The Mating Rules

I’m standing in the Alpha’s office, Caden sitting on the couch by the fireplace, Hadley standing near the door, staring at the floor, but I can feel that his eyes keep flickering to me when I’m not looking.

Clearing his throat, Alpha Scott, rubs his chin, ‘so, I tried to keep it under wraps but this pack is like a damn gossip column so everyone already knows about the situation with you three.’

I swallow, great, I’m the topic of everyone’s tea break mutterings, I knew that I was going to get grief if I picked Caden from his vast selection of admirers but I didn’t think I had to deal with it right away. I was a bit worried about Hadley too, he kept mostly to himself and no one really knew about his private life, but he sure had girls drooling over him.

My wolf snarled, hating the thought of any she wolf looking at her mates and surprisingly I found myself on the same page, they are mine! I blink at the vehemence of my own feelings, I’m not possessive! I don’t even want a damn mate!

‘Note that they all only know about the two mate issue, no one except myself and our Beta know about the choice that Lee has to make. We feel that this is the best option as we do not want anyone trying to interfere with Lee’s decision.’ Alpha Scott is saying, snapping me out of my thoughts and making me realise that I’ve been zoned out whilst he was speaking. ‘So what we have decided is that each of you will date Jamie-Lee. If one of you has a lunch date, the other gets a lunch date the next day. If you take her out for an evening, the other gets the same opportunity and the same amount of time.’

His eyes darken as he glares at both men, ‘you will not interfere with each other, you are banned from putting pressure on Lee to choose. She will not be required to choose until the night before the next full moon, if she happens to decide before then, well that is her right, but there will be no forcing her, do you both understand?’

Caden scowls but nods, I peek over at Hadley who quickly nods, averting his gaze from me. My wolf whimpers, why won’t he look at us? Does he not want us?

I raise my hand tentatively, earning myself an amused grin from the Alpha, ‘you can just speak Lee, it’s fine’ he says good humouredly.

I nod, my cheeks flushing, ‘yes sorry, umm what about if one of them wants to reject me?’ I ask meekly.

Caden’s gaze flies to me immediately, though I keep my eyes on the Alpha, who raises his eyebrows in surprise. ‘Umm, well I hadn’t thought of that’ he admits, glancing between his son and the Warrior behind me.

I shrug, ‘I’m just thinking they might get to know me and decide I’m not who they hoped I’d be’ I whisper, still unable to look at Hadley, strangely worried that he might be looking relieved.

‘Do either of you want out of your mate bond before we start this?’ Alpha Scott asks reluctantly.

‘Hell no’ Caden replies immediately, his fists clenching at his sides.

‘Hadley?’ The Alpha asks, looking over my shoulder at the silent man.

There is a long pause and my heart breaks until Hadley’s gruff voice replies, ‘no sir.’

My wolf yips, her tail wagging frantically at those two words as I turn my head to look at the man behind me, who is now staring resolutely at the wall behind the Alpha’s head.

‘Well then, that’s settled’ Alpha Scott says loudly, clapping his hands, ‘can I trust the three of you to sort this out between you or do I have to make a timetable like you are five year olds and arranging playdates?’ he asks.

‘We can sort this’ I reply quickly, not wanting anyone to tell me when and where I need to be, I have a job, training, friends! I’m not having a damn schedule!

‘OK, good, well the three of you may leave then, I’ll be keeping an eye on you though’ he adds, with another look toward Caden, ‘just to make sure everyone is sticking to the rules. This is unusual for all of us, no one has been given two mates before so we need to keep everything amicable, not only for Jamie-lee but for the pack. They do not need to see their future Alpha and best warrior losing control, understand?’

‘Yes Alpha’ we all chirrup before traipsing out, Caden crowding my back possessively as Hadley trails out behind us.

‘I’m taking you out tomorrow’ Caden announces as soon as the door shuts behind us. ‘You finish afternoon training at five, yes?’

I nod automatically, how does he know when I finish training? He doesn’t train with me.

‘Good, I’ll pick you up from your room at seven thirty’ he says as I gape at him.

Pecking a k**s on my cheek, he turns to Hadley, his face hardening, ‘Carrington’ he growls.

‘Star’ Hadley replies in an equally venomous tone.

Walking off, Caden gives me a wave as he turns the corner and suddenly it’s just me and Hadley alone in the corridor.

‘Well I better go’ Hadley mutters, making to walk away from me.

‘No!’ I yell as my wolf’s panic infects me and I grab his arm. ‘Umm I mean, please don’t go, not just yet’ I amend in a more normal tone as the warrior finally looks at me in complete surprise. ‘Umm, we need to organise our date remember? The Alpha said if I go out with one of you, I need to then go out with the other.’

Hadley nods stiffly and I nibble on my l*p nervously, ‘unless you don’t want too’ I add, suddenly really unsure if Hadley was just trying not to be rude in the Alpha’s office.

