The Pack: Rule Number 1 - No Mates

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The Pack: Rule Number 1 – No Mates

Chapter Two Hundred Fifty–Eight

ROSE

“What?” Bartlett’s voice cracks with pain as I stumble backward and over the couch behind me.

Somewhere in my head I know that he won’t hurt me, but the set of fangs that he is sporting still has me cringe. “Y–you’re a shifter.” I whisper, tears filling my eyes. “Did you bite me? Is that how I–I…” But I’m not even sure what it is I’m trying to say as the room falls deathly silent and more shifters crowd the space.

One by one, beyond Bartlett’s shoulders men who are impossibly big and impossibly handsome crowd the space, “That’s not what you called me, Bartlett bites out. “You called me a monster.”

My chest is heaving as they all stare at me, each of their eyes filled with disdain. With cruelty.

“Aren’t you?” I hiss clamoring backward away from them. “I want to go home!” But even as I said it, I knew it wasn’t true. Looking at Bartlett, at the pain of his gaze as his fangs disappear, I know I only want him. But how can that be?

Do you want to see a monster?” The meanest looking one, with eyes like burnt coal and hair the color of autumn, snarls. His fangs flar and I can’t help the whelp with fear as I press my back against the wall behind me. “Turn around,” the man snarls.

I flinch and Bartlett growls, but not at me. No, he’s growling at the lumberjack of a man behind him. “Stop it. She’s just scared.

Fuck that. Let her see who the true monster is Bartlett. If there’s any hope for her here, then she needs to know.”

“He’s right Dom,” a dark haired male says, one that Felix is suddenly clinging to. “We were all much gentler with Draven. What would she think if she saw you-”

“Turn around!” The large one, the one they are calling Dom, shouts again.

plan to harm me. Keeping them closed I wait, thinking that any minute now I will feel their teeth on my flesh and hoping in my heart of hearts that Bartlett will do something to stop

voice of the one they call Dom

clear that I’m not being physically attacked. I didn’t notice it before, but there’s a mirror in

Myself.

the reflection of my neck, where not one bite mark, but two

are the monsters. Not us.

before I can turn around Bartlett appears behind me, his blue eyes drenched in sadness.

with tears as my mind trudges through all the little things Roman taught us about

He sighs deeply as he starts to turn around. “So if you still want to leave me… I’ll find a way to get you

back, but I can still see the defeat in him as he walks away. His shoulders are slumped and his powerful arms slack at his sides. Something about the way he looks, about the way he walks away from me, starts an aching

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Hundred Fifty–Eight

I know will never stop without him.

give me the chance. Instead, he tosses his phone on the couch and then leaps out

eat out here? Emily’s voice sound from the kitchen doorway and my eyes are drawn in her direction. She’s smiling at me as she steps into the room, despite the scowl I’m still

on the woods, thoughts of my dream dancing in my vision. Maybe I’m meant to follow

went for a run, Emily informs me convincingly. “Sometimes that’s what they do when

a wolf too?” I ask sheepishly, somehow already knowing

like you. Just as human, just as lost once.” She tilts her head, showing me the two crescent

let him know that I’m okay. Because is my family tells him I’m missing – he’ll come looking for me – and when he can’t find

eyes widen. “As what? A hunter?”

now stands in the

did force you,”

his and I shrug. “They forced my brother when he wanted nothing to do with hunting – ever. I took