Un.Bridled (Claimed Series #2) (30 page)

Celeste turned her cheek and abruptly fired her arrow, sending it whizzing through the trees without taking long to consider her target. Hayden heard the arrow cutting through the air before thudding into something solid and heavy. The object fell to the ground and Hayden’s eyes widened when she recognized the smell of blood.

“That would be our lunch.” Celeste lost all indignation and smiled smugly. “Excuse me.”

Hayden watched the woman disappear through the trees, clearly intending to retrieve the game she had taken down in a matter of seconds.

Standing solitarily next to the target, Hayden contemplated Celeste’s fervent reaction when confronted with the choice of helping the other Alphas. Whatever Cole and the others believed about Celeste’s abilities of manipulation, Hayden had sensed a level of anger and indignation that could not be faked.

Celeste really had been hurt by the other Alphas’ constant discrimination and disregard. Hayden almost felt guilty for bringing up the subject of an alliance. She could see how the male Alphas would be quick to judge Celeste and her all-female pack.

And with judgment came discrimination and rumors. It was no wonder Celeste preferred to remain neutral.

Exhaling in defeat, Hayden grabbed another arrow and nocked it. Before she could draw it, she felt the unmistakable sensation of being watched. Slowly, with control, she lowered her bow and assessed her surroundings without being too obvious about it.

Celeste was still a distance away. Hayden could hear her further in the woods. There was nothing in front of her or in her peripheral vision. She tested the air, unable to smell anything but the spilt blood from the animal Celeste had killed.

Whatever was watching her, it was watching her from behind.

Hayden pretended as if she hadn’t taken notice and busied herself with her bow and arrow. She drew it and aimed it at the target. Before she released it, she turned abruptly and pointed it at the figure behind her.

Her aim wavered and she loosened the tension in her bow as soon she recognized the black wolf standing across from her. “Cole,” she hissed softly, beyond exasperated. “How long have you been…
”

She trailed off when she noticed the wolf’s skin was marginally loose, causing its black pelt to stick up in odd places. The wolf was still large, very similar to Cole’s majestic stature, but it appeared to have lost a bit of bulk and muscle. Perhaps the most obvious sign that it wasn’t Cole were the bright blue eyes that were currently drilling into her.

Her heart thudded painfully against her ribs as she raised her bow again, aiming it directly at the wolf.
Nicolas
. The wolf had an obvious kinship with Cole and Hayden believed she would recognize Nicolas no matter what form he took.

They stared at one another, neither of them acting, neither of them moving. Eventually, Hayden leveled her arrow again, a nonverbal warning to retreat. But Nicolas simply gazed at her, his stance proud and exceptionally dominant. However, he was serene, an inclination he wasn’t going to attack unexpectedly.

“What do you want?” Hayden whispered.

Nicolas kept his ears perked, his tail raised, and his neck high. He was unafraid of Hayden, so much so that he remained motionless when she released her arrow. It flew at his immovable figure and barely brushed the top of his head before embedding in the tree behind him.

Without flinching, he called her bluff. She couldn’t help thinking it was a role reversal from the last time they saw one another, when he had thrown his dagger at her.

Hayden lowered her bow completely, her wolf readily locking eyes with the Alpha before her. There was something in his gaze, something he wanted to communicate to her. He was alone and unaggressive, seemingly harmless if one did not know
who he was.

She wondered why he made an appearance. Was it to scare her?
To threaten her?

“I don’t know what you want.”

Nicolas opened his jaw, flashing his canines in displeasure. His tail flicked impatiently before he began backing up, his blue eyes rising to a spot above Hayden’s head. She turned quickly, spying Celeste as she came through the brush, a wild turkey in tow.

The redheaded woman automatically looked toward the spot Nicolas occupied. Hayden froze, wondering if Celeste would criticize her for not yelling for help as soon as Nicolas appeared.

“What are you doing?” Celeste asked, far from accusing and every bit amused.

