn’t want to take them into their pack because of their unknown
origins. So the Hunters took it upon themselves to get rid of the problem.”

  An unsettling realization turned Hayden’s blood cold. “The Alphas chose not to execute the rogues themselves because they knew the Hunters would do it for them.” She looked accusingly at Asher. “They figured the Hunters would spill blood in their place. They just pawned off the burden!”

  “Not necessarily,” Asher argued lamely.

  “They already left.” Shane motioned to the empty driveway Hayden had overlooked in her distress. “They left several minutes ago. If you wanted to warn the rogues to scatter, you may still get there in time.”

  Inside the house, a hoarse voice called for Shane. The human flashed an apologetic glance at Hayden before retreating back into the house.

  Hayden stood motionless on the porch, visibly shaking with unease. “Can we make it?” she asked Asher lowly. “Can we make it in time to warn them away?”

  He did a quick mental calculation. “If we run on foot and cross through the woods, we may have a chance to get there in time. It all depends on when the Hunters left.” Asher looked at her sternly. “Hayden, they may be just humans, but they’ve trained years to hunt our kind. They knew what they’re doing. I don’t want to be stuck in their crossfire.”

  He was right. It was reckless. Going back to the pack and carrying out Cole’s expectations would be the more logical thing to do. In the morning, she would wake up and know she’d made him proud.

  But in the morning, she’d also be aware of the deaths of innocents. And they were innocent. They might have been rogues, but they were not Nicolas’ rogues. If it hadn’t been for Gregory Martin or her status as Cole’s life mate, she would have been in the same position as the werewolves being hunted tonight.

  “Point me in the direction and I’ll go myself.”

  Asher spluttered. “You’re crazy. Crazy, Hayden.” He stopped abruptly at her hard gaze and his shoulders slumped in defeat. With a clenched jaw, Asher pointed north. “They’re north. If you’re on foot, you can cut through the woods. You’ll be traveling fifteen miles versus the forty miles by car.”