The Mating Rules
Book 3 – Chapter 12

Raelyn’s POV

I don’t know when it happened but suddenly tears are running down my face, and I try to blink them away angrily as I focus on my Alpha’s whitening face.

‘I don’t . . ‘ he starts, grabbing my hand and squeezing it tightly, ‘no one here sees you as a dirty secret Rae Rae’ he mutters, his voice laced with pain.

I suck in a shaky breath, trying to regain control of my emotions as I nod. ‘I know’ I mumble, ‘deep down I do know that, it’s just . . ‘ my voice trails off.

‘Tell the Alpha how you feel Rae’ Verena encourages from Jasper’s lap, ‘he can’t do anything about it if he doesn’t know.’

Alpha Grant tightens his grip on my hands for a second, silently giving me the strength to talk to him.

‘I’m thirty’ I hiccup, ‘I’m not a pup anymore.’

‘I know that, we all know that, no one still treats you like a child, you have your own room, a job you like’ Alpha Grant replies quickly, making me smile up at him.

‘I do’ I agree, ‘but you still don’t trust me to keep myself safe around visitors.’

The Alpha frowns, shaking his head automatically, ‘we trust you Rae, of course we do, you are our daughter, the Luna and I, we see you as our child.’

My smile widens and I squeeze his hands back, ‘I know Alpha, and I have never felt anything but loved by you, Luna Leilani, Jasper, the other kids. Heck, the whole pack has always treated my like I belong here.’

‘that’s because you do’ jasper growls stubbornly from his chair as his mate shushes him.

‘But’ I continue doggedly, ‘when anyone visits from another pack, you hide me away.’

Alpha Grant releases one of my hands and drags his fingers through his hair, ‘because I want to keep you safe Rae’ he murmurs, ‘what if someone found out about your . . . issue? What if they tried to hurt you, you’ve heard the stories of what other wolves do to werewolves with your . . issue.’

I sigh loudly, ‘wolfless’ I state with a tinge of annoyance, ‘I’m wolfless, you can say it. Everyone tiptoes around the word but it doesn’t change anything. I don’t have a wolf, we only know I am a wolf because you brought in a witch to confirm my heritage.’

I shake my head, forcing down the taste of bitterness, ‘I am who I am’ I mumble. ‘You took me in at just a few days old and I am so appreciative, you didn’t cast me out when you realised I had no wolf, even though there was a chance I was something else. Instead, you found someone to confirm what I am and even before she did her spells on me, you sat me down and told me that you would love and accept me exactly as I am, no matter what the outcome was.’

The tears are flowing again because I don’t think Alpha Grant or Luna Leilani realise just how much it meant to me as a little girl to be told that who I was didn’t matter. Even with the threat of being another species entirely, I was still loved and there was no relief when it was confirmed that I was indeed a werewolf but just hadn’t been blessed with a wolf counterpart, it made no difference to the family that had claimed me.

‘Don’t cry Rae’ Alpha Grant huffs, moving to sit next to me and wrapping his arms around me, ‘don’t cry my little sunshine. We have and always will love you for who you are. I wouldn’t care if you were a Vampire, witch crossbreed, you are my daughter and you are perfect.’

I cling to the man who raised me until I finally cry myself out and I sit up, wiping at my face which I’m sure is blotchy as hell.

‘I hate it when you cry’ Alpha Grant growls, a look of distress in his eyes.

I chuckle, looking up at him, ‘they are happy tears, I promise’ I reply, ‘I just don’t think you and Luna really know just how much I love and appreciate you both. I’m just so lucky that I was left outside of your pack, if it had been anyone else’s, I probably wouldn’t still be here.’

Alpha Grant hugs me again, ‘it’s us who were lucky little sunshine’ he mutters into my hair, ‘and don’t you ever talk about something happening to you’ he adds tightly.

I nod as I it up so I can look at him, ‘you and Luna, you have done everything you can to keep me safe’ I start, seeing him smile as he nods. ‘You literally altered your pack house to make sure no harm came to me.’

‘We would do anything for you Rae Rae’ he replies gruffly.

