The Mating Rules

Lauren’s POV

I drop the box I’m holding onto the bed that sits in the middle of my new bedroom. My dad managed to scrounge me some empty boxes from other pack members and I’m now exhausted from carrying them all up the stairs from the back of his car.

‘This is the last one pumpkin’ my father says as he places my overflowing suitcase on the floor beside my feet.

I turn around and hug the man, ‘thanks dad’ I murmur, ‘I appreciate the help.’

My dad pulls back and winks at me, ‘anything for my baby girl’ he replies, returning my hug. ‘Where is Tyler? I expected him to appear and start hauling boxes for me, save this old man a few trips up the stairs.’

I shrug, fiddling with the notebook that sits on top of the pile of my belongings in the box in front of me.

‘I linked him and said I was moving in here but he was busy, said he would catch up with me later’ I reply, trying not to let any of the disappointment show in my voice. Tyler always does things for me; I can’t be a b***h because he couldn’t come this time.

‘Must have been important’ dad replies, ‘never known that boy to blow you off for another commitment.’

I force a smile, ‘I’m sure I’ll see him in a bit, you know he won’t be able to resist coming and telling me where I need to put all this stuff.’

My dad chuckles, ‘true, that boy does like to decorate your rooms, I’ll be sad to paint over his mural in your room when the time comes.’

I feel my mouth fall open at his words, I hadn’t even considered that when I was packing up. For my eighteenth birthday, Tyler drew me a mural on the wall behind my bed, it’s a picture of his and my wolf sat under our tree with woodland creatures around us. I love that mural and the thought of my parents painting over it hurts more than packing up my most prized possessions from my childhood room.

Seeing my crestfallen face, my dad takes me hand in his, giving it a small squeeze, ‘don’t worry pumpkin, I have no plans to do it at any point in the near future. You know it needs to be done at some point though, it’s still got that scribble drawing of a unicorn that Cadence drew when she was two and got hold of your brother’s marker pens.’

I swallow the lump in my throat, nodding quickly, ‘yeah, it’s fine’ I force out, ‘it’s just a wall, you can paint it, it’s not lie it will ever be my room again.’

Patting the top of my hand, my dad smiles, ‘well as I said, there are no current plans for your room pumpkin, your mum still has a list of jobs from when Philip moved out that I have yet to complete.’

Pressing a k**s to my temple, he gives me a wave and leaves my new room, shutting the door behind him.

Looking around me at the assortment of boxes filled with all the junk I’ve accumulated over the last twenty one years, I sigh heavily, plonking myself on the edge of the bed and pulling the first toward me.

I tug out my fluffy blanket, the one Jamie-Lee bought me when I was a pup and I’ve never been able to bear to part with. It’s been spread over my bed every night since I received it when I was five. I stand up and lift it to my nose, smelling the familiar scent of my mother’s soap powder, of course she washed it before I packed.

Spreading it carefully over the top of the duvet on my new double bed, I run my hand over the top, flattening out the creases before pulling out some small pillows and arranging them on top.

I place one of the heavy suitcases on the bed, unzipping it and pulling out my clothes that I place in the small closet beside the bathroom door. It takes me nearly an hour to unpack all my clothes and by the end I’m considering donating everything to charity just so I don’t have to do anymore unpacking.

Checking my watch, I reluctantly drag a box full of books over to the small bookcase next to the window, sitting cross legged on the floor as I start to arrange them by height.

‘You know you are doing that wrong don’t you?’ comes a smooth voice behind me and I jump, turning around to find Tyler leaning against the doorframe of the now open door arms folded over his chest as he watches me with amusement.

‘No I’m not’ I huff, ‘highest to lowest is right.’

‘Nope Rennie’ the warrior argues, striding into the room and crouching down next to me, starting to pull all my hard work off the shelves again. ‘Books go in alphabetical order so you can find them easier.’

‘No, they go in height order’ I protest, picking up the piles that Tyler has jut put on the floor and placing them back on the shelves again.

‘Why are you arguing with me woman, how many times have I had to organise your room?’ my best friend demands, pulling them off again.

