Un.Requited (Claimed Series) Page 16

  The man next to her was silent for a moment, his eyes contemplative as they searched her face. “Your fear over the full moon and your questionable alliance with Devan aside, something else is bothering you, something more.”

  It wasn’t possible. He couldn’t sense her emotions, could he? Was it another side effect to him being her Alpha?

  She remembered feeling his unease the night of her arrival. It had prevented her from falling asleep. He had also been able to feel her skittishness around humans and had calmed her effortlessly. She supposed it did make sense for him to be able to sense her guilt, which only meant she needed to cover it up by an even stronger emotion.

  She turned, meeting his eyes firmly. “I miss my mom,” she blurted out. Spurred by his taken aback expression and the stark truthfulness of the statement, Hayden continued. “My mother and I were… are really close.”

  Thinking of her family, her mother especially, was always a painful topic. Most importantly, Hayden could only imagine how her mother had taken the news of her status of a werewolf. The whole issue of her mother easily doused out her guilt over meeting with Asher.

  “Haven’t you spoken to her?” Cole asked, perplexed.

  Hayden looked at him in frustration. “No, I can’t even imagine what I would say. She hasn’t contacted me at all. Blake’s parents were supposed to talk to her the night you brought me to Oregon.” Thick despair and betrayal deflated Hayden’s mood. “She obviously thinks I’m a monster now. Otherwise, she would have flown here herself just to make sure I was settling in.”

  He tapped her chin smartly. “You’re not a monster, Hayden, and I doubt your mother thinks of you as one.” Silence stretched before he leaned in closer, his breath ghosting across ear. “Knowing Blake’s parents, they probably reassured her that you were being well-taken care of. She’s simply waiting for you to call her.”

  The idea seemed ludicrous. “Call her?” Hayden repeated dumbly. The prospect of reaching out first had flirted in the back of her mind, but she had never had the courage to hear any possible rejection coming from her mother.

  Cole stood from the railing and hovered behind her. He placed his chin on top her head, somehow vanishing her anxiety. “We are your family now, Hayden. If your mother can’t accept who you are, you’ll always have us.” Purposely, he set down his cellphone on the railing.

  Moments like these were what made Hayden unsure of her relationship with Cole. The Alpha seemed warmer around her when the rest of the pack wasn’t near. And yet, when they got too close, he shut down completely, making Hayden feel like a castoff, a mere inconvenience.

  Taking her silence as acceptance, Cole took a step back, catching her gaze. “What about your father?”

  Immediately, Hayden stiffened. “Why do you ask?” she countered icily.

  Cole, hardly affected by her tone, only raised an eyebrow. “You only talk about your mother. I assume your father passed away?”

  A humorless smile twisted her lips. Just thinking about her real father made the buried hate and the bitter betrayal burn as hotly as it had the day he’d left.

  She picked up Cole’s phone and studied it, giving herself something to distract the raw emotions. “No,” she started, her tone clipped and strained. “He left us when I was fourteen. I haven’t heard from him since.”

  “Hayden—”

  She raised her gaze to meet his. His dark eyes saw too much. Hearing his condolences on a topic she buried long ago was not something she wanted to hear.

  “She ended up remarrying two years later.” Hayden was rather fond of the memory. “He’s a bit boring, but he’s a loyal man. The only negative is the baggage he has in the form of a son. That urchin is a hellion.” Really, her stepbrother had been a headache she had been happy to get rid of.

  Strong, sure fingers caught her jaw and turned her around to face him fully. He nuzzled her cheek just briefly before butting foreheads with her. “Call your mom. You’ll feel better after you do.” With one last reassuring squeeze around her chin, Cole turned toward the house.

  The anxiety over calling her mother was still present, but Hayden fully registered what Cole had said earlier. He had been right. The pack was like family, they were beginning to be family, although slowly. She belonged here. Thoughts about moving back to New York after regaining self-control were beginning to fade, as she was finally growing roots here in Oregon.

  Dialing her mother’s number, Hayden placed the phone up to her ear, anxious to hear her mother’s voice again. Across from her, Cole lingered near the doorway, attentive to the conversation in case Hayden needed him.

