The Mating Rules

Lauren’s POV

A scream of excitement rises from the corner of the room as Tyler and I walk into the dining room hand in hand the next morning. Looking toward the noise, a grin breaks out on my face to find Jessica and Arleth practically jumping up and down in excitement as they beam back at me.

I’ll get our breakfast baby’ Tyler chuckles, ‘you go and see your friends.’

Pressing a way to intimate k**s for our surroundings on my lips, he plunders my mouth before pulling back, winking at my dazed expression before heading toward the line for food.

I stumble over to my friends, dropping into one of the chairs as Jessica practically jumps on me.

Tyler? Tyler is your Mate? No way!’ she shrieks loudly as I nod, a goofy grin on my face.

‘Ugh! I can’t believe it’ Arleth agrees, pouting, ‘well I can, who else would you get but the sexiest guy in the pack.’

Laila pushes forward slightly, growling warningly at my friend as her eyes widen and she holds up her hands placatingly.

‘I have no interest in your Mate Laila, just showing appreciation for your man, and a little bit of jealousy that you have a Mate and I won’t even get a sniff of one until next year’ she adds quickly.

I take over again, laughing as Laila recedes into my mind, huffing as she lays back down.

‘Don’t mind her, she’s always been possessive I sooth the she wolf who looks relieved that I’m back in control.

‘Here you go baby, all your favourites’ Tyler says as he places an overflowing plate in front of me.

‘Awww, how cute are you guys’ Jessica coos, clasping her hands in front of her chest as she watches us.

1 flush as I quickly push a large piece of cinnamon roll into my mouth to avoid being the centre of attention.

Swallowing, I peek up at the’ two women beside me, ‘what happened with Inaya? Do we know if she found her Mate?’ l ask.

Jessica’s face lights up as she nods, ‘she linked me this morning’ she replies eagerly, ‘her call was answered and it was by one of our own warriors!’

My smile brightens as I focus intently on the she wolf, waiting for more information.

‘There they are!’ Arleth squeaks, pointing behind me as l turn around to see a huge, six foot four warrior with his arm wrapped around my friend as she grips his shirt, staring up at him in what can only be described as awe

‘Eric’ Tyler calls out from beside me, pushing back his chair and holding out his hand as the pair approach, shaking the man’s hand as he smiles shyly, a look that doesn’t match his imposing figure at all.

‘Eric turned twenty-one three days ago’ Tyler explains to me as I stand up to greet the warrior and hug my friend

I’m so happy for you guys’ I say sincerely, ‘congratulations on finding each other.’

“Congratulations to you too Beta’s daughter’ the warrior rumbles, his voice deep and smooth, like chocolate and I swear the two women behind me actually melt a little from the sound. ‘And to you warrior Tyler, on finding each other, you must be shocked after being friends for so long.

Tyler grins as he pulls me against him, wrapping an arm around my waist as he plants a k**s on my cheek, ‘no shock for me he replies warmly, ‘I’ve always known.’

Hook up at him, shaking my head as he leans closer and pecks a k**s on my nose before ushering me back to my chair to eat.

Eric guides Inaya around the table, pulling out her chair for her and tucking her in before kissing her chastely and hurrying away to get them both food.

‘Oh my Goddess, you are even more cute than they are’ Jessica m***s, “I don’t think I can stand it!’

Inaya giggles, her eyes glued to her Mate as he joins the queue, turning around to wink at her, making her blush deeply as she waves back

Ugh, I want a Mate’ Arleth mumbles, poking at the pancakes on her plate, why were we born so much later than everyone else.’

As we continue to eat, I keep turning to check the door, wondering when Taiga is going to join us, worry eating at me as time ticks by.

“Uhh, what happened to Taiga?’ I finally murmur to the two girls beside me, Inaya leaning closer to hear what is being said.

Arleth bites her l*p nervously as Jessica glances around us before dropping her voice quickly.

We don’t know what happened’ she admits, ‘we were all in my room, you know talking about you guys and would you find your Mates, who would they be. We also were doing the countdown for Taiga’s birthday, her parents were part of the guard so she would have been on her own. We were laughing and messing around, peeking through the curtains to see if we could see anyone heading to the forest. One minute Taiga was giggling and the next she just went stock still, she was almost in a trance. We tried to shake her out of it, but Tegan, her wolf, she started growling at us, warning us away before she turned around and slammed out of the room.’

