The Mating Rules

Jamie-Lee’s POV

I jolt awake, sitting up in the double bed, my eyes wide as I scrunch the covers up in my fists. My heart is beating hard, Skarla is also up and alert, a low growl issuing from her lips.

The moon is streaming through the window to my right, stretching across the blankets as I hadn’t shut the curtains before I crashed.

Is that what woke me up? I sit still, listening intently, trying to pick out anything unusual over the normal night time noises that can be heard.

I shake my head, most likely I’m jittery because of everything that’s happened and this is the first time in a long time that I’ve had to sleep in a bed all alone.

I lay back down, my hand reaching for the empty pillow beside me, my palm brushing lightly over the thin cotton cover before curling into a fist. I will not cry, my mates wouldn’t be laying here in self pity if it was me that was gone. They’d be planning a way to find me again and that’s exactly what I’m going to do too.

First though, I need to get some sleep, a quick glance at the old fashioned clock beside my bed tells me it’s only two am, if I’m going to find my mates and keep out of trouble, I need to be rested.

I turn the pillow over to the cool side and settle back down, my eyes closing as Skarla circles in my mind before finding her spot and laying down, head on her paws.

I start to feel the comfort of sleep pull me when a crash sounds from underneath me. There is no way I imagined that noise. Sitting bolt upright, I rip off the covers and jump out of bed, pulling my damp jeans off the radiator and throwing them on over my shorts along with my jumper and sneakers. Moving across the room, I slowly slide the bolt across, turning the key and inching the door open.

‘Where is she old man?’ a voice snarls angrily followed by a slap.

‘I’m no idea what you are on about’ the voice of the owner replies, there is a slight shake to his voice, but I can hear that he’s refusing to be intimidated by whoever is hear.

‘The girl, came in to town today, don’t play dumb’ the voice growls again.

‘I haven’t seen a girl’ the old man retorts angrily, ‘and that was my late wife’s favourite vase you threw, she’s going to be pissed.’

‘The last thing you should be worried about is that hideous vase’ another voice huffs, as something else shatters.

‘And that was a gift from our daughter that she made for our wedding anniversary’ the old man continues.

‘Tell us where the little b***h is and we’ll leave you alone, you don’t owe her anything’ the first voice orders. ‘You don’t even know her, she’s a convict, we’re here to bring her in, skipped her court date.’

The old man snorts in derision, ‘kid, I’ve met bounty hunters before and they don’t break into old men’s homes in the middle of the night and threaten a pensioner.’

‘Your wasting your time, just kill him and we’ll search the rooms, she has to be here’ the second voice sighs in boredom.

Eyes widening, I exit my room, heading for the stairs to help the owner. I’m pretty sure that they are here for me and I can’t let this old man die because of my problems.

As I round the top of the stairs, I look down on a tall, thin black haired man whose dressed in a dirty knee length coat and faded jeans. He’s picking up random objects around the hallway and examining them before dropping them back uncaringly.

On the other side of the hall is a muscular man with straggly dirty blonde hair, his face holding the stubble of someone who hasn’t shaved in a few days. His dirty fingernails are long and currently wound around the neck of the man who rented me the room. The poor old man is up on his tiptoes, trying to keep some of his weight so that he’s not suspended by the younger man’s hand.

The old man’s gaze flicks to me as I go to step down the first step and his eyes widen slightly as he tries to shake his head at me.

Seeing his attention wander, the blonde man turns his head in my direction, his face morphing into surprise as my host opens his mouth with difficulty and yells at me.

‘Don’t stand there, run girl!’ he shouts hoarsely.

Snarling, the blonde man tightens his grip on the owner’s neck as the black haired guy looks up at me and heads toward the stairs.

Ignoring the old man, I run down the stairs, grabbing the bannisters on either side and using them as a way to propel myself through the air, my feet connecting with the face of the man heading toward me.

I knock him backwards, my momentum carrying me onwards so that I land on top of him. Bringing my arm back, I land a punch directly in the guy’s face, his eye starting to swell up immediately from the impact.

Gurgling behind me has me on my feet, turning toward the owner who is now inches off the floor, his face purple as he claws at the blonde mans fingers that have cut off his airways.

The muscular blonde smirks widely, watching the life fade from my host’s eyes and I feel something snap within me at the sight. Skarla pushes forward in my mind, but instead of taking over, we somehow join as one, both in control as she growls dominantly in warning.

The blonde attacker stiffens slightly, glancing over his shoulder at us before dropping the owner to the floor where he gasps for air.

‘What the f*ck’ the intruder mutters, ‘Jacob, what the f*ck? Her eyes!’

