The Pack: Rule Number 1 - No Mates

Chapter Two Hundred you might be his girlfriend, or lover, or even his wife." She frowns, opel "Okay, gress. But, okay. Why do you even care who I am to him?" After a quick glance around, she turns back to me, her eyes bright with he before she tells me, I think I already know. That night he shot me, meets my eyes woefully. "He's my mate," she chokes out, one tear traili Chapter Comments Marietta Gary Jayleeeeeeeeee! Have I ever told you in longer ha don't and THIS is the reason why...cliffhangers, KKN lol im convertedé The Pack: Rule Number 1 - No Mates Chapter Two Hundred One DELIKATI "What do you mean they are going to kill him? Who is? Quin?" Gayle growls in frustration, “Yes! Him! His pack! My brother! My pride They're going to go after him!" My heart aches. A sharp stabbing pain teating into it at her words. I shake my head. "No, Quinn won't let them. He won't! You're wrong about that! She rolls her eyes. "If you think so, that's on you. But Domande is the Alpha, not Quinn and what Domonie says gres. Trust me." I take a deep breath, refusing to believe that Quinn would do that to me. Sure, I don't know him that well, but... I believed him when he said he cared about me. I believed him when he said I was his mate. He judet huurt my brother... Right? But if any of what she's saying true, I need to wam my brother. "If we do figure out where he is, how the we going to get there? Task. “I can't shift and I'm no Mowgli, i WILL NOT ride on your back like in the Jungle Book." She grins, "Qur jeep is parked in Quinn's driveway. We'll take it." My eyes widened. "That's yours?" She shrugs. "For the most part. Quinn borrowed it to bring you here. The keys will still be inside of it because one of us was supposed toand pick it up. We just hadn't gotten around to it yet. So don't worry about that part. Let's just get out of here before it's too latest, "Okay," I say with a nod, racking my brain for what I need to do before we leave. "Do you have any money? I do but it's locked in Quinn's car. And my phone-" that's when I cut off.

"What?" Gay Gayle asks, noting the way I freeze mid-sentence, "What's wrong?" "M-my phone!" I confide softly. "I have to bring it and I don't know where it is." Where is my phone? "Okay, well where did you have it last?" she asks, gazing pastinto the house.

My eyes narrow as I recall the last tI had it. It was just before Quinn ambushedout here on the patio. Did he take it from me? Did I drop it? My eyes go everywhere, scanning the pafor it, but finding nothing. I had dropped it, I would have heard it fall I'm sure of it. "1 had it out here right before... I trail off as my cheeks heat. "Maybe Quinn put it with my clothes." "Why would Quinn have it?" she asks, alarmed.

1 shake my head. "He didn't, I had it. I had just hung up with Cane, and then Quinn and his friend were standing behind me. He introducedto his friend Domonic and then walked him out. I still had my phone... but then..." Her eyes fill with worry. "Who's Cane, Delilah?" I meet her eyes, feeling like a fool as I remember how easily Quinn crept up behindand stole my attention. "Cane is my brother." Gayle's eyes go wide. "Did they know you'd been talking to him?" 1 nod sadly. "Yes," Cayle curses. "He took it. He took it to track him, Sof the pack is is on the police force. They have all kinds of ways to trace cell phones.” My heart is thumping with pain when I realize I may have been duped. Tellsomething, Gayle, When a wolf shifter finds his mate, how 1/3 Chapter Two Hundred One.

does he know? What does he do with her? Gayle tilts her head curiously. "Well, I'm no expert on wolf shifters, but far as I know, they usually scent her first. They're drawn to it. As far as I know, it's pretty obvious on both sides. Especially after you're uker." "Marked?" I ask curious, Gayle appents grim. "Yes. They mark you as theirs right at the base of your throat. We do the sthing, but on the back shoulder. She studies me. "He didn't mark you?" I shake my head. What if I'm not really his mate? What if he knew I wo the best way to get to Cane and trickedinto believing we were mates just to getto trust him. "In an idiot." "I don't know what you are thinking, but whatever it is just understand wolves don't usually lie about who their mate is Then she gasps, clamming up a bit.

"What?" I push, curious.

"N-nothing, I mean. It's nothing." "It's not nothing!" I snap. "I deserve to know. What is it?" She sighs, "Well, Domonic, he lied about his mate once. To get his real mate to leave town. But that's the only tI've ever heard of that happening. I.

Ters fill my vision. "You don't think they might have lied toto get to my brother?" I don't know what I expect her to say, she's staring pastat nothing. Honestly? I don't know. But I do know the longer we stay here the less likely we will be to make it out of here." But I do "But I don't even have a phone to call my brother!" I hiss.

She says with confidence, "There's always a burner in the jeep for emergencies. You know his number, right?" I nod. "Of course.

"Then that's all we really need," she states.

"Okay, I just need to leave a note for Charlie," I say with sad resignation "Go, but then cback this way. We can climb these stairs to the ground floor patio, then the deck winds out to the front of the house. So hurry!" she says.

I nod and race back into the house, heading straight for Quinn's bathroom hamper. I need to make sure Quinn really took my phone, before I start jumping to conclusions. I lift the lid and find my clothes from earlier on the very top, but when I rifle through them I don't find my phone. The sthing happens when I search the rest of his bedroom, Shit I creep upstairs and check the kitchen, the living room, the dining room, the fridge. That's where I find Quinn's note tellingto stay here because he went to the Moonlight Lounge on business -and would be back soon. Business, huh? You fucking lying thief? The Moonlight Lounge? Isn't that the bar he foundoutside of this morning? Finding a pen and the pad of sticky notes, I scribble out a note of my own for both Quinn and Charlie.

