The Pack Rule Number 1 No Mates

Chapter One Hundred Seventy-Eight QUINN

Startling with a whimper, she turns her flawless features my way. The pout of her deliciously pink lips rounding out in surprise. "Quinn," she gushes, relief brightering her wickedly hued eyes. One dainty hand laws into my upper thigh and her body presses into me reflexively. A tremble rises and falls from her chest as her eyelashes fluffer low and wanton. Noticing her scandalously placed hand, she twitches, embarrassed, "Oh shit Sorry! My bad."

Before she can remove said hand from my leg, I cover it with my own. Locking her fingers in place, I sent her a pointed look. "Don't be," I commanded. Don't you dare let me go, Mitle fire sprite. The desire to drag my hands through her soft and wavy, flame colored locks.rest, so I drop my hand onto her other side and begin stroking the skin of her exposed shoulders.

"Who are you?" Pinocchio grumbles from across the table.

Right.

Now I can give him my attention.

Delilah's wrist, tugging gently to slide her fingers between my thighs and seal them in. There you go. Facing his way, I put my hand on D Stay!

"Tim her meat," 1 say plainly, ignoring the furious blush that stains Delilah's cheeks. "My name is Quinn."

"Her meat?" Charlie repeats indignantly. "What the hell does that even mean?"

1 smirk when I see the jealousy in his eyes. Charlie has definitely got a thing for Delilah, but does Delilah have a thing for Charlie? Most of the evidence I've seen so far would point to yes - but only, if you don't count the physical things. If Delilah hadn't gotten so visibly upset when she thought I had gone, I would crown Charlie the winner for sure. But... she did. And... she's my mate, so I know she at least feels something for me. The mate bond is said to be a powerful thing on both sides. Whether you are human or wolf. Now, I don't know what Charlie has on her and personally, I do not see match, but who knows? Maybe the more head forehead, beak bumping Charlie is hung like a moose and we've already seen that he has a sensitive side, so... Some ladies love that shit, causedon't know, it's the inside that counts... mmkay... right. Exactly.

I think I'm just going to have to outright ask her. Like... right now.

you

Settling a closed fist on the table in front of me, I squeeze and release it as many times as I need. It's a sort of nervous tick that I have when I'm pushing myself to do something uncomfortable, which I am, about to do. But before I can get the question past my lips, Charlie's eyes bulge and he begins to fidget.

Scowling at me with open disdain he asks, "What the hell are you? Like bodybuilder or

something?"

"Something," I say coldly, meeting the warning in his gaze with one of my own. Oh yeah, he's in love with her.

*He's my friend, Charlie. I met him in the creek this morning after you and Cane left me for dead," De

In the ribs.

Delilaly explains snarkily, elbow.

Test your friend?" Charlie asks, eyeing me warily.

"Uh-well-y-yes. Just a friend," Delilah stammers, her eyes suddenly glued to the menu in front of her.

I'm furious at first, but then I have to consider... could she still be feeling insecure? She definitely looked a little heartbroken when she thought that I was gone. Maybe she doesn't know what to call me. So, I decided to clarify. "We are not just friends," I state quietly, unable to keep my face from tensing with anger. At least, I'm not."

Delilah bites her lip with a sigh, but doesn't say anything else. Disappointment crushes through me for a moment, but then I feel something that almost shoots me up and out of the booth. Delilah's hand has migrated quite a bit deeper than my thighs, and is now

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Chapter One Hundred Seventy-Eight

rhythmically pumping me over my jeans. Although I'm able to bite down on a low groan, I cannot, however, keep from of the table as pleasure begins to snake through me

"If wants to be just friends, then thats what you will be," Charlie burls at me in a sudden moment of hear

et of my lips, should

rapid pace against her

At this point, all I can do is nod in agreement. Words would be a very laid idea. They would not be what came mouth happen open. My hips buck slightly beneath the table, completely on their own, as my dick engorges at palm. I almost beg for mercy, it's that good. Shuddering to maintain control, I reach down and rip her hand away from me. This is a public restaurant and while it normally wouldn't matter to me, I'm not banging her for the first time in a burger joint bathroom. As it is, Ima literal three seconds away from fucking her right here on this formica tabletop. With Charlie, Charlene, and the sexy fat ass waitress

looking on in envy.

Delilah continues to pretend to read the menu, a slow smile creeping over her lips as she releases a low chuckle.

I hope you know what you've done, Lilac," I whisper under my breath. "When I get you alone, you're going to regret that."

She snickers, attracting Charlie's suspicious eye.

"Hello there, friend," the waitress chirps coyly, as she finally descends on our table. Her attention is for me alone, and the only reason it doesn't bother me is because I can see that it bothers my Lilac. "You look ready to order. What can I get for you? You can have anything you want. Whether it's on the menu or not, she flirts, her eyes dancing across my chest and shoulders hungrily.

