The Mating Rules

‘All clear!’ comes the Alpha’s voice through the mind link twenty minutes later, and I feel the wolves around me relax, a few shifting and heading toward the front doors to open them and head inside.

Others head toward their own homes, but I stay rooted to the spot beside the Luna, scanning the trees for the black and grey wolves of my mates.

‘They are fine dear’ the Luna’s voice says to me softly through the link, I glance over at her to see that she’s watching me, her wolf’s eyes filled with understanding.

‘I don’t know why I’m even worried’ I reply, ‘they are both strong fighters, I’ve never worried before, not even about my dad or brother going to a fight.’

The Luna nods, sitting down on the gravel, her tail swishing back and forth gently. ‘It’s different when it’s your soul mate’ she replies, her own gaze back on the trees now. ‘It doesn’t matter how strong they are, you still worry that something will happen to them.’

I laugh weakly, ‘it doesn’t make any sense’ I grumble, ‘I can feel their pain, I know they are fine, but . . ‘

‘Until you see with your own eyes you just can’t quite accept it’ the Luna fills in with a smile.

Seconds later, Alpha’s huge black wolf steps out of the clearing, the slightly smaller wolf of Cobalt to his right, Hunter’s grey wolf on his left, the three striding toward us.

The Luna trots toward him, rubbing her head under his neck as he licks her lovingly.

I’m fighting everything in me, trying not to do the same to both men, it’s confusing, I want them both but I have to choose. Is it wrong to give them hope when one of them is going to be hurt in the end.

Skarla growls in my head, shoving me back and launching herself at the two wolves, rubbing herself all over both of them as she purrs contentedly.

Both wolves return the favour, licking her face before pressing against her sides contentedly.

‘What happened?’ the Luna asks, opening the link so we can all hear.

‘Large group of Rogues but they weren’t looking for trouble’ Alpha Scott replies. ‘They had pups and pregnant women in their ranks, when our border patrol challenged them, the mates of the families took an instinctive defending stance in front of their she wolves. It took some time but between their leader and me, we managed to de-escalate the situation and they have moved on without bloodshed.’

A warrior walks up behind us, clothes in hand as we all shift back, the men taking a pair of shorts each as the Luna and I grab the two long t-shirts and pull them over our heads.

‘Well it good that it wasn’t an attack’ the Luna says as she takes her mate’s hand and smiles at us. ‘Now if you’ll excuse us, it’s time to get on with running the pack.’

The two older wolves walk away leaving us standing together, me rubbing my arm uncomfortably as I remember what we were doing just before the boys got called away.

‘Um, thank you for the picnic’ I murmur, ‘I had a really nice time, Skarla too.’

Caden’s grin widened as he grabbed my hand, pulling me into his chest, wrapping his arms around me, ‘we could tell that Skarla enjoyed herself after we got back from the border’ he rumbled in my ear making me blush.

‘She was just happy that Cobalt and Hunter were unharmed’ I retort stuffily making both men laugh.

Placing a k**s on my cheek, Caden moved a step away from me, ‘as much as I enjoyed this communal date, I’m ready for some alone time with my mate’ he declares, ‘so I’ll pick you up tonight at seven?’

I nod, not even bothering to argue, what’s the point? I’m only going to give in anyway and it’s not like I’m not desperate to go out with him.

Pressing his lips to mine, the Alpha gives me a knee trembling k**s before letting me go, winking and walking away, whistling.

I turn dazedly toward Hadley who is smirking at me, ‘what?’ I growl self consciously.

Hadley shrugs, ‘it’s just funny to watch you go all gooey over him’ he replies.

Raising an eyebrow, I study him, ‘and it doesn’t bother you? That he does that to me?’ I ask curiously.

The warrior shakes his head, ‘I know it’s weird, but no, I don’t feel angry or jealous about it. Any other wolf and I’d rip their head off, but Star? It’s like I’m watching him with his mate, not mine.’

I frown, trying to get my head around what he’s saying as he takes my hand in his, ‘but that doesn’t mean I don’t want my one on one date too’ he adds. ‘So tomorrow night is my night? Six thirty?’ he asks.

I nod immediately, trying to ignore Skarla who is now lying on her back in my mind, showing her belly with her tongue hanging out. This she wolf is incorrigible, one whiff of her mates’ attention and she’s offering herself up like a fancy dessert.

‘I’ll see you at my house then’ Hadley mumurs, pulling me into his arms and pressing his lips to mine. Slipping his tongue between my lips, I m**n loudly, wrapping my arms around his neck and holding him to me.

‘OK, you can let my sister go now Carrington, I don’t need to be seeing this’ comes the voice of my older brother Isaac. Snapping out of my l**t filled gaze, I turn toward him to find he’s leaning against the pack house door, arms crossed, watching us.

