Un.Wavering (Claimed Series Book 3) (16 page)

Celeste had a son… it truly surprised her. She didn’t peg Celeste as a mother-sort.

“Aw,” Nicolas drawled lowly. “Julian, of course.” He placed a hand on Hayden’s shoulder. “I’m afraid my companions aren’t entirely knowledgeable on Logan’s past. I tried to get in contact with Julian myself, but came up empty-handed. You wouldn’t happen to know where he was last seen, would you?”

Either Nicolas
did
know of Julian, or he was simply that good of an actor. He spoke in a way that instantly soothed Mavis’ suspicions and returned her rosy glow.

“The last I heard is that he leads his own pack. They are a rather large group, settled in a small town outside Porterville. Not too far from here.” She smiled fondly at Nicolas, her eyes glazed with remembrance. “He is hotheaded, just like his father. And he even resembles Logan quite remarkably. But it was Celeste he adored. You see, Logan wasn’t around very often. I think there was some resentment between father and son.”   

Here, she glanced at Hayden, a question to her lips. Before she had a chance to formulate any words, a sharp, urgent knock sounded at her door.

“Ah! My goodness!” Mavis scooted off her chair, a bundle of excited nerves. “I haven’t had this much company in months!” She smothered her hands down the sides of her large, sweater-clad bust and hustled towards the door.

Nicolas hauled Hayden forcibly from her chair, Cole rising at the same time.

“
Go
, out the back door. Quickly.”

She didn’t understand the urgency in his tone, nor the way both males crowded her and pushed her through the living room and out the kitchen. Vaguely, she was aware of Mavis opening the door and greeting her guest jovially.

A sharp, abrupt
snap
sounded and a heavy body hit the floor.

Hayden sucked in a startled breath, her pulse racing crazily. Tears clouded her vision as a sense of despair and frustration washed through her. Couldn’t something go
right
for once? Without the need of a death or fearful escape?

They raced through the tight hallways and towards the backdoor. As soon as it opened to freedom, something fast embedded in the doorframe, directly above Hayden’s head.

She only had a second to glance at the object that nearly pierced her skull, but a second was all she needed. She’d recognize the silver throwing knife anywhere as the weapon that ended Rachel’s life.

There was only one person who carried it as a trophy.

Evan.

In the back of her mind, Hayden wondered why they were running from Evan. When she’d faced him before, he was powerful, but he wasn’t unbeatable. Surely, between all three of them, they could defeat him as easily as Nicolas had defeated Tracer.

However, unlike Tracer, something told her that Evan wasn’t as easily as fooled. Nicolas had gotten lucky with Tracer’s lowered defenses and his overinflated ego.

After all, Celeste’s Carriers weren’t supposed to go down so easily.

They raced through the tight alleyways behind the houses, ducking under clotheslines and leaping over fences. The heavy woods loomed domineeringly before them, a welcoming sight to their current exposed terrain.

“
Hayden
,” Evan’s voice sang merrily behind them. “Why don’t you want to
play
?”

He possessed the sort of insanity that sent chills down her spine. She’d never known anyone who enjoyed playing with their prey quite like Evan. Even though it was entirely impossible, the scar he’d given her on her chest ached at his very presence.

Racing past the last house on the alleyway, Hayden leaped into the woods, her pulse seemingly calming at the familiar atmosphere. She did not see Cole and Nicolas, but she sensed a male on either side of her, protecting her from different angles.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t protect her from everything.

From the corner of her eye, the flash of silver was her only warning to
drop
. Tumbling to the ground, she avoided the throwing knife that embedded in the tree just inches from her head.  As she attempted to grab the knife, to stop Evan’s frightening knife-throwing tactics, a body dropping from the tree took her by surprise.

Exhaling sharply, she rolled away just as the blond-haired werewolf landed on the ground. Shrill laughter echoed across the woods as Evan reached for a scrambling Hayden, grabbing her around the ankle. 

Furiously, she whipped her other leg around and slammed her foot into his face. He released her and she scrambled to her feet. As she turned to face him, he was gone.

And so was the knife.

Laughter sounded from everywhere.

“He’s in the trees,” Hayden growled.

“He’s in the trees.”

Her hackles rose at the mocking ridicule raining down upon her. His laughter grated on her nerves, reminding Hayden of the day she’d turned her back on Rachel for a
second,
only to turn back around to discover Evan standing over her with a knife in her chest.

As if reading her rising frustration, the laughter increased in volume and intensity.

“Don’t let him get under your skin,” Nicolas chastised softly. “That is his specialty.” He appeared abruptly behind her, nudging her forward. “Keep going.”

