The Pack: Rule Number 1 - No Mates

Chapter One Hundred Seventy–Seven

QUINN

Charlie? You can’t be seriates,

I watch from my seat as Delilah pushes through a small throng of people. She is being forceful and not uttering so much as a quick pardon me, before heading toward the back corner of the restaurant. Drawing herself up, she stops next to a corner booth, where a male about my age is seated. At first, she’s simply storing at him, but I can tell she’s nervous and that little detail bothers me more than I care to admit. You only get nervous like that when you care for someone. I should know, it’s how I feel when I look at her. Suddenly, I’m feeling very, very sick.

I just had to stop for burs

burgers, didn’t 17

She didn’t give me so much as a second look when she saw Charlie, Jus zoomed out of the car, Maximus forgotten. Then of course, there’s the fact that she hasn’t so much as raised her head in my direction. Not even once, not even to see if I followed her inside. Which is more than a little upsetting.

Fuck. Is it because I want her so badly that Foi the one that gets to suffer this way? Maybe I should’ve pretended I didnt want her, like Rainier did, or Domonic. Shit, that’s right, Koda too. The three of them were wretched to their mates when they found them. Domonic lied to Draven and tried to force her to the other side of the country. Koda didn’t even start to see the light until Emily was in coma, and Rainier arrested his girl for being a hooker. A HOOKER for Christ sake!!

But what happens for them? Everything. And me? I want nothing more than to make her mine and share absolutely everything with her. But what does she do? First, she tries to stand me up by catching the train out, and now….

My chest flares with pain as I gaze through the glass window and see that she’s now sitting across from the slack jawed little punk. But that’s not what causes the sudden hitch in my breath. Nope. It’s the way she’s stroking his hands that does me in. Swallowing something that feels like wet sand in my throat, I study this… Charlie. Light brown hair, dark brown eyes, slim build (well, slimmer than me), a very demanding forehead over an incredibly pointed nose, and if I’m not mistaken there are tears in his eyes.

Is that what I need to do to get you to see me, Lilac? Do I need to cry? is that what you’re into?

Starting my car, I bite down so ferociously that I’m pretty sure I just heard a tooth crack. No worries, if I did, It will fall out and grow back within the hour. My eyes burn as 1 pull away from the spot to maneuver around back. Positioning my car behind the dumpsters, where no

is meant to park and where there aren’t any windows at all, I step out of the car and into the restaurant.

ΠΠΕ

The moment I’m inside, a young hostess heads straight for me. She’s got a menu in her hands and she bypasses two separate couples just to get to me. I shrug their way helplessly and they throw the girl a dirty look.

“Party of one?” She asks in a smooth, seductive drawl.

I can’t help, but grin, because it is what I’m good at. Picking up chicks and having them tripping over their feet to get to me. At least of them do. Apparently only the fated have the power to deny me.

“Yes,” I answer, following the skinny Betty toward a private single bench seat in the back.

a grateful smile, I return her flirtatious wink with one of my own. Oh what? She bailed on me. Let me in the car to help her precious Charlie get in touch with his feelings! Shit! Who is to

She didn’t even know I was

here.

truth of it is almost enough to turn me into Charlie. Who by the way, has a much

1/3

One Hundred

ine. This feeling… the

and not for

To my surprise, little Lilac doesn’t take

into Delilah as she snaps, “We might, we might not! He’s only been taking up this table because he

she realized I was already hended for it. God help

you gonna order something or are you

ass got us some menus,” Delilah retorts and despite that it’s Pinnochio that she’s protecting,

be right back with them,”

my mate is just as fiery as I hoped she would be. The way I imagined when I first laid eyes on her in the woods.

over twenty minutes

for the chance at a

not accept that. Besides, I don’t even know how. It was never the kind of knowledge that was passed around. Rejecting a mate, who is an actual gift

top sways over

handsome?”

few more minutes please,” I snap coldly, rubbernecking around her to

She flinches, “Fine.”

“You shouldn’t be so mean

fuck not?

gets to touch our

sout

two menus on the table and I finally feel my appetite completely sour, something that has never happened in life,

hear Delilah shout. It almost feels like she’s talking

and I

“What?”

the waitress snaps.