Un.Bridled (Claimed Series #2) (19 page)

As he spoke, Hayden combed the clearing, searching for Falco’s youngest son and mate, spying the latter among a group of other women. Her dark skin wasn’t uncommon among werewolves, but her regal poise set her apart from the other females. She was a beautiful woman with noble features. And though her neck arched confidently and her chin remained high, she couldn’t quite mask the echo of sadness in her eyes.

Looking away, Hayden could only imagine what she was going through.

She returned her attention to Blake and their current line of conversation. “He felt as if he could no longer live up to his position as Alpha,” Hayden mumbled, remembering the last time she’d seen Falco.

He had done nothing wrong, but he’d remained silent in the face of accusation. He had accepted whatever fate threw at him, viewing it as punishment for not being able to protect all the members of his pack.

Blake grunted in agreement. “It takes a commendable Alpha to step down when they feel as if they can no longer protect the pack to the best of their abilities. Most others would be too proud and refuse to relinquish their power.”

As Hayden skimmed the gathered werewolves, she spotted Rachel standing near the edge of the clearing, far from the other werewolves. The woman seemed preoccupied with wiping a smudge of dirt off a teenager’s face. The boy, who couldn’t have been older than
fifteen, seemed flustered as he batted her hands away. As he turned and ran to the other werewolves, Hayden caught a glimpse of him, realizing he looked remarkably like Rachel.

“I’ll be back,” she muttered distractedly.

Communicating with Rachel again had never been a priority of Hayden’s, but she wanted to know why the other female hadn’t told anyone about her relationship with Cole. Based on general assumptions alone, Rachel seemed to be the type to spread gossip, especially about those who had ‘wronged’ her.

As soon as Rachel saw Hayden coming, she immediately stiffened.

“I didn’t know you had a brother,” Hayden started, knowing she needed to start the conversation off with something other than demanding inquires.

The woman’s eyes narrowed. “He’s my son.”

Hayden stopped short. It was a difficult thing to remember that werewolves didn’t age past their prime. Discerning between grown children and their parents was virtually impossible. “I hadn’t known,” she said stupidly, glancing over her shoulder at the boy. “Er, his father—”

“My son was a product of an abusive relationship, but I love him unconditionally. That’s all you need to know.” Rachel crossed her arms over her chest. While she was peeved, she was still unable to hold Hayden’s stare longer than a few
seconds. “Is there a reason you’re over here?”

Hayden felt stupid. Her pack never said Rachel had a son. Of course, it wasn’t her business or their business, but it would have…

What would it have done? Would it have changed Hayden’s perception of Rachel? She sensed that whatever happened to Rachel during her son’s conception was a direct cause behind her conniving ways to seek stable men and stable packs.

Guilt and remorse clouded Hayden’s throat, preventing her from speaking eloquently. She had to remind herself that things didn’t change just because Rachel had a son. It didn’t mean she wasn’t a leech, as Cole labeled her. Rachel
had
been using Blake and Fergus. Rachel
had
left Cole’s pack as soon as Xavier died to seek out a more stable pack.

Still, Hayden could empathize with Rachel.

“I…” Hayden trailed off as she caught a whiff of the air.

A particular smell came from the street, a very faint scent of gas. Inhaling deeply, she detected both natural gas and propane. Unnerved, she looked around the clearing, wondering if any of the others had detected it. But they were all blissfully occupied. Even the Alphas, who were forced to remain aware, hadn’t stirred.

“Do you smell that?” she asked Rachel.

The dark-haired female lowered her lashes in irritation. Nonetheless, she inhaled. “No,” she deduced. “Is there something I should smell besides your Alpha’s scent plastered all over you?”

Hayden ignored the comment and stepped past Rachel. Maneuvering around the pines, she exited the clearing and stared at the empty cul-de-sac, wondering why the desolated road seemed so unnerving. Subconsciously aware of the other female following her, Hayden ventured closer to Cole’s property.

With her heart in her throat, Hayden detected the odor as it originated from the pack house. Hurriedly crossing the territory line, her wolf instantly became aware of the intruder on Cole’s property. And it wasn’t Rachel.

