Un.Bridled (Claimed Series #2) (15 page)

Hayden tasted the bitter tang of betrayal. “That’s low, Blake,” she whispered.

Blake hunched his shoulders, his defiance quickly melting to shame when he realized what he’d done. Because it was a spontaneous show of regret, it was most likely an honest reaction.

Over Blake’s head, Cole met Hayden’s eyes, accusation clear in his stare. She didn’t look away. When she told Blake about her relationship with Cole, she did so out of need for companionship. She’d never considered the possibility of Blake throwing it back in Cole’s face.

As Cole advanced, Blake hunched in submission. “I’m sorry, Cole, Hayden. I—”

“I pity you when you finally realize that you’ve sided with a manipulative bitch over your pack members.” Cole stopped in front of Blake, his face carved from stone. “You betrayed Hayden’s trust, my orders, and your established friendship with Fergus.
All for what? A few nights together?” he asked with razor-sharp cruelness. “I hope they were worth it.”

Hayden stood her ground when Cole looked at her.

“Rachel will not keep this to herself. Be ready for the whole town to know that we’re life mates by morning.”

Her eyes widened and revulsion, so thick in its potency, choked her. Fergus curled a reassuring hand over her shoulder, trying to offer what little reassurance he could. Cole and Hayden could barely work things out when it was just the two of them. For the whole town to know of their relationship… it was unfathomable.

“Rachel wouldn’t,” Blake tried to reassure, sounding dismayed. “I—she wouldn’t.”

Frantic footsteps sounded from the road. Hayden turned, expecting to see Rachel or someone who already overheard the news, but it was only Addie. The other woman stood on the street, cupping her throat helplessly.

“Tobias is back in town,” she whispered franticly. “He’s taken an interest in Falco’s old pack and has challenged Nathan for position of Alpha.”

Hayden blinked, her earlier worries suddenly vanishing into confusion. When she looked around at the others, she realized they were just as horrified as Addie was. Even Cole took a startled step toward the road.

“Please tell me Nathan hasn’t accepted.”

Addie
only shook her head grimly.

The last time they hurried to Falco’s territory, Falco was being framed for the murders around town. It had been fall then, with crimson and yellow leaves raining from their branches and the weather still warm in human standards. Presently, the branches were naked and coated with ice and snow, the evergreens standing out vividly in the dull, colorless landscape.

Hayden leaped over a snow bank, following her pack at their heels. Her boots were cumbersome, slowing her down and making her wonder if she’d be better off removing them.

Possessing an unusual amount of speed, Fergus raced ahead of her. Unfortunately, he was too conscious of speed and completely unaware of grace. As his foot hit a patch of ice, the omega took a nosedive toward the road. His limbs flailed in an awkward attempt to stop his descent, but he only fell faster.

Blake soared over Fergus’ falling figure and landed in mid-stride, catching up to Cole who was now in the lead. Even Addie, who normally didn’t overexert herself, was trailing close behind Blake.

Taking pity on the omega, Hayden grabbed him by his shirt and hauled him to his feet. They shuffled together before eventually regaining their balance. Without even a nod of thanks, Fergus took off, leaving Hayden to scramble after him.

As she neared Falco’s property—turned Nathan’s territory—she noticed the large crowd of werewolves. It was so similar to Falco’s trial that Hayden stopped short. Only, instead of solemn faces, tremors of excitement and intrigue passed between the werewolves as they tried to peek around each other and toward the center of the circle.

Hayden couldn’t spot Cole and she felt a pang of bitter remembrance that Asher was no longer here. If he had been here, he would have sought her out by now and informed her of every detail she’d missed.

She shouldered her way into the crowd, catching glimpses of Nathan and another man who shared a similar stature as Cole. “What’s happening?” Hayden inquired to anyone willing to answer. She didn’t understand her pack’s fear and the other werewolves’ excitement.

“Tobias is challenging Nathan for his position of Alpha.”

Hayden turned to the speaker, pleased to see Adolf’s beta, Samuel. His eyes were strained as he tried to catch a glimpse of the figures inside the circle. Unfortunately, his short and stocky stature didn’t permit him much leeway.

“I don’t understand,” Hayden persisted. “Who is Tobias? Will they fight one another?”

Samuel glanced keenly at Hayden. “Tobias used to be an Alpha here long ago. Actually, Falco was his beta until Tobias resigned and became Lone, declaring Falco the Alpha.” He clammed up the next moment, appearing hesitant. “And yes, they will fight one another.”

“To the death.”

Hayden turned abruptly, staring at a forlorn Fergus in shock. “To the death?” she repeated, flabbergasted. “Why would they do that? Why would Nathan agree to do something so stupid?”