Hayden looked over her shoulder, noticing Nicolas had disappeared and only her arrow remained embedded in the tree. She felt her palms sweat as she considered the situation.

"I wanted to catch my own breakfast,” she teased lightly, trying to offer a smile.

Momentarily, she wondered why she was keeping Nicolas’ presence a secret. Everyone at the cabin had a right to know Nicolas was here. But Hayden remembered the wolf’s unkempt and shabby appearance and wondered why she felt the need to protect him. Maybe it was the small link they shared through the superficial mating mark on her neck, or maybe it was because he was Cole’s brother and Hayden wanted some sort of closure for the Slayter family.

Cole would be furious. All of them would be furious if they knew. Nicolas had inadvertently destroyed their home, he had shot and possibly killed Devan, and the rogues he controlled were nothing short of monsters. It was those reasons and more why Hayden should be charging through the woods after him, calling for the others to hunt alongside her.

But her body stayed stiff, immobile.

Celeste dropped the turkey on the ground, ignorant to Hayden’s inner turmoil. “I’m sorry for overreacting earlier. You couldn’t have known the history I’ve shared with the traditional Alphas. I had no right to get angry.”

Hayden struggled to get a hold of
herself. Shakily, she began collecting the arrows in the target and placing them back in her quiver. “You have nothing to be sorry about,” she murmured distractedly. “I would have never asked for your help if I knew how you felt.”

“Are we done for the day?” Celeste watched as Hayden packed up. “You’ve just learned how to shoot properly. I thought we planned to go
bowhunting. You can catch your own turkey.”

She forced herself to slow down and recover her bearings. Telling Celeste she wasn’t feeling well would be an outright lie, as werewolves didn’t get sick. Of course, there was always the truth…

Instead, she attempted her own brand of deception. “I didn’t think you’d want to continue, not after I…”

Hayden hadn’t thought her manipulation would work so easily, at least not on her first try. Imagine her surprise when all the confusion cleared from Celeste’s face and the older woman lowered her guarded defenses.

“Nonsense.”

Celeste shouldered her bow and took a step closer to Hayden. Stopping a foot or two away, the other female adopted an assertive stance with her shoulders thrown back and her gaze hard and considering.

It was difficult to refrain from shifting uncomfortably under such scrutiny. Since Hayden met Celeste, the redheaded woman rarely ever challenged her outright. She always had a veil of open courtesy and genuine benevolence.  

But the woman who currently stood across from Hayden seemed like an entirely different person. She seemed more elegant, more authoritative, and more powerful.

“I think it’s time for the pretenses to fall between us. We’re both intelligent women and we both want something.” Celeste raised her eyebrows. “I think it’s pointless if we keep dancing around each other. I’ve tried to establish a friendship with you, but how can you build a relationship based off distrust?”

Hayden raised her chin as the words registered. Clearly, she hadn’t deceived Celeste as she originally thought. Perhaps she’d only pissed her off.

“Yes,” Hayden agreed. “It’s difficult to build a friendship based off distrust.”

“With Cole and the other members of your pack constantly putting nonsense in your ears, it will undeniably give you doubt, even if you don’t agree with them.” Green eyes narrowed. “Be that as it may, I will be direct with what I want from you. Maybe then can we reach a proper
agreement.”

It was business, clearly. Hayden was a little disorientated from the complete three-sixty Celeste’s character took
.  The vibes coming from the woman were no longer reassuring, but cold and intimidating.

Without waiting for a response from Hayden, which probably wouldn’t have come anyway, Celeste continued. “I see potential in you. Not only have I seen it for myself, but your pack members have commented on it, and there has also been word from other werewolves of Cole’s new, capable litter mate.”

She tried not to scowl at the term, but she didn’t succeed.

“But it’s just that.
Potential.” Celeste gave Hayden a sweeping look. “You are not an Alpha—”

“I
am
an Alpha,” Hayden rebuffed fiercely.

