The Pack: Rule Number 1 - No Mates

Chapter Two Hundred Fifty-Nine DRAVEN "So letget this straight, I begin, my eyes lingering on my father for a longer moment than any of the others. "They took him too?" My father nods, stepping forward with a guilty bow. "Domonic is the Alpha of your pack, little one. It was his decision to make and rightly 50. 50.

I'm getting a little tired of all this secrecy," I snap, my attention snagging on the newborn cat in the corner. "And what the fuck is his problem? He's been pacing like that for hours." "He needs to shift," Goose says calmly. "At least, that's what I'm getting from him." "I know what I need, Cane grumbles. "I need Roman. I want to punish him." "Well Roman isn't here Dimwit, Delilah chortles, her newly healed mark catching my eye. "You're marked," I whisper happily, smiling back at her when her eyes shoot my way.

"I am. Someone couldn't wait any longer," Delilah teases and Quinn shrugs my way.

"So what now, then?" Taedora asks from her corner of the room where she is making a few margaritas for those who are not pregnant.

"With the hunters still unaccounted for," Cane hisses, "the Elder Few will be sending their enforcers and with those Rangers still scouting the woods, I don't think any of you should shift." "Any of you? Gayle taunts. "You are a shifter now too, baby. There isn't any you." Cane grins, then races toward her with a blur of speed that has the rest of us gazing toward my father in question.

shrugs. He is twice born and apparently very dominant. I have never met one that has been made a shifter before so I don't know the extent of their power." "So what you mean to say," Goose begins, "is that he might be stronger than any one of us." smiles in his all knowing way and I can't help but snicker. "Perhaps." "That's...just not fair, Goose grumbles. "You better makea drink too, Tae." "He also was given the blood of a Lion King - basically an Alpha of your kind...so there is that," adds with a sardonic smile.

"You're wicked, Taedora says, passing my father the first margarita. “You shouldn't be givingany more reasons to adore you than I already have. You're already King of my wet dreams as it is." I snicker as spits out his drink, a dark blush blossoming across his cheeks as he chokes on the compliment. "She's had the hots for you ever since that day you grabbed her by the throat and stopped her from shifting," I murmur sidling up to him.

Ah, he says, finally regaining control of himself. "I see." "So how did you do it?" I can't help but ask him, ignoring that his eyes go dark for a moment as he looks away.

I am of noble blood,” he whispers softly, in a voice meant only for me. Then he meets my gaze with a serious one of his own. "As are you." 1/3 Chapter Two Hundred Fifty-Nine "Half, I quip, stepping away from the weight of his words and then ing the way they tam to follow my steps. Make mine a virgin," I call out to Tae, barely glancing back at my father who is muldenly capriated by the for cafes in his glass.

He's hiding something. I just know it. But what? "So how do we get to this island? Cane's voice chatters the ingat laughter coming festo the nest of us as we eniroy our cocktails and non cocktails in my case.

"Why would we go there? Delilah glares at her brother.

He ignores her, fixing his gaze oninstead.

"We would need a boat, but "But what?" Cane challenges, his blue eyes flashing so gold I'm momentarily stamped for an answer, "Roman's death is as much mine as it is Gayle's. I deserve to be there when he goes.

"Cane, Delilah warns, but he hardly looks her way.

"I need to be there. I don't care if I have to go alone. Or if I have to sun. I'm going to get there, Cate announces to the room. "With help or without it.: DOMONIC I'm just about to step back inside the basement when my phone rings with Draven on the line.

"Hello gorgeous. I wish I could say I was just thinking about you but-feat off when the telltale sound of a boats engine filters through the line. "Where are you? She's on her way here. I just know it.

"You know the answer to that, she answers and my hackles immediately go up.

"I can explain. The way I treated Bartlett's girl wasn't unfair it was justified. She needed to know that we weren't monsters. She did! "Who called you? Emily?" It had to be Emily, the little meddlesBeta's mate. Damn her. The line goes quiet for a moment and I can practically hear the wheels in Draven's mind turning. Nobody calledDomonic. Why? What have you done? Nobody called her? "Baby! I don't want you here. I want you safe. Why are you on your way here? "Cane," she says simply and my eyes go straight for Gryffin who is standing right behind me.

"So he's Alive and well," she says softly.

Gryffin smiles, having heard her himself. He'll need to shift, Gryffin remindswith a dominant jerk of his chin. "Until he does he'll feel like a caged animal. It's good that they're coming here. A little more icing on the cake of revenge I plan to feed the bastard in the basement.

"Who else is with you?" I bark into the phone, stepping away from the basement door and faxing my eyes on the ocean through the windows.

2/3 Chapter Two Hundred Fifty-Nine "Um...almost everyone."

"What?" I snap, thinking of my remaining brothers that 1 left m watching over the town. "Who is almost everyone obvious anger and despite myself, I can't help but smile. "The rest of your pack, my father, Cane, Goose, Tae, Gayle "Holy fucking shit,' I snarl. "Who's watching the town? Waiting for the dorm? "That would be Sofia and my men," Gio's voice sounds from somewhere nearby and 1 curse his bigutted seces for tanning "No bodyguards for Lord Gio?" I snicker.

"I don't need any damned guards, I hear him snarl. "But yes. There are two of them with us as well- "Where did you find a boat for this?"

"My father Lord Alpha Gio," she snickers, then clears her throat like she's about to drop a bomb on me." un-my way bought Old Bob's houseboat for twice what it's worth. "He what?" I gasp out. "That thing is slower than a snail on concrete." "Yeah, she says sadly. "We've gathered." "But we'll get it fixed up!" Gio's voice rings out defensively. "Just not before we get there. Which may or may not be tee the

I let loose with a laugh that I can't help bubbling over with and hear Ο grow in the background. But my hy is NO stopped stor when my eyes catch on Bartlett returning from the woods...alone. What the fuck? Chapter Comments 3 POST COM