Un.Requited (Claimed Series) Page 10

  Hayden shook her head, somehow not surprised. “They made a mistake, Cole. From what I see, you’re just as good as that bastard, Adolf.” Cole grinned lightly at her remark. “Why did Nicolas want to kill your parents? Was there a personal vendetta between the two of them?”

  Bringing their clasped hands to his mouth, Cole nuzzled Hayden’s knuckles. “That, Hayden, is another story entirely.” He dropped her hand. “As to why I haven’t told the pack about Nicolas’ claim on you, I haven’t gotten around to doing so. Granted, I won’t have to worry about it any longer.” Cole cocked his head to the side. “Don’t be too hard on Addie, she was just taken aback. Nicolas isn’t exactly known for having anyone on equal grounds, let alone a mate.”

  He spat the word out with such intensity, that it caused Hayden to flinch backward.

  Emerald eyes softened marginally as they watched her. “And as a side note, I’d like to inform you of a pack rule.”

  She instantly took note of the change of subject. “A pack rule?” Hayden pressed. “Isn’t there enough of them?”

  Cole grinned aggressively, his whole persona lightening. “This one is especially important.” He leaned closer, his eyes bright and full of mischief. “No romantic relationships outside the pack.” Cole shot Shane a pointed look over Hayden’s head, as if he had interrupted them earlier in a heated exchange. “None.”

  “None?” Hayden repeated, trying to wrap her mind around the rule. A sudden and disturbing scenario popped into her head. “You mean I have to date Nathan?” She imagined Fergus’ twin and couldn’t help but to shiver in revulsion.

  Cole frowned, just as disturbed at that notion as she was. “We’ll worry about your mate when the time comes, which hopefully won’t be for many years. Every Alpha has the power to assign a pack member a mate, you can be reassured you won’t be with Nathan.” He looked at Shane again. “Until that time, romantic flings outside the pack are forbidden.”

  She opened her mouth, ready to press further.

  “Completely,” Cole growled out, cutting her off.

  Suddenly, a relieved voice called out Hayden’s name. Turning, she watched as Addie and Fergus filed into the bowling alley and past a perplexed Shane. Their faces were no longer horrified, only worried.

  Hayden realized she had overreacted. According to Cole, they hadn’t been disgusted with her, they had just been taken off guard when they learned of Nicolas’ claim. Hayden suppose if she were Addie, she would be just as shocked to learn that Nicolas was so intimately close to the pack through a new member.

  Addie paused next to her chair, hesitating briefly before engulfing Hayden into a hug. Unlike Addie, Fergus hardly hesitated as he gathered the two of them into his arms. Over Fergus’ arm, she caught Cole’s knowing smile.

  _______________

  “It just came to a shock for me, I meant nothing of it.”

  All Hayden had heard over the past hour were apologies. Both Addie and Fergus were trying to explain to her why they acted the way they did. In return, Hayden tried to convince them that she understood and she had overreacted just as well. It was a result of her homesickness and the pressure of trying to fit in.

  “Addie, I understand.” Hayden took hold of Addie’s wrists and squeezed them reassuringly.

  Fleetingly, Hayden wondered if Marie or Xavier was Addie’s child and how their death still affected her. Surely, finding out Hayden was the supposed mate of the man who killed her child brought back tragic memories.

  “Are you certain?” she pestered.

  “Addie,” Hayden warned softly, dropping her hands.

  Cole’s grandmother smiled kindly, glancing around Hayden’s room. “Then I’ll leave you to get organized. Dinner will be ready shortly.” With one last imploring glance, Addie left the bedroom.

  Amber eyes watched her go, feeling relatively at ease now that her secrets were all out, but still anxious. Turning back to the piles of clothes on her bed, Hayden tried to shake the uneasy feeling and focus on something else. Only, as she reached for a pair of jeans, the hairs on the back of her neck stood.

  Whirling around, she spied Devan standing motionless in the doorway, watching her blankly. “Devan,” Hayden greeted tightly, instantly on guard.

  Since her arrival in Oregon, Devan had stayed away from her and Hayden had gladly followed suit. It was unusual for Devan to search her out like this.