“I smell it now,” Rachel confirmed quietly. “It’s gas. We should—”

Suddenly, a figure emerged from the other side of Cole’s house and raced towards the middle of the road. Other figures, roughly three or four more, escaped the other Alphas’ homes before climbing into a pickup truck. They were Hunters, Hayden realized with sinking horror.

“
Hurry
,” Hayden whispered breathlessly. She grabbed Rachel’s arm, intending to retreat back to the clearing.

Before they could exit Cole’s property, the atmosphere seemed to buckle and swell, finally giving way to the pressure. Multiple explosions sounded, one originating directly behind them. The force of it caused Hayden to soar off her feet and fly several yards in the air.

When her body hit the ground, she was already out cold.   

The first thing she was aware of was the sharp, high-pitched ringing in her ears. Everything else was silent or muffled behind a murky veil.

Hayden struggled for consciousness, feeling as if she were trying to swim to the surface of the water, but too weighed down to reach her destination. Her limbs were heavy, her eyelids were crusted shut, and her tongue was stuck to the roof of her mouth as if she’d just roused from a particularly long sleep.

She pried her eyes open, realizing dried blood had sealed them shut. Licking her lips, she tasted the coopery flavor and noticed it was dry. But she couldn’t have been unconscious for too long...

Slowly, she got on her hands and knees, the high-pitched ringing in her ears beginning to dwindle. What took its place was hardly any better. Screaming and gunfire sounded behind her, near the clearing where the werewolves were gathered.

With her heart racing uncontrollably, Hayden forced herself to turn her head. Bypassing Rachel’s immobile form, Hayden squinted into the distance. After the explosions, they’d been knocked into the trees surrounding Cole’s house.
Or… where the house once stood.

A dry sob choked Hayden as she stared at the destroyed home. What was once the beautiful, stately home was now in shambles. It was colorless, rendered into broken and black debris. The entire top floor was gone and even the main living area was demolished. Small flames were smoldering inside the house, eating away at anything left salvageable after the gas explosion.

Hayden, her mind heavy and foggy, could do nothing but stare at it in horror. Her hands trembled as she raked them through her hair. This was a nightmare. This wasn’t real.

“
RETREAT
!”

She flinched at the warning, scrambling to her feet just as Rachel stirred awake. Wolves screeched in pain and whimpered in the distance as the gunfire continued. Some of the werewolves must have morphed into their canine forms to fight easier, but Hayden was sure one of the Alphas had initiated a retreat.

“Trey!” Rachel cried hoarsely. She stumbled to her feet and lunged toward the clearing, most likely thinking of saving her son even in her vulnerable condition.

Hayden grabbed her around the wrist, yanking her back. “You can’t go in there.” Even though her hearing wasn’t up to par, she could detect the large numbers of bodies retreating further into the woods. “Your son was near the others. We have to believe the other werewolves were looking out for the children.”

“
No!”
Rachel hissed, fiercely trying to detangle herself from the hold.

Hayden held on persistently. The smell of burning wood scented the air, and sure enough, as Hayden gazed toward the clearing, flames and black smoke blossomed in midair. Clearly, the Hunters were forcing the werewolves out of town.

She tugged on Rachel’s arm again. “You wouldn’t make it past the Hunters. And where would that leave your son? He needs you alive. You can’t charge into the thick of things, you need to find a way around it.”

Hayden didn’t know why she prevented Rachel from running. They weren’t friends and Hayden couldn’t understand the extent of a mother’s love without being one herself. But she felt obligated to keep Rachel safe. Going back to the clearing would only end in disaster.

But Hayden could understand Rachel’s yearning. She wanted nothing more than to follow Rachel back to the others. She was worried about the pack and if they were successful in their retreat. Most importantly, she needed to see Cole safe and unscathed. Something tugged her in the direction of the clearing; something Hayden could only guess was the bond she shared with Cole.

From his side of the link, Hayden couldn’t feel much of anything but focused rage. He was probably with the others, focusing on keeping them safe. At least he was still alive, that was
all that mattered.