Fergus, using his incredibly tall height to his advantage, gazed over the crowd and toward his brother. They hadn’t started fighting yet, but considering the surrounding werewolves were tense with anticipation, Hayden figured Nathan had already agreed to the terms.

“It’s a matter of pride,” the omega murmured quietly. “Nathan had the option of voluntarily giving up his position as Alpha or fighting for it. He chose the latter. An Alpha would rather perish than to live with the knowledge that he lost his pack.”

She struggled for words, the excited murmurs of the werewolves growing nearly deafening. Considering the source of their entertainment resulted in the death of one of their own, Hayden was surprised at the intensity of their enthusiasm. It was a bit revolting.

“But—but when I became female Alpha over Devan, we never—”

“This sort of challenge is typically done when an outsider comes and demands position as Alpha,” Samuel supplied. “It’s an insult to the current Alpha to have his position challenged by an outsider.”

Clasping Fergus’ arm, Hayden pulled him down to her level. “Cole will stop it, won’t he?”

His expression was answer enough. “We hoped to get here before Nathan agreed to the terms. Now that he agreed to stand and fight to the end, Cole is powerless to stop it. This is tradition, Hayden.”

“Fergus…” Hayden chided. “You don’t mean that.”

If possible, the crowd grew more enthused. Though Hayden couldn’t see past all the tall, broad-shouldered men, she could hear the first punch. Skin against
skin, or more appropriately, knuckles against skin sounded clearly over the eager buzz.

“Nathan is a capable fighter.” Fergus tried to reassure himself. “I’m sure he has a chance.”

“Against Tobias?” another werewolf exclaimed in disbelief, having overheard the conversation. “I heard Tobias can keep up with Cole and Nicolas Slayter. Nathan doesn’t stand a chance!”

Hayden sent him a withering look, though he hardly noticed with his head averted towards the fight. If Tobias compared to Cole, who was notably the best fighter in town, then Hayden had to agree with the man. Nathan didn’t stand a chance.

Her distress heightened the longer the fight endured. Surely her pack members wouldn’t stand by and watch Nathan die, would they? Gradually, the more she thought about it, the more doubt began to overshadow her hope. The fight for Alpha was another stupid tradition werewolves practiced. They would feel obligated to stand back and respect it.

Cole, especially, seemed to honor the old traditions.

Whatever was transpiring inside the circle, Fergus’ posture began to droop and his expression darkened and aged. He continued to look away from the sounds of bones breaking and skin being pummeled. A sweet, metallic aroma of blood fragranced the air, and from the quick peeks she was able to steal, she saw Nathan struggling just to stay on his feet.

Apparently, Alphas thought it was honorable to die rather than relinquish their position, but Nathan looked rather shameful in her eyes. If these were his last moments, they were
hardly honorable.

“Do you agree with this, Fergus?” Hayden asked him outright. “If someone could save your brother, while
inadvertently
wounding his pride, would you take that chance?”

“Hayden…” Fergus trailed off with a pained whisper. “He would hate you forever.”

She lifted her jaw as a winded and pained gasp sounded from inside the circle. Another wave of excited murmurs swept across the crowd. “That wasn’t my question,” she said coolly. 

Hesitation sagged Fergus’ shoulders, but he eventually nodded. “I would take that chance, yes. But you can’t do anything, Hayden. Tobias will attack you, the other werewolves will scorn you, and Nathan will hate you—”

“He’ll hate me forever, yes, you’ve already said that. I will wound his manly pride and insult all the other men in the vicinity.” Hayden stepped into the throng of werewolves. “Somehow, that doesn’t seem too daunting, more of an accomplishment, really.”

While she understood, though grudgingly, why
some
Alphas were too proud to give up their pack, she could not stand by and watch Nathan die.

Fergus would be heartbroken, as would the other members of the pack. They were already suffering enough. Hayden refused to see them spiral further into destruction. Someday, maybe, they would thank her.

With her elbows flying in places no man wanted them to venture, Hayden found her way to the front of the crowd. Just at that moment, Nathan was thrown to the ground, his body jerking with the force of the hit. Blood fountained the air when a heel stomped onto Nathan’s face, breaking his nose and probably doing internal damage.

Hayden didn’t see any weapons. Adolf never mentioned killing a werewolf with brute force. She only imagined that if it were possible, it would be extremely gruesome and grisly, just like the time Cole chewed through a rogue’s neck.

Nathan gasped greedily, sucking oxygen as if his life depended on it. He struggled to get up and defend himself, but the other male was on him like glue. She twitched, wondering when she should intervene and
how
to intervene.