Had to go. My brother sight be in danger. Will be back for Charlie. I'd tell you to callbut I can't find my phone - Del There we go. That not only gives him an idea of where I'm going, but it's clear that I intend to save my brother from anything that goes 2/3 Chapter Two Hundred One.

after him. And if Quinn took my phone then the bastard only has himself to blame. And if he led alnut my being his mate??? Well, I guess I know soon crimugh, won't L Chapter Two Hundred Two ELDER ROMAN BOL It's three in the morning when I've returned from o much needed run in the woods. I'm usually alone out here at this cottage and this is the only place I ever allow myself to shift. Now that I have Cane with me, I will have to limit myself to a couple times a week and only in the middle of the night. Potentially, that might cause problems for in might make my temper harder to control, but for now it can't be helped. I'll simply have to deal with it. Even from outside, I can hear the sound of Cane's soft snores behind the walls, so I know he's still sleeping hard after I drugged his dinner with a little ambient. You know, just to ensure he didn't wake while I was in my wolf form. I can't imagine what that conversation would have been like had he caught shining. I'd have to kill him and I've only just acquired him.

After I get dressed on the porch, I step into the worms cottage to see my phone lighting up on the counter. Who the hell? The caller identification flashes with Elder Matthew's non it and 1 frown. Something has to have happened. Something bad. He never callswhen I'm training unless it's an emergency.

"Talk to me," I say quietly.

"Roman! Thank God! Were you sleeping? I've been calling you for an hour!" Matthew's panicked voice fills my ears.

"I was," I lie, "and my phone was on silent, in the kitchen. I only got up to get swater. What's going on? Is something wrong?" "Five of the pledges broke the rules tonight and stole our campers." Matthew releases a sigh and my ears pick up another conversation going on in the background.

Elder Roosevelt is talking to a couple of others nearby, which means they are all gathered at the compound. He's arguing with someone. He says, "Rose is in a coma! I have to go to her! I don't care what you say! What the hell? I knew it was a bad idea to replace Rosen with his sister Rase. I knew it. Now it seems something has happened.

"Okay," I reply, settling in my chair and listening to the other Elders talk about an unsanctioned hunt gone wrong. Oh fuck. Dawn kids, 1 swear.. "Letguess,” I start, knowing I can t rightly admit that I can hear the conversation going on in the background, "they took off on hunt." "Correct. Rose was among g them. She was airlifted to the hospital, Matthew snarls What the fuck? What did they hunt? "She was caught?" My hackles go up. Tellshe wasn't wearing-" "She was," Matthew says angrily.

די *I told you it was a bad damned idea switching her in for her brother! Rosen would never have done something this reckless!" I snap. "There's going to be an investigation! Someone better get over there quick and do sdamage control!" "Rose's father is heading over to the hospital in just a few moments. Rose was the supposed victim of a lion attack," Matthew admits and Rose's fat my blood freezes.

"Roosevelt cannot be trusted to look out for the Council interests, Matthew! You know this! Now, where did they go hunting?" I ask sharply.

Matthew groans in frustration. "The woods just outside of Port Orchard "Fuck," I hiss, "How many times have I told those kids never to hunt in those woods without me? They're idiots then, and deserve what they got. Those are not regular lions Matthew! You know this! What the fuck? Who were the others?" They were all now pledges, save one. Ted," Matthew admits.

1/2 Chapter Two Hundred Two

Ted? As in his son Ted? Can't say I give a fuck about that liute shit getting what he deserves. He's been caught more than a fee times, forcing himself on a different Elder's daughter. Of course I always swath e in and save them. The pretty ones, anyway. Needless to say, they've all been incredibly grateful each time. They thankwith a bl Job or sometimes with sex. All in the interests of keeping their little secret. None of them ever wants to point a finger at a son of the council. Fine by me. The only of them that never truly thankedwas that brat sister of Cane's. Her mother did, but she was a cheap replacement for the fiery redhead I'd had my eye on. Matthew goes on, "Something must have gone wrong. They found evidence suggesting at least three of them might be dead. One is missing. Ted is an accomplished hunter, so I'm thinking he may have gaten away." Oh yeah, he's so skifted. Please givea break.

"So only one loose end," 1 remark, thinking that Rose may just have to le to keep our secrets. "You know what that means, Matthew, Don't makespell it out for you.' " "Well, she's in a coma, Matthew admits quietly, lowering his voice to escape Roosevelt's notice. Thank God. She won't be talking any tsoon. But the RVs have been impounded. As far as I know, the authorities didn't find any incriminating evidence in them." "Other than that they're registered to you all," I snipe, draping a hand over my eyes.

"Yes," Matthew admits, speaking up to drown out the bickering voices in the background. "We need you, I need you. You're the best tracker we have and one of our son's is still out there alive."

"Alright," I say knowing I'll have to prepare a few items before I leave.

head out there in the morning You go with Roosevelt. The authorities will be there waiting for Rose to awaken. Someone is going to have to make sure that she never does.

Looks like it's got to be "Understood," Matthew says with cold resignation. "Il call you from the hospital." "Matthew!" I say suddenly as something dawns on me.

"Yes?" Matthew answers.

"On second thought, don't terminate her until I give you the okay. Unless of course, she should start to wake up.

is If she survived an attack and she was already comatose, someone had to have saved her. See if you can get a name. Or if the good samaritan there with her, take a picture. But be stealthy, they shouldn't know you're inquiring about them. The moment you have what I need, text it to me, I command. Will do," Matthew says and then the line goes dead.

Rocking back in my chair, I tap my fingers thoughtfully. Shifters rarely attack and leave anyone alive. I highly doubt a lion shifter just decided her prey had had enough. No. Not possible. If Rose is still breathing, then one of them saved her. And if one of them saved her...

she is his mate.

I smile to myself as I head out to the shed for my custom gear. "Ready or not, here I come."