  “Hello?” Her mother answered on the first ring, sounding hopeful. “Hayden? Is that you?”

  Hayden pressed her lips together, relishing in that familiar voice. It brought with it waves of calming reassurances. “Yeah mom, it’s me.” She slouched when she heard her mother cry out in relief on the other end.

  “Oh, Hayden.” She gave a sob. “You don’t know how worried I was about you.”

  In the back of her mind, she was aware of Cole escaping into the house, satisfied. “Everything is alright, mom, more than alright.” Hayden looked after Cole’s retreating figure, grinning despite herself. “There is so much I need to tell you…”

  The unease lifted and she felt weightless.

  Who knew Cole could be right some of the time?

  9. Chapter Nine

  Everything seemed rather muted as Hayden stood motionless on the forest floor. Through unfocused eyes, she watched as Fergus and Blake argued over something, their words muted and muffled.

  The leaves were fluttering and the trees were swaying, yet she couldn’t hear a sound. There was a heavy breeze through the woods, but it only felt like a lingering caress as it whispered across her fevered face.

  Devan’s and Nathan’s forms were mere blurs as they raced past the pack and submerged deeper into the woods. The rhythmic beating of their feet soon transformed to noiseless strides as they morphed effortlessly into their wolf forms. Fergus was quick to yell after them, sprinting after his twin as his body lurched and morphed into a grey and white wolf.

  Hayden stared after them unseeingly, her racing pulse becoming almost deafening in her ears. One hand clutched the rabbit’s foot around her neck while the other was fisted at her side to stop the trembling. She flinched as a set of hands lightly squeezed her shoulders.

  “You will do fine.” Addie’s reassuring words somehow cut through Hayden’s haze for only a moment. And just like a memory, her touch and her presence were gone, easily forgotten.

  “We’ll meet up with you two later.” It was Blake this time, his voice knowing and encouraging at the same time. He tugged off his shirt and threw off his pants, his movements jerky and unbridled with unsuppressed excitement.

  She found herself staring, daunted, as Blake shook his head back and forth, like that of a wet dog drying off. His sculptured body trembled and jerked before he began to descend toward the ground.

  Before his hands could brace himself, they turned into large, flexed paws. Like the movements of a calm lake, his human body rippled and rich chocolate fur grew across his once flawless skin. She only blinked for a fraction of a second, but in that second, Blake had transformed completely into his wolf.

  Proud and mischievous, Blake trotted over to Hayden’s frozen form and lightly nipped at her quivering fist. Treating it as a game of tag, the beta then leaped away from her with a bark and ran into the woods, his tail twitching in satisfaction.

  As soon as he was out of sight, Hayden swung her head around, looking at the only werewolf left in the vicinity. Cole stood across from her, his face impassive but a calm smile ghosted across his lips. He tossed aside his balled-up shirt, revealing a chiseled torso that would put any man to shame.

  “I’m terrified,” Hayden admitted quietly, hating feeling so afraid, but hoping Cole had some way of reassuring her. He always had a remedy for her restlessness. Certainly, he could do something about
it now. “It’s going to hurt, isn’t it?”

  Dressed in nothing but an oversized shirt, Hayden felt small and vulnerable as Cole approached her. Without the aid of words, he answered her silent pleas for assurance by encircling her huddled form with his arms, cradling her softly against his chest.

  He cupped the back of her head and pressed it against him, wrapping his opposite arm around her waist. The chest beneath her cheek was warm and hard, certainly not comfortable against her feverish face, but every bit reassuring and protective.

  Hayden squeezed her eyes shut when the forest began to darken as the sun set. Her entire body was shaking like a leaf and she was afraid her racing heart would gain enough momentum to break through her chest. The skin along her spine and arms were itching, prickling as if they had fallen asleep and were trying to regain feeling.

  Her eyes snapped open when her lungs began to burn and constrict, making her feel as if she were underwater, struggling to breathe. Pained and short pants escaped past her parted lips, her stomach tightening in fear. She realized her heart hadn’t been racing out of just fear, but because it had been the first organ to change. Canines were known to have quick pulses. How could she have not realized it sooner?

