The Mating Rules

Turning us around, the music ground to a halt as we came face to face with not only Caden, whose eyes were glowing gold, with Cobalt on the surface, but Hadley who looked equally furious, his eyes trained on the hand wrapped across my chest, pinning my arms to my side.

Behind us, even my sister was now quiet, her screams cut off as though she’d been gagged, filling me with dread. I couldn’t concentrate on her though, I had to stay in the moment if I wanted to get her out of here, so reluctantly I pushed her to the back of my mind.

Caden stepped closer, his claws extending, ‘I’d let her go if I were you’ he snarled warningly.

Owen gulped but tightened his grip, no doubt realising I was the only thing standing between him and death right now. ‘She’s unmarked, she’s fair game’ he replied bitterly.

Caden laughed, the sound loud and cold in the sudden silence, ‘she’s mine’ he said, no waver to his voice, no question, just fact, I was his.

‘Why isn’t she marked if she’s yours’ Owen growled, his mouth moving back toward my neck tauntingly.

My Alpha smiled cruelly, ‘you are not strong enough to demand answers from me pup, let my mate go or I’ll have to make you.’

The werewolf behind me sneered, ‘you and the lackey?’ he taunted, ‘you think you can take us? Do you really think I’m here on my own? I have friends here; we’ll rip you apart.’

Caden shrugged, looking around us, ‘where are they?’ he asked conversationally, ‘call them out. I’m in the mood for a little fun. What about you, Carrington? You want to play tonight?’ he asked, glancing at Hadley, who nodded as his claws slid from his skin.

‘Who here is with these three men who are forcing themselves onto unwilling she wolves?’ Caden yelled loudly. ‘Who stands beside weak assed men who are trying to take two already mated women and an underage child? Please step forward so I can meet you, learn your names and make sure that it’s known that you are enemies of the Diamond Star Pack.’

A murmur rippled around us, some people even taking a step back as he announced our pack name to the crowd. I straightened my back, silently letting both my mates know that I was with them and that I was ready to fight.

Turning back to Owen, Caden raised an eyebrow, ‘I don’t see your comrades rushing to your defense, are you sure you want to keep your dirty paws on my mate or are you rethinking your stance?’

Behind me I could hear Ashleigh’s voice, calling my sister’s name and I had to force myself to keep my gaze on my mates. If she was speaking to Bailee, then I had to assume she had either dealt with the black haired guy who held her, or he had managed to pin her again and she was now focusing on my unconscious sister. The lack of Owen’s brother’s voice told me that he was also out of the picture and I hoped to the Goddess it was because of me.

‘This is what’s going to happen’ Owen growled, ‘me and the b***h are going to walk out of here and you two will stay here until we are gone. Any attempt to touch me and I’ll snap her pretty neck’ he adds, caressing my neck with the fingers wrapped around it.

Caden’s gold eyes darkened, teeth elongating, and I knew he was seconds from shifting. Neither he nor Hadley had drunk any alcohol tonight, by the looks of it, the only reason they hadn’t shifted yet was because of the tight hold this a*****e had on me.

‘That’s not going to happen’ Caden replied coolly, ‘I’m not letting any wolf walk out of here with my mate.’

I tried to catch Caden’s gaze but he was glaring resolutely at my captor, so I flicked my eyes to Hadley, moving my head to attract his attention as Owen tightened his grip warningly.

The warrior’s eyes snapped to mine, and I widened my own, flicking my gaze to Owen, then down to my feet. Hadley frowned as I repeated the gesture, hoping he’d understand what I was saying. Suddenly, I slammed my head back into Owen’s face, the grunt of pain informing me that the a*****e had at least a broken nose. Stamping on his foot with my heel, I felt his grip loosen as I tore myself out of his arms, dropping to the floor, just as a large grey wolf flew over my head and slammed into the man behind me.

The two topple backwards, taking out a nearby table, Owen screaming as Hunter clamps his teeth down on the other werewolf’s arm, snapping the bone in two.

Rolling out of the way, I stand shakily just in time to see the black haired wolf releasing Ashleigh, who was pinned to his chest again, throwing her aside and jumping in to help his friend. The two men both extend their claws, slicing at Hunter’s sides, but the grey wolf doesn’t seem to feel the damage as he strips through their skin with ease, b***d pouring from their wounds.

