Un.Bridled (Claimed Series #2) (28 page)

“They would have attacked us on our way here,” Blake countered calmly. “And they would have ambushed Hayden and Cole.”

“They didn’t ambush us,” Cole started, “but they did attack Hayden and Rachel. The rogues who survived the confrontation against Hayden are likely to know where we are.”

All eyes turned to Hayden, most of the pack not realizing that Rachel had been with her originally. Out of either stubbornness or timidity, Hayden avoided their eyes, choosing not to explain the circumstances surrounding Rachel’s death.

“It was Evan,” Cole supplied simply. It was all that was needed as explanation, for the pack seemed to accept it for what it was, clearly already knowing
who Evan was. “I agree. We’re not safe here for an indefinite amount of time, but it will be our refuge until I contact the other Alphas and come up with an alternative plan.”

“In the meantime, it would be
ideal
to sway Celeste to our side.” Nathan sat forward and clasped his hands. “With the Hunters looking for blood—”

“You don’t know that,” Blake argued. “They could have just scared us off.”

Nathan breezed on, hardly in the mood to humor Blake with another dispute. “And with Nicolas and his rogues after us, it would be wise to have as many traditional wolves actively on our side as possible.” He stared at Cole pointedly. “Don’t you agree? Celeste would make a good ally.”

Blake stood up, nearly knocking over the breakfast tray in his haste. “But you know she won’t be swayed. Celeste is all talk. She’s neutral.”

Nathan nodded. “She won’t listen to any of
us
.” He looked pointedly at Hayden. “But I know someone she would be willing to negotiate with.”

Hayden mulled it over, wondering if what he was suggesting was possible. It seemed unlikely that an Alpha female, who already declared her neutrality, would be swayed by someone she just met.

“Absolutely not. End of discussion,” Cole snarled. “She’d want something in return that I would refuse to give.” He stood from the mattress and prowled toward the bathroom. “It’s nonnegotiable. I don’t want you getting inside her head and trying to win her support.”

Without another word, he slammed the door shut behind him and the shower started a moment later. Hayden scrutinized the closed door before catching Nathan’s gaze.

They seldom agreed on anything, but Hayden found herself supporting Nathan’s proposal regarding Celeste. They needed more help in the fight against the rogues and quite possibly the Hunters. Moreover, there was the possibility that Nicolas was enhancing the strength of his rogues.

She didn’t know how many traditional werewolf packs were out there, but she knew any help would be a step in the right direction.

And more importantly, Cole didn’t think Hayden could win Celeste’s support without being manipulated herself. He didn’t
want
her to do it. Unfortunately for him, that was all the incentive Hayden needed to do it anyway.

* * *

By evening, the snow had tapered off and the sun quickly took advantage of the remaining hours of daylight. At the back of the cabin, there was a large brick patio that accommodated a heated pool, a grilling area, and a stone trail leading down into the forest.

Typically, the two packs cooked and ate separately, but that evening, they were both
making use of the grill. While hot dogs and hamburgers were being passed between them, they couldn’t have been more divided. Cole’s pack sat on one side of the patio and Celeste’s pack took refuge on the other end.

If any words were spoken between them, they were tense and curt.

Lounging on an armchair, Hayden unabashedly tracked the movements of the redheaded woman from the other end of the patio. As she watched Celeste, she couldn’t help but to see a woman who Cole believed could triumph over her, who could manipulate her.

A part of Hayden was threatened that another female was stronger and more dominant than
herself. She’d never had to worry about other females trying to intimidate her into submission. But despite the threat presented, Hayden was also curious about Celeste. Last night, she’d been able to look into Celeste’s eyes without cowering, without turning away meekly.

Was Cole simply overestimating Celeste’s abilities or was he underestimating Hayden’s capabilities? She wouldn’t be surprised if it was the latter. He’d done enough underestimating her as of late. The fact he would think she would leave the pack was offensive enough.

