Un.Bridled (Claimed Series #2) (3 page)

“Do you think he can succeed as Alpha?” Hayden asked quietly, needing to preoccupy her attention elsewhere. It seemed like forever ago since she’d talked privately with Cole.

He offered a grim smile, as if pleased she had been able to see his underlying intentions when no one else had. “We will see. He is very inexperienced, but he does possess the necessary obligation and willpower.”

“Will the pack suffer because of it?” Hayden watched as Cole grabbed the basket of rolls and the bowl of salad.

Cole was silent as he dropped a generous amount of salad on top her plate. He appeared tired but his broad shoulders remained proud. “I anticipate that we will only get stronger.”

She had her doubts, but she also had faith in Cole’s leadership. Somehow, she knew Cole would never let his pack deteriorate in front of him. 

The correlation never dawned on her before, but Adolf resembled the elves from the old folklores. He was unmarked by age, his features both flawless and immaculate. His silver hair, which fell past his shoulders, was currently tied at the nape of his neck, exposing the solid column of his throat.

If it wasn’t for the predominant scowl he wore, or the way he constantly insulted Cole and the rest of the pack, Hayden might have considered Adolf handsome. He was muscular, but in comparison to Cole, he was lithe. His agile stature could explain why he preferred daggers as opposed to fists.

Her anticipation heightened as he charged from his house. However, one look at his livid expression abruptly dissipated Hayden’s earlier perceptions. She wondered how she’d considered him handsome when he currently resembled a wild boar.

“Get off my property!” A wolfish snarl entwined his words, giving his order more bite.

“But I’m not on your property,” Hayden replied innocently. While he intimidated her just the slightest, her excitement over a face-to-face conversation overshadowed any hesitancy. “In fact, I made sure I stayed behind the territory line.”

He moved fluidly over his territory and grabbed Hayden’s arm. “Whatever game you’re playing at will stop now.” He half carried her, half dragged her down his property. “I am
personally
going to escort you to your Alpha.”

“Cole is working,” she supplied flippantly. “He always works during the week. You should have known that.”

Granted, she was ecstatic at finally having Adolf in front of her, but she hadn’t formulated a strategy to convince him to teach her. Not yet anyway. She’d been more preoccupied with waiting outside his house until he came out.

“Then I will bring you to Addie.”

“Probably not the best idea, considering she’s out shopping.”

Adolf stopped abruptly. He shook her once, as if torn between tossing her aside and crushing her arm. “What do you want, Mutt?”

Mutt
was a term Hayden hadn’t heard for quite some time. Ever since she’d stepped foot in Albertville, with a rogue as a Sire and Nicolas as her ‘declared mate’, Adolf frequently tried to banish her from town. However, after realizing Hayden hadn’t been responsible for the killings in Albertville, Adolf had lost much of his ammo for convicting her.

Hayden tugged her arm free from his grasp and stared at his spiteful face. “I was wondering if you could teach me how to fight with a dagger.”

Adolf appeared genuinely surprised at the request, never having expected to hear those words coming from her lips. It didn’t last, however. His scowl was fixed just seconds later.

“What kind of joke is this?”

“Not a joke. Please,” Hayden begged.

She was suddenly frantic at the notion of Adolf turning her down. His possible refusal had briefly crossed her mind, but her determination to learn how to fight had prevented her from formulating any backup plans if he said no.

He squinted down at her, amused and vindictive. “You’re a female, a Mutt female from another pack. Your Sire is a rogue who will easily take over your mind with a few simple orders. Why would I teach a potential enemy how to fight?”

She tried not to think about her Sire, Tracer, or the situation she had found herself in when he’d invaded their pack house those many nights ago. The things Hayden had done to Addie while under Tracer’s control still made her sick.

“I understand there is a risk,” Hayden conceded. “But I’m asking you out of respect—”

He snorted and turned his back. “I will never train you.
Ever. You will cease this… ridiculous ruse.”

Hayden stood in the middle of the road, her shoulders slumped, and her eyes wide as she watched Adolf walk back to his property. She had to try
something
.

“You know the rogues won’t always wait until we’re the most vulnerable. Someday, they may just attack us at full force. Having as many fighters here as possible will be to our benefit, even if one of those fighters happens to be a woman.”