She stifled her automatic rebuttal, and instead, glanced at Cole. Her Alpha remained motionless, refusing to go anywhere without Hayden in his immediate proximity. Her attention then drifted over his broad shoulder, spotting the blur of blond-hair and the malevolent-looking grin.

Eyes dilating, she zeroed in on the knife before either of her companions took notice. It soared for Cole’s vulnerable back. He would likely turn in time, easily dodging the weapon, but Hayden was tired of being sitting ducks for Evan’s sole enjoyment.

It was time to fight back. And knives were her specialty.

Hayden sprinted forward, praying Cole remained immobile. As soon as she was within distance, she leaped, pressing her palms against Cole’s shoulders to gather more height and more momentum.

She flipped over him and through the air, her body spiraling towards the incoming knife. Honing in on the weapon, she reached out and snatched it between her two fingers. The sharp edge of the blade scarcely nicked the skin on her fingers, an injury she’d live through without much damage.

As soon as her toes touched the ground, she hurled the knife back at her adversary. Evan, clearly taken off-guard at her actions, scrambled to the ground, the blade scratching his cheek as he went down.

Satisfied, she watched as he touched his bleeding cheek, his surprise palpable. The sick humor drained from his face and raw
hate
took its place.

Yanking the knife from the tree, Evan sprinted forward, his bloodlust casting him in an unholy light. Hayden kept her stance steady, slipping a throwing knife into her palm. She feared Evan’s concentrated anger, but she refused to back down now.

Not when she had started this.

A broad shoulder suddenly obstructed Evan’s demented expression. Nicolas stood in front of Hayden, brushing past her and running to meet Evan in a collision. Possessing a remarkable amount of strength, Evan grabbed Nicolas’ coat and abruptly tossed him through the air. Unsurprisingly, Nicolas landed on his feet and swiftly withdrew Hayden’s sword from his holster.

A hand nudged Hayden backward, forcing her further away from the fray. Stumbling, she watched as Cole breezed past her, joining his brother. They circled Evan, waiting for Celeste’s Carrier to make the first move.

A frenzied chuckle filtered past Evan’s lips. Instead of appearing worried over the threat of two Slayters, he looked positively thrilled.

“Cole… how are you
feeling
?” His face bloody, and his eyes wide, he assessed Cole eccentrically. “When are you coming back to mother? You’ve missed your last few doses.”

Hayden tightened her hold on her knife, experiencing something dark and ugly twist in her stomach. Much to her delight, Nicolas charged forward, opting to forgo his cold patience and attack. 

He swung the sword with such practiced ease, it came to an utter shock when Evan dodged effectively. The Carrier then attempted to jab Nicolas in the stomach with his knife, only, the eldest Slayter quickly rolled away and Cole took advantage of Evan’s turned back.

Stumbling another few steps backward, Hayden watched the exchange through wide eyes. Nicolas and Cole synchronized extremely well, so well, it was as if they’d always fought side-by-side and never once fell out of favor with each other.

Vaguely, she remembered that Nicolas had taught Cole how to fight.

The two brothers were good, but Evan was just as good, if not better with Celeste’s enhancing drug. He moved with ridiculous ease and flawlessly avoided the attacks coming from both Nicolas and Cole. He was strong, too. She could hear the sheer power behind each of his hits. His strikes forced Nicolas and Cole back many steps, giving him more time to recover and more room to execute damaging and complex maneuvers.

She drank in his insane grin, feeling her frustration and anger mount. He was enjoying this. He was simply toying with Nicolas and Cole, just as he’d toyed with Hayden.

“When you see an opening,” Nicolas began, “Take it.”

From Nicolas’ quick glance, Hayden deduced that he wanted her to wait for Evan to lower his guard. When he was vulnerable, she had to take advantage and throw a knife. It was a risky move. The trio were moving extremely fast. Hitting Nicolas or Cole would cause a lot more damage to them as it would to Evan.

Was it even worth the risk?

Her fingers played anxiously with the hilt of her knife. Nicolas had abandoned his sword in favor of using both hands. With extraordinary reflexes, the eldest Slayter disarmed the knife-wielding Evan and flung the weapon at Hayden.

It embedded in the ground near her feet.

Retrieving the knife, Hayden watched diligently for her opening. She grew anxious as soon as she noticed Evan’s widening grin and brightening eyes. Despite Cole and Nicolas closing in on him, and regaining the ground they’d lost earlier, Evan seemed pleased.