I take a quick peek at Delilah, relishing in the possessive fire I see behind her eyes. She and Mandy are locked in a staredown, a battle of witches. Neither of them seems to be winning.

E clear my throat. "Mandy love, do you have any veggie burgers? Because my friend right here is very particular about her meat," I

smoothly.

Fifteen minutes later, two of us are chowing down on a couple of all beel, double patty, double cheese, double deal burgers and the other is picking woefully through the saddest excuse for a garden burger Ive ever seen. To be fair, the way Delilah's sandwich looks was enough to turn me off.

"I'm fucked," she hissed, pulling a long black hair

out from under the bun.

Charlie bursts into giggles, some of his food shooting out of his mouth. "I told you to be nice, D."

She rolls her eyes, snatching up the gray fat of faux pas and lettuce in one hand and nailing the boy in his enormous forehead. "Fuck you,

Charlie."

I grin, unwrapping my second burger gleefully, then inspecting it for tampering. It's perfect, just as I suspected it would be, so I slide it anto Delilah's plate.

"What's this," she asks, with a rueful smile and a wag of her eyebrows.

That's

my veggie burger... that I ordered... for you," I inform her.

She smirks at me before darting forward to kiss the side of my face. "Thank you," she says sweetly.

My body is now jammed. Stuck, Immobile. I'm felled by the simplest of kisses and even though it was quick and easy... and incredibly chaste, I can still feel the soft petals of her lips on my face. As she begins to eat, I can't look away from her. The way she daintily tears off the edges of the bun before devouring the rest of it like a rabid beast, is charming as hell. At least it is to me it is.

Forcing my gaze forward, I study Charlie and his unhappy glare. As he raises his arms to take the final bites of his food, I notice the marks on his chin and the lines around his wrists. They're fresh. From today, I'm sure. But where did he get them? Who tied him up? "What happened to your chin, Charlie," I inquire. "And your wrists?"

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Chapter One Hundred Seventy-Eight

Charlie's face flushes with shame. It don't matter. I don't want to talk about it."

"Huh," I mumble. Then I hope you have somewhere to go,

because we most definitely do

Charlie stiffens, his eyes

widening in

in alarmı. "You're leaving, D7 I thought "

"I have to get to Cane, Charlie. I have to get him out of that place," Delah whispers.

Charlie shakes his head, an irritated frown on his face. "He won't leave, You're an idiot if you think he will." Charlie chuckles in astonishment, then snarls, "When they decided that he cuts off, clenching his teeth in anger. "When they told me that I couldn't be one of them. That I could never be. I waited in the lobby for Came. I was so fire that he was going to come charging out those doors and that he and I would head back to you. But... Charlie's eyes fill with tears and in an attempt not to snap, or laugh, I face Delilah. This kid is in T desperate need of a little GI training and if I have to watch him have one more meltdown Im going to give it to him. Not that I have any myself.

"But?" Delilah prompts gently, completely under his spell.

Oh for the love of God.

Charlie's eyes glazed over, his lower lip quivering. "He came out alright, Roman was right behind him."

"Roman?!" Delilah gasped and Charlie nodded.

"I was actually relieved at first. Never in a million years did 1 think my best friend would..." he chokes off again.

I can't take much more of this. "Would what, Charlie? Would what? For fucks sake, spit it out."

"Quinn!"

nn!" Delilah scolds me, trying to shove me out of the booth in anger, Naturally, I don't budge and she growls. "Stupid muscles!" she

spits.

"Come on! He shouldn't be sad about this, Lilac. Trust me, coddling him won't help." I focus on Charlie, meeting his eyes harshly. "You should be angry, Charlie. Not sad. So tell me. What did he do?",

Charlie sucks in a deep breath. "He hit me," he admits. At first, I didn't know why. I thought maybe I made some error, or accidentally broke one of their weird little rules. But Then I heard Roman. He was barking orders at him! Riling him up! Saying stuff like, 'He's not one of us! You're one of us! Stamp him out! Show him who your family is. Then Cane hit me again. And again. And again... until 1 dropped. But that wasn't even the worst part. Charlie sat back, his face twisting into a snarl. "The worst part was when I looked up at him, at Cane." Charlie shuddered, staring directly at Delilah as he said, "You should have seen his face, D. He didn't look like Cane. He looked like a demon, Like a monster. And then... he gave me these." Charlie grimaces, pulling up his sleeves to show us what marred his skin above the rope burns.

Fucking

bel. I was stunned.

"Holly shit!" Delilah whimpered, her hands going over her mouth in shock. "Tell

Cane didn't do that to you. Charlie, please. Tell me

"He did do it, D! He did! He took his fucking hunting knife and peeled three by two inch sections out of each of my forearms! Then they tied me up and he and Roman dumped me in the river! I almost drowned! That was this morning! Right after you talked to me!" "We have to go! We have to get to him now!" Delilah hissed.

Charlie shook his head. "You don't get it, D. He and Roman already left. They've gone to catch that shifter."