The Pack: Rule Number 1 - No Mates

Chapter Two Hundred Twenty–Six

CANE

There’s this moment that passes when you’re about to die. An instant of complete clarity. It is almost as if there is a layer of fog lifted

the colors seem brighter. Detalls are more acute and so are intentions. In fact, right then, when you realize whe

you know there is any way around it, you move toward it without fear, For that half a second, time stretches, the

acceptance lakes over. You brain says, Chi, so das in it then. This is low? And, you

Drun it

to get the bullets. Or Griffin.

1 knew better, I never should have taken my eyes off of him. I should have sent Quinn to get

There was never any y way they were going to watch over him the way I would, because they are not human. They can heal

1, however, cannot,

Gayle.

I should have listened to her when she asked me to go with them. I should have said, “Fuck this asshole. Let him come for me and the spent as much time as I could noticing every single one of Gayle’s smiles in the way that she apparently noticed mine.

Now… I’ll never know them. Those precious couple of hours with her in roy arms is all i will ever get.

dry didn’t 1997

I mean… why

Why was I so obsessed with playing the hero?

But I know what the answer is. Of course I do.

I was human and weaker than her in some ways, that I had plenty to give. I needed to do something for her that she was never able

time for heroics if I’d just conceded to

what do I do? Shoot her

me yet, and she was going

a worthless, selfish hastard just to be one of those stupid, arrogant, pricks – and then I s her outside of the cottage, disabling her and taking her right to choose away from her.

for.

Pain.

Kitty

Goddamn it

shool

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Two Hundred

that. I felt it and it

get. At least you got to see her again.

out the bullets. That’s probably the real reason he kept talking so much shit. He wanted one of us to lose our temper and attack him so he’d have an excuse for moving. I don’t know what it is he said to Quinn to get him to do it, but I can

out from his abdomen attracts my attention and 1

are angry as he watches me, blood coloring the dark brown fur of his underside. As far as wolves go, he’s fucking ugly and looks more like a larg

than a majestic

2

you too asshole. See you on the other side.

size of my forearm and as deep as my whole hand, along my torso, I play back the last few

I had never seen a wolf shift before. Now that I have, I’ve got to say, it’s pretty fucking scary. The moment my eyes spied the bullets on the ground, I heard it. The snap, crackle, and pop of bones shitting into something otherworldly. By the time I was able to lift my chin, Roman was already half wolf and his fully shifted paw was flying toward my mid–section. It is safe to say that a wolf’s claws are pretty goddamned sharp. I never even felt the blow. But it knocked me back about a dozen feet, and I was airborne for half of them.

That’s when

hand easily, then I simply took aim and emptied the chamber into his stomach. At that point, I no longer cared that they wanted him alive, because I wanted him dear. Looks

above me,

above me like some frightened mother hen as he surveys my injuries. For a moment, he looks around like a helpless child, his

then

him know I understand, then I turn back to Rogan’s wild, feral glare and give him the middle finger. “Give this to my dad, will you?” I say, because I’m pretty sure there is a special hell for people like him and my Pops. “I can’t be sure, but I’m betting you and I are headed different places you

shake with cold, and I taste blood in my mouth. Frowning, 1 picture Cayle’s face when she hears

this happen!” Then Gryffiny disappears into my room, coming

blanket.