The Pack Rule Number 1 No Mates

Chapter Two Hundred Twenty-Two

Roman nods, his jaw clenching. Go on."

"We had breakfast. Then The guy disappeared to go to the bathroom. I noticed he was gone for a while, so I went looking and I caught

him in the shed."

"Son-of-a-bitch, Roman snarls.

"I told them they had to leave. That they couldn't be here anymore. The guy tried to attack me, but Delilah wouldn't let him. It it was like he was her little puppet. He did everything little thing she said."

"That's what happens when a man gets unforgivably pussy whipped and whether or not you realize it, Cane, Delilah is a striking young female," Roman growls, leaping up to glare out the front window, "Go on. And then what? Knowing he is probably watching my reflection in the glass, I shudder again, painting a look of absolute disgust on my face. That's when she told me who the girl really was. Gayle," I say, dropping my face into my hands again. "Who was she?" Roman asks.

I shake myself, picking up my gun as if remembering. "The lioness that I shot two nights ago." I look toward Roman, gritting my teeth. "My sister brought her here to take me back with them. Gayle says that Im her mate." Roman's eyes flare wide and he turns around to s study me carefully. And then what happened?"

"I screamed that they were wrong. That it was impossible. That I would never have a shifter for a mate. I demanded that they leave and when they refused..." I trail off, shaking my head. "I shot her. Gayle," I admit, and this time the tears are real. I try to look ashamed. The they left." I groan, pointing the gun at my head when I do. "God help me. I shot her and my chest hurts so bad." I look at him. Tm so Sorry Roman."

I pretend to close my eyes, but as Roman screams and reaches for me, I shoot him four times as I leap to my feet, taking out his knees first and then his shoulders.

He glares at me from the ground. "You little bastard!" he shouts, and his muscles try to expand, I assume so that he can shift, but that's

en he notices that his parts are smoking.

1 kick his rifle into the kitchen and place my gun at his temple, then smile. "Don't even think about it. You want to guess how many silver bullets I have left? Or would you like me to show you?" Roman growls in frustration, obviously pissed, but as he watches me, there's something else shining in his eyes. Something like pride

"Wow!" Quinn's voice sounds from the doorway. "I guess you didn't need any help."

"It would have been almost poetic to mount your head on my wall, Roman. But apparently you're wanted alive." Then I shake my head Anew you had a thing for my sister. Gross."

3/4

The Pack: Rule Number 1 - No Mates

Chapter Two Hundred Twenty-Three

GAYLE

When the sound of my brother's bike splits the air, I've just managed to switch out Cane's ruined and bloody sweat pants for a pair of

ings I found in the trunk of the jeep. Not a moment too soon either because in the next minute Gryffin rides up in a cloud of dirt, skidding to a stop inches from the driver's side door of the jeep. Luckily Delilah and I took Quinn's advice and have just started playing in the creek so we aren't in it.

"He might have killed me if we were still in the car," Delilah says. "I most definitely would have succumbed to a heart attack."

I laugh. "Gryff rides better than he walks, so I'm sure you would have been fine."

Gryffin chucks off his helmet, glaring at me from twenty feet away. "You never fucking listen," he snaps, stalking our way. "You promised me he didn't mean anything to you. You pretended not to care about the little human and what do you do? You go after the little shit!" "That little shit is my brother, I'll have you know," Delilah snacks angrily-

"Oh, I'm aware," Gryffin retorts, granting her a disapproving frown before turning to me. "He's humen Gayle. Are you sure you want him?"

e did you."

My body tenses with anger. "Don't you dare. You're not dad and I won't let you bully me the way he

Grythin flinches as if I've just struck him. My reference to his past human mate striking him like a bullet in his chest. I know how much it hurts him to think of that time. Reminding him of the day he rejected the mate he found because my father bullied him into it. She was just as human as Cane.

And she died human.

"Fuck you," Gryffin growls, dropping his head. "Where is it?"

"In the backseat," I tell him.

