The Mating Rules

Isaac’s POV

I pace my room, agitation running through my veins, I can’t sit still knowing that I could be about to lose the woman I love and there is nothing I can do about it.

A knock on my door, jerks me from my brooding and I stride over to the door, yanking it open to find Caden on the other side, holding up some beers.

‘Guys night’ he announces, pushing past me and heading to my couch, sitting down and reaching for the remote.

‘Don’t you have two Mates to f**k?’ I snarl, shoving the door closed and stomping over to sit in the chair next to the Alpha.

Caden shrugs, ‘I was feeling nostalgic’ he retorts, ‘how many months did we sit here and wait?’

‘Too many’ I grumble, leaning forward and snagging a beer from the box ad twisting off the top. Human beer won’t have any affect on me, but I really need something to do that will distract me from what is going on outside.

‘So’ Caden muses, reaching for his own beer and wrapping his palm around the cap to remove it, ‘you love her.’

My mouthful of beer does down the wrong hole and I spray it all over my coffee table as I choke. Banging my chest with my fist, I blink at my best friend as try to clear my airways.

‘What?’ I croak hoarsely, ‘what did you say?’

Caden takes a sip of his beer, completely unphased by my reaction, ‘Raelyn’ he replies, ‘’you are in love with her.’

I feel the heat crawling up my face as I rub the back of my neck awkwardly. ‘Of course not’ I stumble, ‘she’s an Omega . . . I hardly know her . . . she’s fated to someone else . . ‘

The Alpha shrugs nonchalantly, ‘doesn’t mean that you don’t love her’ he states in a matter of a fact voice. ‘I’m just curious about whether you told her before she walked out into those woods.’

My shoulders fall with defeat, ‘how did you know?’ I ask sullenly.

Caden smirks at me over his beer bottle, ‘I’m your best friend’ he huffs, ‘I always know when you like someone. Remember Sixth grade? Marcy from Mountain Dawn pack? Had to come to our school for a semester after her mum fell ill and she came to stay with her aunt? You almost tripped over your tongue the whole time she was here? Or what about that supply teacher in ninth? With the pencil skirt and stockings? Did your d**k ever deflate during that year when we were in class? I distinctly remember having to hang back more than once while you tried to disguise your reaction to her. And what about tenth . . ‘

‘OK Ok, so you know me’ I growl in annoyance, ‘but I didn’t love any of those, I was just a horny kid.’

Caden nods, ‘exactly’ he replies, ‘you’ve been different with Rae, this isn’t just you wanting in an Omega’s pants mate, you’re in love with her.’

I want to argue but I can’t, I’ve never lied to Caden, not about anything and the only thing he has ever tried to hide from me was his feelings for my sister.

‘Yeah, I love her’ I admit, ‘but it doesn’t f*cking matter. I can’t have her Cade, hell, she’s just about to head into the woods to call for her fated Mate!’

My best friend shrugs, ‘he’s never answered before’ he points out, ‘calling here isn’t giving her much better odds, lets admit it. An Omega call won’t reach past our own borders, unless she’s Mated to one of our Omega’s or low ranking wolves that have yet to go to a Claiming at her pack, she’s not getting answered tonight.’

I lean forward, placing the beer bottle on the coffee table as I drag the fingers of my free hand through my hair in agitation, keeping my eyes down so he can’t see the uncertainty in my gaze. I want to blurt out that Raelyn might well find her fated mate, as this is her first calling ever, but I can’t, I have to keep her secret about her wolf until tomorrow at least.

‘Even if she doesn’t get answered, I still can’t have her man’ I sigh out instead, ‘she’s not strong enough to be a Beta Female.’

Again, my friend surveys me quietly, studying my face as I try to avoid his gaze.

‘You’re going to step down’ he states, no trace of an accusation in his voice, his tone low but the way I jump, he may as well have screamed it at me.

‘I didn’t say that’ I hurry out, still not looking at him.

‘Don’t need too’ Caden replies easily, ‘if it was me, and I had to choose between being Alpha or being with Leeway and Hadley, I’d step down without a second thought.’

That gets my attention and my gaze snaps to my best friend as he calmly drinks his beer, watching me.

‘You can’t stop being Alpha’ I growl, ‘this pack needs you!’