Running into the brawl with her fists swinging and executing fancy moves Adolf taught her would be ridiculous. She might be able to hold her own for a few seconds, if that, but she wanted a
different angle. If she were protecting Nathan, she wanted everyone to know that was her intentions, not simply jumping into the fray for the hell of it.

Her wolf twitched, pleading to come out, but Hayden pushed her away. She needed to do this in her human skin.

The other man, Tobias, continued his assault with unforgiving power and speed. Alternating between his fists, feet, and elbows, he had Nathan a bleeding mess on the ground. She swallowed her bile and looked away. It was best to act when Nathan could no longer defend himself.

Across the circle, Cole stood, watching the scene emotionlessly, as if Nathan was of no consequence to him. His eyes suddenly unfocused on the pair of fighters and zeroed in on Hayden. For a moment, he stared at her, as if not quite realizing what he was seeing.

His disorientation didn’t last long, for his whole face altered into a stern, forbidding expression.

A single shake of his head told Hayden that he knew exactly what she was planning and he did not approve. Rolling his shoulders like a predator would do when roused, he began stalking the perimeter of the circle towards her, not running, but not using a leisure pace either.

In the center of the circle, Tobias delivered a powerful blow to Nathan’s jaw, forcing the blond werewolf to the ground, motionless.

As soon as her ex-pack mate hit the ground, Hayden sprinted fearlessly into the circle and dived on top of him. Warm blood instantly soaked her clothes as she desperately sheltered his head and chest from any forthcoming blows. Stiffening, she waited for angry fists to rain down upon her. Using her arms as defense, she crossed them over her head.

If she couldn’t save the newborn rogues from the Hunters, she could at least
try
to save Nathan.

A terse silence spread across the crowd before shouts of anger, surprise, and disbelief erupted. Hayden didn’t pay them any heed. Nathan’s eyes fluttered open weakly and focused on her.

“No,” he whispered hoarsely, as if he’d woken up to his own personal hell.

“Yes,” Hayden growled back.

Fingers seized her neck, and with ridiculous ease, lifted her cleanly off Nathan. In hopes of staying anchored to her ex-pack mate, Hayden’s nails hooked into his shirt. Unfortunately, the man above her separated her completely with only a single tug. Her claws tore Nathan’s shirt, revealing bloody and raw welts that were struggling to heal.

“What do we have here?”

A single hand around her throat held her aloft, bringing her eye level with an unfamiliar face. Small, silvery scars marred his face and a scruffy beard hid most of his jaw. His hair was tawny in color, looking as if it could be blond one day and brown the next. 

The most intriguing characteristic were the eyes that mirrored hers. Wolfish amber peered at her with scorn and a great deal of bitter amusement.

“Is this your bitch, Cole?” Although he never removed his eyes from her face, he had detected Cole’s slow, stealthy advance. “This one has a lot of spirit.” His bloodstained hand patted her cheek in greedy delight.

“Hayden.”

Tobias blinked languidly. “Hmm?”

She scowled at him, keeping his intense, wild stare. “My name is Hayden.” Trying not to dwell over the fact that the blood on her face belonged to Nathan, she pressed on. “Due to Nathanial’s
incompetence
, I will speak for him. He voluntarily gives up his position as Alpha.”

“Does he now?” 

“Yes.” From the corner of her eye, she noticed the crowd beginning to dissipate, a few werewolves shaking their heads in disappointment and repugnance.

Tobias considered her before leaning forward, his hot, rancid breath puffing in her ear. “It’s against tradition to withdraw once the terms are set. But I’ll make an exception just this once if we can reach an agreement.”

Having enough sense to know where this was going, Hayden prepared herself and raised an unimpressed eyebrow. Though the pressure around her throat was constricting, it didn’t prevent her from speaking clearly. “I’m listening.”

“Good girl,” he praised. “It’s been awhile since I’ve had the companionship every man needs. I’m looking for someone to warm my bed at night, someone who isn’t intimidated of a little rough tussling. You look like you can handle that just fine—”

Just before Hayden drew back her foot to kick his groin, Cole lowered his arm with lightning-quick reflexes. His solid forearm crashed against Tobias’ extended arm, causing something to crack in the other man’s elbow. The amber-eyed man dropped Hayden in order to block Cole’s second attack.

Hayden landed in a crouch and hovered over an unconscious Nathan. There was something especially fierce on Cole’s face as he assaulted Tobias with attacks that made his sparring with Blake seem like child’s play.

His punches were quick and abrupt. Paying special attention to the arm he’d wounded earlier, Cole relentlessly found it with his fist when Tobias proved too slow to block it. With each additional hit, the arm began to redden and swollen, while odd extrusions, most likely fragmented bones, awkwardly stretched the skin.