“Why don’t you two just kiss and make up?” Blake ran his tongue across his teeth and picked at his gum line. He found a piece of hamburger and abruptly flicked it across the patio. “A sexually frustrated Cole and a sulking Hayden is not good for the pack’s wellbeing. I mean it. Cole almost made Fergus cry today.”

“Did not!”
Fergus complained.

Blake rotated his body towards the pack omega, watching as Fergus adjusted a pair of sunglasses that he’d found inside the cabin. “You look ridiculous in those. Are you trying to look cool?”

Hayden ignored the two as they began arguing. Over their heads, she examined the door Cole had disappeared through not too long ago. He was contacting his company to inform them of his absence, and afterward, he would try to reach the other Alphas to confirm their location.

Consequently, he wasn’t present to watch over Hayden and reprimand her if she lingered over to the other side of the patio.

Addie already bridged the gap between the two packs, speaking with another female about the destruction of the pack house. Hayden didn’t need to hear the conversation to know how disheartened she was about the lost home. The whole pack was devastated over the loss, but they were trying their hardest to remain positive and refrain from mentioning it.

Cole reassured them they would rebuild. Hayden couldn’t share his optimism. While they were safe for now, she had a sinking suspicion that things would only get worse before they could get better. Nicolas wouldn’t chase them out of town only to allow them to crawl back to Albertville to rebuild.

He had something bigger in store.

“Now would be the time to go.”

Hayden craned her neck backward in order to glance at Nathan, who was sitting behind her. “I know what I’m doing. I don’t need you to order me around.” She looked forward again, intentionally relaxing for another few minutes.

When she was sure Nathan understood just
who
was in charge, Hayden stood gracefully from her lounge chair. As she left her pack behind, she could have sworn Nathan scoffed at her petty attempts at showing dominance. He was probably just frustrated that she continuously showed him his place.

The closer she approached Celeste, the more stares she received from the other females. They watched her with open curiosity, though some scrutinized her with an air of condescending skepticism. Hayden kept her gait slow and languid with a hint of arrogance. Instead of acknowledging the attention she was garnering, she kept her eyes on Celeste alone.

The redheaded Alpha was sitting at a table next to a dark-haired female. Judging from the other woman’s authoritative posture, Hayden assumed she was Celeste’s beta. Said beta turned to watch Hayden’s approach through narrow and distrustful eyes.

With only one hand gesture from Celeste, the dark-haired beta complied and attempted to clear her face of any hostility. She didn’t succeed.

“Hayden,” Celeste greeted pleasantly. She leaned back in her chair as Hayden came to a stop in front of her. “I’m surprised to see Cole hasn’t scared you away from us.”

Hayden tried not to reveal just how much truth that speculation held. “He tried,” she jested. “I just thought we didn’t get off to a good start. By the time we got to the cabin—”

“There is no need to explain, I understand. It must have been a tiring ordeal and you were eager to reunite with your pack.” Celeste graciously saved Hayden from any ineloquent excuses she may have stumbled her way through. “Please, sit.”

Meeting Celeste’s pale eyes weren’t any easier after the initial meeting, Hayden realized. Nicolas had the same effect on Hayden, and Cole too, when he harnessed his Alpha authority to intimidate her. There weren’t many Alphas who had such presence.

Hayden sat on the offered chair and carefully met Celeste’s scrutiny.

A pleased smile curled Celeste’s lips as Hayden fearlessly maintained eye contact. “Hayden, I would like you to meet Sophia, my beta.”

Sophia noticeably came from a mixed heritage. Her skin was soft mocha and her dark curls were tied to the nape of her neck for simplicity. Deep, brown eyes watched Hayden closely, as if waiting for any sudden movements that would initiate an attack. She had a fighter’s physique, but unlike Hayden’s long-limbed stature, she was short and stocky.

She would have been relatively pretty if it wasn’t for the permanent scowl on her face.