  Her fingernails clawed into Cole’s stomach as she struggled to breathe. Terror was thick and it prevented her from getting enough oxygen into her lungs. She felt herself falling, taking Cole with her by dead weight alone. He rocked her steadily into his lap, stroking her hair to let her know he was there.

  “Don’t fight it,” Cole insisted through Hayden’s panic.

  Hayden issued a choked sob, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes as pain tormented her body. She had never known this pain before. Her bones burned, as if they were turning to liquid, and her organs were shifting, cramping together unnaturally.

  Her eyes rolled back and she stared hungrily at the rising full moon that peeked through the trees. Something tugged painfully in her stomach at the sight of the silver rays and she jerked, having the strongest desire to run wildly and worship the night.

  But that was outrageous. It was animalistic and it frightened her to lose control of her human instincts. As long as her body remained a barrier to the creature wanting to invade, the longer she could remain in control.

  But the pain…

  “You’re fighting it,” Cole accused hotly into her ear. His arms were disproving as he gave her a fierce shake. “You’re too damned stubborn, Hayden, but so is she. You’re not doing yourself any favors!”

  He had said ‘she’. Through her pain-filled haze, Hayden knew he meant this creature inside of her. He was implying that the more Hayden fought against her wolf, the higher her chance was at dying before morning. But she couldn’t possibly let this… this invasion take over. Could she?

  Looking back up at the moon, Hayden decided tonight could be an exception.

  As soon as she submitted to the invading presence, her body went limp in Cole’s arms. She focused on nothing but his breathing and the moon above her. Her limbs snapped and cracked, twisting unnaturally. Surprisingly, while in her numb mindset, it was only mild discomfort. After all, her body had prepped for this transformation for over a month.

  Her vision shuttered and she twisted wildly out of Cole’s arms, finding herself landing on the ground on all fours. She leaned toward the forest floor, panting, and closing her eyes against the last wave of discomfort and nausea. Distantly, she was aware of her incoherent cries turning into miserable high-pitched whines.

  “Look at you,” Cole admired breathlessly, “simply beautiful.”

  Hayden struggled to open her heavy eyelids. When she was finally aware of her surroundings, the world around her seemed to be the thing that had changed, not her.

  The forest had come alive with highlights of alluring beauty. Mosquitos and flies buzzed in harmony around one another, the beat of their wings seeming slow and hypnotic as they disturbed the air around them. Flecks of pollen and dust shrouded the night air, appearing like glitter as they caught the rays of moonlight through the trees. Even the scents were stronger, crisper, as she could smell and hear the vigilant rabbit just a few yards away.

  Turning her head, Hayden caught sight of her new body, taken aback at the color of her pelt. Not even a single smudge of color stained her beautiful pristine white coat. Her body was lithe, small compared to Cole’s majestic form, yet her paws seemed a bit too large, almost unnaturally large in proportion to the rest of her.

  Ears perking, Hayden peered into the woods as soon as she was aware of movement further into the forest. Sniffing the air, she immediately identified the approaching bodies as her pack mates. She whined in excitement, trying to stand up to greet them. Only, four legs were difficult to get used to and she fell back on the ground, ears flattened in despair.

  Blake was quick to leap into the clearing, his tongue lulled outside his mouth. The beta smugly trotted up to Hayden’s fallen form, looking ready for a fight. She growled at him, leaning back as he insisted on nipping at her ears.

  Fortunately, Cole, now in wolf form, intercepted Blake and nudged him away. The sleek black wolf stood proudly before his pack, both his head and tail held high. Hayden buried her face in the front of her paws, watching as the pack members greeted him with kisses and nibbles to his muzzle. She was instantly impressed, albeit jealous by his stature and his ability to communicate with and command his pack.

  Flicking her tail in exasperation, Hayden distanced herself from the rest of the playful pack and practiced finding her balance on four paws. Eventually, after countless of wipeouts, her unrestrained determination to go running with the pack fueled Hayden to finally get the hang of it.

