The Mating Rules

Reaching my parents house, my father shuts off the engine, climbing out of the car and hurrying around to my side, opening the door and helping me out before ushering me toward the front door.

As I’m pushed through, my mother looks up from the couch, surprise and then sadness flitting over her face as she stands up and rushes toward me.

‘Oh my baby’ she wails, ‘no-one came?’ she whispers to my dad who shakes his head grimly.

‘Oh she found her mate’ he replied quietly, ‘that’s the problem.’

My mom frowns, ‘so why is she here?’ she asked before she clutched at her heart, ‘he rejected her?’ she hissed, anger marring her features.

My father places a calming hand on her arm, ‘no, he didn’t reject her love’ he sighed.

‘Then I don’t understand’ she mutters as I move past her toward the window that faces the pack house, leaving the pair whispering behind me. Looking out across the field I can just make out a lone dark figure sitting on the grass. Even though I can’t see his face, I know it’s Caden’s wolf and that he’s staring at me. The Alpha must have put an order on both of my mates, banning them from approaching my father’s house tonight, so Cobalt is guarding me in the only way he can.

The curtains suddenly close in front of me and a gentle hand rests on my shoulder, turning me around into the firm chest of my father. Wrapping my arms around him, I bury my head into his chest, breathing in his familiar scent as tears slip down my cheeks.

My father holds me silently as I cry, rocking me gently like he did when I was a pup before finally pulling away and leading me toward the couch where I sink down, grabbing a pillow and hugging it to me.

‘JJ’ he starts quietly, ‘I know this is hard on you.’

I look up at him, ‘but why do I have to choose?’ I whisper, it’s only been an hour but the bonds are already forming and it physically hurts my heart to think of the pain one of my mates will go through from my rejection. It could kill them! I could murder my own mate! Tears streak my cheeks at the thought, my wolf howling in my mind just as distraught as I am.

My dad takes my hand in his as he sits on the coffee table in front of me, ‘I know it’s going to be hard baby girl but werewolves can only have one mate.’

I can’t stop crying, why does it hurt so much, I didn’t even want a mate. ‘But why? The Goddess gave me two, why would she do that if I can only have one?’

My father shrugs, ‘no-one knows why the Goddess does what she does, but those are the rules’ he sighs.

‘But . . ‘ I start again as my father holds up his hand to quiet me.

‘If it was two warriors or low ranking wolves, maybe something could have been worked out’ he sighed, ‘but you are mated to Caden, you are his Luna.’

Seeing my confusion, he drags his fingers through his hair nervously, ‘you will be expected to produce pups JJ’ he says softly, ‘he will be ridiculously protective of you whilst you are pregnant, he could be dangerous to another man trying to be intimate with you.’

I flush, not quite sure how to deal with my father talking about my s*x life, ‘I can still carry pups for Caden’ I try to reason, ‘there is nothing stopping me doing that with two mates.’

Dad shook his head, ‘JJ’ he sighs, ‘if you stay mated to both wolves, you will never be able to have pups with Hadley’ he explains carefully.

‘What? Why?’ I ask frowning.

I watch my dad give my mother a pleading look and she moves around the couch to sit next to me, taking my other hand. ‘Sweetie’ she says sadly, ‘Caden is an Alpha, he won’t be able to cope with you carrying another wolf’s child, he could kill Hadley just for impregnating you. If you kept both mates, you would deny Hadley a family whilst having your own with Caden?’

‘But I . .’ I stammer.

‘Could you do it?’ my mother asked me seriously, holding my gaze until I have to look away, ‘could you let Hadley stand at the side lines watching you, Caden and your pups play happy families, growing closer as he is left with just a small piece of you? Hadley is a foundling sweetie, I’m sure that a real family is something he prizes, could you really do that with someone else and make him watch knowing that he’s tied to you.’

‘But I’d be doing that if I rejected him, he’d still be alone and I’d still have a family with Caden’ I argued.