Hayden smiled past her initial dislike. “It’s nice to meet you.”  

When silence came from the other female, Celeste leaned forward. “Sophia, why don’t you help Addie and Lisa with dinner if you cannot be polite?”

Sophia hardly seemed fazed at the instruction and only offered Hayden a glower before leaving the table. Hayden watched her go, marveling at the open hostility. Would it even be possible to convince Celeste to fight with them when she had pack members that clearly disapproved of their very existence?

“Don’t mind her; she is only territorial over her position as beta.” Celeste reclaimed Hayden’s attention. “She worked hard to get where she is. Many of the pack members strive for the position of second-in-command.”

“You don’t name your own beta?” Hayden asked curiously.

She knew Nathan could always challenge Blake for the position as beta, but everyone knew Blake had the upper hand when it came to physical strength. Besides, Cole always seemed to support Blake for his second, though he often threatened to revoke his position if he ever slipped up.

“Oh no.” Celeste appeared amused. “That is one thing I don’t meddle in. I trust all my pack members and I have enough confidence in all of them. Any of the girls would make a capable beta. It’s up to them to agree on who that will be.” 

“It has nothing to do with dominance?” Quite frankly, it sounded like a democracy.

Celeste straightened from her lounged position. “It has everything to do with dominance and abilities. When I said I let them agree on who will be beta, I meant they deal with it on their own terms.”

With her clarification, Hayden wondered what those ‘terms’ entitled.

“How are you enjoying the cabin, Hayden?” Celeste inquired. She placed her chin upon her hand and surveyed Hayden closely. “After all these years, it still hasn’t lost its splendor. But maybe I’m just biased.”

When Hayden had imagined speaking to Celeste, she had been prepared to carry the conversation and control its direction. Instead, it appeared as if she was at the mercy of Celeste.

“I think it’s really peaceful,” she responded truthfully. “You’ve been here before?” It was a pathetic attempt to turn the conversation in her favor. She wanted to ask questions, not answer them.

Green eyes sharpened before they narrowed humorously. Apparently, Celeste knew all too well
that Hayden was trying to switch roles in the conversation. “I was here many times before, with Logan.”

“Cole and the others mentioned Logan last night. He helped build the cabin with Xavier Slayter, didn’t he?” Hayden
was curious how Logan was tied in with Celeste and Cole’s family.

“He was more help with finances as opposed to the manual labor. He was never a really hands-on man like Xavier.” Celeste smiled sadly. “Logan was my husband, my mate. I lost him two years ago to the Hunters, around the time Xavier and Marie passed away.”

The revelation surprised Hayden. Because of Blake’s insistence that Celeste despised men, Hayden had originally believed she’d never been mated before. “I’m sorry to hear that,” she said, recovering quickly.

“It was a hard year. I was good friends with Marie and Xavier as well.” Celeste’s tone was gloomy, yet she remained serene and regal. “I would never claim Logan’s death was a fortunate tragedy, but after he passed away, I was able to find my self-identity. I was no longer the female Alpha to
his
pack, but I was my own Alpha.”

Hayden watched, entrapped with both her story and her compelling tone.

“Many men are intimidated by my pack,” Celeste continued, never moving an inch and never letting her eyes waver from Hayden’s face. “They don’t know what to think of an all-female pack, especially an all-female pack that can fight and fend for themselves. They say we despise males and are too haughty for our own good.”

“And you don’t?” Hayden pressed. “Despise men?”

Celeste smiled briefly. “I see your pack has already gotten to you.”

“I don’t always agree with my pack,” she insisted. “I’m just curious.”

Celeste’s red hair was piled neatly on top her head, exposing her swan-like neck. As she tipped back her head to laugh, the length of her neck was only accentuated. “I admire that about you. No matter how overwhelming it may be in a male-dominated pack, you are still able to keep your footing.” Red lashes lowered as she assessed Hayden. “I don’t hate men, no, but I cannot say the same about the women in my pack.”