The Mating Rules

Jamie-Lee’s POV

Caden comes back to the hotel and tells us that Hadley was never convicted, that bastard controlled every move from the moment he showed up at the pack. His ability to alter the reality around him and our naivety made us easy to manipulate.

I feel sick from the thought of our warriors who died for no reason, we should have been on the plane and heading back home as soon as the trial was over not hiding in a Motel waiting for Avrilak’s hybrids to find us and wipe out our people.

Caden has already been to the morgue, claimed the bodies and arranged for them to be transported back to our pack. He hasn’t spoken to his father yet and when I tentatively mentioned ringing to let him know we were fine, the younger Alpha shut down the conversation immediately.

I’m now sat by myself in the bathroom as the water runs, filling the bath so I can wash the dirt off my body. Caden managed to get us all new clothes and shoes so we will at least return to the pack looking relatively put together. He has also spoken to the pilot and arranged for our plane to be fuelled and prepared to take us home.

I grab the small bottle of bubble bath, unscrewing the lid and sniff the peppermint scent which causes my stomach to roll uncomfortably. I drag the bottle from my nose but the smell is still caught in my senses and before I know it I’m leaning over the toilet, bringing up the sandwiches we ordered from room service half an hour ago.

‘Baby? Are you OK?’ comes Caden’s voice seconds later.

‘Sweetheart?’ Hadley’s worried tone speaks straight after.

‘I’m OK’ I reply as I lean my head against the sink, closing my eyes, ‘I don’t think that sandwich agreed with me.’

Mentioning food, my stomach rolls again and I’m back over the bowl as the door is shouldered open, my mates spilling into the tiny room.

‘Caden’ I g***n, ‘the door lock.’

‘I’ll pay for it to be replaced’ Caden replies as he drags my hair away from my face whilst Hadley shuts off the taps and grabs a wash cloth, wetting it and dabbing my face carefully.

‘You don’t look so good baby’ Caden murmurs with a worried look at the warrior, ‘maybe we should get a doctor?’

A smile crawls across Hadley’s face as he shakes his head, ‘our girl is fine’ he replies, eyeing us both, ‘our child is just making his or her presence known.’

I glance up at the grinning warrior in shock before turning to Caden who looks like he’s been hit over the head. ‘I’m pregnant?’ I croak, ‘how do you know that?’

Hadley shrugs, ‘it was another thing that the Goddess mentioned’ he replies simply. ‘She apologised that I had to miss your heat, but it was important that Caden father your first child.’

I turn back to Caden worriedly, ‘uhh’ I mumble, ‘we didn’t really discuss the whole baby thing . . ‘

Next think I know I’m swept up in strong arms, Caden whooping loudly as he presses k****s all over my face whilst I cover my mouth with my hand, I just threw up!

‘We’re having a baby?!’ he yells, his gaze moving to Hadley, ‘you’re sure, Leeway is pregnant with our pup?’

Hadley nods, grinning as he takes me, hugging me gently as I g***n against his shoulder.

‘Is there anything else the Goddess said?’ I demand, pulling back so I can glare at the warrior. ‘Do I have a secret twin sister some where or are one of you going to come forward with God like powers? You need to tell us everything that you and th Moon Goddess discussed’ I add as an afterthought.

Hadley laughs but nods, carrying me through to the bedroom as Caden cleans up after me before joining us. They place me under the covers, getting me comfortable and I pat either side of me so they join me, cocooning me between them just like I should always be.

I listen as Hadley tells us all about his visit to the Goddess’ garden, what she said about him, Caden and I which is how he realised that we were all supposed to be marked by each other.

I listen as my eyes droop, I’m so damn tired but I want to know what else was said. I’ll just close my eyes, I don’t need them open to listen do I?

When my eyes open again, it’s to a pair of lips pressed to my neck, the room is dark and I roll over to find Caden smiling down at me as I stretch, my hand instinctively going behind me to an empty spot.

Fully awake, I roll over quickly, my gaze raking over the dark room in panic as a pair of arms circle me and pull me into a comforting embrace. ‘He’s in the bathroom’ the alpha murmurs, ‘we need to get up, the plane will be at the airport in an hour’s time.’

I relax at his words, yawning tiredly, ‘what time is it?’ I ask as the adjacent door opens and the Warrior steps out in just his boxers, my hand reaching out for him as he takes it, sliding onto the bed beside me and pressing a k**s to my lips.

‘Four o’clock’ Caden answers me, ‘I got the pilot to get here as early as he could so we can get home.’

I nod, silently thankful to be leaving. I know that Hadley is free but I won’t be able to fully relax until we are in the air, heading away from the Capitol.

‘At least we don’t have to worry about packing’ Hadley teases and I shake my head at him as I smile.

‘This has to be the lightest I’ve ever travelled’ I agree with a small giggle.