  Bypassing the others, Hayden only had eyes for her Alpha. She trotted in a circle around Cole, nipping at his tail, and veering sharply toward the woods before jumping back toward him. She wanted to go running, she needed to go running, but it would only be allowed if her Alpha permitted it.

  Growling at his intentional ignorance, Hayden bumped her muzzle into his broad chest. In retaliation, he swiped a heavy paw at her head, more playful than threatening. His eyes were bright with amusement as she continued to dodge around him.

  Appearing unbothered by her antics, Cole tipped back his head and howled to the moon.

  The action stilled Hayden’s wolf shortly before something stirred to life and urged her to follow her Alpha’s lead. Unsurely, and rather quietly, she joined in his greeting to the moon.

  As the rest of the pack sang along, Hayden grew more confident and climbed above all the others to match Cole in volume. His howl was a deep baritone and possessed a rather dark undertone, while her call was confident, wild, and clear. In the distance, cries from the other packs sounded as they created their own song, a start to the night’s celebrations.

  As soon as Cole ended the song, the others followed suit. He got off his haunches and prowled closer to Hayden, nipping her ear playfully and rubbing his body against hers. She sniffed at his claiming gesture and bumped back into him, wanting to be close to him, but enjoying the chase so much more.

  Digging her claws into the soil in order to gain velocity, Hayden began racing through the woods, bathing in the sensation of complete freedom. She was aware of her Alpha keeping pace beside her, sometimes pulling up ahead and sometimes lagging behind. Behind them, the pack sprinted to keep up, unable to match strides with the two leaders.

  It was easy to get lost in the run. Her mood soared to higher levels as she became one with her wolf. She felt unrestricted, so carefree as she pushed her legs to their limit. The wind rushed through her fur, pulling it and caressing it. The wonder of nature dressed and decorated their trail, lightened by the reach of the full moon. There were so many reasons she could lose herself, yet Hayden was still consciously aware of each pack member and their location behind her.

  She imagined this was what Cole felt all the time, mindful of each member of the pack and his or her mental state. Never before had she felt so
connected to them, but more especially, she had never felt this connected with Cole. Her place was right by his side, no one would be able to take her position.

  Throughout most the night, they ran. Addie had been the first to stagger back to their den, too fatigued to continue. Exhausted herself, Hayden’s tongue had fallen out of her mouth, but she never failed to keep up with Cole’s demanding lead, too stubborn to let him take full control of the pack.

  Hours later, she began to feel the wear and tear on her limbs. Her strides grew shorter, eventually stopping altogether. The rest of the pack began to regress in speed, hesitating at her abrupt absence. Hayden turned away from them, a small pond snagging her undivided attention. She eagerly started lapping up the water, ignoring Cole when he bumped shoulders with her to drink his own share.

  The twins, both possessing a pelt of mixed grey and white, were quick to dunk their paws in the pond to cool off. They were forced to make room as Blake shouldered his way through, his status as beta allowing him a decent amount of room around the small body of water.

  Everything was fine until Devan made her arrival, attempting to push Hayden over and away from the pond. For the majority of the night, Hayden had been under control, almost human-like until now. Primitive anger clouded her senses and she was powerless to repress it. Despite her persistence of wanting to refrain from challenging Devan’s position as Alpha, it seemed as if her wolf had other ideas.

  Water dripped steadily from Hayden’s muzzle as she turned and shouldered the female Alpha. The calico-colored wolf staggered backward from the shove, trying to regain her footing. With her ears flattened defensively, Devan snarled, growing even more vicious as Hayden bared her teeth in retaliation.

  She circled Devan, searching for an opening and taking it as soon as she spotted it. Hayden lunged, her smaller body easily gaining agility. Forced on the defensive, Devan yelped, trying to fasten her teeth around Hayden’s neck.

  The white wolf dived lower, just barely avoiding the other female’s teeth as they scratched her neck. As she had lower ground, Hayden used her upward momentum by knocking Devan to the ground. Rolling, Devan was quick to react in defense as she threw her paw out.