by Ruby Brooks
COLE
The Steelman Shifters
Ruby Brooks
Copyright © 2020 Ruby Brooks
All rights reserved
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
Cover design by: printok
Proofread: Nicholas Taylor
https://www.justwriteright.co.uk/
To Faith,
Don't give up your daydream.
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Author's Note
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
Before you go...
Author's Note
Please note, this book uses British English spelling and grammar.
Chapter 1
Hayley
Six years ago…
“Hurry, Hayley. We don’t have much time.” My grandmother was tugging at my wrist but I was shell-shocked. My parents were murdered, right in front of my fucking eyes.
“I can’t leave them,” I shrieked. My arms were beginning to grow fur and I could feel my canines enlarging.
Not now, wolf. Please, I begged internally.
“Hayley Morton,” my grandmother snapped. “You will stop shifting right now. We need to leave. Move it.”
Despite being eighty-three, she still had a lot of life left in her. She managed to encourage me to get my shift under control, and we wove through the mass of bodies. My parents were shifters, like me, and I couldn’t fathom why anyone would want them dead.
“What is happening, Nan?” I called, as I desperately tried to keep up with her quick steps.
“I don’t know. All I know is I am sending you to the Steelman pack. They will protect you.”
We stumbled out into a passage I had never been in before and I tried to catch my breath. I hadn’t fully embraced my wolf side yet, so I didn’t have all the enhanced supernatural abilities.
The day had started out like any other. Once a week, our families would gather in my grandparents’ manor home for a meal. I didn’t have any siblings, and I loved it when I could catch up with my cousins.
“We shouldn’t have left everyone.” The faces of my family members flashed through my mind and I committed them to memory. My mum managed to take down the assassin before she died but I didn’t know if more were on their way.
“Yes, we should. It was your parents they were after, maybe even you.”
My grandmother looked the frailest I had ever seen and I realised I may have lost my father, but she had lost her son. The shock hadn’t worn off yet, and I knew my grief was going to catch up to me. I forced myself to remain level-headed so I could process what she had told me.
“The Steelman pack? Are you sure Tristan would welcome me?”
Tristan Steelman was alpha to his named pack, and they were the strongest in Britain. The fact my grandmother wanted to send me there was enough to chill my blood. My wolf was clawing at the surface, but my nan shot me and look and helped me hold it back.
Please settle, wolf.
“Tristan is already on his way.”
My heart rate increased, and I swallowed thickly. “Was he aware of this attack?”
Nan shook her head and placed a finger on her lips. I strained my ears to try and listen, but it was no use. Instead, I took in my surroundings. We must have been under the manor, as a lingering, musty smell, mixed with damp, hung in the air. The ceiling was low, but since we were both on the shorter side, it worked in our favour.
Why was Tristan already on his way when the attack happened minutes ago? He must have been behind it and it made my skin crawl. I didn’t trust the Steelman pack one bit, and the fact I had to live under their protection was making my wolf snappy.
“He’s here,” my nan whispered, opening the passage door. It was tucked behind a curtain, and I thought it was quite a smart hiding place.
“How?” I whispered back. “Weymouth is hours away.”
She shook her head again, not answering me. The frail old woman I saw in the passageway had gone, replaced by a woman with thrown back shoulders and a chin that wouldn’t waver. I tried to mimic her confidence, but I was casting every door and window a suspicious gaze, like someone was going to jump through them. My palms were clammy, and I wiped them on my dress when Tristan came into view.
His pack began sweeping the place, calling the all clear, and number of dead bodies. My nan’s face was impassive, but I flinched at each command they called to each other. I still hadn’t spent much time with a proper pack, but the idea of being ordered around all the time was shit. I wanted to be the one making the orders.
Fat chance I would ever be alpha though.
“Martha,” Tristan said, his voice rumbled across the hall. His wide frame took up all the space in the doorway and he held out his arms for a polite hug from my grandmother. They kissed cheeks like all adults did when they wanted to appear higher-class than they actually were, and I wrinkled my nose.
“Tristan, thank goodness you came.” My nan didn’t even try to hide her awe, but at least she maintained some part of composure. Mine was slipping by the second.
“This must be Hayley?” Tristan asked, giving me a warm smile.
I nodded, avoiding making direct eye contact. Making eye contact with an alpha was seen as a challenge. I knew Tristan wouldn’t rise to the challenge, but I wanted to at least appear respectful, despite not trusting him as far as I could throw him.
The shock of the day was wearing off, and I willed myself not to cry when he rested his hand on my shoulder. “Stop fighting it.”
I opened my mouth to ask what he meant until a felt a sense of calm enveloping me.