“You are Cole’s bitch.
And his female Alpha by default.” Celeste’s face softened. “I was the same way when I was mated. No one truly takes you seriously. Not with your male counterpart in the way.”

Hayden looked down to gather herself, a few strands of her hair shielding her struggling expressions. “I don’t understand,” she whispered more to herself than Celeste. Deliberately, she looked up and pinned the woman with a cruel stare. “If you want to get on my good side, you certainly aren’t going about it the right way.”

Over Celeste’s shoulder, Hayden spied a dark figure molded into the shadows. For a fleeting moment, she thought it was Nicolas, but upon closer inspection, she knew it was Cole. She averted her eyes, not wanting to draw attention to him.

In any case, his expression was too intimidating for prolonged eye contact.

His arrival had been silent, and he was standing downwind to mask his scent, but Hayden had a sinking suspicion that Celeste was more than aware of him. She was a hunter. She would feel the burning stare at her back just as Hayden had felt Nicolas behind her.

“I’m not trying to make an enemy out of you. I’m only pointing out the truth.”

“The truth can often be subjective,” Hayden said coolly. “Maybe I like standing beside Cole.”

“You would be standing
behind
him,” Celeste corrected. “You have more potential than that. You’re natural with the bow and other weapons.” Here, her eyes lowered to Hayden’s chest where her knives were hidden beneath her jacket. “And you have a powerful werewolf as your Sire.”

No matter what Hayden was prepared to say in turn, it abruptly left her upon Celeste’s sudden declaration.
“Tracer?” Hayden asked in disbelief. She’d never seen Tracer fight. He’d been more inclined on fleeing. “That has nothing to do with me.”

“You’d be surprised,” Celeste murmured. “A human inherits traits from the werewolf who
Sired them.”

It was news to Hayden. She knew Sires had the power to force obedience onto the werewolves they’ve bitten. But she hadn’t known about the genetic-sharing. It was a bit unnerving to know she had bits and pieces of Tracer inside her.

“If you have any ambition of becoming your own Alpha, I would be very interested in having you in my pack. I need more members. “ Celeste held her hands out, palms up, a gesture meant to halt Hayden’s immediate response. “I would train you. I plan to create more packs across the region, and when I think you’re ready, I would like you to lead one of them.”

Regardless of Celeste’s insensitive approach, Hayden found herself intrigued with the offer. It was something she could see herself doing. It was something that suited both herself and her wolf.

“In return, if you do decide to join my pack,” Celeste continued, “I will pledge my assistance in the fight against Nicolas.”

And that only sweetened the deal.

It was a deal she would have accepted had she been alone or self-seeking. But Hayden’s pack was her family. Even if Cole doubted her at times, Hayden’s primary obligation was to her family. Leaving them behind wasn’t an option.

The only thing that held her back from immediately declining was the second part of the proposition. Celeste’s help against Nicolas would be beneficial. It would give her pack a higher chance of survival.

An observing Cole clearly took Hayden’s silence as consideration. His anger was evident as he slipped lethally from the trees.

“Leave us.”

His order wasn’t directed at Celeste, but to Hayden. Her eyes widened marginally as he turned his back on her, dismissing her in favor of Celeste. She refused to follow his orders. And besides, her legs wouldn’t have moved even if they wanted to.

Brimming with anger and hostility, Cole got in Celeste’s face and began whispering to her. For her credit, Celeste remained tall and impassive. She stared at Cole, her gaze becoming cooler and cooler by the second. Quite frankly, she appeared just as frightening as Cole did.

Hayden couldn’t hear what Cole was saying, but she had a general idea of the claim he wanted to stake. While his words were indecipherable, his cruel tenor crossed the distance and sent goose bumps down Hayden’s arms.

Celeste smiled thinly as Cole finished. With regal dignity, the redheaded Alpha stepped around Cole and confidently made her way over to Hayden’s shell-shocked form. “When you grow tired of him fighting your battles, you know where to find me.”