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 wanted her to see me as someone who could protect her. To know that just because 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 to do

heroics if I’d

she was begging. She begged me. And what do I do? Shoot her again

yet, and she was going to go.

to be one of those stupid, arrogant, pricks – and then I s her outside of the cottage, disabling her and taking

she will ever know me for. That’s all she’ll remember of

Pain.

Kitty

Goddamn it

shool

1/3

Hundred

felt that. I felt it and

what you get. At least you got to see

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

wolf bleeding out from his abdomen attracts my attention and 1 smile. At

in the shed is still smoking in my hand when look over at him, at Roman. His big orange–brown eyes 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

hyena than a majestic wolf.

2

See you on

as deep as my whole hand, along

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. That’s when I shot him.

into my 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 like I’ll get my wish, so at least there’s that.

voice sounds above me, panic

Gryffin, and not Quinn, that is carrying on up above me like some frightened mother hen as he surveys my injuries. For a moment, he looks around like a helpless child, his chest heaving as he pulls at

from me to Roman then

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

cold, and I taste blood in my mouth. Frowning, 1 picture Cayle’s face

can’t happen!” Gryffin snarls. “I won’t let this happen!” Then Gryffiny disappears

blanket.