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 my true

pure and warm, surrounds me for a second,

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 arms close around me, drawing me forward until my

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Two Hundred Eighty–Three

Paul’s deliciously prominent pectorals, Wetness glazes my sex. my core pulsing between

he’s so perfect.

inhales sharply, his fangs elongating. “Stop this,” he

chest. “Why?” I hum, with a bite of my lip, my eyes heating as they draw over the chiseled lines draped in slightly bronzed flesh.

it,” he snaps with an angry growl before stepping back

sting of rejection. “And I’m not trying to charm you!” I snap. “I am not! I haven’t! Not even one time

te doing

he steps closer once again. He glares down at me. “You were trying” His eyes dart around in annoyance. “You’re it again. Stop it?”

back as if he’s slapped me. “Doing it? Doing what? What

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

the blue devil are you

the the space, watching the untethered magic as he plucks and

mist shit! He

all around you whenever you’re

he say?

seeing nothing but my magic. I suppose it does

way I can see the purple in your eyes. I am a wolf shifter. Our eyesight is better

Pretty Paul, but you shouldn’t be

why it couldn’t move through him before,

tried to keep the door closed. It’s because he’s my mate! The Gifted cannot cast ir mates. It’s against the rules of the universe. Because he is my true mate, my magic will

my grandmama’s whispering again, saying Just tell him

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 fucking up my life than accepting sound advice when it’s given.

six of you

eyes scorching with hot anger. Staring down at me, a muscle ticks

it crack against his skin, but I don’t because it never makes it. He snatches my wrist right

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Hundred Eighty–Threo

protect me I

“You spoke

to do with them to wash away their taint or so you called it. You said that we should wash him in the ocean water at dawn. So when we heard of the root,

I

I think. Somewhere deep inside of me, I