The Pack: Rule Number 1 - No Mates

Chapter Two Hundred Ninety

PAUL

51%

By the time Anastacia was finishing her story, all six of us were seated around her like children listening to the village shaman recite

stories. I’m on the couch next to her, Rainier is on the armchair near the double doors, Timmons is perched on the edge of the coffee table, Koda leans against the far wall next to the engine room hall, and Gryffin and Cane are seated along the bar. Oh yeah… and Jarl is literally swimming with the fishes.

In fact, being a wolf, I can literally hear him begging for mercy as he splashes around about half a mile away from the yacht.

Every pair of eyes and ears (aside from Jarl’s) are tuned into Anastacia and – to my ultimate delight – she is mainly focused on me. Her dainty little legs are curled in beneath her and my legs are wide open as I lean back in my seat, the bottom of one thigh happily resting atop her feet.

“So the shadow hounds feed on magical beings. Mystics,” Cane contemplates, his blue eyes darkening thoughtfully. “So this Draco must know more than you assume he does. Because he literally waited for your grandmother to die so that her powers would fall onto you.”

Anastacia’s brow furrows. “I–I don’t know. That never actually occurred to me.”

“Seems fair to assume that her death is what spurned him into revealing his pack.”

“Hmm. I guess so. Or he revealed them because I tried to leave.”

“Nah,” Cane says almost dismissively, snacking on a few grapes that he plucked from the fruit bowl on the counter. “He wants to suck out the most power he can from every Mystic he consumes. For whatever reason, he needs you Mystics to keep himself young, right? I’m willing to bet he’s been watching your family line for a while. He saw a chance in you, and he took it. He might even be planning to breed you, make another of you, then kill you, suck on her magic-”

“Jesus fucking Christ, Cane!” Gryffin snaps. “Easy.”

Koda snickers silently and Timmons flashes a wolfish grin.

Cane sighs, “What? It’s what I would do, if I were a nasty little scraggly mutt intent on living forever. Eliminate the hunt by controlling the source. It’s what humans have done for centuries.” Cane simply shrugs and continues snacking on his grapes.

“No will be breeding her except for me!” I growl, my muscles tensing. Except for me? Fucking really? Holy shit. I think my face is red. Like full on firetruck red. “I mean I-”

swallow it, but a fire heats my balls and drives molten heat

demon, little demon, what have

innocently. “Go

foot, sucking my lips into my mouth to swallow back a groan. Luckily, no one else seems to notice the moment that passes between us and I’m left with nothing but a smirk on

begins, drawing Anastacia’s eyes away from mine. “I want to know more about this mysterious smoke you say you saw. Just to be sure I’ve got it straight, you’re saying that the moment you stepped on deck, we all disappeared and you were surrounded by

her buoyant curls falling all around her face like a beaded curtain. “Yes. It was a vision. My Gran used to get

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Two Hundred Ninety

or things. Strong spirits can leave an emotional signature on objects. In places. Heartfelt events can do the same. So can tragedies. My Gran was one of the best seers… She didn’t leave the house much in the last years of her life, but every now and

interrupts. “Are you telling us that you can do that too? Like… see things?

on the ocean, every single back in the room straightens almost

Things from

for a long

definitely want to hear about this.

So will

gift,”

to me when she tilts her head up to ask, “Who

quiet falls over the room and aside from the heavy beating of my heart, all I hear is the yacht’s engine thrumming. For a moment, it’s as if no one wants to

leak from her closed eyelids and the rest of us

all that she needs for confirmation. With

take her to the ruins,” Rainier says suddenly

with shake of

do you mean, no?” Rainier

what happened to her a few minutes ago?” I growl.

to you, brother,” Rainier

fangs flash, and lurch to my feet. “Want to bet?”