Un.Requited (Claimed Series) Page 13

  From the corner of her eye, Hayden was quick to catch sight of the black shadow following effortlessly alongside them. The more she watched the shadow through the trees, the more it began to take shape. A wolf, pitch black in color, sprinted gracefully next to her. Its legs stretched in a wide, arching stride, moving just as fluidly as a sprung deer. His large paws struck the ground before springing forward, somehow never making a sound despite his speed and solid figure.

  She had never seen such a majestic-looking wolf. His very presence commanded unyielding authority, easily banishing Tracer’s mental hold over her mind. It was too similar to Cole’s human form that Hayden knew the wolf running beside her was her Alpha. As a result, Hayden stumbled to a stop, her body collapsing from the pain, from the humiliation.

  Tracer looped back toward her, his instincts most likely fueling him to use her as a shield. He reached for her, grabbing her roughly by the throat. Like a coward, Tracer dived behind her, holding her up as a safeguard just as Cole leaped powerfully from the neighboring trees. The black wolf came to a sudden halt, snarling and exposing his sharp teeth for his prey to see, to fear.

  “You wouldn’t dare,” Tracer instigated as he kept Hayden flush against him. “Even though she brutalized your grandmother like the animal she is, you still need her to lure Nicolas. Don’t you, Slayter?”

  Hayden pressed her eyes closed, feeling the vomit clog her throat. She grimaced against the self-disgust, against the insecurities, and touched the dagger in her back pocket. Through lowered lashes, she watched as Cole continued to growl and pace, his amber eyes never once removing themselves from his prey. Even with the mention of Addie’s condition, he never straightened from his hunched and powerful stance.

  Her fingers skillfully pulled the dagger out of her pocket. Tracer was too busy shifting his body around Cole’s circling form to notice Hayden’s intentions. He was on his knees, one arm wrapped around her torso and the other around her neck. His attention was so focused, so concentrated, that he never saw the dagger as it angled toward his stomach. Only when Hayden thrust it mercilessly inside his belly did he falter, screaming in outrage and agony.

  It only took the one second slip from Tracer for Cole to take advantage. He planted his paws into the soil and lunged sideways at Tracer. The rogue tossed Hayden to the ground in order to sprint away from Cole’s attack.

  He had a few inches of a head start, but the Alpha was closing in on him easily. The black wolf salivated at Tracer’s heels, snipping and attempting to take a bite out of his calf. Cole could have caught him, he would have caught him, but oddly enough, the regal wolf suddenly halted and snapped his head back around toward Hayden.

  On her hands and knees, Hayden watched numbly as Cole began sprinting toward her with his ears flattened against his skull. With his dilated gaze focused on a spot above her head, he leaped over Hayden’s body, soaring cleanly over her and tackling a looming predator.

  Hayden turned her head, somehow not surprised that she could have died if it hadn’t been for Cole. A second rogue stood inches behind her, but scrambled away as Cole came at him. Unfortunately for the rogue, he wasn’t fast enough.

  Crying out in shock, the man collapsed to the ground, unable to support Cole’s massive weight. The Alpha showed no mercy as he tore through the rogue’s throat. His canines easily shredded the thin skin, not intending to stop at a superficial wound, but aiming to eat right through.

  She turned away from the gruesome scene and bowed her head. As her body came back down from the high of adrenaline, everything rushed back at her with great force. Opening her mouth, she retched, but only dry heaves came out.

  Vaguely, she was aware of Cole shifting behind her, the sounds of bone cracking signaling that he was transforming back to human.

  “I’m so stupid,” Hayden exclaimed as she glared at the ground in front of her. Her fingers clawed the soil as the unmistakable sensation of rage washed through her. She stared blankly at the blood drying and staining the skin on her hands. What she had done to Addie…

  “There is nothing you could have done to prevent what happened.”

  Through the fall of her hair, Hayden glared heatedly at Cole. “Don’t you care that I attacked Addie?” she demanded harshly, refusing to accept his pacifying tone. It was his grandmother, for Christ’s sake. He had every right to be repulsed, to be angry.

