The Pack: Rule Number 1 - No Mates

center my attention.

“What was that, Doc?”

Doc Rhodes smiles knowingly, then handsa small leather tote with three pill bottles inside. “I said you can

stop pacing. You two are doing this all wrong! Has she even been to see a doctor yet?”

“Uh...” | flinch, caught off guard for a moment. “Just you?” Sounds right.

Rhodes shakes his head at me. “You need to take better care of her, Timmons. She shouldn't be working double

shifts. What you've got right there in that bag is prenatal vitamins, sfolic acid, and an additional iron

supplement. It'll take her a week or so of getting used to, but she needs to be taking one of each every morning.

She’s probably going to get sick at first, but it'll pass.” The Doc pats my shoulder while | remain thoroughly

confused. “I know she’s a hard ass, | see her at the diner all the time, busting her butt while that piece of filth,

Hugh, chases her around, from one end of the room to the next. Following her into bathrooms and cornering

her-"

“Wait! What?” | snap, because now the good doctor has my undivided attention. “Chasing her...what are you

saying, Doc? Who's been chasing her?”

Doc Rhodes sighs heavily. “The owner's son, Hugh. He's been running her into the ground almost

week.”

Oh he has, has he?

The Doc shakes his head, and I follow him back to the couch where he begins to unhook her from the monitor.

Doc explains, “I've seen her there sometimes from five a.m. until four p.m. All the while dodging that lousy

pervert while she tried to work. Every other second he’s harassing her about something. If you want my advice,

I'd say, she should quit.”

“Hugh,” | repeat. “The owner's son.” That snaggle toothed little twerp that’s always pouring an ounce of sweat,

should he so much as have to lift a finger to give directions? “The manager? Has he been...putting his hands on

her?” | manage to bite out through mostly clenched teeth.

ooo

Doc shrugs. “Not as far as | can tell. But he certainly goes after her hard enough. Fortunately, she’s a lot quicker

than he is.”

“I see,” | whisper, the tension in my muscles suddenly wound with a hostile intensity. “And is he at the diner until

closing?”

The Doc smiles. “I believe so. Yes. But you shouldn't drag her down there. She needs to rest.”

“I wouldn't dream of it,” I lie. Not only do | suddenly want to take her down there, | want to stop and get down

there, before we head to

the bar.

“You should take her straight hand get her into bed and get her fed Everything else can wait.”

| stare at him for a moment, wondering if he’s truly concerned for Kendall the girl, or if all this is for Kendall the

tits. After all, he spent a good deal of tin her shirt measuring them. “I'll take care of it, Doc. No worries.”

“She needs to take better care of herself, Timmons. | don’t think she’s been eating enough. | could feel her ribs a

little too well.”

“I'll just bet you could,” I slide out, wondering what other parts of her he took it upon himself to check.

1/3

Chapter Three Hundred Thirteen

“She doesn’t have a concussion, there are no signs of trauma, and her art is in good condition, but...she’s

exhausted.”

My eyes fall on Kendall, guilt, my immortal friend, climbing back onto my shoulders for yet another ride. She's

still out cold, her dirty blond hair fanned out around her shoulders and her butterfly shaped li barely parted in

slumber when | step forward and scoop Curling her a little deeper intoso that her head is now tucked into

my chest, | glance out the window, cursing at the rain that is suddenly barreling down. Eyeing the skimpy crop

top Kendall is wearing, | growl. “Shit, Doc. You wouldn't happen to have a blanket, would you? | don’t want her to

get wet.”

her back into my arms. Goddamn she is light. The Doc may have a point she needs

to ear

Whoops. Another lie. | do want to get her wet, just not out in the rain.

She’s pregnant, remember?

You will live the rest of your life without ever having tasted her peach, and is all your own fault.

But...

“Here you go,” Rhodes says, tucking a thick sherpa around her a little too comfortably, and a little too tightly.

“She’s good, Doc. | got it,” | announce, nearly flashing him my fangs as his hand comes away from her shoulder.

The doctor's lips twist into a patronizing smile as he followsto the front door. “She needs to get better rest,

Timmons. Perhaps, given your newest set of circumstances, it’s time.”

Set of circumstances? What circumstances would those be?

And time? Tfor what?

Treatingto another pat on the back that not only, do | not need, but that | am not particularly deserving of

either, he says, “Make an honest woman out of her, Timmons. She's a great girl. She deserves better,”

| hear that last part just as | open the door and the cold wind rushes in, carrying with it enough rain to wake the

sleeping beauty in my arms. I'm about to correct him, my mouth falls open to do just that, but that’s when

Kendall's eyes flutter open and her sad, sleepy gaze finds mine. Suddenly, she is wide awake and coming

completely alive in my arms. When she realizes that I'm the one that’s holding her, | feel her start to react. A

nervous tremble skates across her body and her hands grip the front of my uniform. Then, it’s as if she suddenly

remembers the asshole underneath, and she releases it to fidget with the blanket instead. Her mouth turns down

in a sad little pout and | watch the different gold and olive hues of her hazel brown eyes stretch, and blend,

overlapping as they thread in on one another. The

haunt of them stealing my breath away.

“You can put your arms around my neck,” | say roughly, trying like hell not to picture what | usually see

whenever | toy with the daydream

that for me, is Kendall.

She never wanted him. You pushed her toward him.

Do not let the memory of that night intrude on this...on her.

But...they were together for an entire two months.

Slamming my eyes shut for a long second, | will the image of Kendall with her legs around Bartlett to wither and

die, but the harder I try

to kill it, all the more vivid it becomes.

Con, just shake it off. At least get to the bar and spend the whole evening with her before you spazz the

fuck out.

the feel of Kendall's cool fingers sliding into the grooves of my shoulders as her hands traipse toward my neck

and then around it, snap