The Pack: Rule Number 1 - No Mates

Chapter Two Hundred Eighty–Three

ANASTACIA

Taul? What is going on? Why is he in here?” With a whimper, I stumble back into the wall. Paul’s head snaps around, his eyes flashing gold and circling the blue when he spies me on the landing. “You don’t know what you have done!” I cry, shaking.

“Anastacia,” Paul shouts. “Get back in the room!”

If Jarl is inside, it’s only a matter of time before Draco’s magic crawls through the walls and finds me. I should have done something to make certain this place was guarded before I fell asleep. Why didn’t I place wards around the house? And cast a sleeping spell on the grounds?

I am an idiot.

“Get him out of here! I screech. “Please!!!”

Fuck! I have to hide.

How did that fuck even get in here?

Why did the shifters not stop him?

With a deep breath, I scramble back into Paul’s room and linger haplessly next to the bed, pacing like an agitated prisoner. I don’t want to leave here. I don’t want to leave Paul. But Draco’s poison is in his house and now it’s only a matter of time before Draco’s shadow seeks

me out.

A voice like a whisper, floats between my ears, “Hell try to suck your will Into his, the way he did before… you must be bonded to stop him

from it

That thought comes out of nowhere and I clutch my chest, gazing up at the ceiling as if I can see through it into heaven.

Gran, is that you?

Attempting to block out everything else I can hear, I focus on my heartbeat until the sounds fade away.

Gran? I call out with my mind. Gran are you there?

I wait… nothing happens.

Gran, what do you mean I need to be bonded? Bonded how? To what? Grat?!

“Bonded?” Paul’s voice cuts through my meditation so loudly I startle. “Anastacia? Who are you talking to? Your grandmother?”

Spinning around, my eyes jolt upward in shock, “1-1 wasn’t speaking, I whisper, stuttering.

heard me! He

He really is

warm, surrounds me for a second, and before can stop

Electric connection crackling at the tips of my fingers. Everything around us fades away hs he watches me, his eyes narrowing, pupils batting back and forth as he searches my gaze for only heaven knows what. The flex of his muscles are like bands of molten steel as his

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Hundred Eighty–Three

shirt, just below Paul’s deliciously prominent pectorals,

so perfect.

sharply, his fangs elongating. “Stop this,” he commands halfheartedly, pulling me closer despite his plea

with a bite of my lip, my eyes heating as they draw over the chiseled lines

making feel things. J don’t like it,” he snaps with

cold with the sting of rejection. “And I’m not trying to charm you!” I snap. “I am not! I haven’t! Not even one time have I tried! And I can’t anyway! And that’s the

te doing

“You were trying” His

as if he’s slapped me. “Doing it? Doing what? What the fuck are you talking about, Paul?”

casting!” He snarls, “I don’t like it.” He spins around the room,

devil are

the space, watching the untethered magic as he plucks and

fucking purple mist shit!

around you whenever you’re

he say? Purple mist shit?

mist?” I gasp, turning in a circle and seeing nothing but my magic. I suppose it does look a bit like mist. “You can see it?”

The same way I can see the purple in your eyes. I am a wolf shifter.

you shouldn’t

couldn’t move through him before,

against the rules of the universe. Because he is my true mate, my magic will not affect him. It cannot touch him. Cannot harm him nor compel him. It is just

Just tell him baby. Tell him how it is.

that for the moment, deciding to turn my hurt into rage. I was never good at listening anyhow. I’ve always been much better at

getting up in his face. “With all six of you down there? How did that fucker get inside? Ituh? Do you have any idea what you have

down at me, a muscle ticks in his jaw. “We caught

My hand races up toward his face so quickly that I can almost hear it crack against his skin, but I don’t

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Hundred Eighty–Threo

said you would protect me I cry out, tearfully.

“You spoke

you called it. You said that we should wash

I

right, I think. Somewhere deep inside of me, I know it’s ina