The Mating Rules
Book 3 – Chapter 16

Raelyn’s POV

‘What no secret passageway back to my room this time?’ The werewolf beside me asks.

My throat tightens in realisation that I’ve committed a cardinal sin, I let a visiting wolf know about the passageways around the pack house. I know the Alpha agreed to me being seen but I’m pretty sure that his permission didn’t extend to letting outsiders know about how I can get around the packhouse without notice.

Trying to make light of my huge security breach I shrug, ‘I’d hardly call it a secret passageway, it was just a shortcut to get pack members to the clinic faster. Surely as a Beta, so I assume that you lead training quite often? Injuries happen and when they are severe, speed is crucial.’

I toss my hair over my shoulder with my free hand to reiterate how little his knowledge of our hidden corridor matters and continue to march him resolutely toward the pack house.

Entering the front door, the Beta weighing heavily against my shoulder, I ignore the mixture of horrified and curious stares, beelining toward the stairs. Everyone is just going to have to get used to seeing me around the packhouse whilst we have visitors.

A few of Isaac’s pack rush toward us, one trying to take the Beta from me as the others ask worriedly if he is OK. Surprisingly, despite all my blustering, I am reluctant to let the man beside me go, it seems Isaac is of the same mind as he waves his warriors away, refusing to release me as we slowly make our way across the foyer.

The three men fall nervously into step behind us, trailing behind as we start to climb the stairs.

‘Beta, I can help . .’ one starts.

‘No’ Isaac barks back, a tinge of harshness to his tone that might as well have been a full on order from the way the poor warrior jerks away from us. ‘Raelyn has agreed to help me, I am already partially healed anyway, please just go back to your business, we’ll be fine.’

The three men nod reluctantly, stilling their footsteps but all continue to watch us as we take each painstaking step up to the next floor.

When we finally reach the top, and head down toward Isaac’s room, I huff loudly, ‘why didn’t you let them help you?’ I grumble, because I’m not at all pleased that he refused and chose to stay with me, not in the slightest!

Isaac chuckles, that smooth husky sound wrapping around me, ‘why would I when I have someone helping me already?’ He ggives me a side eye, ‘I was informed that this particular person was more than capable of supporting my weight, in fact I was all but berated for even daring to think that her position in the pack made her weak.’

I snort out a laugh, I can’t help it, the guy is a goof, I swear he doesn’t take much seriously. He should terrify me, or at least make me wary as even if he can’t use his aura on me, he sure as hell is stronger than me, but I don’t. I can’t help but really like the guy, maybe its because he doesn’t treat me with kid gloves like my pack do. He sees me as an Omega, he knows he’s stronger than me but he still doesn’t act like I might break if he accidently bumps into me.

I like it, being seen as an equal, a werewolf. I’ve never had this before, I’ve always been the wolfless girl, got to be careful around her because she might get hurt. Isaac though, is happily using me as a crutch to get him back to his room as any werewolf, even an Omega should be able to help bear his weight with ease.

Reaching his room, I reach out and turn the doorknob easily, pushing the door open and helping him in side where he releases me and collapses on the bed with a thud.

‘You should really lock your door when you leave’ I mutter under my breath as I stand awkwardly in the middle of the room, rubbing my arm uncomfortably, ‘anyone could come in here and take your stuff.’

Isaac rolls over, looking up at me as he grins widely, ‘you think any werewolf would have the guts to steal from a Beta wolf?’ he asks, quirking his eyebrow at me.

‘Well how would you know?’ I retort as embarrassment crawls up my neck, damn my pale skin. ‘You’d never catch them, they’d be in and gone whilst you were in the gym, how long do you work out for? Your muscles looked like you’d been hefting those weights for hours.’

The Beta’s grin widens as he shifts around to sit himself up on the edge of the bed. ‘Were you looking at my muscles Raelyn?’ he croons softly, and I swear the hair on the back of my neck stands up just from the seductive sound of his voice. ‘You know I’m not an object right? You can’t just come in here and ogle me like a piece of meat.’ He shakes his head as though he’s disappointed in me, ‘I thought you were better than that Rae’ he continues, his words like velvet, ‘tsk tsk, who would have thought the proud feminist would openly objectify a wolf like this.’

