The Pack: Rule Number 1 - No Mates

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The Pack: Rule Number 1 – No Mates

Chapter One Hundred–Sixteen

DRAVEN

Five minutes after I called him, Dart was strolling through the front doors like an avenging angel. His stride was steady and unhurried, his eyes scanning the perimeter through the windows. Ever vigilant up until the point that he realized Taedora and I were baking biscuits in the kitchen. Brows furrowed in confusion, he asks, “What kind of emergency calls for biscuits and gravy?”

I grin, tossing my oven mitts up on the counter as I leap into his arms for a warm welcoming hug. “We’re making breakfast for everyone.”

“Everyone?” Bart asks. “Who is everyone?”

I smile bouncing back on my heels. “Emily, Koda, and you.”

“Emily and Koda? Are you sure they’re going to make it?”

I laugh, my eyes sparkling as I nod toward the driveway and the silver SUV pulling in behind Bart’s truck. “Yup.”

An hour later the five of us are gathered in the living room when I pull out the jewelry box and flip the lid open for all to see. A chorus of gasps and curses follow. Koda tenses, his arms guing so tight around Emily that she yelps.

“When did Domonic give that to you?” Bart asks, reaching forward to take it in his hands.

“This morning,” I say. Just before he left. He told me to keep it until my answer was yes and then… just that 1 should put it on and he would know.” I smile, my eyes watering at the memory. “When I saw what he did to the guestroom – how he made it into a nursery‘–I swallow-“I opened it to put it on and-”

That message was there instead of the ring,” Koda hisses. “Have you asked Domonic about it?”

I shake my head. “No.”

Any particular reason why?” Bart asks.

“You know why,” I say simply.

He and Koda both nod. “Right,” Bait acknowledges. “You don’t want him to send you away again.”

Koda growls, “Excuse me for a minute.” The rest of us watch as Koda settles Emily on the seat next to him and steps out front.

“Where the hell is he going?” Taedora quips, hopping out of her seat to peer out the front door.

“Not far,” Emily says. “He won’t leave me. This is the farthest his been from me since we got back here.”

“He’s on the phone,” Bart says, meeting my gaze. “Calling Rainier.”

“What?” I snap. “Why Rainier? What does he have to do with a

of it

humorlessly. “Aside from the fact that he’s the one who Domonic had retrieve the ring

eyes narrowing as something nags at me, gnawing at the back of

always sensed a slight resentment. Like he wasn’t entirely happy that I was here. Could he have put that message in the box for me to read? Or for Domonic to see and once again decide it was too dangerous for me to stay?

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Chapter One Hundred–Sixteen

the best thing to do is confront him about it and find out.

front. His eyes go straight for Taedora. “You helped put up

and the

vivid and catlike as she purrs, “I did.

of the Sheriff Station. One of the places we had you lions place the cameras. If someone dug it out

if there’s no one on the camera

other person who might

their eyes meet over the tabletop. “And Rainier is

bring it over afterward,” Koda explains.

surrows at him warily. “So you don’t think Rainier had something to do

at that,

first glimpse of anger I’ve seen

have to smile upding the way he relaxes once he snuggles into her neck. Is that what Domanic and I were like all of the time? No wonder everyone kitew I

are adorable,” I say with

to seeing from Koda, his eyes

them as they cuddle and I notice for the first time how truly lonely

I whisper and his eyes flare

clears his throat. “Thats a nice thought kiddo.

smile, reaching over to squeeze his hand. “It’s true.

squawks. Because that wasn’t weird at all.”

grabbing the jewelry box off the table and placing it back inside my pocket. “Okay. So back to the task at

I stare out at the yard. “Who

his gaze lowering with a shake of his head.

a deep

coming out so softly they re almost hard to hear, “Rainier’s human wife.

mata??” I yelp. “Why didn’t I know that?”

granting me a wan smile. “She’s

But she is

Dume. “So be murtied someone who was not his mate?”

unison, their

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Hundred

is

dont know he might