Caden shrugs, ‘I don’t have too’ he says, ‘I got what I wanted, my Mates and my title. But I tell you, when I saw what trying to choose between Hadley and I was doing to Leeway, I had more than one thought about going to my father and renouncing my claim. I wondered if renouncing my claim on the pack would have made the Council more lenient with their law.

I can promise you though mate, if the Council had given me that choice, I’d have walked away from my position without regret. My sister could have taken over the pack in my place and she would have done a good job of it too, but no one is more important than my Mates.’

I shake my head in shock, not sure how to respond to my best friend’s admission.

‘I can’t walk away from her’ I finally whisper, ‘she’s like my ideal woman. She’s smart and sassy, she challenges me, pulls me up on my bullshit and she’s so damn confident in her own skin.’

The Alpha breathes out heavily, glancing toward my window where the curtains are tightly drawn.

‘Lets just get through tonight’ he says softly, ‘and then we’ll figure out in the morning what to do.’

Nodding, I grab the bottle back off the table, gulping down the remaining contents in one swallow before dropping the empty into the bin beside my chair and taking a second.

The clock on the mantle that surrounds my fireplace seems to be moving so slowly, I’m seriously beginning to wonder if it’s broken. Ten forty seven, the small hands read and I’m back to pacing the room as Caden watches me in silence.

I pull back the sleeve of my shirt, checking my wristwatch just in case, nope, that one says ten forty seven as well.

I turn toward Caden, opening my mouth, about to say that I can’t take this anymore, that I need to get out of this room, when I hear it. It’s soft at first, so quiet that I think I might be hallucinating. My wolf perks his ears up in my mind as I still in place, straining my hearing. It can’t be, can it?

‘Indigo?’ I whisper fearfully, reaching for my wolf as he stands up, on high alert.

‘MATE!’ my wolf growls loudly, and I realise I’ve said it out loud, as Caden scrambles to his feet, eyeing me worriedly.

‘Isaac’ he calls out, his hands moving out as he slides toward the door, ‘are you sure of what you are hearing? You can’t just claim her because you want it, you know that.’

Indigo growls, pushing forward as I stand motionless, mesmerised by the lilting sound I can hear. I want to get closer, to be able to hear it better, I let my wolf take control without protest, knowing he’ll get me to whoever is singing.

‘My Mate!’ Indigo growls at his Alpha, ‘you will not stop me Alpha, I will fight.’

My wolf’s words seem to do something, as Caden’s wolf pushes forward, but instead of attacking us for the disrespect, Cobalt nods.

‘Go’ he orders, ‘find her.’

Not needing any more encouragement, Indigo rips through my door, wrenching it off it’s hinges in his desire to follow the song and launches us down the stairs and out of the front door.

The two guards gasp, one instinctively reaching out for us, but a single growl of warning from Indigo and he drops his hand again immediately.

We run at full wolf speed toward the trees, unaware of anything other than the enchanting sound that’s coming from inside. I am vaguely aware of warriors scattering as I approach, my wolf’s growl shaking the ground around us, telling them all to get out of our way.

Pushing through the trees, the melody is getting louder, it swirls around us, tugging invisibly at my body, coaxing us both toward it.

‘Mate is here’ Indigo whimpers, ‘can feel her, she is here.’

‘Find her buddy’ I encourage him desperately, ‘please, find her quickly.’

We shove through the last of the trees, stumbling into a small clearing that is lit up by the full moon behind us. The female turns to face us, her head lifting in shock as the sound of her voice falls away.

She looks at us nervously, her fingers moving to her hair as she twists a lock around her finger.

‘MINE!’ The word bursts from my lips, carrying the full weight of both my own and my wolf’s voice, loudly claiming what is ours, finally.

Taking control, I move forward, my eyes on my fated Mate as she stands waiting for me, biting her l*p nervously.

Reaching her in seconds, I stand inches from her small body, taking in just how perfect she is, she’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, I’ve never felt a love like this before, she’s my everything.

Reaching out, I take her small hand in mine, my eyes closing as the electric current of our connection flows up my arm. I can feel our bond forming, the two halves of our souls joining together to become whole.

‘I didn’t think I’d ever find you’ I whisper, reaching out with my free hand to tuck her hair behind her ear. I study her face, committing every single detail to memory before I lean down and take her lips with mine, kissing her softly.

‘I love you’ I murmur, ‘with everything I have.’