Un.Wavering (Claimed Series Book 3) (19 page)

One wrong move from either Hayden or Nicolas would set in motion a great deal of chaos and disarray.

Yet, despite the chilling and precarious atmosphere, Nicolas sat confidently amongst his enemies. His eyes were bright, as if he enjoyed this sort of situation immensely. Unlike the men surrounding him, he carried the Alpha supremacy about him, a clear and undisputable warning that despite their numbers, Nicolas would be the one to come out on top.

“She
is
very spirited,” Nicolas agreed easily, hardly dissuading the man and his assumption. His pale eyes dropped and landed on Hayden’s neck, specifically his mating mark underneath her collar.

It was a silent gesture to tell her that technically, she
was
his claimed mate.

“Your name?” Marcus asked.

While it was appreciated, it still came to a surprise to receive that sort of question from someone of authority. He was talking
to
her, not about her. Certainly an abnormality amongst male werewolves.

“Hayden,” she announced, though she suspected he already knew. Surely Julian Crow had spoken with his beta about Celeste’s enemies.

And yet, Marcus gazed at her pensively. “Your surname,” he prompted.

Growing perplexed, she glanced at Nicolas. He simply raised an eyebrow, silently encouraging her to answer. “I’m… I was a human before I was bitten.” She noticed Marcus’ keen expression. He still wanted to know. “It’s Grey.”

Despite her Mutt lineage, Marcus lifted his chin and surveyed her with interest. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Hayden. My Alpha is very interested in meeting with you and your company.”

Convenient
, Hayden mused to herself, looking once more at Nicolas. His expression remained closed, but he met her stare and nodded once.

He thought so too, yet he seemed as if he wanted to go along with it.

She didn’t share his sentiments. After Cole’s troubling conversation, Hayden didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks. She understood his driving need to discover what Xavier and Logan Crow were involved with, but not at the expense of his health.

Julian Crow knew they’d been coming. Who knew what else he had planned?

“We’re very interested in meeting with your Alpha as well,” Nicolas responded airily. “I assume it’s safe to say he knew of our arrival in advance?”

Hayden looked warily around at Julian’s pack, trying to read their expressions. Unfortunately, they excelled in the art of stoicism. The occasional blink was all she got out of them.

Marcus smiled thinly. “He knew of the possibility, yes.” His dark eyes landed on Hayden. “His parentage aside, Julian is determined to stay neutral in this war between the traditional wolves and his mother.”

“We were told that Celeste and Julian were inseparable,” Hayden said, feeling it was pointless skirting around the elephant in the room. “That was only a couple years ago. Why wouldn’t he support his mother in her… endeavors?”

Her brashness earned a chuckle from Marcus. “While that is true, Julian is also his father’s son. He inherited Logan’s levelheadedness.” His face grew stern and somber once more. “Besides, he is very interested in meeting all of you. You in particular, Ms. Grey.”

That got a rise out of Nicolas. The normally poised and motionless male stirred, pressing his fingertips calmly on the table. His teeth flashed in a smile, though it was anything but reassuring or approachable.

“She is already claimed. His interest will not be appreciated.”

“I assure you, both you and your brother’s claim will not be challenged.” He met Nicolas’ chilling gaze with a slight, submissive tilt of his head. “Which begs the question as to Cole’s whereabouts.”

Hayden dismissed Nicolas’ stark possessiveness and focused sharply on Marcus. It was understandable that he knew so much, considering he was Julian’s beta, yet it still didn’t sit well with her.

Out of a sense of protectiveness, she stood stiffly, remaining silent on the subject of Cole. Nicolas followed her lead, preferring to stare at Marcus and silently chastise the man for even having the audacity to ask.

“No matter,” Marcus breezed on, sensing the tension, “I will bring you to Julian. I cannot guarantee you’ll get what you want from him.” Strain laced his words. “Julian can be a bit… disagreeable at times.”

Hayden took note of the trepidation in the man’s voice, wondering how much worse it could possibly get for them. While the man reassured them that Julian wasn’t supporting his mother
or
the traditional werewolves, Hayden knew not to get her hopes up.

Then again, Marcus did say that Julian was interested to see them, her especially. Hayden wondered what his intentions were and why he shared his mother’s unnatural interest when it came to her.

She exhaled as Nicolas nodded once. Silently and simultaneously, Marcus’ pack stood from their chairs, awaiting orders from their beta.

The pack dynamic made her think briefly of Blake and the others. She dared to hold a sliver of optimism that Julian would prove to be helpful. She wanted to go home. Needed to go home. She wanted Cole safely with his pack.

Her eyes landed on Nicolas, noticing that as the man stood, he earned apprehensive and guarded stares from the surrounding werewolves. His mere presence clearly set off werewolves who knew him by name and reputation.

Their wary behavior made Hayden suddenly realize that their quest to find Xavier Slayter’s secrets wasn’t the last of their problems. How Nicolas adapted with the other werewolves back home would be another hurdle they eventually needed to face.

“You wear your apprehension on your face,” Nicolas murmured softly as he swept past her. “Relax, child.”

Blinking, she quickly followed him as they retreated from the bar. Despite Nicolas’ optimism, Hayden couldn’t help but feel a horrible weight of dread settle in her stomach.

* * * *

He said not to worry. To relax.

Hayden clutched the bed of the pickup truck, feeling anything but
relaxed
. At the speed they were traveling, her hair slapped relentlessly against her face and a thin layer of dirt powdered her face and lips. The sound of diesel engines were nearly deafening against the silent, wide open terrain.

They were traveling in two massive pickup trucks. What men couldn’t fit inside the cab lounged in the back of the spacious truck. Hayden sat stiffly next to Cole while Nicolas traveled in the truck behind them.