Hunter turns sharply as Owen gets up on his knees, his hand above his head, claws pointing downwards as though to spear his neck. My mate’s jaws curving up, underneath, closing around the werewolf’s throat, ripping it out with his teeth. Trying to drag in air to my lungs, as my head swims from colliding with Owen’s face, I stumble forward toward Hunter, just as arms wrap around me for the second time, pulling me back.

‘NO!’ I yell, instinctively throwing my head back again, it worked once after all! The back of my head connected with a solid chest as Caden’s scent surrounded me.

‘It’s OK baby, I got you’ he soothed, tingles running up my exposed skin as I automatically slumped against him, my body starting to shake.

‘Hadley!’ I whimper, trying to pull away from Caden’s embrace, ‘you need to help him.’

My mate laughs, ‘and spoil his fun?’ he replies teasingly, ‘he’d never forgive me.’

Raising my gaze, I find Ashleigh’s captor is now under Hunter’s huge paws, lying next to his dead friend, the werewolf baring his neck as my mate sniffs him, growling deeply.

Hunter turns toward us questioningly and I look up just in time to see Caden nod before the loud ripping of flesh fills the club.

I stare in awe and horror as Hunter shreds the werewolf, flesh and b***d staining the floor and walls around us until the huge grey wolf is satisfied. Backing away, he gives the two men one last glance before moving toward me, rubbing his head against my body as he licks my arm.

‘I’m fine’ I whisper, running my hand over his huge head, ‘I’m OK.’

‘Jamie-Lee!’ Ashleigh calls out, pulling my attention from the huge wolf to my best friend who is leaning over my sister’s lifeless body.

A scream leaving my lips, I pull myself from my mates, running the few steps toward them and dropping to my knees next to my little sister, whose face is white, shallow breaths leaving her lips as a huge black and blue bruise with teeth marks stains her neck.

‘Bailee?’ I call out, brushing her hair from her face, ‘come on, you need to wake up now, come on Bails, open your eyes.’

My sister doesn’t move, her fingers not even tightening around my own as I take her hand in mine.

Looking up, I give my mates a pleading look, begging them to do something. Caden strides over, moving Ashleigh out of the way and scooping my sister up in his arms, and moves through the crowd toward the entrance.

Hunter moves over to Ashleigh and I, his nose prodding me, telling me to move. We both scramble to our feet, following Caden through the parted clubbers. Through the buzzing in my head, I hear the young Alpha shout to who I assume is the owner to bill the pack for the damage as he kicks open the door and heads out into the darkness.

Stumbling behind Caden, I hold on tightly to Ashleigh’s hand, the pair of us heading toward Caden’s truck, reaching it just as he opens the back door and slides my sister inside. Hunter skirts around us as we reach the passenger side doors, the grey wolf moving to the back and shifting before opening the boot and pulling out some sweats, dragging them up his legs.

‘Carrington, can you drive Ashleigh back in her car?’ Caden asked gruffly, ‘I don’t think she should be behind the wheel and Lee is probably going to want to travel with Bailee.’

He glances toward me as I nod immediately, pulling open the rear door and crawling in, positioning my lap under my sister’s head so I can cradle her.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

‘I’m so sorry Bailee’ I whisper, stroking her hair as strong arms reach around me and fasten my seatbelt.

I look up to find Hadley leaning over me. He smiled sadly before pressing his lips to my forehead and extracting his bulky frame from the vehicle.

In front of me, Caden is already behind the wheel, gunning the engine and pulling away from the parking space as my door is slammed shut. I turn my head to look out of the back window at my best friend who is curled in on herself, holding her stomach.

‘She’ll be OK Leeway’ Caden’s voice calls from the front, bringing my attention back to him. Meeting his gaze in the rear view mirror, I nod as Caden smiles, ‘Carrington will get her home, he’ll meet us at the clinic as soon as he gets her to her house. He’ll also link Dexter to let him know what happened and get someone to cover him so he can be with her.’

‘Thank you’ I whisper, my gaze falling on my hand that is stroking my sister’s hair absentmindedly. They are shaking, I can’t make them stop and I feel so cold. I lean forward and press a k**s on my little sister’s cheek, ‘be OK Bails, please, I need you’ I croak before closing my eyes as tears run down my face.