Arleth nods, we tried to stop her she whispers, but she was so damn fast, 1 don’t think I’ve ever seen her run like that, she was down the stairs and out of the door before we could even try to stop her. The guards stopped us at the door, forced us back to our room as warriors from all over ran after her. The Alpha came through the link, ordering everyone inside to make sure they were in their rooms and to lock the door. We had no idea what was going on but we couldn’t disobey him, we had to do what Alpha said!’

I nod immediately, knowing that it would have been beyond painful for their wolves to try and fight a direct order.

We watched through the curtains, we could just make out four warriors half carrying someone small back toward the pack, it wasn’t until they were close that we realised it was Taiga. I called out to her via the mind link but she just said she was fine and then shut me out. Jessica and I went to her room this morning and knocked, she answered, she looked fine but she said she didn’t want to come down for food and she’d see us later.’

Arleth glances at Jessica who picks up her napkin and starts to shred it unconsciously, we didn’t know what to do, we don’t know what happened in the forest and she was adamant that she wanted to be alone so … we came down here.’

I glance up at Tyler who is watching me, he nods imperceptibly, squeezing my thigh with his hand, ‘you should go and check on your friend” he prompts, reading my silent question.

You too babe, your friend needs you’ Eric agrees, finishing off his food and standing up, taking Inaya’s too. Tve got training, but I’ll come find you afterwards OK? You go and make sure your girl is OK.’

The warrior k****s the blushing she wolf quickly before heading toward the stack of dirty plates and dropping theirs off. Tyler stands up as well, taking my now empty plate with his own and dropping a k**s on my lips so its my turn to giggle in embarrassment as he winks at me and follows the other man, the pair heading out of the door toward the training grounds.

‘I swear, I’m so happy for you guys, but the cuteness is almost sickening’ Arleth grumbles, pushing back her own chair, ‘Jess and I will just carry our own plates shall we.’

Inaya and I smile at each other as we shrug, ‘what can we say’ I tease, ‘the Goddess must like us.’

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, your lives are all rosy and full of rainbows, lets go and see Taiga’ the she wolf grumbles, leading the way out of the dining area.

Heading upstairs, we stop outside of Taiga’s door, the two single she wolves looking at us desperately until Inaya rolls her eyes and steps forward, lifting her fist and hammering on the door.

‘Open up Taiga’ she yells, ‘or I’m going to make so much noise, the Alpha will come down here and unlock the door just to shut me up.’ There is no noise from inside, so Inaya bangs again, ‘ll sing!’ she warns, ‘and I’m tone deaf, do you want your neighbours to suffer? Remember, you still have to live here after we leave!’

Nothing, no movement greets us, so the she wolf, growls loudly before opening her mouth and starting to do what I think might be singing, but as I’ve clamped my hands over my ears in horror I can’t tell for sure. Beside me, Jessica and Arleth have done the same, Inaya’s best friend screaming at the door for Taiga to make it stop.

Finally, the sound of a lock clicks before the door opens to reveal our friend who winces, her hands over her ears.

‘OK I opened the damn door! Shut the hell up!’ she shouts just as Inaya stops singing so the she wolf’s voice carries down the corridor.

‘A*****e she mutters, turning around and stomping back into her room, throwing herself on the bed.

‘Taig’ Jessica calls out as we traipse inside, Arleth shutting the door and re locking it as we crowd around the she wolf who has her head buried in her sheets.

I’m fine she mutters roughly, ‘just a bit tired, ‘m sure ‘ll be fine tomorrow, you should just go, you’ll miss training.’

‘Pfft, like we care about that’ Inaya scoffs, plonking herself on the bed and leaning back on the headboard.

*And I’m not allowed to train, Alpha’s orders’ l add, sitting on Taiga’s other side as the other two women climb on the bed with us, the four of us sandwiching our friend Tell us what happened Taig’ Arleth encourages, grabbing her friend’s hand and squeezing it, ‘you can tell us, we are your friends, were here for you.”

The she wolf rolls over, staring up at the ceiling as she nervously plays with the hem of her sleep shirt.