  Cole looked unimpressed at her anger. He pulled off the mutilated rogue’s pants and tugged them on his own nude form. Securing the shorts around his narrow waist, Cole leveled Hayden with a forceful look.

  “You are just as much a member of this pack as anyone. I am not going to kick you out of the house over something you had no control over.”

  His retort had Hayden blinking in disbelief. So much so that her mind went blank as she tried to come up with a valid response. With her mouth remaining uselessly closed, she watched Cole approach her fallen form. His immaculate and strong body crouched down next to her, the action bringing with it a strong sense of protection.

  Slowly, he reached for her ankle, caressing the tattoo that he had inked on her skin not too long ago. “Haven’t I been trying to make that clear to you? You belong here just as much as Nathan, just as much as Addie.” He released his hold from her ankle and braced his weight on his hands as he leaned in closer. “You are no longer an outsider, Hayden.” Green eyes held her gaze firmly, willing her not to look away.

  Too overwhelmed by his fierce understanding, Hayden lowered her eyes, surprised when his jaw rested on top her head. The stubble across his cheeks caught a few pieces of her long hair as he nuzzled her gently.

  “But I attacked her,” Hayden argued softly. “Just like you said I would.”

  Cole made a noise of disagreement in his throat. Reaching forward, he splayed a hand against her cheek, his large palm easily cupping the entirety of her jaw. The pad of his thumb swiped her cheekbone tenderly as he tilted her gaze onto his.

  “I never said you would attack her,” he argued. “I said that newborns that were Sired by rogues are often used against the packs they joined. I never said you would attack her freely. What happened with Tracer was against your will, you could do nothing.”

  “I felt so powerless,” Hayden confessed. She breathed shakily as she remembered Addie’s hoarse pleas. “I feel violated. I don’t know if I could ever look at Addie again.”

  His other hand joined its pair on her face, cradling her head in his hands. His large body easily dwarfed hers, offering a sense of a protective embrace. He gently prodded her healing cheek, being careful to avoid any open skin.

  “I think you showed remarkable restraint, Hayden. Not many werewolves have the willpower to wound their Sire. Addie knows exactly what the circumstances were when you attacked her. She would never hold it against you.”

  It was hard to take his words seriously. He hadn’t been there when Addie was pleading for Hayden to stop. Everything was so blurry, but the echoes of the other woman’s suffering were still ringing in her ears. She could still feel the memory of the flesh against her fists and claws as she lashed out. It made her stomach tighten in upsetting coils.

  Cole released her face before standing up. “We need to get you back to the house.” His reassuring tone had fallen prey to impatient concern. “The blade was silver. We need to clean your leg thoroughly.” Without forewarning, he swooped down low and picked Hayden off the ground.

  “I can walk,” she lied firmly. Her vision was beginning to grow worse, and now that Tracer wasn’t enforcing his will on her, the agony was all too real. The stab wound was burning, but her leg felt numb, cold.

  “I’m sure you could,” Cole responded seriously. He carried her bridal style through the woods and back to the pack house. “You’re too stubborn for your own good.”

  Through hazy eyes, she was aware of a wolf prowling alongside of them. It was arguably a male wolf, rich brown in color. Its amber eyes were intelligent as they watched Cole and Hayden.

  Stra
ngely enough, Hayden could immediately identify the wolf as Blake, though the beta had his ears bent and his tail tucked between his legs. At first, Hayden thought he was wounded, but then she noticed he was stealing guilty glances at Cole.

  Turning, she was surprised to see the hard look on Cole’s face. The Alpha growled lowly at his beta, clearly upset. “I will speak to you tomorrow morning,” he informed stiffly. His eyes flashed disapprovingly at Blake, hardly appearing concerned when the beta whined and scampered away.

  “He didn’t do anything,” Hayden exclaimed sharply, feeling defensive over Blake.

  Cole remained silent for a long while. His expression was grave as he stared straight ahead. “When I’m away, his duty is to step up as the beta, the impromptu Alpha. His primarily obligation is to protect this pack. Instead of staying and defending the house, he took off after his prey and left the pack wide open for an invasion.” Cole breathed deeply. “I had expected more from him. Things could have turned out far worse than they had. He is lucky.”