Adolf stopped abruptly, but he remained facing forward. “If you’re so desperate to learn, ask your Alpha to train you. He’s a Slayter. Combat is what they are bred to excel at.”

Hoping she was on the right track in garnering an eventual acceptance from Adolf, Hayden pressed further. “He would be too easy on me and that would be counterproductive. Besides, he’s better in hand-to-hand combat.” She took a step closer to Adolf, her expression hopeful but her tone firm. “I asked Blake, but he said he didn’t know how to use a dagger. He said you were a master.”

A little flattery couldn’t hurt, could it?

Adolf turned his cheek and calmly deliberated her from over his shoulder. “A female should take on more reasonable tasks, domestic tasks. There are too few female werewolves as it is. It is absurd to think of losing them in battle, a place where only men should inhabit.”

Hayden adopted a tall and proud stance, keeping her eyes locked on Adolf’s criticizing stare. Any form of submission would only prove him right. “My primary duty as female Alpha is to protect my pack.”

He grinned suddenly, as if she’d said something humorous. “Old traditions are derived from wolf behaviors in the wild. A female Alpha’s primary duty is to carry the male Alpha’s children
.”

Her whole body flushed at the mention of having Cole’s children, but she refused to react outwardly. “That’s the old traditions,” she insisted levelly. “Having children may be in my future, but right now I want to protect my pack. I hate feeling defenseless and I don’t want to rely on others to protect me.”

Grey eyes scrutinized her closely. “You have a remarkable amount of pride and authority for a female, but I will not teach you. It goes against everything I believe in.”

Without another word, he walked back to his house, leaving Hayden standing solitarily in the street. Instead of feeling rejected, she only felt fierce determination. There was a small crack in Adolf’s resolve. Hayden vowed to go after it with as much force as she could muster.

* * *

“I apologize for my behavior these past few days, Hayden.”

Hayden glanced at Addie from the corner of her eye. The other woman was cutting a green pepper with monotonous repetition. Her blue eyes were dim, almost hollow in their emptiness. She may have been apologizing, but she was hardly back to the old Addie.

“I understand that things are difficult right now,” Hayden responded carefully. “I don’t hold anything against you, Addie.” Hesitantly, she placed a reassuring hand on the woman’s shoulder. Usually it was Addie who initiated the consoling. It felt odd switching roles.

“With Devan gone…” Addie shook her head, her face twisting with poignant angst. “What she did was terrible, yes, but I still love her. And miss her.”

Times like these were especially difficult for Hayden. Her interactions with Devan had been strained at best and she hadn’t known the other woman very long. It didn’t help matters that Devan had delivered her straight to Nicolas.

She knew Addie didn’t mean to hurt her, but it still made her uncomfortable when the pack mourned so heavily for Devan.

“I knew her since she was a child. Devan’s mother, a human, died from complications of childbirth. Cole’s mother and I used to dote on Devan as if she were our own child.” Addie offered a strained smile. “We’d always wanted a daughter.”

Hayden dropped her hand from Addie’s shoulder, deciding silence was better than giving false reassurances. What was she supposed to say in a situation like this?

“You were unfortunate to see her at her lowest,” Addie continued, as if reading Hayden’s reservations. “I think you two would have gotten along well if it hadn’t been for Joseph. Nathan would have made a far better match for her.
Poor Nathan.”

Hayden gently took the knife from Addie’s hands when she sensed the other woman’s surge of anger and sadness. Cutting vegetables could be good therapy, Hayden supposed, but she didn’t want to risk Addie’s hand slipping.

“What was Cole thinking? Letting Nathan walk away from the pack like that?” 

Cradling the knife against her chest, Hayden took a hasty step backwards at the raw emotion in Addie’s voice. She didn’t know how to deal with this. Now that Devan was gone, Hayden was the only other female in the house. Addie would feel a sense of comradeship with Hayden and subconsciously seek solace.

To make the situation worse, Addie emitted a broken sob. One hand was thrown over her face to hide her anguish and her other arm wrapped comfortingly around her middle.

For a moment, Hayden stood motionlessly, watching with muddled uncertainty.