Unlike her cool, collected companion next to her, Hayden perched uncomfortably against the wall of the bed, clutching the ledge with a white-knuckled grip.

Nothing but dirt roads surrounded them, inconveniently kicking up clouds of dirt and rocky debris. Hayden knew it would take quite some time to get the abrasive taste of sand out of her mouth.

Past the roaring wind and the relentless grinding of dirt, a chuckle reached her ears. She turned an accusing stare on a man opposite of her, finding his eyes soaking in her rigid form.

“You look a bit tense.”

Hayden lifted her lip at the obvious statement. Before she could offer an abrasive insult, a warm hand pried her grip from the truck.

“Relax,” Cole ordered smoothly, not realizing he’d just repeated his brother’s earlier advice. “It is a much smoother ride if you can relax your body.”

As she stared at him, ready to protest, she realized how peaceful he appeared despite the situation. He had seemed wary at first when Nicolas and Hayden conveyed the events from inside the bar. Yet, despite his misgivings, he lounged almost serenely against the side of the truck.

The moon was nearly full as it hung high and bright in the black sky. Its silver rays highlighted Cole’s upturned face, accenting the deep and defined grooves of his masculine face.

Hayden faltered at the sight before her, feeling her worries and anxieties diminish.

His eyes, closed in meditation, opened and levelled her with a fond stare. Small lines of amusement creased the corners of his eyes and an affectionate smile played lightly across his stubbled face.

Lowering her hand away from the truck bed and onto the floor, Cole entwined their fingers and fully engulfed her hand with his large palm. At his insistence, Hayden slowly eased the tension from her body and put her weight against the side of the truck.

Unfortunately, his cool presence could only last for so long.

Hayden squinted into the distance, watching as a horse ranch became clearer and clearer. It appeared as if there were two ranch homes situated on the large property, along with a stable and a larger building, like a training arena.

Oddly enough, despite the fences and stables, she did not smell or hear horses. Perhaps a very faint odor, maybe, which indicated an age-old memory of the animals that once occupied the ranch, but nothing recent.

She steadied her pulse as they raced blindly toward the lit ranch house. There were a few werewolves milling about around the two homes, their figures suggesting a mix of female and male.

As they came to an abrupt, almost jarring stop, Hayden saw the werewolves in more detail. She stared openly at the few females, who were dressed scantly and provocatively. Their cutoff shorts and low cut shirts were meant to entice, but Hayden didn’t understand the purpose.

When it came to enticing male werewolves, one simply had to be a female. It didn’t matter what they were wearing.

And then she smelt it.

Humans.

Men leaped from the vehicle, but Hayden stayed put in the bed of the pickup truck, assessing the scene through naïve eyes. The scent of sex, sweat, booze, and werewolves fragranced the ranch, yet she could also identify the scent of human females.

They waltzed around, preening and catering to the men around them.

It was unsettling, but Hayden realized that it made sense. The poor ratio of male werewolves to female werewolves was obvious. Clearly, the male werewolves wouldn’t sit on their hands forever for a female werewolf to come along.

These human women had to know what beasts they were enticing. It made the whole scene that much more deprived.

A hand tapped smartly on the side of the pickup truck, startling her out of her shocked observation. She turned, staring at Nicolas as he came to a stop next to her. Cole slowly stood from his position, watching as the men piled inside the ranch house, clearly in search of Julian Crow.

“He will be with you shortly,” Marcus informed distractedly from over his shoulder. “Excuse me, I have a few things to clean up.”

She watched as he approached the group of men and women outside, shooing them away. Hayden grimaced, though her thoughts were disrupted when Cole offered her a hand to stand.

“While it
is
in poor taste, it is times like these when I am reminded how young our pup really is,” Nicolas drawled in amusement from behind her. “She is entirely sheltered, Cole. Perhaps some good can come out of this trip.”

“I am not sheltered,” Hayden argued icily, not realizing her shock was palpable.

Nicolas simply raised an eyebrow in response.

Fortunately, Cole didn’t comment. He assisted Hayden out of the truck, ever the gentlemen. “Remain on guard,” he instructed. “I am not anticipating any of Celeste’s puppets to be here. Our chances of defending ourselves is favorable if the situation demands it.”

Hayden jumped down on the ground, settling between the two males. She kept her eyes directed on the pack house in front of her, observing the many faces peering out at them from lit windows.

Her fingers brushed against the knives underneath her blouse, reassuring herself.

As the door opened to the pack house, Hayden stiffened in anticipation. Despite Mavis indicating that Julian resembled his father, Hayden still pictured him to mirror Celeste in many ways.

He would share her strawberry red hair and her piercing green eyes. He would have her poise and her elegance, perhaps even possess her ability of seduction. Even with his surname of Crow, he would have to possess somewhat of an ability to charm others, to lead others despite his young age.

It was natural to picture a male version of Celeste.

As a handful of men escaped from the house, she bypassed them and locked eyes on the last figure to emerge from the doorway. Hayden’s breath caught sharply in her throat and her pulse stopped for a fraction of a second before speeding up uncontrollably.

Her imaginary picture of Julian Crow abruptly shattered as she watched him slowly saunter down the steps. He did not share Celeste’s face, but a face of Hayden’s past, of someone she’d buried long ago from her memory.

It couldn’t be.

“We appreciate you taking the time to meet with us.” Cole’s voice came from far away despite his close proximity.

Julian Crow ignored him entirely, his hazel eyes directed on Hayden and only Hayden. He tilted his head to the side, a coy, almost sinister smirk lighting his features as soon as he noticed her recognition.

“Hayden,” Cole called distantly, touching her shoulder.

She sucked in a breath and her hands trembled.

“Hello,” Julian greeted with intentional slowness. “
Sister
.”