  Heavy liner outlined Devan’s hazel eyes, giving her a penetrating look. “I just came to see if it was true,” she chided. A malevolent smirk stretched across her face as her gaze lowered to Hayden’s throat.

  “It is,” Hayden confirmed, relaxing her stiff shoulders. Devan didn’t scare her, and no matter what came out of her mouth, Hayden was more than certain she could handle it. She’d heard it all.

  Devan looked back up at Hayden, the smirk still in place. “It all makes sense now.” She turned her shoulder on Hayden, ready to leave.

  “What makes sense?” Hayden pressed, on edge.

  Devan turned back around, her face no longer gleeful but spiteful. “Let me just warn you once, Hayden. Don’t get in my way, you understand me? I don’t want you here. No one does. Don’t let their petty apologies fool you. They’re just afraid of Cole. He’s the only one who wants you to stay…” she trailed off, looking at Nicolas’ mark on Hayden’s neck. “But that’s to be expected, I suppose. He needs something to lure Nicolas into a trap.” With one last slippery smile, the female Alpha left her room.

  Hayden nodded after Devan, having expected it. She knew that Addie and Fergus had been sincere with their apologies and she had no doubt of their intentions. Hayden had even considered the possibility that Cole was only keeping her around to lure Nicolas closer for revenge.

  But those suspicions were easy to disregard, especially when Hayden had a good insight of Cole. The Alpha wouldn’t stoop that low, especially when he probably already knew Nicolas had only claimed Hayden to be one-step ahead of him.

  Still, her reassurances to herself felt empty, making her feel uneasy and doubtful.

  6. Chapter Six

  Hayden squinted through the straw’s opening and into the endless abyss of ice cubes.

  “Another?” The bartender suggested with a nod toward her empty glass.

  The werewolf wasn’t so much a bartender as he was a watchdog. His beady eyes scrutinized the clienteles coming through the door of The Lounge, making certain they were all of his kind and no humans found their way in. And tonight, Blake had given him explicit orders to keep an eye on Hayden, making sure she stayed out of trouble.

  “If it’s on Blake Martin’s tab, then yes, another.” Sullenly, she pushed her glass forward.

  Blake was the reason for her current predicament, but she wasn’t so much irritated with him as she was with Cole. Who knew the Alpha had an actual job?

  Cole had forbid her to leave the property when he was absent. Not knowing he had a job at the time, Hayden had reluctantly understood his reasons and hadn’t thought much about it.

  Surprisingly enough, she learned that he had inherited a small corporation from his father and was gone like a normal person. With his absence, Hayden had been stuck inside the house, playing Go Fish with Fergus. Not that she minded, the lanky twin was fun to be around, but the closer the full moon approached, the more agitated she became.

  “Drying up my pocket change?”

  Hayden barely spared Blake a glance as she sipped on the refilled Coke. “Are you finished with your meeting already?” she asked, surprised it was over so soon.

  Earlier this morning, Cole asked Blake to take his place for the biweekly assembly with the resident Alphas. And Blake, after witnessing Hayden’s tenth card game with Fergus, had pulled her with him to The Lounge. Hayden wasn’t allowed into the meeting itself, but she had the honor of sitting on a stool with a watchful bartender tending to her needs.

  “Although,” Hayden began, “if Adolf is at the meeting, I can understand why you’d want to leave early.” She
turned toward him, smiling innocently.

  The beta flashed a grin at her snide comment before taking the drink in her hands and gulping it down. “You know, I didn’t realize how fascinated you were with Adolf. He is here.” Blake leaned closer, his eyebrows wiggling up and down. “And I can set you two up. He doesn’t have a mate.”

  Hayden deadpanned. “Uncanny men with silver hair just don’t do it for me, Blake. But thanks for the offer.” She then noticed the bartender was looming near, listening in nosily. In the werewolf community, there wasn’t anything remotely private. “Besides, I’m all for Nicolas anyway,” she lied easily, looking at the man pointedly.

  The bartender leered at her remark before wandering away.

  “Play nice, Hayden,” Blake scolded lightly. He sat on the stool next to her and began chewing on the ice cubes. “Having a fun time?” His amber eyes studied her uninterested expression. “Seeing as you haven’t moved from your stool for half an hour, I can see that you are truly taking advantage of your escape from Cole’s territory.”

