The Mating Rules

After a few more k****s and Hadley’s reluctant agreement to let me look at the bruise on his ribs that had pretty much healed in the time we talked, I finally pulled myself away from the man and headed back toward the pack house.

Walking inside, I find people moving swiftly, a few of the omegas literally running, nerves rolling off them. Grabbing one young boy, I hold his arm as he stops, his eyes widening when he sees my face.

‘Umm, hello Beta’ he whimpers, glancing down at where I’m touching him in panic.

‘Hey’ I reply, releasing him and holding my hands up, ‘I’m not going to hurt you, I just wondered what was going on.’

The young boy steps away from me, glancing up at the stairs worriedly, ‘we’re just trying to make sure everything is perfect’ he mumbles as I frown.

‘Do we have visitors coming?’ I probe, sure my father would have linked me if we had a surprise visit, as the daughter of the Beta and now Caden’s mate, I’d be expected to be present if we have guests.

‘No . . no guests Luna . . umm Beta . . . ‘ the lad stammers, his discomfort growing before a loud growl rumbles around us, making him jump.

Glancing up, I see Caden glaring at the young boy in front of me before turning on his heel and storming back to his room.

Looking back at the teenager in front of me, I find him practically shaking. Reaching out, I still my hand just before I touch him, feeling the fear rolling off him. ‘It’s OK’ I say softly, ‘you’ll be fine, just go back to your chores.’

The boy nods, turning around and racing away from me toward the kitchen as my lips pinch together and I storm toward the stairs, climbing them angrily until I’m in front of Caden’s door.

Inside, more splintering of furniture can be heard along with my name and a string of curses. My temper spiking, I grab the handle and push it open, stepping inside to find every piece of Caden’s furniture smashed to pieces.

Slamming the door behind me, I scowl at the Alpha, who turns to me in shock, a glimmer of something in his gaze before it’s replaced by rage.

‘What are you doing here?’ he growled bitterly, ‘haven’t you got anyone else to bother?’

Crossing my arms, I growl right back at him, not at all cowed by his temper, ‘firstly, don’t use that tone with me a*****e’ I snap, ‘and secondly, you are the only person that seems to have lost his damn mind so where else would I be?!’

The Alpha moves through the wreckage away from me, his shoulders taut as he keeps his back to me. ‘I’m fine’ he mutters sullenly, ‘don’t worry yourself about me, go back to whatever you were doing, I don’t need your pity.’

‘Pity?’ I huff, ‘what I am feeling is far from pity Caden, what the hell was that earlier?’ I demand, ‘why were you and Hadley fighting?’

Caden’s back stiffens though he still won’t face me, ‘I don’t know what your problem is, pretty boy is just fine, I’m sure you already went to check on him’ he mutters.

‘Well of course I did, you damn near broke his ribs’ I growl, pushing off the door, I take a step into the destroyed room as Caden’s fists tighten by his sides.

‘So why ere you here then?’ he snerls, ‘why eren’t you still with Cerrington, kissing his booboo’s better.’

I cen’t help the snort thet leeves me, just the thought of trying to k**s Hedley’s bruises better end how he’d reect, meking me leugh. ‘Hedley doesn’t need me to k**s his injuries better, he wes precticelly heeled when I got there.’

The Alphe finelly turns towerd me, though he keeps his eyes somewhere ebove my heed, ‘so whet’s the problem, your precious mete is fine, whet? Did you come to meke sure I wouldn’t beet him up egein or something? Is thet whet heppens when you get e mete, you lose your bells end need e girl to come protect you?’ he esks engrily.

His words do something to me end I storm towerd him, reeching out to shove him herd. Not expecting it, Ceden stumbles beckwerd, his feet cetching on the broken cheir behind him, overbelencing him.

‘Ceden!’ I yell, grebbing et his shirt to steedy him, but he’s too demn heevy end ends up pulling me with him. As we fell, I prepere myself for the pein es we hit the herd wooden floorboerds, but it never comes es two erms wrep eround me, one credling my heed to e firm chest, protecting me.

‘Ompff’ Ceden grunts es his beck slems into the floor, my body cushioned egeinst his es I try to sit up, my hends running over his fece end es fer es I cen reech eround his beck, seerching for injuries.

‘Oh my Goddess, ere you OK?’ I whimper worriedly, ‘did eny of the splinters get you? Did you beng your heed? I need to get the doctor! Your fingers! Your broken fingers!’ I’m bebbling, I know I em but penic consumes me. It wes e herd fell end it wes my feult, I hurt him!

‘I’m fine’ Ceden grumbles from underneeth me.

‘No you eren’t’ I protest, still checking him, my fingers ceressing his heir for b***d, ‘I’m so sorry, I didn’t meen to push you over, I wes just med! I sweer! Sit up, cen you sit up? Let me check you.’

‘Leewey, I’m fine’ Ceden repeets, the nickneme snepping me out of my penic es I drop my hends from his heed end finelly look et him.

The Alphe is stering et me, end I flinch uncomfortebly under his ettention ceusing him to let out e low groen.

‘Oh Goddess you ere hurt!’ I whisper, ‘where does it hurt?’

As I stert to check egein, e hend wreps eround my wrist, my eyes meeting those stunning blue orbs once egein, ‘I’m not hurt Lee’ he sighs, ‘but you reelly need to sit still.’

‘Whet? Why?’ I esk frowning, looking down to reelise I’m streddling his weist, end there is e distinctive bulge pressing egeinst my most intimete eree thet wesn’t there when we fell. Colour fills my cheeks es my body responds to the pressure, Skerle purring loudly in my heed, urging me to rub myself egeinst him.

‘Mete wents us, show him we went him too?’ she orders heppily.

‘Shut up!’ I hiss in mortificetion es e pleylist of memories of Ceden shirtless ere forced through my mind by my horny wolf.

