Un.Wavering (Claimed Series Book 3) (23 page)

“Please, don’t be ridiculous,” Marcus snarled. “My loyalty is with Logan Crow’s memory. He loved his daughter very much.”

Something sparked within Hayden at his words. Cole must have also considered Marcus no threat, for he slowly turned his body and allowed Julian’s beta full view of her. Nicolas, on the other hand, kept a strict and close distance, hardly swayed by sweet words and timeless loyalty.

In the flood of the truck’s headlights, Marcus dropped to his knee and offered his hand to Hayden. He bowed his head in submission.

“I was your father’s beta.”

Unsure of how to react in face of his willing submission and servitude, Hayden touched his palm with her fingers, if only to acknowledge his actions. He abruptly closed his fingers around her hand and kissed her palm.

“I know you are not Celeste’s daughter, but you remind me of a perfect blend of both Logan and her. You have her grace and her feminine strength. But you also have your father’s stubborn determination and undeniable domination.”

Nicolas sighed. “If your intentions are to seduce her, Marcus, I’d call myself…
impressed
with your sheer audacity.”

Cole looked sharply at Nicolas and Nicolas simply gazed back at his brother, unabashed over his bold, ambiguous statement.

“Despite you and your brother’s attempts, I don’t believe a woman of her caliber should be
claimed
. She is unbridled and she is wild.” His dark eyes looked warmly up at Hayden, not full of lust, but of respect and admiration. “She is yet young. When she grows older, she will make a difference. I’m sure of it.”

Despite her insistence of wanting to remain unaffected, her heart melted at the compliment. She watched warily as Marcus kissed her palm once more before standing.

He offered her one last appraising look before giving Cole and Nicolas his attention.

“What Julian intended to share, is that the man you are looking for is Troy Arnold.” Marcus sighed warily. “He was the mediator between Xavier, Logan and Celeste. He lives up in Oregon, a small, insignificant place outside Portland. You may identify this location as Xavier’s first
cabin
.”

Cole bared his teeth in a semblance of a smile. “If this is another false lead—”

“I should hope not. Celeste was fond of him. He… not so fond of her. Troy was very loyal to Xavier and Logan. He did not favor women quite so much.” He winked at Hayden. “It might just be his downfall one day.”

She flashed him a fleeting grin, though it disappeared quickly. She couldn’t imagine following another lead. Especially when all their leads had turned up empty, and especially after Julian’s warning about their pack.

“Exactly what did he ‘
mediate’
between our father and Logan?” Cole inquired intensely. “I find it doubtful he’d give us any information, if he’s still alive, that is.”

Marcus nodded, appearing to understand Cole’s concerns. “It was the meeting ground for the majority of their experiments. At least in the beginning stages. I knew they were experimenting on rogue werewolves, but I don’t know
what
they were experimenting with. Oregon was the birth of Celeste’s vengeance. I hope you find what you’re looking for.”

He turned and began walking back towards Julian’s territory. Hayden watched him go, wanting to run after him and ask him questions about her father.

“
Wait
!” she called after his retreating form.

Cloaked in the depths of darkness, he turned towards her, expectant.

She licked her lips and exhaled noisily. “Why?” she asked, though she didn’t quite know what question she wanted answered first.

Visions of her father flashed before her. She wanted to know the whole story, not just a jaded, bitter tale coming from the spawn of Celeste. She wanted to know if her mother knew. She wanted to know why her father had betrayed Celeste in such a way.

Hayden scoffed lightly, a harsh smirk crossing her features. She was too afraid to know the answers. “Why would you betray Julian and tell us about Troy?”

Marcus’s bald-head inclined in recognition. “My first loyalty will always be to Logan, or, at least the memory of him.” He looked between the three companions. “I think that’s all that needs to be said.”

Without another word, Marcus’ form gradually disappeared into the trees. She watched him go long after, contemplating his actions. If what he said was true, he’d want to avenge Logan’s death. He wasn’t necessarily betraying Julian, but he was betraying Celeste.

If
this Troy Arnold proved to have any sort of answers, that is.

“The decision lies with you,” Nicolas commented stiffly. “If you want to continue this ruse, then by all means, we can go.”

Hayden turned around, looking between the two brothers. They stood with their backs to the headlights, the intense light accentuating their solid build but casting their expressions in darkness.

They were tired, she noticed. Just as she was. Cole didn’t appear to be getting healthier, if anything, his face was gaunt and his stance a margin too weak. Even Nicolas, the normally tall and proud Alpha seemed weighed down by continuous failure.

“Do you think we can trust his word?”

Nicolas tilted his head. “I think we can trust his loyalty to Logan Crow. That, I do not doubt. But I beg the question as to whether this… Troy Arnold can provide significant answers. Despite our efforts these past few days, the only secret we were able to uncover was the identity of Logan’s estranged daughter.”

Cole suddenly looked towards her. She straightened her shoulders.

“Hayden?”

With the light shining in her eyes, she couldn’t pinpoint his expression. She felt vulnerable standing in the glare of the headlights where they could see her clearly.

Looking off into the trees, she considered his unspoken question. “I miss the others and I want to get you back home… wherever home is now.” Her fingers fiddled with the hem of her blouse. “But if it isn’t a large detour, I’d be willing to make the stop. Whatever you decide, Cole, I will support your decision.”

“Spoken like a true, supportive mate,” Nicolas drawled, his tone derisive.

Her mouth twisted partly into a sneer, partly into a grimace. “And yet, you make it sound like it should be anything but a compliment.”

A twig snapped behind her and Hayden quickly withdrew a throwing knife. She sniffed the air, turning towards the sound. There was no animal scent, no human scent, but no werewolf scent either.

“Get in the truck,” Nicolas ordered, appearing abruptly besides her.