I don’t give him time to say anything further as I throw myself at him, claws coming out and I sink all ten into his ribs, yanking my hands upwards to cause irreparable internal damage as the man in front of me splutters.

B***d bubbles from his mouth that opens and closes silently, Skarla and I glaring at him as we lift him bodily off the floor with our claws.

‘You should never have hurt that human’ we snarl angrily, ‘he is nothing to do with this. You hurt an innocent man and you will pay with your life.’

The only reply I get is a g***n through the b***d that spills from his mouth. I feel a stinging in my side and I drop my plaything as I spin around to find my black haired friend now on his feet, his nails sharp and pointy, protruding from his fingers.

He snarls at me, revealing two fangs as he swipes at me again and I dodge out of the way, ignoring the pain from where I’m sure he has cut my flesh to ribbons already.

‘What the hell are you’ my adversary mutters darkly, trying to catch my skin whilst avoiding my own claws in the narrow passageway.

‘Someone you shouldn’t have tried to mess with’ I hiss back dodging his hands before hurling myself forward, taking him by surprise.

My claws slide along his chest as he tries to dodge out of my way, but he isn’t quick enough and four lines appear across his chest. They don’t look deep but the howl he gives tells me that it hurt.

My attacker slashes his nails at me, cutting open my arm and I snarl angrily, Skarla’s temper rising at receiving a hit.

‘Make him submit’ she demands, ‘dirty rodent shouldn’t even be breathing near us.’

‘Not a werewolf’ I reply, continuing to dance around, staying out of reach as the skin on my arm heals back together, thank you werewolf healing!

‘Not a vampire either’ Skarla agrees, ‘looks like one, has fangs, but not vampire smell.’

She’s right, the guy has all the markings of a vamp, but his scent is off, what the hell is he?

My moment of distraction costs me and a hand clamps around my neck, lifting me off my feet as my back is slammed into a wall with force.

‘I was told to take you in’ the man holding me sneers, ‘but I’m beginning to think that you might be more valuable than I thought.’

I growl loudly, digging my claws into his hands around my neck to try and make him release me but despite the pain, the vampire whatever he is, keeps a tight hold on me.

‘Just give in b***h’ he huffs, trying to keep a hold of me as I fight against him, ‘just go to sleep and we can go for a nice drive.’

‘Never’ I manage to croak out, ‘you’ll have to kill me to get me to leave with you.’

A loud c***k fills the air and my aggressor’s eyes narrow as he turns his head to find the owner of the B&B stood behind him on shaky legs, a broken ceramic ornament in his hands.

A grin spreads across our assailant’s face as he loosens his grip on me, turns fully and shoves his hand through the old man’s chest.

‘No!’ I scream, staggering to my feet and launching myself onto the black haired man’s back, gripping his face and wrenching it to the side, snapping his neck.

The vampire type whatever he is, slumps to the ground, his hand leaving the old man’s chest who gasps, clutching his open chest as his back hits the wall and he slides to the floor.

‘No no no no’ I whimper, sinking down beside him and trying to press my hands to his wound even though I know it’s no use. ‘I’m sorry’ I whisper, ‘I’m so sorry, I should never have come here, I did this.’

The owner shakes his head with difficulty, eyes that are already glazing over, holding my gaze.

‘It’s . . . OK’ he forces out, ‘my . . . time.’

I shake my head, as his hand finds mine, my fingers gripping tightly around his. ‘I’m so sorry, please forgive me’ I mumble, tears running down my face as I watch him struggle to focus.

‘Bad . . . men’ the owner croaks, ‘wouldn’t . . . tell . . . them . . ‘

I nod, pressing my other hand over our joined ones, ‘I know’ I whisper, ‘thank you, for trying to protect me, I’m sorry I did this to you.’

‘Not . . you . . ‘ the old man wheezes before his eyes widen slightly and his head slumps over, his chest stilling.

‘No!’ I cry, leaning over him, shaking him gently, ‘no, don’t go! It shouldn’t have been you, why did you try to help me? Why?’

I don’t get any answer and I fall back on my a*s, my hand releasing his now limp one as I press my b***d covered hands to my face and wail loudly into the dark hallway. I did this, I killed him because of who I am! Just like Melanie and our other guards, they are all dying because of me. How many more are going to give their lives for the protection of my wolf?

Sucking in a breath, I stand up, glancing down at my b***d soaked body, I need to find something else to wear, I can’t head out like this, I’ll be arrested or at the very least, I’ll draw attention to myself. Stepping over the bodies of the three men, I make my way to a busted door to the right that has private written on it.