‘I . . .’ Hadley falters, clearing his throat before trying again, ‘I would like to go on a date with you’ he says quietly.

‘Really?’ I blurt, my face lighting up, seriously, I could never play poker, I am crap at keeping my emotions to myself.

Hadley chuckles and for the first time ever I see him relax slightly as he hesitantly reaches out and catches hold of my wrist. ‘yeah Jamie-Lee’ he mumbles, ‘I’d really like to take you out.’

‘OK, great, well um, Monday at seven thirty?’ I offer tentatively, ‘are you free, you don’t have guard duty do you?’ I added, suddenly realising that Hadley’s free time is even more limited than my own and feeling a little flutter that he’s willing to spend some of that time with me.

Rocking on his heels for a minute Hadley seems to be contemplating before he lowers his face and k****s the opposite cheek to the one that Caden had kissed seconds before, causing heat to fill my face.

‘See you on Monday Jamie-Lee’ the warrior says before releasing me and walking down the corridor toward the stairs.

Moving my legs, I wobble my way down to my room, pushing open the door to find Ashleigh sprawled out on my bed reading one of my books.

Hearing me enter, she turns her head, eyes widening before she throws my book aside and jumps to her feet screaming as she grabs my arms, jumping like crazy.

‘What are you doing in here, and why are you screaming?’ I yell, trying to break free so I can shut my door.

Reaching out, Ashleigh pushes the door closed before swinging me around and dragging me to my bed. ‘I can’t believe it! You lucky b***h! Tell me everything!’ she demands loudly.

‘What?’ I ask distractedly, sitting down on the mattress and pressing my hands to my cheeks where my mates had kissed me.

‘What do you mean what?’ my best friend growls, ‘your mates, your TWO mates! TWO Lee! Not one but two!’

I sigh, ‘I know how many I have’ I reply tiredly, ‘I can count you know.’

‘I am so f*****g jealous, not only did you get the Alpha but you got Hotty McHotster Hadley Carrington?! Do you know how pissed the tramps in this pack are right now?’

I g***n loudly, falling back onto my bed and pulling my pillow over my face, ‘just what I need, the Alpha fan club gunning for me’ I m**n loudly.

The pillow is wrenched from my face and I find my best friend scowling down at me. ‘Please, it’s not your fault who you are mated too’ she retorts, ‘and lets be honest you go and tell your sexy mates that those dogs are giving you issues, you know they will both kick their asses.’

She sighs dramatically, falling onto the bed beside me, ‘two mates, I am so jealous, think of all the great s*x you are going to have! I bet Caden is dominating, he’ll tie you to the bed and s***k you. Hadley looks rough, I bet those calloused hands can make you come just by running them down your body. Then obviously there’s the option of both together’ she adds thoughtfully, ‘every hole is a goal.’

I turn my head to stare at her, pulling a face, ‘did you really just say that every hole is a goal?’ I whisper in disgust, ‘no-one needs to be getting near any holes of mine but the usual ones.’

Ashleigh waves her hand dismissively, ‘trust me, you don’t know what you are missing’ she replies, ‘once you let a guy into the forbidden valley you’ll wonder why you weren’t doing it all the time! Just make sure he uses lube girl, no-one wants a pole up their a*s without a little greasing’ she adds as an afterthought.

‘How are we even friends?’ I grumble, staring up at my ceiling, wondering if I should tell my best friend about the decision I need to make but the Alpha’s words ringing in my ears about keeping it a secret.

‘So when are you getting your freak on with your mates? Are you all moving into Caden’s room? Will Hadley have his own room on the Alpha floor and you’ll just pick a bed mate each night?’ My friend asks excitedly as I grimace.

‘I’m uhh staying here for a little while’ I reply evasively.

‘What? Why?’ Ashleigh demands, pushing herself up onto her elbow so she can look at me. ‘Everyone just moves in with their mate immediately, why would you want to stay here?’

I avoid her gaze, ‘well Hadley and Caden aren’t exactly bosom buddies are they’ I explain. ‘How do I just pick one to live with without hurting the other. I need to take time to get to know them, have them get to know each other, build a bridge you know? I think I should give it a month, spend time with them both so they can get used to the idea of them both being my mates before we talk about living arrangements.’

Ashleigh doesn’t look convinced so I throw in, ‘the Alpha agrees, he said I should date them both, so they can get to know me and me, them. And who knows after a week or so, maybe we can go out all together without them trying to kill each other.’

My best friend nods, ‘makes sense actually’ she agrees as I let out a silent breath. ‘Goddess they must be fuming to have to share a mate’ she adds, cackling loudly. ‘those two have hated each other since grade school and now they have to be buddies? Man, I hope the mate bond is as powerful as they say because so far, the only thing those two have in common is you.’

I nod, curling myself up into a ball on my right side facing my friend. She’s not wrong about my mates, even if I was allowed to keep both of them, it would never work. Their mutual hatred of each other runs so deep that I don’t think even a mate bond could get them to drop their feud.