Caden releases me, standing up and yanking the covers off my body as I shriek from the sudden chill. ‘Come on lazy bones, we need to get moving if we are going to get to the airport on time.’

Huffing, I scramble over Hadley who pulls me down on top of him, his lips covering mine as a hand traces over the edge of my flat stomach.

I m**n against his lips, moving my h**s slightly before I’m hauled off the man by my other mate who growls warningly at the Warrior. ‘Now is not the time, we have to get going’ he huffs as Hadley smirks, stretching out his body before reluctantly climbing to his feet and grabbing the jeans he must have discarded after I fell asleep.

‘It’s been a long time Star’ he replies with a wink, ‘some of us weren’t around for her heat.’

The Alpha’s grin is wide as he tries to shrug casually, ‘what could I do?’ he replies, ‘I couldn’t just leave our mate in that state, she needed me.’

Ignoring their banter, I drag on my own clothes, swallowing down the nausea that curls in my stomach.

It takes us about twenty minutes before we are finally out by the curb, climbing into a taxi and heading to the private carrier that should have our plane being refuelled by the time we get there.

The flight home is uneventful and I end up napping most of the trip, my legs laying across Caden’s thighs as my head leans against the side of the plane. I try not to look at all the empty seats as we disembark or the one lonely SUV that awaits us as our hanger.

As we reach the pack house, the sun is already high in the sky above us, Caden jumps out of the passenger seat and opens the door for me before our driver even has a chance to turn off the engine. He holds out his hand and helps me down like I’m fragile goods and I raise an eyebrow at him questioningly.

‘You are carrying the most precious thing in the world baby’ he murmurs in my ear so only I can hear him, ‘I’m going to treat you like glass until you push our child out into the world.’

I huff out a breath in annoyance even though my heart does a little flutter, the big bad Alpha is all gooey underneath.

We are about to head up to the front door when my name gets screamed across the training grounds and I turn to find my sister Bailee and my brother Isaac rushing toward me. Isaac reaches me first, picking me up and swinging me around as I g***n.

‘Careful!’ Caden growls, pulling me away from my brother and placing me back on my feet as I turn away from them all to try and keep myself from throwing up.

‘What! I haven’t seen my sister in weeks, now suddenly you’re all back with no word on how you got the Council off your back let alone how you got this one out of the Capitol!’ Isaac huffs in roughly as Bailee puffs out a breath, reaching us and throwing her arms around me.

‘I have missed you so much’ she wails, ‘mum has been frantic, dad has hardly been home, no one would tell me what was going on with you. Ashleigh has been like a bear, she almost ripped the Gamma’s head off a couple of days ago.’

I bite my l*p, sounds like my best friend is not one of those glowing, serene pregnant women. I feel bad as the stress of everything can’t have been good for the baby but my thoughts are dragged away when my mother’s voice bellows across the pack as we all turn to see foreboding image of Lorna Sparks storming toward me.

I take a reluctant step back as she zeroes in on me, stopping just in front of me, looking me over before pulling me into her chest and crushing me against her.

‘Oh my baby! I was so worried’ she mutters as I feel tears hit my hair. ‘and Hadley!’ she cries, releasing me and pulling the warrior into her embrace as he pats her back awkwardly. ‘I’m so glad you are here, is everything sorted, did they release you?’

‘Everything is fine mum’ I say quietly, ‘Hadley was found not guilty, he was free to leave the Capitol.’

Mum steps back, her hands on his biceps as she beams up at him, ‘I’m so glad’ she says. ‘It was ridiculous those charges! Your dad has been working day and night to find anything that the Alpha could use to get you released.’

I glance at Caden in confusion, my expression mirrored in the Alpha’s eyes as he turns to my mum. ‘Umm Lorna’ he says, getting her attention, ‘you say my father has been talking to the Council?’

My mother nods immediately, ‘of course Caden’ she replies, beaming, ‘he’s been on the phone to someone at the Council pretty much everyday trying to get Hadley acquitted, he wouldn’t allow anyone else to deal with them.’

My stomach tightens into a knot as the image of the Warlock standing in front of me, taunting me buy taking on Alpha Scott’s image swims in my mind. His knowing smirk as he said it was so cliché, that it was always the Alpha.

I look over at Caden and I can see he’s worked it out too, without a word, he turns on his heel and storms up the steps of the packhouse, slamming through the front door as I race after him, Hadley on my heels as he calls over his shoulder that we’ll come over to see my family in a bit.

I run as fast as I can, entering the pack just as Caden’s feet disappear over the top of the first flight of stairs. I chase him, catching him just as he lifts his foot and kicks in the door to his father’s office. Anger is rolling off him in waves, as he storms inside toward one of the few men in my life that I thought I could trust above all others, the man that my father had called a friend for most of his life.