‘I never . . ‘ I stumble out, my whole face aflame, ‘I didn’t . . You just . . ‘

I snort out o lough, I con’t help it, the guy is o goof, I sweor he doesn’t toke much seriously. He should terrify me, or ot leost moke me wory os even if he con’t use his ouro on me, he sure os hell is stronger thon me, but I don’t. I con’t help but reolly like the guy, moybe its becouse he doesn’t treot me with kid gloves like my pock do. He sees me os on Omego, he knows he’s stronger thon me but he still doesn’t oct like I might breok if he occidently bumps into me.

I like it, being seen os on equol, o werewolf. I’ve never hod this before, I’ve olwoys been the wolfless girl, got to be coreful oround her becouse she might get hurt. Isooc though, is hoppily using me os o crutch to get him bock to his room os ony werewolf, even on Omego should be oble to help beor his weight with eose.

Reoching his room, I reoch out ond turn the doorknob eosily, pushing the door open ond helping him in side where he releoses me ond collopses on the bed with o thud.

‘You should reolly lock your door when you leove’ I mutter under my breoth os I stond owkwordly in the middle of the room, rubbing my orm uncomfortobly, ‘onyone could come in here ond toke your stuff.’

Isooc rolls over, looking up ot me os he grins widely, ‘you think ony werewolf would hove the guts to steol from o Beto wolf?’ he osks, quirking his eyebrow ot me.

‘Well how would you know?’ I retort os emborrossment crowls up my neck, domn my pole skin. ‘You’d never cotch them, they’d be in ond gone whilst you were in the gym, how long do you work out for? Your muscles looked like you’d been hefting those weights for hours.’

The Beto’s grin widens os he shifts oround to sit himself up on the edge of the bed. ‘Were you looking ot my muscles Roelyn?’ he croons softly, ond I sweor the hoir on the bock of my neck stonds up just from the seductive sound of his voice. ‘You know I’m not on object right? You con’t just come in here ond ogle me like o piece of meot.’ He shokes his heod os though he’s disoppointed in me, ‘I thought you were better thon thot Roe’ he continues, his words like velvet, ‘tsk tsk, who would hove thought the proud feminist would openly objectify o wolf like this.’

‘I never . . ‘ I stumble out, my whole foce oflome, ‘I didn’t . . You just . . ‘

I snort out a laugh, I can’t help it, the guy is a goof, I swear he doesn’t take much seriously. He should terrify me, or at least make me wary as even if he can’t use his aura on me, he sure as hell is stronger than me, but I don’t. I can’t help but really like the guy, maybe its because he doesn’t treat me with kid gloves like my pack do. He sees me as an Omega, he knows he’s stronger than me but he still doesn’t act like I might break if he accidently bumps into me.

Isaac just watches me, a mischievous smile toying with the corners of his mouth as I stutter like a fool. ‘Tell me Rae’ he whispers, inching closer to me so he’s on the very edge of the mattress, ‘did you like them? My muscles? Did you want to touch them?’

‘No!’ I shriek, backing toward the door as I wave my hands in front of me like it can somehow protect me from this man and his muscular arms.

My back hits the doorframe and I turn to quickly run when the Beta’s voice stops me.

‘Oh Rae?’ he calls out, waiting for me to turn around before he continues. ‘In answer to your question, None of my pack would ever dream of stealing from me as the punishment would be a very violent affair. Your pack would also never steal from me as I outrank nearly all of them, and Your Alpha, his family, and both of your Betas are much too honourable to do something so disgusting as to lower themselves to theft.

‘But’ he adds, the single word ringing through the room, making me jump slightly, ‘if someone did decide to come in here without my knowledge, if they rummaged through my personal belongings and helped themselves to things that did not belong to them, I would smell them as soon as I entered. They would have either your pack scent or mine on them that would linger in the room, that would also be mingled with the scent that is uniquely theirs. I would have no trouble following the culprit to his hiding spot and trust me, I would deal with them thoroughly.’

He leans back, resting his hands on the bed behind him as I stare at him dumbly, slightly shocked, slightly turned on by the power of his words. This werewolf might be a bit of a jester and quite easygoing, but underneath is a very powerful Beta wolf who is not hesitant to assert his dominance if he needs to.

‘But if you want to sneak in here little Omega’ he adds suddenly, his deep chocolate eyes boring into mine, holding me captive as I shift slightly, feeling the slight dampness between my legs. ‘I promise that I will not be too angry with you, though I can’t promise I wouldn’t punish you if I caught you.’ He winks at me as I turn around, running out of the room, his laughter following me like a shadow.

A*****e! He’s an a*****e! And yet I just can’t seem to want to stay away from him, please Goddess, please tell me that he couldn’t smell my arousal from his words, I beg of you!