The Pack: Rule Number 1 - No Mates

The Pack: Rule Number 1 - No Mates Chapter Two Hundred Fifty-Five GAYLE The house is still quiet when Cane and I slip through the door of my room and into the hall. The clock on the wall reads that it's four am in the morning and despite the early hour I am wide awake. Before we decided to cdown here I threw on a light pair of pajama bottoms and a loose white top. I'm not wearing a bra or panties, so when I race down the stairs the wind catches my shorts, whipping them upward and before I can step one foot beyond the landing Cane is on me.

The space is dark around us, but even so, our lion sight makes everything easy for us to see. Yet I don't check the room, because as far as I know everyone here is still sleeping.

"These shorts are going to be a problem, Cane hisses softly in my ear, snaringaround the waist with one arm and cupping my ass cheek with his free hand.

I start to laugh, pressing back into his growing erection so that I can feel it rocking behind his jeans.

"I agree. Definitely going to be a problem. Especially for me, after all the yelling you both were doing only minutes ago, Quinn's voice spills across the space and that's when I remember that he and Delilah had fallen asleep together on the couch in the living room that evening. He doesn't stand up, simply tilts his head in our direction to flash Cane a wide-toothed smile. "Good to see you again, Cane. I stand up and hug you, but your sister is asleep across my lap.

Cane smiles, wandering toward the back of the couch to peer down at her for a long moment. As glad as I am to see her, Cane whispers, "I'm not entirely ready to hear her mouth, so carry on." Quinn laughs silently in the dark, then says, "I really am happy to see that you're okay, man." His face falls, guilt tainting his features. “It never should have happened that way. I'm a wolf shifter and I should have- "No," Cane interrupts. "No, bro. Everything happened just the way it was supposed to. Don't you dare go feeling responsible for my fucked up mistakes. They were mine to make and I own them. You did what you were supposed to do. You took care of my sister.” They stare at each other for a long moment, a silent understanding passing between the two of them before Quinn simply nods and turns away.

"I'm pretty sure Taedora prepared one of the guestrooms for you two. What are you both still doing down here?" I ask.

"It's on the other side of the villa and Lilac refused to letmove her until she knew whether or not Cane would be waking up," Quinn says. "So we both fell asleep here and were honestly sleeping pretty well until that small earthquake rocked the house a few moments ago. Which I can pretty much guarantee you, heard as well." Quinn chuckles, flashing the two of another grin. "But now that the danger has passed, I'll carry her up to bed. She can yell atwhen she wakes up. Where are you two headed so early?" "Just needed sair for a moment," Cane answers smoothly, tossinga pointed look.

"That's okay, keep your secrets," Quinn replies, clearly aware that Cane is lying. "You know where to findif you need shelp with that little bastard." "Werewolf hearing..." I supply with a roll of my eyes and Cane smirks guiltily.

Yup, Quinn comments. "Sometimes it's an absolute bitch. Especially during earthquakes." By the tthe two of us enter the basement, it's closing in on five a.m. and when I step toward the room that houses Ted Cane stopswith a shake of his head.

"Go upstairs Kitty Cat," he says. "I'll handle this and then meet you in just a minute." "What?" I snap. "No! I'm not afraid of him, He's just slittle crybaby weasel that- 1/2 Chapter Two Hundred Fifty-Five "I know, baby," Cane says quietly, pullinginto his arms for a ferocious kiss. "And I know you're not going to like what I do next, but m going to ask you to trust me." "I do trust you, Cane," I whine. "It's you that needs to trust me. I don't want any more secrets between us. I need to know everything you intend to do. Especially now that you're a lion." His blue eyes glitter with a splash of gold as he gazes down at me, seeming to be lost in thought for a moment. "You're right, he says. "God help me, you're right. If I only would have listened to you before... he trails off almost as if he can no longer speak.

"What did you just tell Quinn?" I remind him. "You said everything happened the way it was supposed to. As painful as it was...if it hadnt happened that way, you wouldn't be a shifter now. And maybe - for whatever fucked up reason - we were supposed to go through that so that you and I could have a full and happy life together. Maybe it was designed that way. So that we could appreciate each other more o fit together better or I don't know what - but what you said to him made perfect sense to me. So don't you dare go forgetting about it." He smiles. 'You're right. I won't. Con then," he says, with his hand on the lock. "Let's get this bastard ready to run into the woods.

"What?" I hiss. "Why would we do that?" Cane turns towith that clever little grin that has becsomewhat of his trademark. "Because in order to get rid of the rangers scouting the woods for you and get the Elder Few to release your mom's body, we're going to need him to be rescued

My mouth falls open in an 'o' of fascination and for the very first tI begin to understand how his mind works. "I bet you loved chess as a child.

He shakes his head. "Nah. That gbores me. Too many limits to what you can do. I prefer a bigger, wider, less restricted playing field" "And why does that not surprise me...” I murmur.

But the biggest surprise comes when Cane opens the door and the overhead light goes on. Right away sense that but I can say hat there is something wrong, see what it is with Cane blocking the entrance. When Cane turns around there's a fire in his eyes and 1 know without asking that the room is empty. "Shit," I snap.

"Go get the wolf," Cane snarls. "This little motherfucker scent is still fresh, but we might just need Quinn to chase him."

As I turn around and head for the stairs it dawns on me... Only the most powerful of lions dan scent their prey that way... The kind bom to be Alphas... The kind born to be Kings... Chapter Comments