The Mating Rules

I stand to the side as Dexter moves around the pack dining hall, Ashleigh tucked into his side as everyone congratulates them on their pregnancy. From what I understand, it took Ashleigh three minutes to tell him and then three hours to get him to finally let her out of bed after he decided to show her just how much he loved her and how happy she had made him.

They’d then headed up to the top floor to inform the Alpha and from there it had soon spread across the pack house that Ashleigh was expecting.

Despite her worries earlier, she was smiling brightly, clinging to Dexter as he almost skipped around the dining room, people halting their meals so that they could shake his hand as he refused to let his mate go. That is going to be one possessive dad to be and I’m pretty sure that Ashleigh needs it, even when it annoys her, she’ll secretly love that her mate is watching over her all the time.

As I expected, Dexter and Ashleigh’s mum practically knock my friend to the ground, they are so excited. Even though the parents to be went to their homes to break the news, the future Grandma’s are still bursting with anticipation. I’ve never heard two women scream so loudly and excitedly about something as these two women when they entered the dining hall for dinner and spotted their son and daughter in the centre.

As I watch the two women engulf Ashleigh and Dexter for what I’m sure is the twentieth time today, I feel a light tap on my arm. Turning my head to the right I find Caden smiling down at me making my own lips tilt up automatically.

‘Hey you’ I murmur, leaning int his side as he wraps an arm around me.Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

‘Hi, I hear you will be becoming an honorary auntie’ the Alpha replies, grinning.

I nod, ‘yep, it’s exciting, isn’t it?’

Caden nods, ‘our pack is growing’ he agrees, ‘they look really happy don’t they’ he adds, tilting his head toward the couple who are now wrapped in each other’s arms, Dexter leaning closer to whisper something to my friend that makes her blush as she smiles.

‘They do’ I reply softly, my eyes following my best friend as she’s yet again engulfed by new pack members as they enter the dining hall and bee line toward her.

‘Can I steal you away?’ my mate asks suddenly, drawing my attention back to him.

‘Of course, are we going on a date?’ I ask in surprise, neither Hadley or Caden mentioned a date to me today.

‘It’s umm, I suppose, kinda?’ the Alpha replies uncertainly, frowning slightly.

‘Are you OK?’ I ask worriedly, reaching out a hand and resting it on his arm.

Caden forces a smile and nods, ‘yeah, of course’ he replies, that easy grin back on his face, ‘I’m always OK when I’m with you baby.’

I giggle, rolling my eyes playfully, ‘always so quick with the lines aren’t you’ I grumble as the Alpha smirks, dropping his arm from my waist and lacing his fingers with mine.

Tugging me gently, Caden pulls me from the room as I cast a quick glance backwards at my best friend who is still surrounded by pack members and is smiling widely.

Slipping out of the dining room, we walk across the hall and out of the front door, hurrying out into the darkening sky but away from Caden’s truck. Instead we set off on foot across the training ground and it takes me only a few minutes to realise that we are heading toward Hadley’s house.

‘Caden?’ I call out worriedly, slowing my pace as unease fills me, ‘why are we going to Hadley’s?’

The Alpha ignores my question, instead he tugs at my hand, urging me to continue walking with me.

‘Caden!’ I whisper yell, aware that my voice will carry in the stillness, ‘answer me!’

The man beside me sighs heavily as he slows to a stop and turns to face me, ‘Hadley and I would like to talk to you’ he mutters.

‘Why at Hadley’s? Why not somewhere else?’ I counter, my unease growing, we have never all met at Hadley’s house, it has been almost like an unwritten agreement. Hadley doesn’t have dates with me in the packhouse and Caden doesn’t infiltrate the warrior’s space, it’s almost like they both put up boundaries where the other can have me to themselves.

My mate sighs heavily, ‘please baby, just come with me’ he mumbles, ‘Carrington is expecting us.’

Realising I’m not going to get any answers until we reach our destination, I start walking again, each step closer making the weight in my stomach heavier.

As we approach, the door swings open to reveal Hadley, dressed in a white button down shirt and black jeans, he looks good enough to eat, and man I wouldn’t mind eating him.

The fact he’s standing at the door waiting though, tells me that he was watching us approach, meaning he was indeed expecting us. Reaching the doorway, I reach up on tiptoes, kissing him which he responds too immediately, calming my erratic heartbeat a fraction.

‘Star’ Hadley greets, stepping back to let us both enter.

‘Carrington’ Caden replies with a nod, placing his hand on the small of my back and guiding me into the living room where I take a seat on the couch.