He put my wolf to sleep! I wanted to scream at my grandmother, but she was shuffling out of the main door, her back to me. The adrenaline must have worn off for her and I longed to help her walk, but the alpha’s hand was still on my shoulder, cementing me in place.
I peeked up at him through my lashes. “How did you know this would happen today?”
His green eyes widened in shock slightly, but he quickly recovered. I added that to my list of other reasons not to trust him.
“I didn’t. I’d like to introduce you to my son, Kian.”
I pursed my lips, unimpressed, as he dropped his hand and gestured for another man to join him.
I say man. It was actually a boy, probably the same age as me. He had green eyes, like his dad, which twinkled with mischief, and a mop of shaggy black hair. He brushed it off his face and gave me a grin.
“Hey, Hayley. Want t
o come back in my car? I’ve only got an old games console but Cole gave me his for the journey so you could play, too. If you like games? You gotta like games, right?”
I raised my eyebrows and burst out laughing which only ended up making me burst into tears.
Kian looked to his dad in alarm who merely shrugged. “Women. If you are going to take a mate one day, you need to learn how to manage a crying one. Come on, Hayley. Let’s get you home.”
Tristan wrapped an arm around me in a fatherly gesture, which only made me cry harder. I tripped over myself as the sob racked my body, and he silently lifted me into his arms. The soothing presence of an alpha was calming my physical reaction, but it wasn’t loosening the weight that had settled in my chest.
Tristan helped me into a car and did up my seatbelt for me. Kian slipped in next to me and kept shooting me glances. We were the only two in the car and I closed my eyes, letting the tears fall.
“Do you like video games?” He asked.
“For fuck’s sake,” I exclaimed. No one was going to tell me off for swearing anymore, and I realised why my dad loved saying “fuck” so much. It felt good to get it off my chest. “My parents were murdered, right in front of my fucking eyes. No, I don’t want to play your fucking video games.”
I slammed my head against the door. It felt good so I did it again.
And again.
“Stop,” he said, wrapping an arm around me and pulling me back. “I’m sorry, I had no idea. We came here to celebrate.”
I peeked at him through narrowed eyes and took in what he was wearing for the first time. His black suit was far too big for him, and his tie was a mess. I snorted and burst into another fit of laughter.
I was losing my mind.
“Dressed like that?” I asked.
“Yeah, not my choice.” He winced, and tugged at his clothes. “I’m more of a t-shirt and shorts kind of guy.”
“Show me your games,” I said, watching his face light up. I couldn’t ignore the ache in my chest, but Kian’s enthusiasm was rubbing off on me. Before I knew it, a driver came round, and started the car.
“Where do you live?” I asked.
“Weymouth.”
“I know that, stupid.” I rolled my eyes. Everyone knew the Steelmans lived in Weymouth. “I mean, what’s it like? I’ve never been to the beach.”
“Oh, it’s so cool,” he gushed. “The forest isn’t far away, either. Can you shift yet?”
“Sort of.” I shrugged. I doubt my episode earlier would count.
“Neither can Cole, but don’t tell him I said that. Hey, he can teach you how to surf if you want.”
“You surf?” I eyed him again, but he was being serious. Huh. I have lived in England all my life, but am only hearing now that people actually surfed down south. Clearly, I was wasted in Harrogate. No one surfed in Yorkshire.
“Yeah.” He bobbed his head. “How old are you?”
“I turned thirteen recently.”
“Oh, happy birthday. Did you have a party?”
“Not really.” I chewed my lip. How could I tell the alpha’s son I had no real friends? I needed to make a good impression on this guy, really, if I wanted to fit into Weymouth, but I couldn’t lie.
“Oh. Well, we have the best parties. I can make up for it for you.” He winked and went back to his game. I powered up the console that belonged to Cole and loaded up whatever was in there. I had no idea what I was doing but it made the journey pass quicker. The only noises came from Kian – cheers when he won, or growls when he lost. I was losing, but I didn’t want to disturb him.
My wolf was still sleeping from whatever Tristan had done to it, and I was grateful. From my earlier crying outburst, I knew I would have shifted by accident. What if I had hurt Kian? I would have been a goner.
“What is happening with my nan, by the way?”
“She is travelling with my dad. They have adult things to talk about.” He rolled his eyes but didn’t take his eyes off the console for any longer than that. “I am going to keep avoiding those chats for as long as I can.”
I started pulling the pins out of my hair that my cousin, Sophie, put in. The tight hairstyle was giving me a headache. The weight in my chest grew heavier. What if Sophie was gone, too?
“Do you know what happened to the rest of my family?”
Kian paused his game and turned his green eyes on me. “I can try and find out.” This was the first time he had been serious around me, as though he could tell I was suffering but he wanted to give me some normality.