He curled a dominant hand around her neck and nudged her in the direction of the pickup. She struggled against the hand, snarling at his audacity. As he pushed her up against the front of the truck, she turned and faced him.

“You have no right.”

Nicolas grabbed her shoulders and brought her close. “If it’s for your protection, I have every right.” He studied her heavy breathing and tense form, and gradually, his own breathing slowed and his need to dominant eased.

His eyes landed on the mating mark on her throat, and the fingers around her shoulders tightened noticeably. “Get back in the truck, Hayden.
Please
.”

At the controlled request, and the odd, pleasant tightening in her stomach, Hayden blinked. Her body uncoiled and she sidestepped him and his smothering presence.

“Because you asked so nicely,” she grumbled under her breath.

As she turned, she caught Cole’s regard. He stood near the line of trees, where the sound had originated. He looked between Hayden and his brother, a tense, forbidding frown to his face.

“Cole…” Hayden started hesitantly, her heart in her throat. “What’s—”

“This has gone on far too long.”

She stood stiffly, guilt making her unable to move.

Cole abandoned his task of searching their surroundings in favor of heading towards the truck. “We’re going back to the pack. No detour, no more adventures. Nicolas, meanwhile, can venture back in the shadows to where he belongs.” 

Beyond Cole’s shoulder, Nicolas appeared genuinely amused. “You’re suddenly abandoning your mission over… what, exactly? I’m afraid I don’t quite understand.”

Instead of joining in on the conversation, Hayden slunk cowardly back to the truck and into the back seat.

“You can leave us now,” Cole said to Nicolas. “You’re no longer needed.”

Hayden winced at the words, hating that she was responsible for the wedge between the brothers. Perhaps if she hadn’t been in the picture, they would have already formed a reconciliation.

“My responsibility is to see you safe. If that means following you back to your lovely pack, so be it. You’re not getting rid of me so quickly.”

She slammed the door shut, drowning out their voices. From the back, she watched as Cole stepped closer to Nicolas. Whatever he said next caused Nicolas to lose his customary smirk. The eldest Slayter shifted from mischievous to ominous in just seconds.

He matched Cole’s invading space with his own, clearly taking the situation and his brother seriously.

Closing her eyes, Hayden turned her head, not wanting to see the confrontation. Even if she was confused over her attraction to Nicolas, Cole still noticed it. Looking back, she knew he had formed an assumption as soon as they’d rescued him from Celeste.

Even back then, he noticed her acute senses when it came to his brother.

If she was honest with herself, it was
thrilling
to be the center of attention between two Alpha men, especially if they were both Slayters. But her desire for Nicolas and Cole to truly reunite outweighed any silly fantasies. She hadn’t meant for it to happen, she didn’t want it to happen.

She just wanted them to form an unbreakable alliance once again.

* * * *

“Hayden.”

Groggily, she struggled for consciousness. It was far more difficult than usual. The hand on her shoulder shook her once more before gently stroking her hair.

“Wake up, Hayden.”

The blurry figure of Cole stood before her. Slowly, she assessed her surroundings, her mind foggy and unclear. It was morning, yet still dark. The truck was no longer running, but oddly enough, their surroundings were unfamiliar.

Judging from the drool at the corner of her mouth, she’d fallen asleep in the back of the truck. “How long was I sleeping?”

“Not too long,” he replied, his tone warm despite the coolness it carried the last time she’d remembered. “Your body still needed to recover. You were in a deep sleep.”

As she sat up, he stepped back, giving her room to adjust. She couldn’t help but to notice an aura of peace surrounding Cole. The lines of tension around his eyes seemed to have disappeared and he appeared generally at ease.

She couldn’t help but to notice Nicolas’ absence.

“We decided to stop here for some rest. Nicolas is out hunting for food.”

Hayden stopped short and looked at Cole. “You… worked things out with him?” she ventured carefully, not wanting to seem too hopeful or too guilty.

The Alpha male stepped aside. “Come out.”

Noticing he sidestepped her question, Hayden warily escaped the truck. Her sore joints nearly sighed in relief as she straightened from her earlier cramped position. The air was cool and comforting as it danced across her flushed face.

“I owe you an apology,” Cole started once Hayden fell into step beside him. “You’ve adapted so well into the werewolf society, that I sometimes forget you were not born into our world.”

Her eyebrows rose at the admittance. She hadn’t expected any sort of apology from him, and she definitely hadn’t anticipated a compliment. Or was it a compliment? She came up empty-handed to a proper response.

Fortunately, Cole continued.

“What you’re experiencing with Nicolas is normal, Hayden.”

She stopped abruptly, her heart beating quickly in shock. “I’m—there is nothing I’m experiencing with Nicolas.” Facing back forward, she continued walking.

“Hayden.” Cole grabbed her elbow. He held her back and moved marginally closer. “It’s called natural selection. Animals do it all the time, and even humans practice it in the earlier stages of a relationship.”

He was talking about something she’d only heard of in science class. “I don’t understand,” she insisted, frustrated at his vague explanation.

Cole’s hand slid down her elbow and grasped her hand. He held it gently, yet securely. “Because I am weak right now, your wolf has turned her attention elsewhere. She sees Nicolas as the more promising Alpha male, and in turn, a desirable mate.”

“But you’re my life mate,” Hayden protested. “I thought our wolves were connected.”

“The bond between life mates is indefinite, yes, but until we complete that bond, it is natural for our wolves to see others as worthy specimen.” Cole offered her a grim smile. “Just because a pair of wolves are life mates does not mean they need to accept what fate has given them.”

Relief was the first emotion Hayden immersed herself in, if only because it explained the unmistakable attraction she felt towards Nicolas. It meant she wasn’t a bad person for wanting his attention, his affection. But the answer did not alleviate her guilt.