It wasn’t until she remembered the times when Cole comforted her during her moments of weakness that Hayden realized an Alpha wasn’t just about fighting and dominance. Being an Alpha was about putting aside one’s own insecurities and focusing on the other pack members’ needs.

Violence could only solve so much. It was useless when dealing with home matters that required a softer touch, a touch Hayden was somewhat lacking in, but determined to master. 

Setting down the cutting knife, Hayden embraced Addie firmly. “I think Cole knows exactly what he’s doing for Nathan,” she whispered into the woman’s hair. “Nathan has always wanted to prove himself to Cole and this is his way of doing it. Maybe he’s destined for bigger things or maybe he just needs to experience responsibility his own way.”

Addie leaned into Hayden and embraced her back. “You’re right,” the woman agreed. Her voice was strained and hoarse, as if one little mishap would set her off again. “I should have more confidence in Cole and Nathan.”

Hayden was suddenly alerted to another presence in the kitchen. Startled, she spotted Cole standing unnoticed near the door. He caught her eyes and gave a firm, pleased nod before escaping just as silently as he had arrived. While his praise was valued, Hayden was more content knowing she could offer a semblance of comfort to Addie.

“I don’t mean to cry.” Addie pulled back and wiped a few tears from her eyes, flashing a bashful smile. “Thank you, Hayden.”

“I’m here anytime,” she insisted. “Why don’t you take a break? I can finish up here.”

Essentially, it was Fergus’ turn to cook with Addie, but the pack omega failed to show up in time for dinner. In fact, Fergus’ presence had been sparse the past couple of days and Hayden assumed it had to do with Nathan’s absence.

“If you’re sure…” Addie trailed off and looked at the remaining vegetables. “Then I’m going to take a shower.” She reached over and stroked Hayden’s cheek. “I appreciate your help.”

As Addie escaped the kitchen, Hayden grimaced at the food. She wasn’t much of a cook, especially when it dealt with more than one ingredient. Nonetheless, she muffled her distaste and began chopping.

Glancing out the window, Hayden had to look twice when she saw Blake and Cole. It was barely forty degrees, yet both men were shirtless and barefoot, standing upon a light dusting of snow. They both exuded natural grace as they sparred with one another, Cole performing leaps and bounds ahead of Blake.

Hayden had seen them spar before, but that had been before she took an interest in learning herself.

Setting down the knife, she raced to the door but slowed to a casual stroll as she exited outside. Nonchalantly, she leaned against the pillar and watched the two males. Outwardly, she may not have showed much, but she was watching each move carefully, memorizing the mechanism behind each hit and block.

Her attention tried not to wander too long over Cole’s bare torso, finding it hard not to admire the way his muscles flexed and shaped his body. He was the perfect specimen of the male physique and he was able to carry its solid mass with a fluid elegance. When his feet hit the ground, they did so quietly and with articulate purpose.

Hayden grimaced and tore her eyes away.

“You’re sloppy,” Cole admonished as he swept Blake off his feet. “Am I inconveniencing you? Do you have somewhere else to be?”

“No,” Blake snapped gruffly as he landed on his back. His amber eyes rounded on Hayden, spotting her on the porch. A devious smirk lit his face at the distraction. “But I do need a break.” He sat up. “Maybe you can show Hayden a move or two. She asked me to teach her how to spar the other day. She even considered going to Adolf for help. Isn’t that right, Hayden?”

Blake didn’t know how close to the truth he was and the vague hints were more than enough to earn Cole’s sharp notice.

The Alpha swung his head around to look at her. He ran a hand through his black locks, making them all the more wild and untamable. His green eyes were dilated and focused, his gaze entirely wolfish.

“Is that where you disappear to everyday? To Adolf?” he inquired quietly.

Blake howled with laughter, his expression glowing with raw hilarity. “Did you really? I didn’t think you’d actually go to him—that uptight asshole!” 

Hayden crossed her arms over her chest, vulnerable and defensive. “I’m not that desperate, Blake. Give me a break.” His reaction was exactly why she didn’t want them to know where she spent her days. They’d ridicule her and they wouldn’t take her seriously.

Cole hardly shared Blake’s amusement. Instead, he paid special attention to her posture, more specifically, the defensive way she crossed her arms. “I don’t want you around him,” he instructed severely. “Asher is one thing. Adolf is an entirely different matter.”