The Mating Rules

Hadley’s POV

I feel surprisingly good considering I was shot and bleeding out just moments ago.

I open my eyes and blink in surprise at the blue sky above me that is free from clouds. The tickle against my arms draws my attention to the fact I’m laying on grass.

Sitting up, I look around me, I’m in a field full of poppies that are swaying in a gentle breeze, their scents wafting around me, relaxing me.

A brightly coloured butterfly flutters into view and I watch as it hovers in place for a second before moving on, the whole place is peaceful.

‘It’s beautiful isn’t it’ a soft voice beside me murmurs as I snap my head to the side to find a tall, slim woman dressed in white sitting next to me, her long silver hair hangs loosely down her back as she tilts her head upward toward the warmth of the sun.

I feel like I know her even though I’m sure I’ve never met her before, ‘who are you?’ I blurt out before immediately cringing inwardly at my bluntness.

The woman smiles, eyes closed as she soaks in the suns rays that bounce off her skin, illuminating her.

‘I have many names’ she replies cryptically, ‘different people call me different things, so really the question is, what do you call me?’

I frown turning slightly so I’m facing her, a ripple of irritation rolling through me at her non answer. How hard is it to tell someone your name?

‘Harder than you would think’ the stranger beside me muses causing me to rear back, did I say that out loud?’

Finally, she turns to me, eyes open to reveal silver eyes that look at me with affection, like . . . a mother.

‘You didn’t speak out loud child’ she replies to my internal thoughts, ‘but here, in my garden, I hear all.’

‘Moon Goddess?’ I whisper nervously as I watch her face light up with a smile as she nods. ‘Am I dead?’ I ask, glancing around at what I now realise is her Garden, the place we come to when our mortal lives are over.

‘No’ she replies simply, ‘not yet. It is good to finally meet you Hadley’ she says reaching a hand out to touch my arm. ‘I have waited a long time for you to come here, I have wanted to speak to you for a while.’

I shake my head in confusion, ‘why would you want to speak to me?’ I mutter, ‘I’m just a nobody warrior, a foundling, even my own parents didn’t want me.’

The Goddess looks at me with sadness, ‘so much pain in your heart my child’ she murmurs, ‘and so much of it is unfounded.’

I laugh humourlessly, ‘I’m not sure which part you think is unfounded’ I scoff bitterly, ‘I am a foundling, my real parents didn’t want me and left me outside of a pack at a few days old and I am definitely just a lowly warrior.’

The Moon Goddess laughs, her voice like music, floating across the field, lightening my mood.

‘So many inaccuracies’ she replies in amusement, ‘but lets deal with the most pressing first, the one that holds you back from giving Jamie-Lee every part of you.’

My heart stutters at her words, I gave Jamie-Lee everything I could, my whole heart.

The Goddess is smiling down at me again, a sadness ghosting her expression, reading me. ‘You hide a small part of you from your Mate’ she murmurs, ‘the part that worries she will leave you one day.’

I start to protest, but the words die on my lips as Selene stares at me with understanding. ‘Jamie-Lee will never leave you willingly if you give her everything’ she states. ‘That includes your fears, your vulnerabilities and’ she tilts her head with a smile, ‘your possessiveness.’

I start to protest, but the words die on my lips as Selene stares at me with understanding. ‘Jamie-Lee will never leave you willingly if you give her everything’ she states. ‘That includes your fears, your vulnerabilities and’ she tilts her head with a smile, ‘your possessiveness.’

My eyes widen in shock, ‘I’m not possessive’ I stammer, the words tasting like the lie they are.

The Goddess shakes her head as though I amuse her, ‘yes you are’ she replies simply. ‘You forget my child, I created you, I know who and what you are. You are possessive of your Mate just like a werewolf should be but each time you hold it in, refuse to show her the side you think will push her away, you hurt her.’

I reel back at the harsh words that are spoken so gently, I hurt Jamie-Lee?

A hand rests on top of my own that I realise was digging into the ground, pulling at the blades of grass.

‘I don’t want to hurt her’ I mutter around the lump now in my throat, ‘I never want to hurt her.’

Selene nods, her gaze moving over her world, ‘I know that child, but by holding a section of yourself back, you inadvertently hurt her. She doesn’t know it herself yet, but she feels that you are not completely hers and if you continue to try to be who you think she wants, you will end up pushing her away. Jamie-Lee is special, not just because of her wolf, but in herself, she is strong, independent and loves fiercely.’