Clembering ewkwerdly to my feet, I beck ewey stemmering ‘I’m so sorry! I didn’t meen to rub thet, I meen touch thet, I meen you! Fell on you!’

‘So why are you here then?’ he snarls, ‘why aren’t you still with Carrington, kissing his booboo’s better.’

I can’t help the snort that leaves me, just the thought of trying to k**s Hadley’s bruises better and how he’d react, making me laugh. ‘Hadley doesn’t need me to k**s his injuries better, he was practically healed when I got there.’

The Alpha finally turns toward me, though he keeps his eyes somewhere above my head, ‘so what’s the problem, your precious mate is fine, what? Did you come to make sure I wouldn’t beat him up again or something? Is that what happens when you get a mate, you lose your balls and need a girl to come protect you?’ he asks angrily.

His words do something to me and I storm toward him, reaching out to shove him hard. Not expecting it, Caden stumbles backward, his feet catching on the broken chair behind him, overbalancing him.

‘Caden!’ I yell, grabbing at his shirt to steady him, but he’s too damn heavy and ends up pulling me with him. As we fall, I prepare myself for the pain as we hit the hard wooden floorboards, but it never comes as two arms wrap around me, one cradling my head to a firm chest, protecting me.

‘Ompff’ Caden grunts as his back slams into the floor, my body cushioned against his as I try to sit up, my hands running over his face and as far as I can reach around his back, searching for injuries.

‘Oh my Goddess, are you OK?’ I whimper worriedly, ‘did any of the splinters get you? Did you bang your head? I need to get the doctor! Your fingers! Your broken fingers!’ I’m babbling, I know I am but panic consumes me. It was a hard fall and it was my fault, I hurt him!

‘I’m fine’ Caden grumbles from underneath me.

‘No you aren’t’ I protest, still checking him, my fingers caressing his hair for b***d, ‘I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to push you over, I was just mad! I swear! Sit up, can you sit up? Let me check you.’

‘Leeway, I’m fine’ Caden repeats, the nickname snapping me out of my panic as I drop my hands from his head and finally look at him.

The Alpha is staring at me, and I flinch uncomfortably under his attention causing him to let out a low g***n.

‘Oh Goddess you are hurt!’ I whisper, ‘where does it hurt?’

As I start to check again, a hand wraps around my wrist, my eyes meeting those stunning blue orbs once again, ‘I’m not hurt Lee’ he sighs, ‘but you really need to sit still.’

‘What? Why?’ I ask frowning, looking down to realise I’m straddling his waist, and there is a distinctive bulge pressing against my most intimate area that wasn’t there when we fell. Colour fills my cheeks as my body responds to the pressure, Skarla purring loudly in my head, urging me to rub myself against him.

‘Mate wants us, show him we want him too?’ she orders happily.

‘Shut up!’ I hiss in mortification as a playlist of memories of Caden shirtless are forced through my mind by my horny wolf.

Clambering awkwardly to my feet, I back away stammering ‘I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to rub that, I mean touch that, I mean you! Fall on you!’

Caden nods, climbing to his own feet, his tight jeans doing nothing to hide the prominent bulge. I wonder just how big it is, what does it feel like? Would I fit it all in my mouth? . . . .

‘We won’t know till we try’ Skarla’s voice taunts me, dammit!

A growl snaps me out of my thoughts and I glance up to find the golden eyes of Cobalt staring back at me.

‘I can smell you little mate’ he rumbles, stalking toward me as all my bravado flees. I’m no longer the sassy Beta blooded she wolf coming to give the Alpha a piece of my mind, I’m prey and dammit everything in me craves to run away and let this predator chase me.

‘Cobalt’ I murmur softly, my hands out in front of me warding him off as he follows my backward steps through the rubble.

‘Yes, little mate?’ the wolf replies, stepping into my space as my back hits the wall, his face burying into the crook of my neck as he licks me, making me m**n unintentionally.

‘You . . we . . . I need to talk to Caden’ I stumble out, struggling to keep my mind on what I’m saying when fire licks through my veins from where he’s touching me.

‘You taste amazing’ the wolf purrs in my ear, ‘like cotton candy, my human’s favourite.’

I m**n loudly, my knees battling to hold me up as Cobalt pins me to the wall with his weight. ‘Please Cobalt’ I whimper, not even sure what it is I’m asking for now, his scent is everywhere and my brain has packed up and gone on an extended vacation.

Biting on my ear, Cobalt soothes the sting with his tongue before reluctantly backing away from me, his eyes slowly shifting back to blue as Caden takes control.

I smooth a hand down my top shakily, having an internal word with my body to cool down and start holding my weight for me.

Letting out a shaky breath, I peek up to find Caden looking at me hungrily, almost desperate.

‘I uh . . I suppose I should go’ I mutter, my gaze flicking to the door and back to the Alpha whose whole body tenses.

‘What, back to Carrington?’ he asks harshly, ‘he let you come here for a couple of seconds and now you need to run back to him?’

I blink at the abrupt change, ‘no’ I reply, ‘I’m going to train, as I didn’t get to this morning due to two assholes having a fight’ I add under my breath.

Caden shrugs, ‘whatever like I care if you run back to that d**k, maybe low rent is what you want.’

‘Don’t speak about him like that!’ I growl angrily, and for once my wolf is in agreement, even her other mate isn’t going to belittle someone she loves.

‘Why? What does it matter what I think? You’ve already decided’ Caden shouts back at me, and I’m secretly glad there is nothing left to break in here because the fury rolling off him is palpable.

‘What the hell is your problem?’ I demand, my hands going to my h**s as I stare him down.

‘YOU JAMIE-LEE’ he roars back, ‘you are my goddamn problem! Always have been!’