“Thank you,” I muttered, tossing the console aside. I decided to watch the scenery pass by, and it wasn’t long before sleep took me.
✽✽✽
“Hayley?” Kian’s voice pulled me out of my dream. I dreamt of my parents, watching their last moments play out before me, and there wasn’t a thing I could do to stop it. “We are at your new house. Cole’s already here.”
I slid out of the car, groaning as I stretched my legs. We must have been driving for hours as darkness had fallen, and I wrapped my arms around myself.
“You sure you don’t want a jacket, sweetie?” My mum asked.
“No. I’ll be fine. I want to try and connect with my wolf, use my powers, you know?”
“When did you grow up?” She kissed my head and left as my dad called her name.
My eyes stung at the memory of my last moment with her.
My plan was to connect with my wolf more and use it to help regulate my body temperature. Thanks to Tristan, I was bloody freezing. I followed Kian towards my new home, spotting a guy our age sat on the steps. He stood up when we approached, and he shared a grin with Kian.
“Hayley, this is Cole. Cole, this is Hayley.” Kian waved between us. “Hayley just ruined your progress on Zelda, by the way.”
“Did she?” Cole cocked his head at me, another grin playing at his lips. “You’re pretty, so I’ll let you off.”
I don’t know why that made me blush, but it did. Not many people had called me pretty before and, coming from him, it was definitely a compliment. Cole was almost the polar opposite of Kian. He had blue eyes that were so vivid I could see them through the low light from the street light. His blonde hair was cropped short, and he was wearing knee-length shorts with a hoodie.
“Mate, what are you wearing?” He looked at Kian and burst out laughing.
“Dad made me wear it,” Kian groaned, and I couldn’t help but laugh along with them.
“Um, do I go inside? Is my nan here yet?” I gestured to the house. None of the lights were on, and our driver was playing with his phone, not making any move to leave or to join us.
The house was a typical new-build detached, the neighbouring properties a few metres away. The street seemed quiet enough, and I felt safe here, probably as it was Steelman territory. I could tell the property was big, probably four bedrooms. Why would we move into such a big house though? Nothing from today made any sense.
“No, she isn’t. I have been here a few hours now,” Cole admitted, looking sheepish. His words pulled me out of my thoughts, and I turned my attention back to him.
“Why?” I asked.
“I was waiting for you. I didn’t think you wanted to be here alone.” Cole’s eyes held mine and Kian laughed.
“Uh-oh. Cole has a new crush. You don’t want to go there, Hayley. He’s a player.”
“Hey, don’t hate the player, hate the game.” Cole swatted Kian’s shoulder and they started wrestling in the street, laughing the whole time. I watched them with mild amusement. I had no desire to have a boyfriend, but there was something about Cole that was different. I shrugged it off though and sat down on the steps we found him on. I hugged my knees to my chest, trying to force the memory of the day away. I wanted to lock it up inside my head and bury it at the back, never looking at it again.
“Shit, Cole. You are such a good fighter,” Kian groaned, rubbing at his ribs. Cole must have landed a decent punch there and, if his grin wa
s anything to go by, I was right.
“I want to be an alpha someday.” He shrugged.
“Right.” Kian laughed without humour. “Take my role any day.”
What was all that about? Tension crackled in the air and they separated, still poking fun at each other half-heartedly.
“Are you cold?” Cole asked, crouching down next to me. I shook my head, but he sighed, taking his jumper off for me.
“Thanks,” I said, smiling shyly. Player or not, I was cold, and grateful for the extra layer. I slipped it on and subtly inhaled the scent. Lynx Africa aftershave hit me – because of course it was. Teenage boys were all the same.
“Let’s see the damage then,” he said, powering up the console. Kian was talking to his driver and I enjoyed the comfortable silence between us. “Ah, you’re forgiven. I’ll just delete your save.”
“Thanks,” I muttered.
“Know any other words?” He joked, nudging me with his shoulder.
“Sorry.” I cringed and mentally gave myself a slap. “It has been a long day.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Did I? It was the first time I had been asked. Kian avoided the topic and kept our chats on much safer grounds. I could tell Cole was going to spell trouble for me one day.
“No, not yet. Thank you anyway.”
He nodded and closed the lid of the console. Kian said something about having to go and we watched his car drive away. He apologised profusely but I didn’t mind. He was too enthusiastic for this type of day and I couldn’t wait to have some alone time.
“Someone killed my parents.” I blurted, taking Cole by surprise. Saying it made it more real somehow. Almost awkwardly, as though he didn’t know how I would react, he wrapped an arm around my shoulder and kept it there.
“You can cry if you want,” he said, his voice soft. On command I did, albeit not as dramatically as I had when it was Tristan’s arm around me. I sank into his touch as he held me tighter.
