Un.Bridled (Claimed Series #2) (23 page)

When they broke apart, Cole insistently continued to press his lips down her jawline and down her neck. He found her jugular vein and nipped at it playfully before licking it.

Hayden’s hazy mind suddenly sharpened when she comprehended the reason for his tunneled focus on her throat. “No,” she found herself arguing insistently. “You don’t want that.”

Cole paused in his ministrations, his hands still shackling her wrists and his mouth still poised over the column of her throat. Slowly, he pulled away and released her wrists, looking down at her grimly.

“Are you sure it’s not
you
who doesn’t want it?”

She stared up at him, startled at his dark tone. She wanted to say that he wasn’t being fair, that
she
had wanted to progress their relationship when he had wanted nothing to do with it. More importantly, she wanted to ask
why
he had changed his mind about their relationship.

But she found herself unable to speak. She was afraid of this new change, though not so much afraid as she was uncertain. With how things used to be, Hayden had been in charge. She was able to control how much distance she kept from him. She had grown accustomed to his hesitance when it came to initiating physical contact.

With him suddenly becoming the aggressor in the relationship, Hayden felt powerless, she felt as if she had no control.

Cole’s mouth thinned at her silence, taking it as answer to his inquiry. “You should sleep.” He rocked back onto his heels before standing fluidly. “I’m going to scout the area one last time.”

Without further communication, he moved quietly into the trees. Hayden scrambled up from her prone position and stared after him. She wanted to call after him, but she was too stubborn to ask him to come back.

It wasn’t her fault. The blame was on Cole and his unclear motives. How could he be upset with her hesitation when he made it perfectly clear not too long ago that he didn’t want to further their relationship?

She stood up and retreated a distance away from the fire, preferring to cloak herself in shadows. Trying to situate herself into a comfortable position, Hayden attempted to sleep, but found her mind too preoccupied to rest.

Not only was she wondering if she should take the initiative and talk to Cole about their relationship, but she was also plagued by visions of Rachel and the rogues who’d attacked them. As much as she understood the importance of defending herself, she still felt uncomfortable with the killing.

And Rachel…

Hayden pressed her eyes closed, trying to erase the images. But no matter what she tried, they stayed with her.

On the verge of sleep, Hayden was vaguely aware of Cole returning. It must have been quite some time since he left, for the fire at her back didn’t seem as strong as it did earlier. She kept her breathing steady and her eyes closed, listening as he approached her. He seemingly paused near her, as if debating whether to stay or find his own place to sleep.

Unexpectedly, he positioned himself behind her and wrapped a secure arm around her stomach, flattening her back against his chest. His rough cheek nuzzled her gently, as if in apology, before firmly tucking her head underneath his chin.

Somehow, the unrelenting visions were easier to quell with Cole at her back.

Despite the endless white hills and the trees stretching as far as the eye could see, Cole seemed to have an accurate sense of direction. Hayden ran after him, staring at his broad-shouldered back as he led her further north.

Words were scarce between them, neither of them having enough courage to broach the subject of last night, or any subject for that matter.

After they shared a quick and silent breakfast, Cole began their trek north. Fully recovered from the silver poisoning, Hayden was able to maintain the quick pace he set. They’d run for what seemed like hours before stopping for a late lunch, and before she’d fully recuperated, Cole insisted they continue.

“We’re coming upon a small town. It shouldn’t be long until we reach the cabin.”

Her thighs burned and her body was weary.
“How much longer?” She kept her tone neutral, not wanting Cole to detect her fatigue. 

“Sometime tonight.”

Scowling at the vague answer, Hayden adjusted her coat and brushed her fingers across her throwing knives. The cold metal was only a slight reassurance. She’d been able to retrieve nine knives out of the original ten. The blond-haired rogue had possession of the other knife, the very same blade that had ended Rachel’s life.  

If she was faced with the opportunity to retrieve it, Hayden wondered if she would even want it back.

Up ahead, Cole slowed. Hayden watched him suspiciously, wondering if he had something to say or if he had somehow detected her exhaustion. If it was the latter, Hayden would be damned if he slowed their pace just because of her.

“Hayden.”

She stopped abruptly, keeping a fair distance between herself and Cole. Her palms grew clammy at the prospect of Cole addressing the issue that she was too cowardly to address herself. Though tentative, a part of her was also eager to clear the air. It would be nice to interact with Cole without barriers again.

He looked at her from over his shoulder. When he noticed just how far she stood from him, an irritated tick tightened his jawline. He motioned her forward. “Come. Closer.”

Schooling her features into an impassive façade, she approached him, a confident step to her gait. Regardless of her bravado, she couldn’t stop the timid flutter of her pulse when he immediately wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He tugged her closer, his forearm constricting around her neck.