I raise an eyebrow as both men sit either side of me, ‘OK, you are freaking me out’ I state, eyeing them both, ‘what is going on?’

The two men exchange a look before Hadley lets out a slow breath, ‘Jamie-Lee’ he starts, taking my hands in his as I turn to face him. ‘Star and I have been talking . . ‘

I glance over my shoulder at Caden who is watching us both tensely, ‘OK’ I reply nervously.

Releasing one of my hands, Hadley drags it through his hair in agitation, ‘we . . .’ his words stall and my anxiety levels sky rocket. In my mind even Skarla is sitting up, watching our mate, her own nervousness radiating through me.

‘What Carrington is trying to say’ Caden says behind me and I spin around to face him, ‘is we’ve been talking.’

I nod, ‘yes, Hadley just said that’ I bite back, seriously, these two need to spit out what ever it is they want to say before I have a heart attack.

‘Yes,’ Caden agrees,’ yeah, he did, so you see, we’ve been talking, Hadley and I . .’

‘if either of you tells me that one more time, I swear to the Goddess that I’m leaving’ I growl out.

‘OK, OK, so yeah, we’ve been . . ‘ Hadley cuts off immediately as I turn my narrowed gaze on him. ‘We’ve been thinking’ he continues slowly as I release a breath, ‘that there has been a lot of pressure on you over this whole thing.’ He waves his arm between the three of us as I nod in agreement.

‘So we really wanted to help you’ Caden picks up, his hand sliding into my free one so that both men are now anchored to me.

‘You have’ reply, ‘you’ve put aside your dislike for each other for me, taken me on group dates so I can spend time with you both . . ‘

‘We kind of had an ulterior motive for that’ Hadley admits as my gaze swings between the two guilty looking men on either side of me.

‘What?’ I whisper, ‘I thought you wanted to spend time with me.’ I can’t help the weak sound of hurt in my voice, i’m not usually a needy she wolf but I had firmly believed that they had put their differences aside to spend as much time with me as possible.

‘We did!’ Caden cuts in, glaring at Hadley, ‘we both wanted to be with you for every moment of every day.’

I glance down at the coffee table in front of us, anything to avoid looking at my mates and let them see my emotions. ‘Jamie-Lee, it’s true’ Hadley murmurs softly, ‘we both wanted all of your attention all of the time.’

I shake my head at that, ‘no you didn’t’ I argue, ‘you never worried about me being with Caden, you told me that, you said it was like watching him with his own mate not yours.’

I feel Caden’s grip stiffen slightly on mine, but my eyes have searched out the warrior who is idly rubbing his thumb over the back of my hand, tracing a soft design over my skin.

Hadley nods slightly, ‘because that is what it was like’ he admits, ‘Star is your mate sweetheart, I always saw that, right from the beginning.’

Frowning, I study the man next to me, take in the shadows under his eyes as though he didn’t sleep last night, the slight paleness to his skin. ‘Hadley’ I mumble, ‘what is going on? Why does it sound like you are about to let me go?’

Hadley’s gaze meets my own and I see the pure depth of pain written there as it dawns on me what he is about to do. I’m already shaking my head vehemently as he goes to open his mouth.

‘No!’ I shout, trying to tug away from them both, wanting to run as far as I can so he can’t speak the words I know are on the tip of his tongue but both men hold tightly to me, holding me in place.

‘Sweetheart, it’s the only way’ Hadley replies desperately, tears brimming in his own eyes as I openly start to cry, pain already wrapping itself around my heart as Skarla howls in my head.

‘NO!’ I yell, ‘it’s my decision, mine! The Alpha said you couldn’t force me, he said so!’

‘He also said that one of us could walk away if we thought it was right’ Hadley tries to explain desperately. ‘Please sweetheart, this is the only way, if I do it then you don’t have too, so the guilt of my rejection isn’t yours.’

I’m struggling as hard as I can now, crying uncontrollably, ‘No’ I whimper, ‘I won’t listen to it, you can’t make me!’

‘You will and you’ll accept it’ Hadley replies brokenly, ‘and then you’ll go and be the person you were born to be. You’ll be Luna of our pack, you and Caden will make a family and you’ll be happy.’

I’m still shaking my head, silently begging him with my eyes not to do this, and all I can see reflecting back at me is pain that matches my own mixed with determination.

Holding me tightly, Hadley leans forward, pressing his lips to my forehead as he whispers, ‘I love you Sweetheart, more than you’ll ever know,’ before pulling back and looking directly at me.

‘I Hadley Jordan Carrington, reject you Jamie-Lee . . ‘