Abandoned and Unseen (Branded Packs #2)(33)

He was branded, but not forgotten.

He was Pack.

He was hers.





Unseen





Chapter 1


Despite the sharp nip in the air, a large crowd was gathered in the center of the compound to share the evening meal.

It truly was an amazing sight. Wolf, cat, and bear all mingling together, despite the fact that they were all forced to share a cramped compound.

They weren’t celebrating the death of Dr. Talbot. Not really. They were all sensitive to the fact that he was the biological father of two bear cubs. But there was an unmistakable sense of satisfaction in the knowledge that the bastard was no longer around to do his sick experiments on shifters.

Nicole Bradley, however, wasn’t there to appreciate the sight of history being made. No. She was standing at the edge of the thick trees that circled the clearing to make sure that she could slip away undetected.

Slowly, her gaze skimmed over the familiar—and not so familiar—faces that were standing near the large bonfire where Soren’s mate, Cora, was passing out sticks loaded with hot dogs to roast. The two had devoted endless hours to creating a sense of harmony among the shifters. Not an easy task when they were all short-tempered predators who’d been caged, branded, and collared.

Just for a minute, she felt a wistful regret that she couldn’t join in the communal spirit.

Once upon a time, she would have been the first to offer to help Cora serve dinner. Or lead the game of volleyball that was starting up in the sandpit.

But her heart had died seven years ago with the brutal murder of her young pup. Now she felt nothing but a driving need to punish those responsible.

With a sad shake of her head, she turned away and melted into the darkness of the trees.

Only a few weeks ago she could have taken a direct route to the hidden tunnel she’d dug beneath the fence that surrounded the compound. With only the wolves in the area, they’d had a small measure of privacy to run through the forest. Now, however, she had to stay on constant guard; making sure not to cross paths with a bear or cat who was out for an evening stroll.

Twice she’d had to circle out of her way when she caught the scent of shifters, the delay only intensifying her pulsing need to be on the hunt.

Tonight, more than any other night, she had to be out of the compound. She had to ease the choking sense of pain that was as raw and real as the day her son had died.

Which was why she ignored the sound of footsteps behind her.

She had to get out. Now.

Unfortunately, her pursuer had other ideas. Just a few feet from the towering fence, a male form abruptly darted past her to block the narrow path.

Forced to a halt, Nicole glared at the wolf shifter with dark tousled curls and eyes the color of cognac. Soren, the Beta of the River Pack. She might have known.

In truth, Nicole considered him her surrogate older brother. And over the past years, they’d been drawn even closer together by their mutual grief.

Which had been a wonderful thing, until he decided to poke his nose into her business.

Folding his arms across his chest, Soren allowed his gaze to slowly wander down her too-slender body. Wearing a pair of black spandex pants and a black turtleneck, with her tawny hair pulled into a ponytail, she knew that she looked like a teenager. An image that was only emphasized by her fragile features and the wide hazel eyes that were heavily fringed by black lashes.

She ruthlessly used her harmless appearance to her advantage. Being underestimated was a weapon as potent as her claws and fangs.

“Going somewhere, Nikki?” Soren drawled.

She scowled. She no longer used that name. Nikki had died with her son. Now she was Nicole.

“Soren.” She struggled to contain her frustration. Usually, she could reason with her friend. But he was a male. Which meant that he could be annoyingly stubborn at the most inconvenient times. “Why aren’t you with the others?”

“Why aren’t you?” he countered.

She shrugged. “I wasn’t in the mood for a party.”

“It’s not a party,” he corrected her. “It’s an opportunity for the shifter community to learn to work together.”

She gave another shrug. “I’m not in the mood to…” she lifted her hands to give air quotes, “work together.”

His features softened with sympathy. “No, you’re angry and hurt and drowning in the past,” he said softly. “A toxic combination.”

Nicole instantly flinched at his pity. She refused to think of herself as a victim. She was a warrior.

“You’re our Beta, not an Omega,” she snapped.

“It’s a shame we don’t have one,” he growled. They all felt the hole in the center of the Pack that came from the lack of an Omega. “They might have helped to heal you.”

She gave a sad shake of her head. “There’s no cure for mourning.”

Soren grimaced. “Look, Nikki-”

“Don’t call me that,” she interrupted in sharp tones.

“Holden ordered us to keep a low profile for a few days,” Soren continued.

“That’s exactly what I intend to do,” Nicole said with absolute honesty. She made it her life’s goal to fly beneath the human’s radar.

He rolled his eyes. “That means staying in the compound and not deliberately provoking the SAU.”