“We can catch up to them by going through—” Hayden cut herself off and dove on top of Rachel just as bullets whizzed past their heads.

They’d been spotted by Hunters.

Hayden crawled over the debris, cutting her palms on sharp edges and broken glass. Bypassing the pain, she spotted the gift bag Adolf gave her and quickly grabbed it. She had no time to fish out the throwing knives, but it was imperative to keep them with her.

“Follow me,” she ordered anxiously.

Without waiting to see if Rachel followed her, Hayden ducked behind a thick tree, seeking its shelter. The Hunters proved to have dead aim, their bullets embedding into the tree against her back. As she witnessed before, the bullets weren’t ordinary bullets. They mushroomed significantly once they hit their target, creating small explosions in their wake. Bark showered down on Hayden and splinters cut her exposed skin.

Not too far from Hayden, Rachel squatted behind a neighboring tree, her eyes wide as a bullet soared cleanly through the trunk.

“Ready?” Hayden didn’t want the Hunters closer. More bullets would eventually cut through the trunks and hit their intended targets.

They had to move now.

Keeping a hunched posture, Hayden dodged out from behind the tree and sprinted further into the woods. Rachel stumbled after, the sound of her clumsiness a positive sign that she was still alive and well enough to move quickly.

Hayden led them away from the Hunters, but began looping around and back toward the clearing. The trees were a familiar sight, as they were still on Cole’s property. The familiar surroundings allowed Hayden to maneuver around the trunks with graceful awareness.

While she was still recovering from the repercussions of the blast, her footsteps were silent and light as she raided over the snow-littered ground. Rachel was also quick on her feet, but she punctured the ground and made enough noise to alert possible enemies.

However, no matter how skilled the Hunters were, and no matter how loud Rachel’s steps were, a werewolf’s speed was unmatchable. The Hunters did possess quick reflexes for humans, and above all else, an excellent aim, but Hayden knew there were enough trees as cover that such a shot would be impossible.

“Are you leading us back around?” Rachel asked impatiently.

“Yes.”

Hayden stopped abruptly when she spied a few werewolves ahead. They were heading in the same direction, which was odd. For them to be running in the same direction meant they weren’t near the others at the time of the attack.

Rachel stepped forward, an eager spring to her step. “Here—”

Quickly slapping a hand around the shorter woman’s mouth, Hayden tugged her a few steps backward. Another, more unnerving characteristic Hayden identified as odd about these strangers, were their lack of scents. 

“Rogues,” she whispered tightly.

Unfortunately, the other werewolves heard Rachel’s call. They snapped their necks around and located Hayden and Rachel within the murky shadows of the trees. Their eyes were bright amber and their leers were far more lecherous than anything Tobias could ever hope to accomplish.

There were at least ten in the immediate vicinity. Hayden could
try
to ward them off, but there were too many to keep track of and Rachel at the same time. No, Hayden’s only option was to outrun them, and as a last resort, attack to kill.

Hayden tugged at Rachel, forcing her to move. With speed she hoped Rachel could keep up with, Hayden led the other woman away from the rogues, away from the clearing, and away from town. Her wolf protested at the sudden distance she put between herself and Cole.

As if sensing her deviation from the expected route, Cole’s quiet presence in her mind suddenly stirred violently. Anger, frustration, and concern fueled into Hayden from his side of the bond.

He had expected her to come find him and the pack, she knew, but it was impossible now that rogues were on their tail. She only hoped Cole and the others would be prepared for the second threat hiding in the woods. Surely, there were more rogues looming in the trees then the ones chasing Hayden and Rachel. Hunters were the least of their problems.

“Where are we going?” Rachel persisted.

“Running until they get bored, or until we lose them,” she responded distractedly. Disapproving vibes came from Rachel.
“Unless you have a better idea?”

Rachel was silent and Hayden smiled twistedly. There was no convenient way to shake the rogues. And by running in this direction, they were risking the chance of running into more rogues. If that happened, Hayden would be alone in defending herself and Rachel.

“Slow down!” Rachel hissed breathlessly. “I can’t keep up.”