Mom nodded sadly, ‘but at least he wouldn’t be attached to you’ she murmured, ‘no, he couldn’t have a family with another she wolf, but he could have a mate who will love him and give him one hundred percent of her attention. He would also be safe from any chance of Caden seeing him as a threat to you or his pups.’

I bow my head, ‘you make it sound like I should just pick Caden and get it over with’ I mutter sulkily.

Mon grips my hand tighter, ‘no sweetie’ she says quickly, ‘I’m not telling you what to do, you have just as much right to choose Hadley, give him the family he wants and live happily as a warriors mate’ she rushes out.

I laugh bitterly, ‘and leave our future Alpha without an heir, great’ I grumble.

Behind us the door opens and my brother Issac walks in, shutting out the cold as he pushes the door shut with his foot. It shows how worried my mother is when she doesn’t even scold him.

‘Budge over’ Issac orders, shoving at our father who scoots along allowing his oldest child to plonk down in front of me. ‘Well this is a s**t show’ he says amicably, drawing a reluctant giggle from me.

‘Yeah, seems I pissed off the Goddess with all my complaints about fated mates so she gave me two’ I mumble, ‘I’m being punished.’

Issac grabs both my hands, slapping our mother away, holding them tightly as he rubs circles over my skin. ‘Maybe not Jamie bear’ he muses, drawing my gaze to him to find him smiling.

‘What are you on about?’ I huff, not in the mood for anyone to be happy right now.

Isaac leans closer to me, his grin widening, ‘think about it Jamie bear’ he whispers, ‘you wanted to be wooed right? Have a guy sweep you off your feet, wine you dine you and make you fall in love with him for who he is not because of a mate bond?’ My brother leans back, winking at me, ‘sounds to me like you got your wish.’

I roll my eyes, ‘yeah at the expense of one of my mates happiness’ I growl.

My brother sighs, releasing me and poking my knees so I move up on the couch giving him room to squeeze in next to me. Wrapping an arm around my shoulders, he pulls me in to his chest, ‘you are going to figure this out Jamie bear’ he mutters into my ear. ‘Hey, one of them might be a complete d**k which will make the whole thing easier!’

I stare up at him incredulously, ‘how can you say that, one of them is Caden!’ I huff.

Isaac laughs, ‘yeah, so I already know he’s a d**k, maybe Hadley is too and you’ll reject them both, who knows!’ Sobering up, he gives me a smile, ‘all I’m saying is, don’t let it weigh you down, go out with them both, get to know them, the decision might be easier than you think.’

Nodding, I wriggle out of his grip, standing up and straightening my dress, ‘I’m going to go to bed’ I mumble, my parents nodding, Isaac squeezing my hand lightly before letting me go.

Heading upstairs, I ease open the door to Bailee’s room, seeing her star fishing the double bed she has. Moving around to the other side, I rummage on her desk for makeup wipes and tiptoe over to the bathroom, flicking on the light and shutting the door.

Once my face is clean, I pull off my heels, pad back into Bailee’s room and strip out of the dress my mother bought me. Pulling open my sister’s dresser, I pull out a top and some sleep shorts, putting them on before moving around the bed and carefully shifting Bailee over so I can climb in beside her.

I hesitate as I pull the covers back, my gaze straying toward the closed curtains. Straightening up, I pad quietly toward the window, drawing back the curtains and gazing over the field toward the packhouse. Halfway between us, I can still make out the huge black wolf, sitting proudly, watching my father’s home. It gives me a weird comfort to know that Cobalt is still there and I give a small wave toward him even though I know he can’t see me.

Pulling the curtains closed again, I make my way back to the bed, sliding in beside my sister and snuggling into the blankets, my face toward the window and where I can feel my mates are.

‘No mommy, I don’t want a toilet’ my sister mumbles as she rolls over, her arm pulling the blankets with her, uncovering me. She was always a blanket hog and that small annoying trait somehow calms me. Even now, with everything in disarray, my family is a constant, and right now that is exactly what I need.