Un.Wavering (Claimed Series Book 3) (17 page)

Nothing ever good came out of Cole’s avoidance. Hayden wasn’t going to sit back and allow his distance.

She wanted answers.

* * * *

Cornering Cole proved to be more difficult than she’d anticipated. Though, considering their current circumstance, she hadn’t extracted too much effort.

They’d snuck inside a house in which all the occupants were gone for the day. Judging from the family photos lining the walls, Hayden deduced that the two children were at school and the parents were at work.

It gave them free reign to use the shower, the beds, and most importantly, at least in Hayden’s eyes, the fully stocked refrigerator. Of course, she couldn’t dispute how wonderful it felt to wash her hair with actual shampoo and conditioner.

One of the occupants of the house, the daughter, possessed a similar stature as Hayden. She’d taken advantage of the irony and donned a fresh pair of undergarments, jeans, and a flannel blouse. Living on the run made her realize just how much she’d taken things for granted in the past.

Especially the
food.

Lounging on the plush leather couch, she bit into her third sandwich. With half her attention on the main staircase, and the other half on the bag of chips next to her, Hayden allowed herself to relax and lower her guard.

She hadn’t seen Nicolas since they’d broken into the house. Cole was just as elusive as his brother was, except for their brief encounter outside the bathroom. After trading a few tense words, in which Cole ordered her to find something to eat, he had abruptly shut the bathroom door without another word.

That had been two sandwiches ago, and the running water from the shower had ceased some time ago.

“I see you didn’t take long to succumb to gluttony.”

At the unexpected appearance of Nicolas, Hayden flinched and dropped her sandwich. She turned slowly, dumbfounded to find the man sitting behind her in the armchair. His arrival had been entirely undetected, and from the way he melded elegantly into the chair, it appeared as if he’d been sitting there for quite some time.

Nicolas had clearly found another bathroom to groom himself, for his angular face was baby smooth and his clean hair parted articulately to the side. His legs crossed classily and he propped his chiseled chin upon a dismissive hand. Blue eyes watched Hayden lazily, a hint of amusement burning deep.

Hayden gritted her teeth and quickly turned her eyes away. She brushed a few crumbs off her shirt, distracting herself from the intense stare and trying not to compare her mess to his sparkling pristine.

“What would you suggest?” she inquired absentmindedly. “Some more training in the backyard? Maybe catch a wild deer in the woods and cook it here?”

From her poor performance with Evan, one could argue she needed more training.

She eyed her fallen sandwich miserably. Nicolas probably wouldn’t think too highly of her if she picked it up off the floor and continued eating it. Fortunately, the chips were still edible.

“You misunderstood my simple observation for one of disbelief,” Nicolas purred. “From our previous conversations, it did not come to a surprise that you chose an abundance of food over rest. I am only surprised it took so long.”

Sighing, Hayden reached for the potato chips, not falling prey to Nicolas’ taunts. “You sometimes speak extremely formal for someone of your…
caliber
.”

“Someone of my caliber?” he repeated, clearly humored.

She shrugged. “The werewolf community knows the Slayters to be all brawn and muscle. You seem a bit more formal than most of the werewolves I’ve interacted with.”

A sly smirk lifted his mouth. “Is that a compliment, Hayden?” Without waiting for her to respond, he continued. “My parents believed in extensive education. I believe they eased up their expectations when it came to my brother. Clearly.”

Glancing at him sharply, Hayden’s defensive insult died down when she noticed the light enjoyment across his face. He was
teasing
, she realized, an act she still had trouble relating to with Nicolas.

“What about your parents?”

The question took her off guard. Actually, the term ‘off guard’ was putting it mildly. Nicolas usually stayed away from asking Hayden personal things—mundane things—unless it dealt directly with Cole or their current situation.

“My… parents,” she repeated, the term feeling entirely foreign on her tongue. “Well, they put me through school like all the other human children out there.” Flashing him a fleeting grin, she took note of his absolute stillness.

She frowned.

“I know your mother remarried. What did your biological father do for a living?”

Hayden scowled. “I don’t understand—”

“Where I’m going with my questions?” Nicolas interrupted. “I am simply curious, Hayden. If I am not mistaken, you know so much about me. I know so little about you.”

“I just know what you
allow
me to know,” she contradicted. “Everything else is pretty much off limits. You like your secrets.”

“Yet I am always truthful with you, am I not?” he countered. “If there is something you ask of me, I answer. Of course, if there ever comes a time where I don’t think it’s necessary for you to know, I will outright tell you as such.”

He held her gaze, challenging her to dispute his assertion. She couldn’t, simply because she couldn’t remember a time it wasn’t true.

“What’s wrong with Cole?” she demanded coolly, taking full advantage of Nicolas’ bold claim. “He’s avoiding me and keeping a distance. You know exactly what’s happening.”

“I do,” Nicolas agreed. “But it is not my place to say.”

She gave him a sour look. “A federal auditor.” At Nicolas’ raised eyebrow, Hayden elaborated. “My father was a federal auditor.”

Something flashed in Nicolas’ eyes, something veiled and enigmatic. “He traveled quite frequently, then.” He gazed at her intensely, effectively putting her on edge. “I imagine you resemble him, your father. I’ve seen your mother before. You share similar attributes as her, but not many facial features.”

Suspicions flared. “How have you seen my mother?”

“Tracer kept tabs on you in New York. He showed me a great deal about your life.” Nicolas scoffed softly, appearing rather precarious. “Clearly, your father is a touchy subject. I can’t imagine why. Abandoning his family…”

“What
I
can’t imagine is why you’re so interested in him,” Hayden snapped. “Out of all the things you could ask about, you’re choosing to focus on my father.”