“I was with you both, we were having fun, counting down to my birthday’ she mumbles. ‘I was having a really good time, eating junk food and waiting for midnight as we tried to guess who would find Mates. You were watching out of the window, remember?’ she asks, glancing at Jessica and Arleth who both nod silently. ‘Yeah,I was watching my phone, wondering if my parents would have time to link me happy birthday this year, they normally do if I’m not with them

Well the time changed, and suddenly I could hear this music, it was the most amazing sound. It started off distorted, but it had gotten Tegan’s attention, she was sitting up in my mind, head tilted as she listened. I didn’t know what it was, just that I wanted to keep hearing it.

Suddenly, Tegan pushed me back, growled at you and then ran from the room, I tried to get control back but she wouldn’t let me, kept shoving me back down into our mind.

We reached the warrior ring, I don’t even know how we got out of the pack house, it was like a dream that I slipped in and out of. They tried to stop us, a few of the guards trying to grab us but Tegan was on a mission and she fought with a strength I didn’t even know she had She. she hurt some of them’ she whispers, eyes wide with unshed tears,’ out them with her claws, snapped her teeth at them until she managed to wriggle through a gap and ran through the forest.

The music, it was getting louder, stronger, the closer we got, the more I needed to find out where it was coming from, it consumed us both, I was no longer trying to stop my wolf, I was actively encouraging her to search out the sound.

I could hear the warriors behind me, the Alpha tried to get Tegan to stop, Alpha ordered us, but she ignored him, I don’t know how she did it, but she refused to submit.

We broke through the tree line and the most beautiful woman I ve ever seen was standing in the middle, she was singing. The light seemed to radiate from her and even before Tegan called out, I knew, she was our Mate.

The Alpha’s wolf smashed through to our right, his arrival seemed to snap her out of her trance and she stopped calling, I hated that she stopped, I never wanted her to stop singing.

Cobalt took a step toward our Mate and I think Tegan took it as a threat, or that he was trying to keep us from her so she rushed forward as the Alpha shifted, shouting at us to stop … Taiga covers her face with her hands, a sob leaking out as she shakes her head, ‘we marked her she whispers, ‘we sank out teeth into her neck. We didn’t even ask or anything, we just .. took.’

‘Oh Taig Jessica whispers, reaching out and brushing her fingers through our friend’s hair, ‘what did she do? Your Mate?’

Taiga sucks in a shaky breath, ‘she just stared at me, I think she was in shock and then .. she ran.’

‘She ran from you? Why?’ Inaya growls in shock, her expression no doubt matching the rest of us.

Taiga lets out a mirthless laugh, ‘I don’t know, maybe because she was expecting a tall sexy werewolf and instead she got me. And not only did she get lumbered with a low level she wolf as a Mate, that same woman sank her teeth into her neck without even speaking.’

What did the Alpha do?’ I ask nervously, glancing at my friends worriedly.

Taiga chokes out a sob, ‘he, he caught me as I fell, he helped me out of the clearing and got four of the warriors to bring me inside, told them to take me to my room, and ordered me to stay here for the rest of the night. I.. I expected him to call for me this morning, but he hasn’t yet, so l’ve just stayed here, waiting.

‘I’m so sorry Taiga’ Inaya murmurs, shifting so she can lay beside our friend and wrap an arm around her, I’m so sorry she ran, that must have been so hard.’

Taiga nods into her chest, ‘it hurt so badly, I’ve never felt pain like it, if a proper rejection is like that, I hope she keeps hiding from me, I don’t want to feel that again.’ Her tear-filled eyes look at each of us, I don’t want to be rejected, what if she does? What if she doesn’t want me?

She ran! Oh Goddess, I’m going to be rejected.’

“No, not necessarily’ Jessica protests quickly, ‘like you said she was expecting a werewolf, maybe she was just shocked, she just needs some time, shell come back to you Taig, you just wait and see. Look at you, who wouldn’t want to be your Mate?’

We all nod as Inaya hugs her tighter, ‘if I wasn’t Mated and liked p***y, I’d totally do you’ she growls.

Taiga huffs out a reluctant laugh, ‘please, as if you could get with me, I’m so out of your league she mutters, trying to smile but it doesn’t reach her eyes.

We giggle with her, each of us holding on to some part of her, letting her know that we are here for her.

Taig’ Arleth whispers softly, nervously shifting as she looks anywhere but at the broken she wolf, ‘who was your Mate?’

Taiga laughs again, pain flickering across her face as she sucks in a breath, visibly preparing herself before she sadly replies

‘Ellie.”