  Tapping her fingers against the bar, Hayden shrugged at his sarcasm. “I don’t know what to do with the freedom. He hardly likes me going outside, even when I’m in his property.”

  She remembered when Cole had been all tense and overprotective when she commented about walking outside. He had almost assigned someone to go with her, but Hayden had fiercely argued with him about it before deciding to retreat to her bedroom.

  Blake snorted. “And when was the last time you listened so docilely? I think he likes it when you challenge him. I know I get a kick out of seeing him squirm.”

  Hayden was all for sarcasm, but she could sense some truth in Blake’s statement. “You want me to embark with my teenage rebellion?” she asked suspiciously, imagining Cole’s reaction if she took the advice seriously.

  Blake rolled his eyes, inhaling the rest of her drink. “No, I’m not. What responsible beta would I be if I suggested that?” Slamming the cup down, he pushed it toward her. “I know you’re annoyed with Cole for keeping you on his territory. But he’s only doing it to protect you.”

  “And the humans,” Hayden pointed out logically.

  “But The Lounge is strictly werewolf territory,” Blake continued as if she hadn’t interrupted him. “There are no humans. And if something goes wrong, I’ll be here.” He winked. “Go unwind. Have some fun.”

  “What?” She raised her eyebrows in question. “And dance with myself?” Pointedly, Hayden looked toward the dance floor. Only one couple was dancing, and unexpectedly enough, they were both men. “The very thought of dancing with myself does sound rather tempting.”

  He stood up, chuckling at her cynicism. “Alright, if you have to be stubborn about it, then drain Cole’s tab. Pig out. They have great Buffalo wings here.” He turned to leave.

  “Where are you going?” she asked in unease. He was her only source of entertainment.

  “Back to the meeting, I was in a short recess.” He pushed past the lone dancing couple. “Have fun, Hayden,” he emphasized by yelling over his shoulder.

  Through lidded eyes, Hayden watched as he merged back within the folds of the other Alphas. She had to appreciate his attempt to bring her outside the house, but The Lounge wasn’t on her list of places to visit.

  The tavern wasn’t busy by any means, arguably more populated than the first time she came here. The music was at a lulling volume and the dim lighting was oddly soothing. Instead of the intentions of having fun, the atmosphere was likely to put her to sleep.

  Glancing around tavern, Hayden caught sight of a female, a rare sight indeed. The stranger’s brown hair was styled neatly to her chin with chestnut highlights evenly distributed throughout. Her skirt was a vibrant red, provocative, and it barely skimmed her thighs.

  It wasn’t until the female glanced around when Hayden realized the stranger was Devan, her designated female Alpha and new pack member.

  Hayden suddenly straightened up against her slouched position, watching in shocked intrigue as a man embraced Devan and led her by the waist into a dark corner. Normally Hayden wouldn’t instigate, normally she wouldn’t care, but she couldn’t resist. Not when this was Devan.

  Abandoning her original plan of pigging out on Buffalo wings, Hayden jumped off her stool and advanced slyly towards the dark corner. Her pupils dilated and the dark no longer became a visor. She could clearly see the two embracing, slowly swaying to the music.

  Hayden had to pause for just a moment. She’d expected a heavy make out session or bold groping. Instead, their expressions were oddly serene and at peace as they held the other, completely oblivious to their surroundings.

  More especially, they were ignorant to Hayden’s sharp observance. She almost felt guilty for what she was about to do, but then she remembered how Devan had been nothing but hostile since her arrival.

  “If I recall,” Hayden drawled, successfully tearing them apart. She watched as guilt clouded their features, causing their eyes to widen comically. “Cole said that romantic flings were forbidden outside the pack. This looks like you’re clearly disobeying that order.”

  “I am the female Alpha, Hayden,” Devan hissed threateningly. Her fists curled at her sides, her knuckles turning white from the tension. “That rule doesn’t apply to the Alphas.”

  Hayden’s amber eyes appraised the man she had been embracing. He certainly looked familiar and Hayden was quick to identify him as the man at Falco’s shoulder the night of her arrival. Both Falco and his beta had the same flawless, dark skin and the uncanny blue eyes.