Nicolas lost his intensity and simply cocked his head to the side, a gesture of indifference. “We all have our daddy issues, don’t we, Hayden?”

She held her tongue. Despite her father’s abandonment, she couldn’t imagine what Cole was currently experiencing. What they learned the past few days had only served to tarnish Xavier’s memory, his noticeable reputation.

Movement near the staircase abruptly interrupted Hayden’s thoughts. She turned, watching Cole climb down the stairs. He moved slowly, but he appeared healthier than he had in days. Of course, that could be due to the shaved beard and the washed body.

Yet, he still appeared pale and frigid.

She watched him, having the ridiculous yearning to be close to him. The act was entirely alien to her, only because it felt like so long ago that they’d actually succumbed to their bond and accepted any sort of physical connection.

She missed it. She missed the moments when she didn’t need to have her guard up. She missed the utmost truth and honesty between Cole and herself. The distance he kept went against their natural instincts.

“Cole,” Nicolas greeted pleasantly with a hint of buoyancy. “Hayden and I were just discussing your deteriorating health. Why don’t you join us?”

Hayden stiffened and flashed him a severe look.

Just what was Nicolas playing at? Hadn’t Nicolas just declared that Cole’s business was not his own? While Hayden had planned to address Cole’s condition, she hadn’t planned to do it so openly.

Cole’s eyes narrowed on his brother. He leaned a broad shoulder against the doorframe leading into the living room. “Oh? And is it your place to volunteer such information?”

“One could argue it
is
my place, yes.” Cold eyes landed on Hayden. “But I imagine Hayden should be privy to know what you are hiding. Your avoidance is rather deplorable.”

He was trying to get on Hayden’s good side, she realized suddenly. Nicolas might love his brother, and have a driving need to protect him, but that didn’t mean he was going to stop pursuing Hayden and try to upstage Cole.

Taking advantage of the brothers’ rivalry, Hayden looked expectantly at Cole, frustration tightening her face. Just because she cared for him deeply didn’t mean she would let his recent behavior go unpunished.

Cole’s jaw clenched. He gazed unflinchingly at Nicolas before focusing on Hayden. No matter how gentle his tone, no matter how sympathetic his expression, it did not stop the horrifyingly jarring effect his next words caused.

“I’m dying.”

She grinded her teeth and stared at him. A part of her had figured out as much. The way he tried to distance himself and the way he carried himself were all signs of his deteriorating condition. And yet, it still came to a complete and utter shock to hear those words spoken aloud.

“He
thinks
he’s dying,” Nicolas intervened smoothly. “He is a fool for considering that remote possibility.”

Hayden tore her eyes away from Cole, staring intently at Nicolas. “What do you mean?” She glanced at her life mate and then back at Nicolas. “He says he’s dying and you think he’s a fool for considering it.” To Cole, she said, “I don’t know what game you two are playing, but I don’t think—”

“Cole has delusions that he is dying, simply because he doesn’t feel his best.” Nicolas hardly appeared effected by the situation. If anything, he looked bored. “He is being melodramatic, and as a result, he’s pushing you away. In his mind, it’s some sort of way to protect you from… your future loss.”

She met his eyes. Their pale, artic color had the ability to distract her and derail her thoughts. Whatever acidic comment she might have said abruptly dissolved. Sheer dominance and dark allure channeled from Nicolas’ stare and Hayden found herself dumbstruck.

“I think it’s rather cowardly, don’t you agree, my dear?” he asked softly.

Tearing her eyes away, Hayden focused on Cole. “Is that true?” she asked, forcing her mind to focus. Admiring Nicolas at a time like this was inappropriate. Fortunately, her concern for Cole outweighed any and all other emotions.

Cole pushed off from the doorframe and approached her. “It is a precaution. I haven’t felt right since I left the lab. There is just… something not right.”

Hayden quickly removed her boots from the couch, making room for him. Subconsciously, she moved closer as he sat, taking comfort in his close proximity and familiar scent. Her hand itched to lay on his arm or soothe his leg. His fatigue was noticeable and it tore at her.

Slowly, the tight lines across Cole’s face softened and he placed a large hand on her knee, squeezing it with either apology or reassurance. Hayden quickly cupped his hand, desperate for contact, desperate to support him.

“I’ve told you before that I suffered the same treatment,” Nicolas proclaimed, breaking the silence. “Cole will get through this, but it is a long process. Whatever Evan injected him with this morning will most likely set him back.”

Shame washed through Hayden. Instead of apologizing again for her failed efforts, she squeezed Cole’s hand. “Don’t you think we should go back to the others now? You can rest and we can monitor your condition.”

Surprisingly, Cole disagreed. “I want to find out what Xavier’s part in all this was, and why Celeste felt it necessary to kill him.” Here, he glanced indignantly at his brother. “Or why she put a hit on them. We can only speculate from what we’ve learned so far.”

“We can find all that out when you’re feeling better,” she argued avidly. “I don’t want to see you hurt, Cole. If anything happened…”

“I would agree with you under different circumstances,” Cole said. “But with Celeste possibly tracking our movements, we need to extract information as quickly as possible. If we abandon this now, she could destroy every last loose end from her past.”

Hayden exhaled noisily and ran an agitated hand through her hair. “What if there isn’t anything else we can find, Cole? We know –we
speculate
-- that Xavier and Logan were partners with whatever Celeste discovered in that basement. What if she was just crazy and decided not to compete with them any longer and decided to kill them? It
was
rumored that Logan didn’t treat her well.”

“There has to be more,” Nicolas murmured quietly. “She wouldn’t try to hide the past so well if it were that black and white.”

“And what can we possibly find that can destroy her now?” She was frustrated. They were stubborn. “She’s hiding a dark secret, so what? Can a secret destroy her now that she has an unbeatable army at her beck and call?”

“It’s possible.”