The Pack: Rule Number 1 - No Mates

Chapter Two Hundred Seventy-Six

PAUL

Shes wrong. | don’t hate it. But that is what bothers me,

I should hate it. Shouldn't 17

She’s a witch. A conjurer. She has powers I'm completely unfamiliar with and it fucks up my heart.

She’s more than beautiful enough forto be naturally attracted to, so | know my desire for her is a primal

thing. And actual thing

That's not the problem.

The thing that getsis the other stuff. The purple mist, the flashing eyes, the not knowing why my heart is

pumping so rapidly with my fingers stroking up her ankle,”

If she’s bewitching me, it makes more sense. If she casted ssort of charm over me,

ne, then | ge

My brow furrows as | tune into her pulsing, galloping heart, and match it with my own.

Am | really affecting her? Or is it in trick?

“You don’t have to use your magic on me,” 1 murmur quietly.

| get it. And | resent it.

Her head snaps up and she snarls behind clenched teeth, “You. Are. Burning. The Food. And I'm hungry” She

jerks out of my grip and spins away from the sink, kickingwith her tiny legs in the process. If you won't cook

it. | will.”

She leaps from the counter and | watch as she saunters toward my stove to take over. My eyes are on the barely

viuble lines of her juicy little ass as she works and | stroke my cock on the outside of my sweats to ease a little of

the tension she created.

For sreason, the sight of her cooking in my kitchen sends an explosion of warmth through me. She looks

perfect there. And callan asshole if you want to, but | like the image of her as a homemaker.

My homemaker.

Fucking hell.

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She’s not your anything. She’s a witch running from dogs.

“Tellabout the hounds,” | say to her, grabbing the mop out of the closet. | need to make sure all that

powdered glass is gone.

She side-eyes me, snapping a pair of tongs my way as she flips the steaks off the pan and onto a plate to rest.

Her hair is still wet and already the curls bounce and sway with her every movement. “I didn’t kill his sister. He

doesn’t ever fine a sister. As far as | know, he

never did.”

“Okay,” | reply, mopping quickly and then putting away my supplies. Leaning on the doorframe, 1 watch her

start the chicken. With a roll of her eyes, she reaches toward my spice rack and grabs the cayenne, adding a

healthy dose of it to the bubbling butter. Cute. So she likes spicy foods. Got it. “The glass you broke was it a

tumbler?”

This gives her pause and she bites her plump, delectable lip. Her eyes bat in my direction, dilating when she

focuses on my bare chest. “Yeah. | was feeling a couple of cocktail. I dunno. Like a pupaya Pina Colada or

something.”

Papaya | quip. “Don’t think | have any. What made you want that?”

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Chapter Two Hundred Seventy-Six

Her lips purse and she turns away from me. “I don’t wait it. Not anymore.”

For sreason | feel that comment like an arrow to the chest and | step forward. “And why’s that?” | challenge

her, my eyes traveling over the delicious caramel of her legs.

“Because 17 doesn’t want me,” she whispers, clearing her throat afterward. “Where are we going to eat?”

“Because it doesn’t want you...” | repeat not ready to let it go. “It?”

She doesn’t turn, focusing entirely on the food in front of her as she fills a pot with water and milk for potatoes.

“You. You smell like papaya.”

My body jerks in surprise. Papaya? Me? i don’t see how that could be true, but still... | have to ask. Is that what

you honestly believe? That | don 1... that I'm not...”

She spins on me, glaring up at my face from shuttered eyelids, her impossibly long fashes casting a shadow over

her cheeks. “It's what you

My jaw goes tight, my fists clenching at my sides as | bypass her to head for the dining room and set the table. |

lean in close as | step past her and whisper in her ear, “You smell like honeycomb. Even after your lavender

bath.”

“Honeycomb? What? Yuck!” she

lore honeycomb,

she says behindand this givespause.

And something is telling me, she loves papaya.

Then, | continue toward the other room, feeling her eyes on my back the entire time. When I'm done setting the

table, | turn around to see her transferring the abundance of food onto platters | had set on the breakfast nook.

Papaya....

Pulling out my phone, | shoot Draven a quick text.

Do | smell like papaya to you, too?

Luna D-

Is this a trick question?

Humor me.

Luna D-

| honestly couldn’t say. I've never been so bold as to sniff you.

Me-

So that’s a no. Thanks

Luna D-

Save the weird shit for Jater, yeah?

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Chapter Two Hundred Seventy-Six

You'd be so mad atif you knew what happened minutes ago,

Luna D

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That alone pissesoff. | don’t even need to know what you've done. FIX IT! Whatever it is...

Chuckling, | put my phone back in my pocket. As Anastacia enters the mom, she scowls. “Is something funny?”

she chirps.

ight? A witch couldn’t be my mate. Right?

| shake my head, watching her carefully. There's no way, right?/

on me

Maybe she has heightened senses, like shifters do. Maybe she can smell it on

Then again, | don’t wear papaya aftershave, nor do | use that type of shampoo,

Could she be trying to trickin sway? She can’t possibly know about the draws of a mate, can she?

Maybe she thinks I plan to take her to the edge of stown tomorrow and just push her out of my car.

Walt just a minute though. I almost forgot about that part. She expectsto take her somewhere. She expects

to leave:

Taking a seat across from her at my small, round dining table my body begins to constrict with tension. | don’t

think I can do At least,

not until ve dealt with the hounds

“About the hounds,” | start, smiling as she loads my plate with food before she leads her own. “Maybe it’s time

you toldhow you get involved with them. Why are they chasing you?”

She sighs, pausing in the middle of slicing into her steak. She prefers the red meat to the white... Interesting.

She has to be starving, so | almost tell her we can talk about it later, but she lifts her eyes to mine and the fear |

see there sends icicles spearing into my chest.

“They re not regular hound shifters,” she says flatly. They're shadow hounds.”

nds? What the hell is the difference?”

“Shadow hounds?

“I thought you said you've met a Voodoo Queen once?”

“I have. She didn’t exactly share all her knowledge withthough. So... what are they?”

eyebrows quirk upward and she settles back against the cushioned velvet of the dining room chair. “I think you

better fix us a couple of drinks, Pretty Paul. We're going to need them.”