  Hayden wallowed in contemplation, reluctantly understanding Cole’s point-of-view but still feeling sorry for Blake. She didn’t get much time to consider the issue, for her head lolled against Cole’s shoulder when it became too heavy.

  Her senses blinked in and out, making it hard for Hayden to be conscious of her surroundings. She could feel Cole hurrying through the door of the pack house, brushing off shouts of worried exclamations and pressing questions.

  The Alpha then brought her into a room that wasn’t her own, but it smelt strongly of him. He laid her on the bed and walked away, leaving her in a fevered and vulnerable state. She closed her eyes, refusing to express her discomfort and pain, though it was steadily getting worse.

  A cold, wet cloth folded over her forehead and a soothing hand stroked her hair.

  “Hurry, Cole. Her fever is high.” Addie peered down at Hayden in concern. “You’ll be just fine, Hayden. Werewolves are tough creatures.”

  It might have been Hayden’s disorientation, but Addie looked as if nothing had happened tonight. There was no blood staining her face or her clothes. She had a dusting of bruises along her face, but they were already beginning to disappear.

  Tracer knew Addie would recover quickly. His aim hadn’t been to harm the other woman, it had been to cause mental anguish and a rift between the pack.

  “Addie,” Hayden started, guilt-ridded, but too incoherent to form the right words.

  The blue-eyed female shook her head, pressing a finger against Hayden’s lips. “There is no need to apologize. You couldn’t have done anything against him. And yet, you were strong enough to pull out of his control at the last second. Thank you.”

  Her gratitude was unwarranted, but before Hayden could voice her rebuttal, Cole was back. Boldly, he tugged Hayden’s pants down her hips and off her legs. She made a noise of discontentment, somehow still being able to hold on to her modesty despite the situation.

  Cole only spared her a quick look of exasperation before he took firm hold of her wounded leg. “This will hurt, but it will disinfect the silver from the stab wound.”

  He elevated her leg, pouring on a strong-smelling ointment. It was clear, water-like as it cascaded down the wound, washing away the crimson evidence of blood and grime.

  Hayden stared at the ceiling, her eyes growing wider by the second. The discomfort was even worse than the initial stabbing. She arched her back in anguish and opened her mouth in a silent scream. The sting of the ointment took her breath away, robbing her the chance at expressing the sheer agony she was going through.

  Cole’s hand replaced Addie’s lingering touch on Hayden’s forehead, somehow able to force the excruciating pain into a submissive throb. Green eyes were dark in concern and there was a wrinkle of distress between his eyebrows.

  “You’re going to be fine, Hayden.”

  Feverishly, Hayden reached toward him and touched the wrinkle between his eyebrows. She felt something alien stir in her stomach at his raw distress. Sorrow wasn’t an emotion she liked seeing on his face, especially when she admired his ability to always stand tall.

  He took hold of her inquisitive fingers and nuzzled them against his bearded cheek. Even in her feverish state, she was aware of the palpable tension that ignited between them. It felt so warm, so familiar, that Hayden had an intense need to be closer to him, to feel his touch and relish in it. His ability to always protect her, to always command a situation, was entirely all male and deeply alluring.

  She knew he felt it just as well. Only, his expression turned distant and cold as he gently placed her hands back on the bed. Taking a step back, he dismissed her by turning his shoulder and facing Addie. At his distance, Hayden shut her eyes against the vulnerability, admonishing herself fiercely for falling into a senseless fantasy. There was nothing there, there couldn’t be.

  “Watch over her,” Cole instructed Addie before leaving the room.

  Hayden lulled herself to sleep, mindful of Addie’s gentle touch through her hair.

  _______________

  Hayden blinked tiredly up at the ceiling. She couldn’t have been sleeping for very long, if her sore muscles and burning eyes had any say in the matter. Twitching her foot carefully, she tested out her leg, only to experience mild discomfort and tenderness. Her fever was gone and the agony was no longer a driving force behind her thoughts.

  “How are you feeling?” Next to her bed, Devan was sitting in a chair, watching her through apprehensive eyes. There was no disdain on her features, only slight unease.

