Un.Wavering (Claimed Series Book 3) Read Online Free Page A

alive and turning into beasts, not unlike the one that bit them.
    It was similar to the time Cole had to exterminate the survivors of the small town on their way to the cabin. But unlike Cole, who had struggled to veil his regret upon killing the mass of innocents, Nicolas possessed no shadow of remorse as he continued beheading the Hunters.
    Then again, the two situations couldn’t have been more different. The Hunters were not innocents. They’d chosen this lifestyle. They’d known the consequences. Oblivious humans, on the other hand, never knew what hit them.
    Hayden turned away as Nicolas severed the remaining bunch. The smell of blood made her gums itch and her canines elongate, yet she remained firmly by the door.
    “Is this too gruesome for you to stomach, Hayden?” Nicolas taunted, always observant, always watchful. “And here I thought you were striving to be one of the fiercest women—”
    “Who bit them?” Hayden interrupted, hardly perturbed by his mocking. “Did a Carrier do this? Why?”
    “So many questions…” he trailed off, taking care of the Hunter who was halfway in the fireplace. “It is difficult to tell. Celeste has finally perfected the Carriers’ chemical makeup. They do not have a scent and neither do their spawn.”
    A good length of time and silence passed before Hayden repeated her last question.
    “Why? Why do this ?”
    Nicolas whirled around, cleaning the blood ceremoniously from the blade. His eyes glittered as he gazed at her steadfastly. “Cole has held your hand for far too long. You are capable of deducing your own answers. You are a smart girl.”
    Her nostrils flared at the insult. Cole never coddled her. He was, in all actuality, very similar to Nicolas in terms of challenging her. Though it was tempting to defend herself, Hayden remained silent and analyzed the situation.
    It didn’t seem like Celeste was hesitant in ordering her three Carriers to infect as many humans as possible. In fact, it was disconcerting how public she was making these slaughters.
    “She wants the whole world to know.” Behind her back, Hayden pressed her palm against the doorframe, giving herself strength at the sudden rationale. “She’s trying to infect as many people as possible. So when humans do find out, werewolves will ultimately be the superior and majority race.”
    “Yes,” Nicolas agreed. “Who knows how many of Celeste’s werewolves are out there. Their altered composition gives them an advantage over traditional werewolves.” The Alpha male hung the sword back in its rightful place. “But why kill these people in particular, Hayden?”
    The answer came to her immediately. “She’s exterminating all the Hunters.”
    “Yes and no.” Nicolas wiped his hands together, smearing the blood between his palms and turning it dry. “By turning the Hunters against all werewolves, she’s preventing any possible alliance between them and the traditional wolves. And as you already know, Hunters carry grudges.”
    His words hardly had a chance to sink in before the sound of diesel engines roared outside. Hayden jerked away from the door, listening as several pairs of feet rushed towards the cabin.
    Instantly, she knew they were human and that they were Hunters.
    Nicolas grabbed Hayden’s bicep and all but hauled her off her feet. He dragged her towards the back of the cabin, hardly concerned with stepping on the carnage at his feet.
    “I hope you excel at dodging as much as you excel at asking questions.”
    After traveling through the rear foyer, he pushed her towards the back door. Only, as soon as Hayden’s hand grabbed the door handle, she heard a crowd of bodies hastily close in from outside. She retracted her hand quickly, as if burned.
    As she reached for the knives under her coat, Nicolas grabbed her wrist and tugged her away. Under his dominant guidance, she was nothing but his marionette.
    “Your knives will not help you here. We must escape as quickly as