The Mating Rules

I’m woken by a scream in my ear just before someone starts to shake me, hard.

‘go away’ I g***n, trying to bury my head in my pillow, who even got into my room, I always lock the door.

‘You didn’t find your mate? Really?’ my sister Bailee’s shrieking voice asks as I’m shaken again.

Prying my eyes open, I roll over with difficulty considering I have an eighteen year old sitting on my back. ‘Why are you in my room? Am I late for my play date with Lauren again?’ I mumble blearily, reaching to the side to try and grab my phone so I can see the time.

‘Lee, you are in MY bed!’ my sister replies worriedly, ‘why are you in my bed? What is going on.’

I blink a few times, clearing my vision before I look around me and see Bailee’s possessions dotted around the room. Frowning, I sit up, my sister falling off me from the movement, rubbing my eyes as I try to understand what I’m doing here.

Images rush back to me, the forest, Caden, Hadley, the fight, the Alpha’s decision. My eyes widen as I stare at my sister who, sensing the change in me, immediately wraps her arms around me.

‘Don’t worry Lee’ she sighs, ‘you can visit other packs, maybe you’ll find your mate there.’

‘No!’ I wail, pushing away from her, my breathing becoming laboured as I panic. ‘not another mate! I don’t want anymore!’

My sister is staring at me as if I’m psychotic as my parents barrel into the room, staring at the two of us before my mom rushes around the bed and pulls me into her arms.

‘No more mom, I don’t want another one’ I ramble.

‘Of course not sweetie’ she sooths, running her hand down my hair, ‘just don’t think about it for the moment OK? Let’s just get you in the shower and have some breakfast.’

Nodding numbly, I allow her to pull me up as my sister starts shouting at my dad to explain what the hell is going on with me.

As I stand under the cascading water, already washed but just not ready to face everyone, I can hear raised voices outside. Shutting off the stream I feel my wolf perk up as prickles run over my skin.

Scrambling out of the shower, I towel myself dry, dragging on my sister’s clothes that my mother placed in the bathroom with me and open the door.

‘She’s my mate’ I can hear Caden growling angrily and I creep down the stairs to find my dad blocking his entrance into the house whilst my mother stands beside him wringing her hands together.

‘We need to meet with your father’ my dad is saying, trying to soothe the raging Alpha, ‘set the ground rules.’

I see Caden stiffen just as his gaze swings toward me, his shoulders relaxing, ‘Leeway’ he murmurs hoarsely, causing my parents to spin around and face me.

‘Jamie-lee, your hair is soaking, get upstairs and dry it before you get sick’ my mother flusters, moving toward me making shooing motions with her hands.

‘Mum, we’re werewolves, we don’t get colds’ I mutter, my eyes still on Caden who looks like he didn’t sleep at all last night. ‘Plus the whole wet hair causing a cold is an old wives tale anyway’ I add.

‘Well you should still get your hair dried’ my mother fusses, trying to push at me to get me moving, ‘you can’t walk around looking like you just fell in the river.’

I gently push my mother aside, walking toward the front door and sidestepping my father, holding out my hand as my father raises his own to stop me. ‘It’s fine’ I sigh, giving him a small smile, ‘I’m OK.’

Nodding uncertainly, my father lets me pass and I step outside, pulling the door closed behind me, wrapping my arms around me as the cold morning wind whips around me. I should have picked up my coat at least, but seeing Caden on the doorstep stopped my mind from working.

‘Your mother is right’ Caden mumbles, ‘you shouldn’t walk around with wet hair, you’ll get cold.’ He shrugs out of his jacket, placing it around my shoulders as I blink up at him startled.

‘You’ll get cold now’ I argue, trying to shrug the jacket off to hand it back, but two strong hands hold my shoulders, stopping me, ‘no I won’t’ he replied softly, ‘and it doesn’t matter if I do.’

His hand moves slowly, cupping my cheek as my eyes automatically close, sparks tingling under his touch.

‘My Leeway’ he murmurs and there is a tinge of awe in his voice making me open my eyes again to look at him.

‘Crazy huh’ I say with a small giggle, ‘we’ve been at each other’s throats for years and we end up mates.’

Caden smiles, nodding, ‘I’ll be honest’ he replied, ‘I really didn’t think it would be you.’

I nod in agreement, him and me both. Glancing toward the forest, my eyes narrow as a dark shape looms in the shadows, I know it’s Hunter instantly, he too is watching me but for some reason isn’t approaching me, I assume because Caden is here. I could laugh, the girl who didn’t want a mate, ends up with two who hate each other’s guts, you couldn’t make this s**t up.

