Free Un.Wavering (Claimed Series Book 3) by Reese Morgan

going alone. If I sent her with you, I’d be damning her. She can’t defend both herself and you. I can.”
    She hated what he was doing. She hated even more that he was right.
    It was better to send their assailants in two different directions. And it made sense that a weakened Cole would go with Nicolas. While Hayden was confident in her abilities, she knew she couldn’t protect him and herself at the same time.
    The incident with Rachel was still fresh in her mind. She hadn’t killed the other woman, Evan had, but it was Hayden’s own mistake that ended her life.
    “He’s right.” Hayden found herself taking Nicolas’ side once again. “We will have a better chance if we split up.” She avoided Cole’s eyes, knowing he disapproved greatly.
    However, his disapproval was rather null compared to the frustration in his eyes. Hayden recognized that his frustration wasn’t with her, but at his own weakness. She knew Cole well enough to know he had an abundance of pride. It destroyed him to be a liability, to be a burden.
    “We will meet there at sunset.”
    Nicolas quickly pointed out a distant peak. It was rather distinct in that it had two peaks in close conjunction. Hayden thought it resembled a set of curved horns. It was a good distance away and she wondered if Cole was healthy enough to make it there by sunset.
    “ Go .”
    There was an urgency in Nicolas’ tone that made Hayden jerk into action without hesitation. Her sensitive hearing picked up on several bodies making their way through the snow and towards the woods.
    With one last a sidelong glance at Cole, Hayden hurriedly curled away from them and in the opposite direction. She’d been traveling in the wilderness for quite some time now, but whenever she was able to exert herself, she felt alive.
    Her adrenaline heightened as she trekked through the woods, making certain she disturbed the snow as much as possible. She bumped into many tree trunks, intentionally rubbing herself against the bark in order to leave her scent.
    Their pursuers would be conflicted on which path to follow. Cole hardly had a scent because of the silver poisoning running through his veins, and Nicolas’ scent was rather faint as of late. Hayden carried a bit of both males on her coat from her earlier embrace with Cole and her close proximity with Nicolas.
    At any rate, it was difficult for male werewolves to completely ignore a female’s scent. She was confident that she’d distract a good number of rogues from Nicolas and Cole’s trail.
    She dodged and entwined her way through the woods. Her spirits were high now that they’d successfully rescued Cole, but it was vital, now more than ever, to remain alert.
     

5. Chapter Five
     
    As the sun set below the horizon, the temperature dropped eagerly with it.
    Hayden pressed her back against a tree, breathing heavily. Small clouds of fog escaped her lips with each exhalation, a small indication of how cold the mountains were during nightfall.
    Fortunately, her toes remained warm in her boots and her body was generally unaffected by the biting chill. Her thoughts drifted to Cole, wondering if he struggled against the unforgiving cold. She remembered when Evan had given her silver poisoning; she’d struggled with feeling human and dealing with the unfriendly environment.
    Though, from the mental connection she shared with Cole, she knew he was slowly recovering. He was definitely a more prominent presence in the back of her mind. Surely he had enough wolf dominating his human side to withstand the cold temperature.
    At her side, her fingers clenched around the hilt of her sword. She distractedly wiped the blade’s blood on her pant leg, marveling at her current situation.
    Over ten bodies lay in her wake. She had a few lacerations and bruises to prove her altercations weren’t entirely one-sided. However, in the end, she was the last one standing.
    And that was all that mattered.
    Behind her, the horned peak loomed. Judging