“Do you smell that?”

Hayden’s eyes widened. Of all the
things she imagined he would say, asking her if she smelt something was certainly the last thing on her list. Nonetheless, she obliged after noticing the utter seriousness on his face. Sniffing the air, she bypassed the obvious scent of Cole and the wilderness. Underneath nature’s sweet fragrances, she pinpointed the tantalizing smell of blood.

For being so far away, it was extremely potent. “What do you think…
”

“Human blood,” Cole informed stiffly, testing the air again.
“In large quantities.”

Icy apprehension slid down her spine. Even underneath the shelter of his arm, she felt exposed. “Are we going that way?” she asked. “Is that the town you mentioned?”

Cole didn’t answer. His silence was infectious and Hayden intently listened to her surroundings. Judging from Cole’s poised posture and focused gaze, he sensed something Hayden could not.

Only when she noticed the unnatural silence of the forest did she finally realize they were being watched. From the corner of her eye, she saw a figure lunge from the trees. Although he was moving quickly, Hayden noticed the man’s chest was unobstructed, allowing for a perfect, lethal throw.

She grabbed the hilt of one of her knives and prepared to throw the blade into his heart. Unfortunately, Cole was quicker. The Alpha’s hands shot out and curled around Hayden’s shoulders, forcibly manipulating her body away from the charging rogue. Her world spun before she found herself disposed on her back. With rising indignation, she noticed her knife was no longer in her hand, but positioned in Cole’s fist.

Affronted, she watched through lowered lashes as Cole knocked aside the rogue’s advancing fist. He sent the man’s arm flying before quickly taking possession of it and twisting it in a complete circle. The sound of breaking bone was drowned out by the rogue’s howl of pain.

Cole slammed his elbow into the rogue’s face, creating a noticeable dent between the man’s eyes. As the assailant staggered backward, unbalanced, Cole thrust the blade into the man’s chest, finding the heart on impact.

Yanking the knife from his victim’s chest, Cole nudged the man to the ground with his foot. As the rogue collapsed, his body shuddered in agony for a few moments before turning abruptly still.

The black-haired Alpha stood over the motionless rogue, carefully assessing his surroundings. Once he clearly determined the threat was gone, he turned and faced a discarded Hayden.

She raised her eyebrows, waving a mocking hand in his direction. “No, that’s ok, I’m ok.” Flashing the clueless male a glower, Hayden stood from the ground. “Why would I mind being your artillery? Let the woman hold the weapons until the man needs them, then discard her to the side until he’s taken care of the danger.”

Cole blinked at her before he offered her the bloody knife. A peace offering.

Hayden seized it from his grasp, frowning. She pressed the flat side of the blade against his coat and wiped the blood off. “Don’t worry, I’ll clean it.”

His upper lip twitched. “You
are
the armory. I imagine cleaning the weapons would be their job.”

She squinted up at him, noticing the glow in his eyes. Her frustration subsided at seeing such raw humor. While Cole wasn’t necessarily gloomy all the time, and he wasn’t afraid to show amusement, Hayden had seen little emotion from him today.

It was hard to stay angry. “I had a clear shot, Cole.”

He inclined his head in agreement. “You did. But it is my instinct to protect you.” Cole looked at the rogue at his feet. “I’ve also noticed they’ve been more difficult to kill as of late. I didn’t want to take a chance with your life.”

Hayden sheathed the knife back in its holster and adjusted her coat. “It didn’t look as if you were having any problems with him.”

Sarcasm aside, she couldn’t help but to think of the rogues she and Rachel encountered the other day. While she understood some werewolves were better fighters than
others, Hayden thought the mediocre fighters possessed more strength than usual.

“No,” Cole agreed. “But I encountered a few rogues on my way to retrieve you. They took longer to fall and they had more power than what I was familiar with.” Though his face didn’t show it, Cole seemed truly perturbed at the notion.

“What are you implying?” Hayden asked. “That Nicolas has created something that increases their strength? Like a beast on steroids?”

Cole pressed his lips together and his eyes turned half-lidded with skepticism. “I find it difficult to imagine he’s creating so many serums that are so fictitious.” He looked down at her. “But yes, that is a possibility. I would very much like to know who he’s employing to generate these
creations
.”

She had to agree with him. It was implausible to imagine Nicolas generating so many serums that would give his rogues an advantage over traditional werewolves. But even Cole, who was exceptionally skilled at combat, had noticed the rogues’ increased stamina.

It was unnerving. Was Nicolas trying to create the ultimate army by injecting them with chemically altered steroids? And what was his gain by doing so? An upper hand?

“Come.” Cole’s tone was heavy with weariness as he continued through the trees. “We need to identify the source behind the blood.”