Gryffin wastes no time, retrieving the vial and syringe. He stares at it hauntedly with tears in his eyes. "Thank fuck!"

"Is it yours?" I can't help but ask, knowing it can't be anyone else's.

clothe

"One way to find out," Gryffin whispers. Shrugging out of his clothes as fast as he can, he then loads the syringe, fixing his gaze on me. "If It's not, and I die, I'll resurrect myself just to come back and tear your little human limb from limb.* "There's no way it's not. He couldn't have known what he knows unless he spoke the truth," I say with more confidence than I feel.

espite Gryffin's nakedness, I see Delilah's attention is just as riveted as mine is. The pair of us are hardly breathing.

"Here goes nothing," Gryffin hisses. He plunges the needle into his neck then injects the verdm without even a moment of hesitation.

Gryffin roars, falling to his knees in the dirt. The vial and syringe shattering on the rocks next to him.

"Shit!" Gryffin hisses, closing his eyes as his body shudders.

"What is it? Is something wrong?" I start to reach for him, racing up to where he trembles on the ground.

Gryffin shakes his head, putting an arm up to stop me from touching him. "Fuck!" he snarls. "That's nice...""

1/3

Chapter Two Hundred Twenty-Three

Nice?! Oh thank God!

Gryffin opens his eyes and the golden amber of his irises catch the light of the sun. He smiles at me then fixes his gaze on the creek. I'm clapping and smiling and so is Delilah.

I want to hug my brother, but before I can he looks into my eyes and says, "I have a promise to keep, I guess." Then he leaps into the air and shifts into his lion at the end of a roar, causing Delilah to fall back into the creek in shock. "Not ready!" Delilah screeches, clamping her eyes shut. "Still a little traumatized."

Gryflin lets loose with a growl then takes off in the same direction Quinn disappeared in. Along the creek that leads to the cottage.

"It's really not fair that they get to have all the fun," 1 complain. "I want to help."

"Ha!" Delilah shouts. "No, no, no. You're not leaving me out here alone. No way, Jose."

I study my new friend, realizing how truly tiny she is. "You could always ride on my back like the Queen of the Jungle."

"Me? Ride a lion?" She shivers with fear, "No, Animal Planet Experts strongly advise against such things."

"Come on," I say with a wag of my brows. "It'll be fun. I promise."

BARTLETT

"Bartlett!" A voice shouts into my ear and I leap to my feet to swipe at my eyes.

"Shit!" 1 snarl. "Do you have to yell?"

"What the fuck are you doing in my bed?" Timmons gripes, glaring at me.

That's when I remember that I'm here at Quinn's place and not at home. Rosel Shirt

"What time is it?" I snap, listening intently from the end of Timmons' bed.

"After ten in the morning," Timmons answers, studying me warily. "Don't worry, your little hostage is still unconscious. The hunt for Gayle is still ongoing and now that we have two of the Elder Few's senior members in lock-up, I've been ordered to rejoin the search. I just stopped in to check on the fucking human in my living room and grab a quick shower. I didn't realize you were in here." He squints at me.

Why are e you in here? Your mate is In Quinn's room."

Shame washes over me from head to toe as I recall what I almost did to Rose, "I couldn't lay next to her any longer. It was too hard almost..." I shake my head, pulling at my hair. "I just couldn't do it."

"I see," Timmons chuckles. "Marking her without consent - you're good with. Kidnapping? Okay, Bol sleeping next to her without her knowledge-

Twasn't sleeping!" I snap. "I was..." I shake my head with a growl. "I couldn't keep my hands to myself. I couldn't seem to control my urges. I almost kissed her! An unconscious female! I wanted to so badly, I was barely able to rip myself away. I'm pretty sure if I had kissed her, I wouldn't have been able to stop myself from taking it further."

Timmons sighs, his light brown eyes sparkling with amusement. "You wanted to, but you didn't. So chill the fuck out. You're a better man than most of us are, that's for sure."

What are you saying?" I ask, standing up and heading toward the stairs