‘I’d say get a room but that is not an image I ever want in my head of my little sister’ Isaac adds with a fake shudder.

‘Don’t you have anything better to do?’ I demand crossly, trying to cover my embarrassment of being caught by my own brother practically climbing my mate whilst half naked.

‘Nope’ Isaac replied easily, ‘some of us don’t have a mate to gross our family out by dry humping in public’ he teases.

Hadley laughs, pressing a k**s to my temple before letting me go and heading back to his own house, I assume to get dressed, leaving me alone with my brother.

‘So why are you here?’ I ask, brushing past him and heading inside to get my own clothes, knowing that one of the Omega’s will find my discarded ones in the woods and return them to the pack house at some point today so I can collect them.

‘Just checking up on my little sister, is that not OK?’ Isaac asks, following me up the stairs and toward my room.

I glance over my shoulder as I reach my door, pushing on the barrier which doesn’t budge and it dawns on me that my key is still in the pocket of my jeans in the forest!

‘Need this?’ Isaac drawls as I turn toward him to find him swinging my key back and forth on his finger.

‘Where did you get that?’ I growl, snatching it from him and shoving it into the lock, opening the door and stepping inside.

‘Found your clothes in the forest, recognised them and picked them up, along with what looked suspiciously like the clothes of Caden and Hadley’ he adds in amusement.

I look at his empty hands, ‘so where are they?’ I ask, ‘my clothes? Did you just rummage in my pockets and leave them there?’ OK, I’m a little affronted if that’s true, I really liked that jumper!

Isaac laughs, dropping onto my bed and watching me in amusement, ‘I dropped them in the collection bin for the omegas so they can wash them, calm down, I didn’t leave your precious clothes in the forest.’

Giving him the finger, that makes him laugh harder, I walk toward my drawers, grab some underwear before disappearing into my closet to get dressed, emerging a few minutes later in some clean jeans and a t-shirt.

Sitting down next to my brother, I look at him and find all traces of humour gone as he takes my hand in his, giving it a squeeze. ‘So how are you doing Jamie-Bear?’ he asks gruffly, ‘you holding up?’

I swallow thickly as I nod, he’s the only person other than my dad and the Alpha who know about the choice and suddenly I realise I really need someone to talk too. I never thought that keeping a secret from Ashleigh would cause me so much pain, she is usually my sounding board, she knows everything about me. Not being able to discuss my thoughts and fears with her has been eating at me.

‘I’m getting to know them’ I mutter, biting my l*p, ‘they are different than I thought they would be.’

Isaac nods, tracing circles on the back of my hand as he lets me talk.

‘Caden isn’t as much of an a*****e as I thought’ I say, making my brother laugh.

‘Now that I don’t believe, he is a pure arrogant Alpha, I’m his best friend and even I know that’ he scoffs.

I giggle reluctantly, ‘oh he’s an arrogant a*s’ I agree, ‘but he’s also kind and sweet. He has this whole other side that he never let me see before.’

My brother smiles sadly, ‘yeah, he keeps that side close to the chest, always worrying that people will use it against him. He always knew that wolves sucked up to him because of his title. She wolves throwing themselves at him in the hope he’d decide to take a chosen mate, thinking they’d be Luna.’

I look up at my brother worriedly, ‘he said he’s been in love with me since you were eight’ I admit nervously, wondering how my brother is going to take that news.

Isaac drags his hand down his face, ‘yeah, I figured as much’ he sighed.

‘What? Why didn’t you tell me?!’ I screech, rounding on him as he rolls his eyes.

‘What did you expect me to say?’ he retorted, ‘hey my best friend and the future Alpha has the hots for you and I figured it out when you were about fourteen and he couldn’t stop staring at you?

I didn’t know if he would be your mate. What if he wasn’t? what if you went out with him, you got close and he didn’t answer Skarla’s call? Jamie-Bear, all you have ever wanted is to fall in love as the humans do. If you fell in love with Caden and he wasn’t your mate it would have crushed you both. I couldn’t do that to you or to him. He was already like a lost puppy over you, if he had dated you and then not been your mate, I think it might have broken him.’

I stare at my brother as he looks back at me sadly, ‘but he is my mate’ I mumble.

‘Yeah he is, and so is Hadley’ Isaac replies, ‘my best friend has everything he ever wanted right in front of him but just out of his grasp and it kills me. But the reason for his torment is my sister and nothing, including Caden, is more important to me than your happiness.’

‘Do you think I should pick Caden?’ I whisper, needing someone’s opinion on this inwinnable question that hangs over me.

‘I think you should pick whoever makes you happiest’ Isaac says softly, ‘not who needs you most, not because of the pack or the fact one’s an orphan, just who makes you happiest to be with.’

I gulp, a single tear tracking down my cheek, ‘that’s the problem’ I admit, ‘they both make me happy.’