‘Pick me Leeway’ Caden says suddenly, snapping my attention to him as I frown, ‘you have too, I need you, I need my Luna.’

My lips turn down as I shake my head, ‘I’m not just going to throw Hadley away because you ask me too’ I reply, crossing my arms.

‘He’s a damn warrior, a foundling at that’ Caden growls, and I can see the flash of his wolf in his eyes. I’m not worried though, Cobalt will never hurt me no matter what I say, Skarla is adamant about that, Caden’s wolf wants us and wont jeapordise his chance by hurting me.

‘Caden’ I sigh, my shoulders sagging, ‘I need to think about this, I can’t just throw one of you away like I’m tossing out some old socks.’

Caden drags his fingers through his hair, ‘I don’t know what there is to think about’ he mutters, ‘I’m the future Alpha, I need you, it’s not like Carrington’s whole existence rests on having his mate by his side.’

I nod, ‘I know, but I’m still his mate’ I reply softly, ‘and if I reject him, he will never get another. I’m his only chance to have a real family, b***d relatives, I can’t take that from him just because you ask me too.’

I need Caden to see, to understand that this choice is killing me and we haven’t even started yet. Whichever I choose, someone is going to be hurt, one of them is going to be left mateless and I hate it. Hate having the weight of their happiness on my shoulders.

Seeing the Alpha about to argue some more, I reach out and place my fingers against his lips, smiling slightly as I feel them move, kissing my finger tips. ‘Please Caden’ I whisper, gazing up at him, ‘give me this month, don’t force me to pick before I’m ready because I promise you, I’ll resent you for it.’

I can hear Skarla whimpering in my mind, she wants her mate but I know that if Hadley was in front of us, she’d want him just as much. She desires the touch of them both, but her pull to Cobalt is stronger because he’s nearer to us and she can smell him.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

Caden’s shoulder drop as he lets out a breath, ‘OK’ he mumbles in defeat, ‘one month, but Leeway?’ he adds raising his eyes to me, ‘I’m going to pursue you hard, understand that.’

I can’t help but feel my stomach tightening at his words, Goddess, you really do want to just throw your panties at your mate don’t you, regardless of who they are!

‘Thank you’ I whisper gratefully.

Caden smiles, reaching out and taking my hand, ‘can I k**s you?’ he asks, ‘you know a goodbye k**s till I see you next time?’

I giggle, ‘I thought your dad banned you both from coming near me, you were sat in the field’ I say, still curious how he broke through an Alpha command.

Caden grins, ‘his exact words that neither of us were to come within fifty feet of your father’s house that night. As soon as the sun came up, I could approach, so I convinced Cobalt to leave his spot, that wasn’t easy I can tell you, had a shower and then came over.’ Leaning closer, his breath tickles my face, ‘now about that k**s?’

Biting down on my l*p, I nod nervously, watching my mate’s face light up before he grabs me roughly and cages me in his arms, his lips on mine as a m**n sneaks up my throat. The only way to describe this k**s is being devoured, there isn’t an inch of my mouth that Caden doesn’t explore and by the time he lets me go I’m shamefully wanton, trying to hold him to me.

Winking, he steps back, gently pulling my hands from his shirt, ‘just so you don’t forget me’ he says before turning away and jogging down the steps.

‘Wait!’ I yell desperately, shrugging off the jacket, ‘you need this back.’

Caden turns around to face me but is still walking backwards down our path, ‘keep it’ he replies easily, ‘I like you in my clothes.’

With a last wave, he turns back toward the pack house and breaks out into a jog, crossing the field between us in minutes.

Sadness washes over me as I turn back to my father’s front door, stopping as my hand reaches out for the door knob. Peeking over my shoulder, my gaze rakes over the shadows of the forest until I find what I’m looking for. The dark mass of Hunter. Raising my hand, I give him a tentative wave, seeing him sit up straighter under my attention. I’m sure I can see his tail wagging just for a second before he turns and disappears into the trees.

I kind of wish he had come up to speak to me too, I didn’t realise how much this mate bond would affect me and having two is torture.

Sighing sadly, I open the door, stepping inside where my parents are waiting for me, holding up my hand to dissuade their questions, suddenly too tired to deal with anything.

I walk past them, heading upstairs to my sister’s room who takes one look at me and pulls me toward the vanity, ‘lets get your hair dry’ is all she says, plugging in the hair dryer and grabbing a brush. I’m thankful to her, she knows I’m not ready to talk right now so she’s showing me she’s on my side and here to support me when I am.