For some reason, I can’t let the argument go and instead, snatch at the books in his hands, the warrior holding on to them tightly as we start a tug of war over the paperbacks.

‘Give them to me’ I snarl, ‘I want them in height order.’

‘You always have them in alphabetical order’ Tyler protests, pulling them away from me and holding them easily above his head as I get up on my knees to reach them.

‘Well, I want them in height order now’ I growl angrily, ‘they are my books, I can have them in any order I damn well want!’

Tyler shakes his head, stretching his hand higher as I claw at his wrists, jumping up when I scramble to my feet so I’m literally jumping up and down beside him trying to reach them.

In a fit of temper, I growl loudly, launching myself at him, knocking him off balance as the warrior stumbles backwards, both of us falling as his arms wrap around me, holding me to him, the books tumbling to the floor beside us.

We land with a thud in a jumble of arms and legs, Tyler’s left hand cradling my head into his chest as the other grips my waist firmly.

We lay wrapped around each other, breathing heavily for a few minutes, neither of us sure what to do.

‘Are you OK?’ Tyler asks quietly, holding me tightly as his right hand slowly runs over my body, checking me for injuries, sending a feeling of fire through me.

‘I’m . . .fine’ I mutter, as I try to sit up, feeling like I need to put some space between us, acutely aware that my breasts are pressed against the very hard chest of my very best friend.

Releasing me, Tyler allows me to push up, watching me intently as I scramble to my feet, backing away from him.

Clearing his throat, Tyler looks away, licking his lips, ‘we can put them in height order’ he mumbles, sitting up and starting to pick up the books hurriedly and shoving them on the shelves. ‘It makes more sense than alphabetical, looks neater.’

I nod, not even attempting to help him, almost scared to approach the man who has had sleepovers in my bed for years.

Desperate to break the tension that seems to be thick between us, I blurt out the first thing that comes into my head, ‘I spoke to Ellie earlier, she said to tell you that she thinks she left her bra in your room.’

Tyler’s hand stills, his grip tightening on the cover of the book he’s holding as his gaze flicks to me. ‘Lauren’ he starts uncertainly, ‘it’s not . .’

I hold up my hand, stopping him, ‘it’s none of my business who you sleep with Ty’ I reply quickly, forcing a smile. ‘Good for you, I obviously have no idea what they see in you, but hey,’ I step closer and punch him in the arm with a loud fake laugh, ‘at least you are not lonely at night.’

Tyler’s gaze meets mine, his stormy grey eyes searching my eyes as if he’s looking for something.

‘Yeah, well we can’t all be Koa can we’ he snaps back, his jaw clenching slightly as he abruptly stands, throwing the book in his hand onto my bed and turning away from me.

‘Welcome to the pack house Lauren’ he mutters as he walks away from me toward the door to my room. Reaching the threshold he turns around, giving me one last look, his face a mask of indifference. ‘You’re in luck by the way’ he adds with a strained smile, ‘Koa is in room twenty-four, just one door up across the hall, how lucky can a girl get.’

Not waiting for my response, he walks out of my room, slamming the door behind him.

Sinking to the floor, I rub the palms of my hands up my face, dragging my fingers through my hair as I let out a low g***n of exasperation. What the hell just happened? Why am I arguing with my best friend over my damn books, I don’t even care what order they go in! Pushing up to my feet, I hurry over to the door, throwing it open, and peeking my head outside, looking to see if Tyler is still out there.

My gaze sweeps the hall down to his room where I suck in a breath, Tyler is leaning against the wall, ankles crossed as he talks quietly to Ellie who is almost plastered to his chest as she laughs loudly at something he says.

Spotting me over his shoulder, a smile curls the corners of her lips a second before she lifts her hand, pressing it to his chest as she leans closer and whispers something to him. Tyler chuckles, shaking his head in amusement, not even trying to remove that b***h’s hand from his body.

Hands tightening into fists, I turn around and storm back into my room, slamming the door behind me.

Screw Ellie, and Screw Tyler, he can f**k whoever he wants too, it makes no difference to me anyway.