I smile, ‘and I trust you completely’ I continue, ‘I trust your judgement and I really believe that you would never alliance yourself with a pack that might cause me harm.’

Alpha Grant’s smile falls as he sighs heavily, ‘Raelyn’ he starts reluctantly, but I shift around so I can look him straight in the eye, holding his gaze, silently pleading with him.

‘I’m thirty Alpha’ I repeat, ‘I’m a grown woman and though I hate to say it, one day you will not be here to take care of me.’

‘Then it will be Jasper’s responsibility, you will be a pack member and a member of his family’ the Alpha responds immediately.

I shake my head, ‘I don’t want to be someone’s responsibility’ I try to explain, ‘I want to be my own responsibility.’ I swallow, trying to formulate my words, ‘you trained me to fight’ I point out, ‘I’m not as fast or as strong as an adult warrior but I can still do damage if I need to. I can dodge and punch, run and climb, you taught me to do that.’

‘But Rae’ the Alpha tries again but I hold my hand up to stop him, determined to get the words out.

‘What if we are attacked?’ I ask desperately.

‘Then I and this pack will protect you’ Grant replies doggedly.

‘What if we have to call in our allies to help?’ I counter, ‘if they see me, they could attack me as they wouldn’t recognise me.’

‘Your scent’ Alpha Grant mumbles worriedly.

I raise an eyebrow, ‘In a battle? You think they will stop to verify my scent?’

‘You’ll be hidden within the pack house anyway’ the Alpha replies mulishly.

‘OK, but what if I get injured? What if you are all gone and the Alphas of our allied packs are searching for survivors? They wouldn’t even know I was in here to look for me’ I point out.

Alpha Grant releases me and crosses his arms over his chest, huffing loudly, ‘you don’t sound like you have a lot of faith in me to win against an attacking pack’ he grumbles loudly.

I giggle, knocking my shoulder to his, ‘that is not what I’m saying and you know it’ I retort gently. ‘You just don’t want to accept that I have a point and that it’s time to let me out of the attic.’

‘I didn’t force you . . ‘ Alpha Grant starts hotly, making me laugh harder.

‘No, it was my choice to have a room up there’ I cut him off quickly, ‘and I love my room, I’m talking more metaphorically. It’s time to let me walk around the hallways of the pack house, to interact with people outside of our pack and stand on my own two feet.’ I place my hand on his arm gently, ‘it’s time to let me prove that I can look after myself, that even without a wolf, I am a werewolf.’

‘But if others replace out’ Grant mutters fretfully.

‘How would they?’ I ask quickly, as I’ve spent many years thinking about this, ‘do I smell any different?’ I ask, glancing over at Jasper and Verena who both shake their heads. ‘Do I have a look about me that screams wolfless?’ I continue, again head shakes.

I suck in a breath, ‘the only difference I have is I can’t shift and I’m not as strong or fast as the rest of you’ I offer softly. ‘I still have good hearing, I can still smell things better than a human can. I’m not asking you to allow me to go out in the grounds and join visitors in wolf training or be present for the night runs, I’m asking you to trust me to interact with our guests without putting myself in danger.’

‘I don’t know . . ‘ Alpha Grant murmurs, but I can see him wavering.

‘Please?’ I ask desperately, pressing my hands together in a prayer symbol, ‘please, please, please? I promise I’ll be super careful, I’ll not spend to long around the guests just answer questions if asked and go about my work. Pretty please? With sugar and whipped cream and a big juicy cherry on the top?’

I give my most innocent, little girl expression until my Alpha throws his hands up in surrender, ‘fine!’ he growls. ‘But, you do not go to any of the training sessions, nor do you walk around the grounds alone, you only set food outside the packhouse with a high ranking wolf. Oh and you are strictly forbidden to enter the forest whilst the guests are here.’

I throw myself at the man, squealing loudly as I hug him tightly, ‘thank you, thank you, thank you!’ I yell, peppering his face with k****s.

‘Promise me Rae’ he growls as he hugs me back.

‘I promise’ I reply immediately, sitting back so I can hold up my hand as though I’m speaking an oath. ‘No training, no forest and only outside if I’m with Jasper or one of the Betas or Gammas.’