  “Oh,” Hayden responded vaguely, turning a blind eye on the beta and focusing her attention on Devan. Vengeance never tasted so sweet. “Then you won’t mind if I run it by Cole? I’m sure it won’t be a big deal, not if what you say is true—”

  A hand around Hayden’s neck abruptly cut her off, the words promptly squeezed from her throat. The beta had his meaty fist enclosed around her air pipe, compressing it tightly. His blue eyes were cold, yet passionate as he backed her harshly against the wall. With little effort, he lifted her off the ground in order to put their eyes on equal level.

  “Joseph,” Devan spoke softly, yet her eyes were hard, almost as if she whispered his name out of encouragement. She kept her gaze on Hayden and assessed the scene unemotionally.

  “Why shouldn’t I?” Joseph grinned, tightening his hand further. “No one will give a damn.”

  Exposing her teeth, Hayden thrashed in his one-handed hold. Encouraged by her fight, the beta chuckled darkly, banding a solid arm across her chest. The action effectively took away one of her only defenses, her claws.

  She narrowed her eyes on him, not inclined to fear him despite her current situation. He was an idiot if he thought no one would give a damn about her death. Even if no one in Oregon cared, Hayden still had her mother, her family. Surely, they would have some say in the matter.

  “In fact,” Joseph continued, “I’m sure the werewolves in Albertville will rejoice in what Cole should have done days ago.” His grin suddenly stretched into a bright, sadistic smile

  He wouldn’t do it. He couldn’t.

  Hayden began to break out in cold sweat and her confidence began to dwindle. The hand around her throat grew almost unbearable, blocking out any attempt at taking in oxygen.

  Devan stood by, looking indecisive. Fortunate for her, she was spared from arguing with her lover as a heavy hand fell on Joseph’s shoulder, interrupting him. The beta’s eyes widened and his fingers opened up around Hayden’s neck. Emotionlessly, he watched as she fell to her knees, coughing and gasping.

  Standing behind Joseph was another broad-chested werewolf. He was easy to remember as the blond-haired beta to Eric, the only two werewolves who had supported Cole the night of Hayden’s arrival.

  “You shouldn’t even attempt to finish that, Joseph,” the werewolf warned. “Cole would skin you alive.” His grim eyes then sparkled as he looked down at Hayden. “Besides, you didn’t really think
you could get by forever without someone noticing your clandestine romance, did you?”

  Joseph snarled, shoving the blond away. “Stay out of our business, Asher. And you too, Mutt,” he spat down at Hayden.

  Her lips twitched before she found herself offering him a silly grin in return. It probably wasn’t the best idea to ridicule an angry male werewolf, but after a near-death experience, being called a Mutt was far from insulting. Fortunately, Joseph chose not to comment on Hayden’s impish grin and turned to leave, pulling Devan with him.

  The blond beta, Asher, scoffed. Reaching out a hand, he pulled the female off the floor. “Are you alright?” he inquired, peering at her neck.

  “Oh, fine.” Hayden shook her head, resisting the temptation to rub her throat. “I’m beginning to get used to bodily harm, especially around the throat.”

  Averting her eyes from the ground, Hayden studied the beta’s youthful and playful features. The dimples definitely added to the image of a carefree spirit.

  “I’m Asher, Eric’s son and beta.” Since he was already holding her hand, he began shaking it in earnest. “And you’re Hayden.”

  “It’s a wonder how you knew,” she replied wryly. Withdrawing her hand, she considered the man before her. “Aren’t you supposed to be at the meeting with the other Alphas? For that matter, wasn’t Joseph supposed to be with Falco?” If Blake attended as the beta to Cole, certainly the other betas were required to attend as well.

  Asher chuckled. “You know Alphas, conceited bores. They bring us along for image, yet they’re too proud to admit they need another set of ears.”

  He began walking out of the dark corner, encouraging Hayden to follow him to the bar. “Eric usually narrows an hour-long meeting down to a few minutes for me afterward.” He threw Hayden a look behind his shoulder. “Besides, all that’s been said lately is how much you’re going to ruin this town. It’s not something I can sit through again.”