The Pack: Rule Number 1 - No Mates

Chapter Two Hundred Eighty-Two

PAUL

Downstairs with my brothers, | keep one eye on the open door of my bedroom and my ears piqued to listen.

There was no need to share what Anastacis had just done and said, everyone on the first floor had heightened

senses and each and every one of them heard her themselves.

“Crazy fucken shit, Timmons hisses. “So saltwater, eh?” He turns toward Gryffin. “Your daddy tell you that too?

Gryffin's jaw clenches and he shakes his head, no. “What he did tell me, was that a shadow hound killed in the

night under a blackened space will kill the beast, but release his shadowed soul. Then that soul will grab the first

natural creature of likeness, presumably a dog- or hound, and take that life instead. Apparently shadowed souls

can room freely in the dark.”

“Shit, Timmons curses.

1 ask, “Take that life instead? Meaning what exactly?”

Gryffin’s head jerks in my direction. “Meaning he will transfer his soul to another hound. A natural. And that

natural will beca shadow hound shifter. My father said shadow hounds in daylight can be killed, but only

under a full sun. Only when the sun is directly above it will the shadowed soul be banished.”

“Well that’s not good,” Rainier gripes. “I mean, fuck. That makes them pretty fucking”

“Indestructible?” Gryffin supplies. “Yeah, | know.”

“I wo

wonder if they're aware of that trait, says Cane thoughtfully. “When the three of you went after them in the

woods, they all looked pretty different to me. As if they weren't even of the slitter. They might not even

know what their shadow capabilities are. The real question is... do they becshadow, or are they born

shadow?”

“You're right,” 1 agree, just as the scratching on the rooftop s

more about that.”

rooftop starts up again. Raising My eyes heavenward, | say, “I need to talk to Anastacia

“Unfortunately, that’s not something my father shared with me,” Gryffin complains. “If I'd known we were about

to meet some, | might have asked.”

“Well what's stopping you from doing so now?” | ask..

Gryffin grantsan apologetic smile. “Selfish desire. | don’t want that asshole coming hwith his whores

and if I'm suddenly Interested in sta ow hounds, he'll know there's a reason for it and might decide to find out

what that is. He's been botheringabout taking on a few chosen females. Females that he hand-picked for me

himself.”

“Is that why he’s in Africa? Is he lioness hunting for your wedding?” Rainier taunts him.

“Fuck you,” Gryffin says with a smile.

Shaking off the image of Gryffin and his three course wedding, | attempt to steer the conversation back toward

the hounds.”So to bind one in saltwater and wash it of its taint probably means.......” | trail off

“You wash the shadow from its soul, Koda inserts with a grin. Two birds with one stone there.”

“Only If you drown the bastard afterward,” Rainier quips.

Koda hisses, “Exactly.”

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Chapter Two Hundred Eighty-Two

My eyes focus on Cane and Gryffin. “So get up there and grab us a guinea pig.”

“Then what?” Gryffin chortles. Bring him in here?”

“Not at first,” Cane grins, catching on. We take that fucker to the goddamnedd beach and wash the shadow from

his soul. And then we bring him back here.”

I have to smile at that, eager to get my hands on one the men that have been chasing my not my-Anastacia. |

want to make that fucker bleed and have him telleverything he and his kin planned to do to her. Then... I'll

have him apologize and beg her forgiveness. And then I will kill him.

CANE

Gryffin and | step out the backdoor and the slide of the deadbolt behind us seems to echo in the woods. The pair

of us are naked and despite the frost in the air, I'm not even a little bit cold. Another perk af becoming a shifter |

suppose. When Gayle and | parted ways at the docks, she was concerned that | might have trouble shifting on

command and did her best to get Gryffin to agree to a switch.

She wantedwith her and Goose with him, but Gryffin and | both knew | needed the practice, so we declined.

Now, she’s pissed at me. She didn’t even kissgoodbye. My beautiful savior who mourned my death, refused

to even look at me. Denieda proper send off on my first pack pride mission.

Now? All | can think about is getting back to her and reminding her of what we almost lost. Because I've already

made the vow with myself, never to leave her like that ever again. | want a kiss from her every single fucking

twe separate from now on.

need my kitty cat. | need to make her puit.

So this little task, although it promises to be a smashing good time, can’t end fast enough. | need my

One that note, | tune into the night around us, my eyes lasering through the eerie midnight mist in search of

movement beyond the rooftop.

And there It

My eyes immediately pick out four unshifted males high up in the trees. They're just far enough away that they

can see the roof of Paul's house. Just as we expected... they appear to be waiting for something. They want the

girl left defenseless. Or... they are testing our strengths. Suddenly, this givespause, but as we already have

a plan in place, | don’t speak on it.

It won't matter what they know when they are dead.

Gryffin must notice them around the st| do, because he meets by gaze with a nod in their direction. |

smile, then I'm off. Racing through the woods at speeds even the wolves can’t follow. Trees and shrubbery pass

by in a blur. Darkened colors of barest green and deepest un or that bleed into each other are the only markers

of the path | follow. The plan is forto keep them busy while Gryffin takes dow decoy.

These hounds never even seecoming.

Nor are they prepared for the beast that | will shift into.

And shift | do, half a second before | circle at the base of a particularly all evergreen. One they should never have

taken the tto climb, because..... now... there's only one way down that isn’t me.

After quickly reminding myself that | cannot murder them, | leap.

ANASTACIA

| wake from what feels like troubled sleep and for a moment I'm completely confused. A quick glance around

remindsof where | am, of whose h| am in, and for a second | allow myself to smile..

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Chapter Two Hundred Eighty-Two

He left?

zwn. | glance toward the indow and even though it is shaded and tinted | am fairly certain that it is still dark out.

| must not wn asleep for very long and the weariness in my bones is confirmation of that.

I'm still so freaking tired

The numbling of raised voices findsthrough the wide open door of Paul's room and | slip from the bed,

wandering toward the second

“You took him! You YOU TOOK HIM FROM MEEEF HE WILL KILL YOU FOR THIS!!!

What the hel?

Whose voice is th

“Shut the fuck up.” Paul snarls and just the tenor of his voice, although wrought with anger, it does something to

my insides. Calms me.

But who is he talking to?

Take that bastard to the basement.”

A panicked snarl, one | have heard before, hasracing toward the railing. My hips clash with the bannister just

in tto see Jarl, one of Draco’s pack, naked and struggling to get free. The sheriff has his arms in what looks

like an ironclad grip while the blondies have hold of his legs.

Oh my

God!

Tarl’s eyes steady just long enough to catch sight ofand the moment he does his panic turns to anger. “YOU!

YOU WERE TO BE OURS! OUR LIFE’'S BLOOD! OUR QUEEN! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR SHADOW??? WHY IS IT

GONE???? WHYYY??2??"

My shadow What?