  “Fine, thanks,” Hayden responded neutrally.

  She raised a shapely eyebrow. “You were stabbed by a silver blade last night and you’re ‘fine’?” Her crimson-painted nails tapped on the arm of her chair, a sign of her discomfort.

  The best word to describe the relationship between Hayden and Devan was strained. They were neither hostile nor kind to one another. The secret they shared, of Devan’s relationship with Joseph, was the prominent obstacle that prevented them from forging a true friendship.

  Hayden pulled herself up into a sitting position, the sheets pooling around her waist. She pulled the covers down, mindful that someone had pulled her under the blankets last night. The wound wasn’t entirely closed, but it wasn’t open and fleshy like it had been the night before. Touching the area around the abrasion, Hayden knew it would scar over and turn silver, just like the ones Cole possessed on his back.

  “Cole poured something over it that helped heal it,” she replied shortly to Devan’s question. “Where are the others?”

  Devan tilted her head toward the door. “Addie’s cooking breakfast, Fergus and Nathan are helping her, and Blake and Cole haven’t been seen much since last night. From what I’ve gathered, we’re going to have a pack meeting this morning.” She looked back toward Hayden. “Cole seemed pretty distressed about last night.”

  Devan was hinting at something Hayden wanted nothing but to avoid thinking about. Instead of deterring Devan over the implication of Cole’s protectiveness, and drawing attention to her avoidance on the topic, Hayden simply nodded. “He was angry at Blake for last night’s attack.”

  “We were all pretty taken aback with Blake.” Devan sat in her chair for a moment, a heavy silence settling around her. “Come on, I’ll help you to breakfast.” She tossed Hayden a pair of shorts, loose enough not to agitate the wound, but long enough for her peace of mind.

  The thought of Devan assisting her to the dining room gave Hayden enough willpower to shift off the bed herself. After pulling on the shorts, Hayden braced herself before standing and testing out her leg.

  It was weak, and she would limp, but she had enough strength to get around herself. Nonetheless, she offered a watchful Devan a tight nod in thanks as they shuffled from the room. Luckily, Cole’s bedroom was on the main floor and the trek to the kitchen wasn’t very long.

  Addie had gone all out this morning. There was everything on the table from fluffy scrambled eggs to bluebe
rry pancakes.

  Hayden grimaced when she caught sight of the older woman standing over the stove. A prominent frown tugged the corners of Addie’s mouth while heavy unease and melancholy clouded her pristine features. She seemed to take her restlessness out by cooking as much food as her kitchen inventory allowed.

  Hayden stopped in the doorway with Devan propped against the frame next to her. Doubtfully, she looked over to Nathan and Fergus, who were both sitting motionlessly at the table, watching Addie with just as much perplexity as Hayden felt.

  “Addie?” Hayden inquired.

  Cole’s grandmother seemed to flinch, finally aware of their presence. She held the spatula against her chest and looked imploringly at Hayden.

  “I… I think we have enough food.” Hayden took a step forward to stop Addie from opening another tray of sausage links. “Do you need help with anything?”

  Addie’s clear blue eyes seemed to cloud over in confusion before they widened in realization. “No thank you, Hayden. You just go sit down and take your weight off your leg.” With her spatula, she shooed Hayden toward the table. “Cole and Blake should be here shortly.”

  Not having to be told twice, Hayden sat down next to Fergus. Addie didn’t appear to be holding any hostile feelings toward Hayden, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t any.

  However, the chances of Addie being angry with Hayden were rather slim, as Addie seemed to be harboring deeper uncertainties than with what happened with Tracer. She was probably worried about Cole and Blake, whom had been scarce since last night.

  A hot breath suddenly blew across the side of Hayden’s face. She turned, locking gazes with wide and concerned turquoise eyes. Fergus leaned closer to her, peering at her as if she were a peculiar specimen.

  “Are you alright?” he asked. Worry etched his face. “You were whining last night. I’ve never been stabbed by silver, but I can only imagine how awful it was for you.”

  Hayden’s cheeks grew red. She had been whining?

  Before she could reassure Fergus, the entry of Cole and Blake drew everyone’s attention.