The Pack: Rule Number 1 – No Mates
Chapter Two Hundred Ninety–One
ANASTACIA
I’d never seen wolves fight before. I know now that it is one of the scariest things one might ever bear witness to.
When Paul shifted in midair it was more than a little shocking. At least it was for me. No one else seemed too surprised by it. I hadn’t even noticed until that moment that Koda was slowly inching closer to the two sifters as they argued. He must have seen it coming. I guess they all did.
Rainier and Paul spun out of the cabin and into the glass like a ball of fur and fury. I couldn’t even tell which wolf was which. They were entangled in a tornado or growls and snarls. Tails flipping, bodies tumbling, and crashing onto the deck.
“Oh my Goddess!” I scream, as they go careening into the railing.
A quick glance around tells me that Koda was inching toward me not them. He’s now standing in front of me like some damn bodyguard, looking bored to tears.
“Calm down, sweetheart,” Timmons laughs, sauntering up next to me. “They’re bound to fall into the ocean and when they do, they’ll stop. That water is freezing.”
I glare at him, as a wolf’s whine fills the air, signaling that one of them is hurt. “Seriously? Either you stop them, or I will!”
“How?” Cane asks, from across the room. His baby blue eyes light up with curiosity and he steps forward. “With magic? I don’t think it’ll work. Paul’s too pissed off.”
Is that a challenge lion shifter?
My fingers begin to tingle, my eyes heating as I focus on the ball of fur spinning out of control on the deck. Willing my heart rate to calm, to slow, I push out my energy in waves. Reaching for the pair of idiots spiraling into madness just fifteen feet away from me. As my magic floats over Timmons, his face changes, as does Gryffin’s, then Koda’s, then Cane’s. Their expressions turn softer, almost pliant as they whirl to face me. They’ve been soothed by my reach, but unfortunately, Paul has not.
Fuck. That’s right. My true mate cannot be influenced by my magic.
Shit.
“Whoa…” Timmons says suddenly, “I can totally feel that.” He smiles at me, his eyes going dark.
“Yeah, Gryffin agrees, falling onto the armchair on top of the shattered glass. “Kind of peaceful, aren’t you?” he asks me.
Rolling my eyes, I stomp my foot and curse. “Fuck. I forgot, Paul cannot be affected by my charges.”
“Your charges?” Koda clips out, his smile wavering and slow. What are those?”
“My energies,” I snip out. “In the same way I cannot charm mated beings into falling for me, I cannot influence my true mate in any way.”
True mate?” Koda mumbles. “So you and Paul-”
“Are mates,” Gryffin says, finishing his question and answering it in the same breath.
“Wait a minute, Timmons spouts. “So you can force unmated beings to fall in love with you?”
Not exactly, I explain swiftly, hedging past Koda and closer to the action. “It’s not actual love, just surface attraction really. Like tricking the eye to see me and only me. Mate bonds protect over matters of the heart.”
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Chapter Two Hundred Ninety–One
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“Fucken A, that mate shit is crazy. A witch mate… don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing,” Cane comments, but I ignore him.
My eyes are on Rainier as my power crests over him. I nearly panic when he falls still beneath Paul’s weight, my fear for him a new, yet powerful, thing. In the deep of my heart, I know that Paul doesn’t truly want to hurt him, but if I don’t get Paul’s attention now, he undoubtedly will. Pushing as much force as I can into my voice, I send my words booming toward the white wolf on the deck, “PAUL
STOP!”
His jaws are posed to strike, but the animal in him shudders, whining with confusion when Rainier shifts back into his human form.
“What the fuck?” Rainier grumbles. “Why am I so tired?” Raising his hands in a gesture of surrender, he notices the blood and bite marks that track up his forearms. “Am I bleeding? Holy shit, I am.”
“It almost feels like I’ve just smoked a fat ass joint,” Cane mumbles as I step past him toward Paul.
“I literally have one in my squad car,” Timmons tells him. “Trust me, this feels nicer. Lasts longer too.”
Mmmkayyyy…
Shaking off their ridiculous conversation, I keep my attention on the white wolf that has yet to shift back and is still flashing his fangs in anger. “Paul, I call out. His heavy white head turns toward me, his wolf features gentling and another whine escaping his lips. Reaching a hand out to shield Rainier from any more unwarranted attacks, I attempt to step closer.
My brow furrows when Rainier jerks back, scurrying away from me. Shifting his hands to hide his junk, he startles as if I just tried to fondle him. “Nuh–uh! No, no! This package is not for you, madame. My dick is spoken for, my penis betrothed to another. Stand back!” He scrambles up onto his feet and says, with heavy eyes, “I’ll have you arrested if you touch me, woman.”
Oh for Pete’s sake.
The males behind me, fall into a fit of giggles and my mouth curves upward, unable to completely wash them out. Turning my attention back to Paul, I kneel in front of him, my cotton covered knees crunching on broken glass. The downy softness of his blond fur caresses my cheek as he dips his snout downward to sniff at my hair.
Holy Haiti, his wolf is enormous.