He paid special attention to Cole. The younger Slayter held his own, not showing any weakness despite his obvious fragile condition. He kept up with Nicolas, dealing just as much damage to Evan as his brother.

If she didn’t know any better, she’d think he was back at full strength.

Yet, Evan honed in on Cole like a moth to flame.

It was if he detected the weakest link of the pair and increased the brutality of his attacks. Whenever the situation arouse, he tossed Nicolas aside, forcing the eldest Slayter a distance away while giving himself more time with Cole.

Hayden gritted her teeth and rocked on the balls of her feet. She itched to join the fray, but she’d only get in the way. Nicolas and Cole worked well together. They would most likely break their pattern if they were too concerned with protecting her.

During times like these, her limitations ate away at her.

Evan suddenly snarled, grabbing Nicolas around the neck and flinging him aside. Hayden’s eyes then dropped to Evan’s hand, noticing it disappear into his pocket. Her instincts screamed, and her knife slipped from the perspiration gathering on her palm.

“
Now,
Hayden!” Nicolas yelled.

Eyes dilating, she saw the needle. Her hands shook as she remembered the last time they’d encountered a needle in battle. Cole had been outnumbered. He’d been her hero who had fallen, who’d been taken from her.

Would the same thing happen again? Would Cole go down, followed by Nicolas, no longer able to defend themselves against Evan?

She panted and threw her knife, her trembling hand causing the weapon to go wide. She
had
the shot. She could have hit Evan in the back of his head. Instead, it just barely cut into Evan’s shoulder, hardly deterring him from his original goal.

He embedded his needle sharply into Cole’s bicep just as the male Alpha tried to block it. Hardly a second later, Cole yanked the needle out of his arm, growling furiously.

As if he’d accomplished exactly what he intended, Evan sprinted away just before Nicolas circled around for another attack.

Hayden exhaled in frustration, concerned for Cole and disappointed with her actions. It didn’t appear as if there were any immediate effects from the needle, but knowing Celeste, there were many possibilities.

It was all her fault. She could have prevented it.

Nicolas cast her an ambiguous stare, bending over to pick up the discarded throwing knife. “You are better than that,” he claimed sternly, a hint of reprimanding. “You would have had him on the ground if not for your hesitation.”

Flipping the weapon over in the air, Nicolas snatched it by the blade and held the hilt out to her. Hayden eyed the offering, not feeling especially encouraged to take repossession.

“I…” she trailed off, the angry excuses dying at the tip of her tongue.

With startling clarity, Hayden realized it was just as mortifying to face
his
—Nicolas’— disappointment as it was to acknowledge her slipup.

Clearly, Nicolas respected her abilities enough to warrant disappointment when she faltered. It flattered her that he always appraised her, always complimented her, but it disheartened her that she let him down.

Hayden didn’t understand her reverence towards the rogue Alpha. She tried to convince herself it was because she respected him as a fierce warrior. 

Before she could properly recover, Cole snatched the knife from Nicolas. His hard eyes softened as he stopped before her.

“You are not to be blamed for what happened—”

“I am not blaming her,” Nicolas interrupted fiercely. “I am simply stating a
fact
. She
is
better.”

Cole took captive of Hayden’s hand and pressed the knife back into her palm. Leaning forward, he kissed her forehead, smoothing back a few strands of her wayward hair. The gesture was soothing and Hayden immediately relaxed, her muscles uncoiling underneath his touch.

Safety
, she mused. With Cole, there was always a sense of shelter.

“There is nothing to worry about, Hayden. I am fine.”

Glancing at his arms, she spied the small pinprick wound. It was barely noticeable and already closing. Was it too much to hope that Cole was correct? That Evan’s mission was unsuccessful?

She hoped so, otherwise she’d never forgive herself.

A fleeting smile crossed her lips and she reached for Cole. Her hands fell short, however, as he turned away and left her side to join Nicolas. With a sense of rejection and confusion, she stood stiffly, watching the two men with lowered lids.

The brothers exchanged glances before Nicolas threw down the syringe. He stepped on it intentionally, crushing the glass syringe and spilling what little liquid remained.

Slowly, he looked up at Hayden, his face entirely blank.

“Let’s circle back around and find a house to recover and rest.” He took a step back towards town. “Celeste is tracking our movements. She might have an inclination that we’re trying to find her son. It is imperative we carry on with reenergized strength.”

Hayden looked towards Cole, but her Alpha stubbornly avoided eye contact.

Either he
did
blame her for what happened, or he was simply hiding something. No matter the answer, she did not approve of his behavior. It reminded her of the time she’d first arrived in his pack and he struggled to adjust with the fact that she was his life mate.