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.

they 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

the voice of the

that no one has touched me yet. “Okay,” I whisper, doing as asked when it becomes clear that I’m not being physically attacked. I didn’t notice it before, but there’s a mirror in the

Myself.

reflection of my

your fucking monster,” Dom says. “The hunters are the monsters. Not us. Now let’s eat so we

causes me to gasp, but before I can turn around Bartlett appears behind me, his blue eyes

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

says softly. “And I claimed you, like a selfish fool, without asking you first.” 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

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 in

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Two Hundred Fifty–Eight

will never

around, fully intent on telling him that I don’t want to go, that i need him, but he doesn’t give me the chance. Instead, he tosses his phone on the couch and then leaps out the front doors to disappear in the woods beyond the house.

drawn in her direction. She’s smiling at me as she steps into the room, despite the scowl I’m still receiving from jerface with

woods, thoughts of my dream dancing in my vision. Maybe I’m meant

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

too?” I ask sheepishly, somehow already knowing the answer

is my mate. I’m like you. Just as human, just as lost once.” She tilts her head, showing me the two crescent shaped marks at the base of

my eyes falling toward the phone. “I didn’t want to leave him. I only wanted to call my brother and let him know that I’m

widen. “As what? A

Pants now stands in the living room, his gray gaze more

they did force

he wanted nothing to do