“Oh.” Hayden’s mood darkened further as she jogged to catch up to Cole. “I thought we could take a detour and avoid any potential situations that would put us in jeopardy.” She noticed his determined stride. “But I see you’re bound and determined to jump right into the fray. And considering I’m your weapons armory, I’m expected to follow you wherever you…”

She trailed off when Cole shot her an indescribable look.

“I think that’s the most I’ve ever heard you say in one breath.” Cole shook his head, perhaps amused perhaps exasperated. “You’ve been spending too much time with Blake and Fergus.”

Hayden scoffed but followed Cole without another protest.

Her good humor, along with Cole’s tolerance, gradually darkened the further they traveled. Similar to when the rogue attacked, the woods were silent and still. The sun was sinking behind the horizon, darkening their surroundings and giving the snow a captivating glow. Birds were silenced and animals refrained from scurrying across the landscape, perhaps too wary of leaving their nesting areas.

Cole led with slow, purposeful strides, clearly favoring stealth and silence as opposed to speed. Fortunately, stealth was one thing that came easy to Hayden. Instead of feeling awkward and clumsy next to Cole, as she normally did when it came to physical prowess, she felt as if she belonged beside him.

The trees began thinning and the hills began flattening as they neared the town. Hayden closed her eyes against the rich, savory scent of blood. Her wolf thought it was a delectable fragrance, but her human instincts reared away from enjoying something so gruesome.

The blood was fresh, she realized. And it was so incredibly quiet.

As they closed in on civilization, she realized the town was a lot smaller than what she’d pictured.

There were a few shacks dispersed in the woods, hidden mostly by tree cover. A town square was nestled in the gully between two hills, lodging small shops that were more necessities than luxuries for the townsfolk. Only one road led in and out of town, most likely a conduit into a main road a good distance away. 

Cole kept his body angled, keeping her in his sights and away from the unknown threat. Hayden didn’t protest, but she wasn’t lulled into a false sense of security. She would keep her knives accessible. It was why she asked Adolf to train her in the first place, so Cole wouldn’t risk his own safety for her. 

Cole suddenly turned very still. His broad shoulder moved and completely blocked Hayden’s view into town. “Turn back.”

There was no panic in his tone, not that he’d convey any alarm if there
was
trouble, but Hayden didn’t think there was any imminent danger. More likely, Cole had seen something upsetting, something he didn’t want her to see.

Instead of turning away, Hayden planted her feet and lifted her chin.

Unexpectedly, Cole rounded on her, looming before her aggressively. “I said
turn back
!” he snarled, baring his teeth in a threating manner.

The force of his words sent Hayden scrambling backwards, never remembering a time Cole had channeled his anger and hostility towards her. If she’d been in wolf form, she would have been startled enough to tuck her tail between her legs and flatten her ears in trepidation.

With her breathing coming out in quick gasps, she took a few more steps backward, all under the attentive gaze of Cole. “Whatever happened to an Alpha standing on her own feet?” All she could manage was a whisper, her wits too shaken to manage anything bolder. “You said I would experience something similar to the rogue massacre back home. That’s what happened, isn’t it? It’s a massacre. It smells like one.”

With his expression cloaked in darkness, Cole simply stared at her, his lips pressed into a forbidding line. He gazed through her, his silent assessment somehow more unnerving than his harsh tone.

After what seemed like hours, Cole appeared to accept her stubbornness for what it was. Displeasure made his movements rigid as he moved aside in surrender. Clearly, he was not happy that Hayden threw his words back at him, especially at a time like this.

“You wish to defend rogues because you see them as defenseless creatures.” He turned his head and stared into town. “Now see the other side of the conflict. See why the Hunters continue to view us as monsters.”

As he cleared the way, Hayden finally identified the source of the bloodshed. She had expected it, but somehow, the sheer carnage still came as a shock.

Swallowing her initial nausea, she slowly approached the heart of the town. Bodies were littered and strewn across the snowy grounds, the crimson smears surrounding the
bodies mere proof that they had been dragged or tossed carelessly aside in their suffering.

Most of the victims were men, many of them holding rifles in their limp, lifeless hands. But they had been human and their bullets were not made out of silver. They would have been powerless against a werewolf.

However, men weren’t the only ones amongst the dead. Women and children were also strewn within the mass grave, all of them maimed in various degrees of gore.

Hayden blinked back her tears as she came to a stop next to a fallen human. Cole was right. For so long, she’d sympathized with the rogues for being hunted and slaughtered by Hunters. But she should have known there was more than one side to the issue. Cole could tell her until he was blue in the face that rogues were troublesome, but mere words could never bring the same clarity as living proof.