“Try harder.”

Hayden didn’t decrease her speed. If she kept pace with Rachel, the other woman would become comfortable and they would gradually regress in speed. Hayden needed Rachel to push herself and try to keep up; otherwise, the rogues would undoubtedly catch them.

Silence and stealth apparently wasn’t one of the rogues’ fortes. Twigs snapped and snow crunched beneath their feet as they chased the two females. Hayden was grateful for that. While she couldn’t smell them, she could hear them. She tried not to imagine how the playing field would tip in favor of the rogues if they decided to mask their presence.

Monitoring her surroundings, Hayden led Rachel through the mass of trees. All the while, the distance between Cole and Hayden continued to grow.

* * *

“You’re going to be alright. We’ve lost them for now.”

“For
now
,” Rachel snapped tiredly, rubbing her hands down her face. “I’m not worried about myself.” Her words were muffled behind her hands. “I just want to see my son again. Safe.”

Hayden scouted their resting space, making certain they were settled on the highest elevation in the area. There was no foot traffic in the snow and they had enough trees around them to take quick shelter. They weren’t out in the open; something Adolf warned her against during one of their training lessons.

“You’ll see your son again,” she responded levelly, trying to keep the uncertainty from her voice. “We’ll see everyone again.”

Evaluating their perimeter one last time, Hayden approached Rachel and sat across from her on a large boulder. They were huddled at the base of a large pine tree, its pine needles long enough to shelter them from prying eyes. Though, Hayden wasn’t so much worried about being sighted as she was about being followed by scent.

They would have gone further if Rachel hadn’t complained of exhaustion. Werewolves had far better endurance than humans, but they were not invincible nor were they machines. They had covered a respectable distance, something Hayden found acceptable enough.

“You really annoy me.”

Hayden, who had begun pulling out her knife holster, paused and stared at Rachel. “Excuse me?” she asked, affronted.

Rachel lowered her hands from her face and surveyed Hayden. Her eyes refused to meet Hayden’s gaze, so she settled for staring at the middle of Hayden’s forehead. “How can you be so unaffected?”

For a moment, Hayden struggled for words, recollecting the horror she had felt at seeing Cole’s destroyed home and the uneasy feeling at putting distance between herself and Cole.

“I’m definitely not unaffected. I’m just trying to keep a level head.” Hayden pulled out the holster. “Would you rather me be sobbing into your shoulder right now?”

“No.” Rachel stared at the knife holster, her eyes widening a fraction. “But I’d feel more reassured if you displayed a little bit of emotion besides calm acceptance.”

Taking off her coat, Hayden began adjusting the holster around her shoulder and over her Christmas sweater.

Seeing the stupid garment gave her a hollow pang in her chest. She hoped Fergus and the others made it out safely. Hopefully, if something had happened, she would have felt grief or something similar through Cole’s side of the bond.

“After Devan and Joseph kidnapped me in October, I figured something like this would happen again. It’s why I asked Adolf to train me.” She avoided Rachel’s scrutiny and buckled the holster in
place. It was light and inconspicuous, definitely not a burden or an eyesore. “Nicolas is too organized and ambitious to stay in the shadows.”

Rachel’s deep blue eyes scrutinized the mating mark on Hayden’s throat. She didn’t comment on it, not many people did nowadays, but her attention was obvious. “And
what
is he planning?”

“I have no idea,” Hayden said honestly.

Grabbing her coat, she pulled it over her sweater and holster, fastening the buttons. Pleased that the holster could be hidden, Hayden opened her coat once again and grabbed the hilt of a knife. Her fingers itched to practice, but decided Rachel wouldn’t appreciate knives being thrown in her direction.

“You must have some idea.” Rachel seemed frustrated, almost hysterical. “What can they gain by running us out of town?”

Dropping her hands from the holster, Hayden gave the other female her undivided attention. “Because the rogues were waiting in the forest during the Hunter’s attack, I can only guess that Nicolas prearranged this. He used the Hunter’s proximity to his advantage. By forcing us out, we are disorganized and vulnerable. We’ll be easier to eliminate.”