The Mating Rules
Book 3 – Chapter 5

Isaac’s POV

I’m putting on the expected show for our hosting pack, making jovial conversation and cracking a few jokes. Inside I’m desperate to get away from these people, it’s not them, but the knowledge that this is my last claiming weighs heavier and heavier on my shoulders and I just want to be alone.

As I listen to Jasper, forcing a laugh as he chuckles with me, I feel a prickling on the back of my neck. Turning slightly, my gaze sweeps the foyer for someone watching me but all the females who were flitting around me moments ago are already latched on to my younger pack mates when they realised I wasn’t going to be swayed into a night of entertainment.

A small movement catches my eye and my gaze narrows in on a door to my left that I swear moved though it’s very obviously closed.

‘Don’t you agree Beta Isaac?’ Jasper’s Beta, Ford calls out and I drag my attention back to the conversation.

‘I’m sorry, what did you say?’ I ask sheepishly.

Ford chuckles, his own gaze roaming over the she wolves from his pack, ‘I was just saying that it’s fun to go to other packs for the claiming even if you don’t replace your mate. I am happy to stay mateless for a few more moons yet.’

I bite down on my tongue, trying to push my grimace into some semblance of a smile, ‘I’ll take your word for it my friend’ I manage to grit out.

Jasper pats my shoulder as he addresses his Beta, ‘Betta Isaac has been to quite a few claiming’s,’ he says pointedly, ‘I’m sure he’s past the entertainment of the single she wolves now’ he says pointedly.

I force my face to remain neutral, my jaw tightening at the now familiar sound of pity in the future Alpha’s voice at my lack of mate.

‘Well thank you for hosting us this month’ I say instead, ‘and I’m sorry to be rude but would it be possible to be shown my room? It’s been a long drive here and I could really do with freshening up.

Jasper nods immediately, his eyes glazing for a second before returning to their normal hazel colour. A small girl of about sixteen appears beside us and the future Alpha smiles at her.

‘Beta, this is one of our Omega’s Henrietta, she will show you to your quarters, if you need anything, she will be at your disposal. Just ask a member of the pack and they will contact her for you.’ He turns to the young girl who swings slightly on her heels, her eyes moving to the floor under his gaze. ‘Henrietta, you are to take care of our visiting Beta, please make sure that his room is kept clean and that any requests he makes are accommodated.’

The two blonde pigtails that hang down her back swing as she nods quickly, turning her face to me and meeting my gaze for a moment before she drops her eyes to the ground again.

‘Please Beta’ she whispers, ‘follow me and I will show you to your quarters.’

She reaches to pick up my small suitcase, but I beat her too it, lifting it easily as I wave my hand to ask her silently to lead the way.

Henrietta turns away from me, bowing to her future Alpha and Luna before leading the way toward the grand staircase that dominates the foyer. Ascending the stairs, we make our way to the third floor and along a plushily carpeted corridor until we reach the corner room at the end. The young girl opens the door for me, stepping inside and holding the heavily weighted door open as I walk in behind her. Two of the walls are mostly glass giving me a perfect view of the manicured lawns and large swimming pool that is cut into the landscape at the rear of the building. The room itself is a pale cream, a king size four poster bed in the centre that is made of a deep cherry wood and covered in a brightly colour patchwork throw over cream bedding.

The floor is again a thick, luxurious carpet and the two doors to the left no doubt open up to a walk in closet and an ensuite bathroom.

I’m under no illusion that my fellow pack members are being treated to such high class facilities, only I will be forwarded this care due to my rank. The same will be happening at Diamond Star pack if any of the visitors are Gamma ranked or above. We wolves just cannot help ourselves but to show off to high ranking wolves from other packs wanting them to return to their own pack and forward our wealth and in turn, supposed power to their Alpha.

‘I hope that the accommodation is to your liking Beta’ the young girl murmurs behind me making me startle as I’d already forgotten that she was there.

‘It’s perfect, thank you Henrietta’ I reply giving her a smile that I hope puts the poor girl at ease.

Our own Omegas are always a little jittery when other packs visit, they can sometimes struggle with Mine, Caden’s or Hadley’s auras if we get upset, but we try to keep them under control most of the time. Ranked wolves from other packs are not always so considerate and there are many stories from the past about Omegas being brought to their knees, b***d flowing from their noses and sometimes even their eyes under the power of a visiting Alpha who didn’t care to check himself around the lowest ranks.

The young girl nods quickly, bowing her head to me before leaving, shutting the door behind her. Dropping my bag on the bed, I walk over to the windows and stare out over the expanse of lawn toward the treeline. A thick, green canopy encircles the entire pack and the dark forest stirs my wolf who stretches, sitting up, his interest attracted by the thought of being let out for a decent run.

‘We go?’ Indigo asks hopefully, his tongue hanging out as he grins at me from my mind.

I sigh deeply, shaking my head, ‘not yet mate’ I reply regretfully, ‘we only just got here, we need to make sure that all the higher ranked wolves recognise us before we go shifting in their territory, the last thing we need is to be attacked on the first day, that will not go down well for our peace treaty!’

My wolf huffs loudly, throwing himself back down as I roll my eyes, sometimes its hard dealing with an animal counterpart, they are very black and white in their thinking. They understand fight, chase, hunt, protect, defend and run, everything else is unnecessary in their world so the protocols of taking a run in a territory that we have been welcomed into are beyond Indigo’s concerns.

Turning my back on the scenery, I head back to my bag and unzip it, pulling out the few clothes I’ve brought with me and walking to the nearest door, opening it to reveal a small bathroom with a jet shower.

Closing it again, I open the second door and replace what I’m looking for, a little room with a rail either side, and cubbies underneath. There is an assortment of hangers, so I busy myself for the next ten minutes with hanging up my clothes and storing my shoes in pairs by the wall.

Moving back to the bed, I store my bag underneath and lay down on top of the throw, placing my hands behind my head as I close my eyes. Three days, just three more days and my life is going to change one way or the other.

I g***n, rubbing my eyes with my thumb and forefinger, trying to alleviate the dull ache that has been there ever since I decided that this full moon would be my last.

Rolling to my side, I tuck the pillow underneath my chin, the fatigue from the long drive finally getting the better of me as I slip into sleep.

My dreams are filled with the image of a shadowed figure lurking in the darkness, I can feel their gaze on me, but I just can’t get close enough to see their face.

The prickling feeling on the back of my neck intensifies and I realise that I’m now stuck in the middle of the clearing in an unfamiliar forest, I walk around calling out to try and attract attention, but I’m completely alone. I keep turning around, my sense of danger building as the suspicion that I’m being watched intensifies.

‘Who’s there?’ I demand, prowling around the edge of the clearing, peering between the trees that for some reason I cannot pass. ‘Show yourselves!’

The trees sway in the gentle breeze, their black branches casting shadows of spindly fingers along the ground, giving the illusion that they are reaching for me. I take a step back instinctively, still staring around me wildly, trying to hear or see anyone but instead it feels as though the foliage around me is closing in, the gap in the forest shrinking, the trees feeling suffocating as I back into the centre, my arms going over my head instinctively.

I jolt awake, sweat streaming down my face, my breathing rapid as I blink in the late afternoon light that’s streaming through the window onto my pillow. I have no idea what that dream meant but I do know that I’m even less rested now than I was when I fell asleep.