The Pack: Rule Number 1 - No Mates

Chapter Two Hundred Eighty-One

ANASTACIA

atil Paul apeel fa cup here with me, | spent the entire tcrying in the center of the bed. The past week

has been a long one, and | suppose it has finally taken its toll. My sister was expectingto show up at Gran’s

house on the day that she died. | told her that |

there. Pomised that Til show up. | definitely meant to. But of course, things don’t always go as planned.

Especially when your boyfriend turns out to be a twa huuled year old monster intent on degjuring your soul,

Tansonnow | will call her. I'm sure one of these shifters has a plane that can use. | have to know that she is safe

and | need to tell her how worry | am about everything

Now that Paul will be coming upstairs to keepcompany, | finally draw down the covers and dim the lights.

The moment | climb under The security of his weighted velvet blankets and down comforter, a sense of peace

surrounds me. My head falls heavily on the softest of pallows and | turn my face into it, inhaling deeply, | smell

him all over the damn thing and the scent of him soothes me. With a moan of satisfaction, I let my eyes fall

closed.

Ole goddess... The bed feels heavenly and my bones are studdenly aching with exhaustion.

How | fall asleep yet Wait for his

at... To not sate if | can. Sleep is harreling down onlike an eighteen wheeler and I’m helpless to stop it. I'm

just so tired.

The door creaks open and still can’t open my eyes, but | can speak. Paul,” | whisper.

He inhales sharply and | hear him walk toward the bed. | want him in 1 want to feel his warmth next to mine.

“Tuck,” he whispers. The bed dips on the apposite side, the heavy mass of him drawingdeeper into the

middle. “You look so harmless like this, he says softly. So innocent. | guess you couldn't be charmingnow,

now could you? That would probably be pretty hard while you're asleep.”

Hat Tim not asleep... though | am pretty close. However, | don’t say anything, just reach for him with one hand,

stroking my fingers over the bed until they meet with the warm skin of his forearm.

His tendons shift at the contact and | feel one hand close over my own, anchoringto him and tracing small

circles over my Desh. A shiver rides across my body, firing it up and beggingto inch closer to the fuse that

started the blaze. Worming my body toward the conter of the bed until my forehead can feel the expulsion of

heat that his skin gives off, | smile and call out to him again. Thank you.

“No more tears, Anastacia, | don’t like them,” he says softly in warming, and | feel the press of one hand as it

traces the curve of my hip over the blanket. Shaping it and molding it againstlike second skin. The motion

hasmoaning with pleasure even as | succumb to the darkness on the brink of rest. “Fucking hell, it’s like you

were built for me. How are you so perfect?” he breathes.

| think of my sister and of Gran, of the mean things | said to them, and of my stubborn absolution that kept me

tethered to a beast and... | whimper. You're wrong, Paul. As the void of sleep clouds over me, Paul's hand

remains..

Fur not perfect. | never was,

a minute, its fingers cresting on the curve of my ass. “I wish there was a way to know

He sighs and the hand stroking my hip stops for a n

that what I'm feeling is real.”

| want to tell him that it is real. | want to speak to him about my dream about all the things that my Gran said to

me, but | can’t... Im just too tired and before | know it, | am asleep.

PAUL

1/3

Chapter Two Hundred Eighty Gre

The winy she looks benutted In

douhte. Intagining her like this in someon

inga nirling mver my lip with

Whether the is mine not, | need to be the one to protect her, or 1 might completely lose my mind.

Acting in my pocket grabs my attention het as | hear the scratch relImes on my tonight away | know the buzzing

must be my

berring

alarm system. The weight of the dog on the roof just triggered one of the sensors

“Son of a bitch,” | grows, lesping to my feet and casting my eyes toward the ceiling.

1 hear my bedroom door open at my back and Rainier’s voice as be hisses. They re on the roof

eyes and body go straight toward the shaded window of my room. | won’t be moving from this spot. Not at all.

First, | be those things are strong enough to shutter the triple paned bullet-proof sealed windows that make up

my second story and 1

they don’t mean to.

hay re trying to drawaway from her. For sreason, they don’t wantnear her. Somehow, | just know

that this is true.

betting it’s not the Alpha on the roof. He wouldn't risk himself,” | remark

Rainier steps inside, standing next to me. The trees are too close to your house. Tomorrow were going to have to

cut a few down. I'm

ing to call it in as an animal disturbance and have a few of my deputies send the rangers.”

“No,” | say with a smirk. “Send out the cats. Give those mutts a little taste of what they're up against.”

Rainier chuckles. “What about Koda? Hes itching for a run.”

too,” | snart. “But | won't leave her alone. I think that’s what they want.”

“The SUV is outside,” Rainier informs me.

Perfect,” | say thoughtfully. “Have Gryff and Cane bring that one down and take him to the dungeons. Then

tomorrow we'll see what hes made of | have a few questions that I'd like to ask.”

“No!”

voice sounds behind us, shadowed with an echo of power

We both spin around to see Anastacia sitting up in her sleep. Her eyes are still closed, but her breathing is

ragged,

What the fuck?

e eerie reverberating tone and the hair on the back of my neck rises. “To the beach, where shadow hounds are

She speaks again in the sweakest. To the shore at dawn when light chases darkness. Saltwater will bind him

and wash away his taint.”

“Fucking witchcraft,” | hiss.