I nod in agreement, that’s a perfect description of my Jamie-Lee.

‘But she is also soft, loving and insecure’ the Goddess continues quietly. ‘She needs to see your flaws to know that she is worthy of you. When you hide parts of yourself from the people you love, they start to feel like they are inadequate in your eyes, that they are not good enough for you to show your true self.’

‘I don’t know how to be possessive’ I mutter, brushing my fingers over the petals of a nearby poppy.

Selene laughs again, her eyes closing slightly, ‘yes you do’ she replies kindly. ‘Every time you see Caden lay claim to her in front of others, you swallow down your own feelings rather than embrace them. You are a strong wolf Hadley, you have the same desires that Caden does with regards to your mate, you just need to accept them.’

‘I’m not jealous of Caden’ I frown, ‘him being with Jamie-Lee doesn’t bother me.’

The Moon Goddess nods in agreement, ‘you can’t be jealous of someone you love my child.’

I balk at her words, my gaze snapping back to hers ‘Uhh, I’m not attracted to men’ I stammer in shock.

The woman beside me is giving me that look that a parent gives to a petulant child, ‘there are many forms of love other than the physical my child’ she replies. ‘Your family is not defined by the sharing of b***d or a mate bond, you can love and accept anyone into your life. You can love Caden, and he can love you, a family, together with your mate in the centre, tying you together. The three of you were destined to be together, a nucleus that would nurture and protect each other and the pup that Jamie-Lee now carries in her womb along with the pups you will make in the future.’

My mouth feels dry and I lick my lips before I can force out the words bouncing around my head. ‘Jamie-Lee is pregnant?’ I repeat, my voice sounding hoarse as though I haven’t used it in years.

The Goddess nods, ‘I’m sorry you had to miss her first heat my child’ she murmurs regretfully, her heavy gaze weighing on me how bad she feels. ‘I had no choice, I had to make sure that her first pup was sired by Caden. Even I cannot mess with the hierarchy of Werewolf kind. I designed your lives this way so that weaker wolves would always be protected by stronger ones. Jamie-Lee is special, her heat would be intoxicating to you and you may not have been able to refuse her.

If you had been there, and sired her pup, Caden and Cobalt would have loved the child as their own regardless, raised them as an Alpha and their first born, handed down the pack to them. As strong as you are my child, you are not of Alpha b***d, and a non Alpha leader would have weakened your pack and could have had ripple effects across your entire species.’

She looks at me with saddened eyes as I absorb her words.

‘It’s OK’ I reply automatically, the first smile appearing on my face since I got here, ‘I understand, I really do, and I’m not upset that it had to be this way, I will love their pup as my own I swear, but . . ‘ my voice trails off uncertainly as I avert my gaze.

‘Speak your mind child’ the Moon Goddess urges encouragingly, ‘this is your home, we have no secrets here.’

Nodding, I lick my lips nervously before forcing my gaze back to hers, ‘will I . . ‘ I hesitate before forcing myself onwards, ‘will I get my turn? Will Jamie-Lee and I be blessed with a child that grows from my seed?’

The Goddess laughs softly, ‘of course you will my son’ she replies fondly, ‘the three of you will be blessed many times, a couple of times when you least expect it’ she adds with a wink.

‘How will we know which is sired by me and which by Caden?’ I mutter in embarrassment. Not that it will make a difference, they will all be my children after all, but a tiny part of me wants to make sure I have that connection with Jamie-Lee, a life that we grew together.’

‘You’ll know’ the Goddess replies simply, ‘well Hunter will. A wolf always recognises his kin, it’s built into their DNA. They can sense their offspring in a way that is quite amazing, a parent knows their own child . . ‘ she glances at me from the corner of her eye, ‘how do you think your parents recognised you?’

‘Wha . .what?’ I stumble, my back straightening in surprise, my attention solely on the ethereal woman beside me who is smiling at me as though she holds a huge secret.

‘The Luna never gifted you to your mother and father’ she whispers conspiratorially, ‘your mother lay eyes on you and claimed you immediately. Her wolf knew on instinct that you were her kin as did your father’s wolf. They refused point blank to leave the pack house without you, you were their pup.’