“It’s okay, Paul,” I soothe him. “It doesn’t matter what you said about me before. I don’t care. It no longer bothers me.”
Another whine sounds and Paul tucks his humongous head under my arms, pushing me upward then growling lightly at the shards of glass on the deck. Laughter bubbles in my throat when I realize he doesn’t want me to cut myself. That he wants me to stand.
“Okay,” I whisper, drawing him closer by slipping my arms around his thick neck. “I’ll get up if you promise to stop fighting.”
“Why hasn’t he changed back yet?” I hear Cane ask.
“Sometimes when one of us gets really angry, we force shift. And when we do, it’s almost painful to get back until we’ve completely calmed down. The same thing will happen to you, Newbie, should you get abnormally pissed off,” Koda informs him. “It’s happened to me more than few times. I once spent an entire week stuck in my wolf form.”
“What the fuck? Really?” Cane giggles. “What had you so pissed off?”
I’m surprised when Koda answers him, he doesn’t seem like one to talk about anything. “My dad disappeared and took my little brother away from me.”
“Well, Paul’s going to shift back right now, because I don’t trust any of you loopy–eyed fools to drive this damn yacht back while you’re enthralled. And now that it’s morning, it’s the safest time for me to move with the shadow hounds out there. They’ll be looking for somewhere to rest. Somewhere dark where they can avoid the high sun at noon,” I toss out, scratching Paul behind the ears when he growls at me grudgingly.
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Chapter Two Hundred Ninety–One
“Enthralled feels good,” Cane acknowledges. “How long does it last?”
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Not long, but I don’t tell them that. I need Paul to come back to me first, Leaning in closer, to whisper in Paul’s ear, “You promised to taste me, Paul. Are you breaking that promise?” I’m completely aware that the others still heard me, but it doesn’t matter.
“Well, holy hard–on,” Timmons hisses and Paul’s head swivels in his direction, a snarl on his lips.
“That’s just perfect,” I snap at Timmons, aiming a glare at him over my shoulder. “If you don’t mind…”
Timmons eyes shutter and his mouth drops open, no doubt to comment further on my innuendo, but Koda slaps a hand over his mouth and I smile at him gratefully.
Turning back to Paul, I raise an eyebrow. “Are you really going to leave me all alone with your boys?”
It’s a risky fix, with the potential to piss Paul off more than it can calm him, but I try it anyway and it does the trick.
A moment and a snap of bones later, Paul is completely naked in front of me, his dick jutting out like the arm of destiny. The damn thing is so big that I’m momentarily starstruck. “Goddess is good,” I moan out,
“Pants!” Pauf commands, his eyes wide and his chest heaving as he stares at me.
“Pants?” I taunt him, with a bite of my lip. “Nah. You’re fine just like this.”
He smirks. “I meant for Rainier. Back bedroom, top drawer, close your eyes the entire way.”
I stand slowly. “Close my eyes? I’ll bet you’re serious, too.”
He grumbles, “Fuck yes, I am.”
Crossing my arms, I glare down at him playfully. “And just how am I going to find my way if I can’t look where I’m going?”
“Braille the fucking walls, baby. How else?” Paul commands with a smile, but in the next moment, he’s catching a pair of sweats posed to hit him in the face as Koda comes out of the back hall.
“Braille the walls?” Timmons snickers now that his big damn mouth is free. The man is a pain in the ass, but I can’t help but giggle with him as Rainier and Paul dress.
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay on the yacht tonight?” Paul jokes. Plenty of fresh air.”
“Domonic is going to kill you, bro,” Gryffin says, lying across the couch in amusement. “You busted his boat.”
“Domonic? Is that your Alpha?” I asks, taking Paul’s hand as he leads me away from the deconstructed cabin room and toward the helm.
“That he is. But he is also my best friend and once I explain what happened, he will not only understand, he might attack Rain himself.”
Settling in next to him in the control room, Paul has hands on the wheel and the craft pointed in the direction of the shoreline in less than thirty seconds. A flood of warmth boils my center when I realize why he’s suddenly so eager to head back.
He thinks he’s going to get to taste me… well the joke’s on him. After seeing the lance in his pants, I want to be the one who gets the first bite.
To temporarily stamp out my arousal before he can scent it, I decide to pry a little bit. “What are these ruins Rainier was talking about taking me to?”
Paul’s jaw clenches tight and he hisses, “It doesn’t matter because you’re not going to them.”
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“It does matter, because I want to know,” I argue. “What kind of ruins-”
“Anastacia, Paul growls in warning. “Stop.”
“Is that where this Lily Mariela died? In these ruins?”
“Anastacia,” Paul hisses, the yacht taking on a sudden burst of angry speed. “Not now. Please.”
In light of the fact that I can see Paul’s muscles bulging and his fangs glinting in the light, I concede, for now. I’m eager to explore my new powers, but I can wait until we’re back at his place. However, once we are… I’m going to do whatever it takes to figure out the location of these… ruins.
And then… if I have to, I’ll go all by myself.
Preferably at about noon.
Chapter Comme
