The Mating Rules
Book 3 – Chapter 32

Isaac’s POV

I’ve managed to avoid Raelyn for five days, I’ve taken to eating early at each meal as I know she’ll be working in the kitchen and then hiding out in my office or in the gym working out until I’m sure she’s retired to bed.

Now it’s Saturday, and I’m thinking about heading into town as it’s my mum’s birthday today and I’ll get my butt kicked if I don’t show up at the house with something wrapped up in glittery paper and ribbon this evening.

Reluctantly I head out of the pack house, turning toward the garages and opening the door to the far right with my remote to reveal my truck.

Climbing into the drivers seat, I start the engine and spend five minutes cursing loudly as I mess around with the seat. Looks like Jamie bear borrowed my truck while I was gone and now everything is in the wrong place.

Thinking up different ways to murder the woman, I push the seat back and lower it, before fiddling with the steering wheel and finally the radio that is pounding out some goddess awful pop music.

When I’m finally comfortable, I pull out of my space, closing the door behind me and set off at a slow pace toward the edge of our territory.

I make my way down the long road, tapping my thumbs on the steering wheel as I hum along with the soft jazz coming from my radio. Ahead I see a lone figure walking along the side of the road. Frowning, I slow down further and crawl up behind them, wondering what the heck they are doing. Everyone either shifts and runs or takes a vehicle if they are heading to the border, it is unheard of for anyone to walk in human form.

Getting closer, I squint at the slim figure, trying to make out who it might be as their back is to me and they are wearing a deep red rain jacket with the hood up.

As I get closer, they step out of the road and into the long grass that edges the concrete, waiting for me to pass. Instead, I slow to a stop and wind down the window as none other that Raelyn looks up at me.

‘What are you doing?’ I ask harsher than I mean to, but heck, the woman is walking along the road to the boundary alone!

She frowns at me, ‘I’m going to the town’ she replies quietly.

‘You are walking to the town?’ I growl incredulously.

‘Yes’ she huffs, her hands going to her h**s as her spunky side decides to make an appearance. ‘It’s my day off and I already asked Leonard about it, he said it was fine for me to go. You also said that anyone could go to the town if they wanted too’ she adds, her eyes narrowing accusingly.

I did say that but I didn’t mean that she should walk there alone for Goddess’ sake! She’s an unmarked Omega female! Anything could happen to her!

Forcing down my anger as I know deep down that I have no right to tell her what to do, I instead lean closer and pull the handle to open the door on her side.

‘Get in’ I grumble.

Her eyes widen a fraction before she glances down the road and back at me, ‘I can walk, it’s fine’ she replies, avoiding my gaze.

‘I’m going there anyway’ I sigh, rubbing a hand down my face in exasperation.

There is that stubborn streak again as she meets my gaze, ‘I could do with the fresh air, you can leave me here’ she retorts.

I close my eyes, my fingers clenched tight around the steering wheel, refusing to lose my cool. ‘It’s over six miles away, by the time you get there you’ll need to head back to reach the pack before dark’ I grit out.

Raelyn shrugs, ‘I’m not scared of the dark Isaac’ she replies tartly, ‘and I am a werewolf so you know, I can see in the dark’ she adds as she places a hand on the door to slam it shut.

‘Rae, get in the damn truck!’ I growl, my temper uneashing, as Indigo surfaces, also unhappy about the thought of the she wolf going out of the territory without protection.

I see a sliver of fear in her eyes as she looks at me before slowly opening the door wider and climbing into the passenger seat.

Once she shuts the door, I throw the truck back into gear.

‘Seatbelt’ I mutter darkly.

‘You are not wearing yours’ she points out, before her lips clamp together when I glare over at her before releasing the gear knob and yanking my own seatbelt across my body and clicking it into the housing.

I turn and stare at her until she reluctantly turns her back to me and reaches for the seatbelt, securing it across herself as I try desperately not to fixate on how that thin piece of material sits perfectly between her perk breasts. I wonder if I could fit one in the palm of my hand, and if her n*****s are a dusty pink or leaning more toward brown. With her skin tone I’m pretty sure they’d be pink and sensitive, yeah, those little buds would just pop out if I ran my tongue over them.

‘Isaac?’ comes Raelyn’s voice, cutting through my daydream as I snap my gaze up to hers, replaceing her frowning at me as her arms move to cross over her chest. Sh*t, was I staring at her breasts? She’s going to think I’m a right perv! Not your mate, not your mate!

‘Are we going to go then?’ she continues, nodding her head toward the road in front of us. ‘I’d really like to look at the bookshop that one of the girls told me about yesterday but she said the owner can sometimes shut early if he’s not busy.’

Clearing my throat, I straighten up, releasing the clutch as I press down on the gas, the truck rolling forward, gathering speed.

We reach the two guards that are on duty on the main road, and I roll to a stop so I can speak to the one on my side.

‘Beta, off shopping?’ the sandy haired warrior asks, giving me a sympathetic look as I nod with a grimace.

‘Mother’s birthday’ I reply, ‘you know how it is.’

The warrior laughs, ‘oh Goddess yes’ he agrees, ‘my brother Alfie forgot a few years ago, our father chased him clear across the pack territory in wolf form. Guy had to spend the night up a tree as dad camped out underneath all night growling up at him.’

I laugh with him, ‘yeah, I don’t want to spend mum’s birthday in a tree’ I chuckle, ‘so shopping it is.’

The warrior steps back, bowing his head slightly as he waves me past, returning the bow, I edge forward, heading out of our land and head toward the human town that’s nearby.

After ten minutes of silence, Raelyn shifts to face me, ‘so it’s your mum’s birthday?’ she asks.

I nod silently, keeping my attention on the road because I know if I look at the woman beside me then I won’t be able to look away again.

‘What are you thinking of getting her?’ she prods after waiting for a reply that never comes.

‘Dunno’ I mutter, ‘something in a pretty box.’

Raelyn snorts derisively, her expression morphing into one of horror as she tries and fails to turn it into a cough of some sorts.

‘Oh sorry, I choked on some air I think’ she mumbles, her cheeks turning that adorable red that I like so much. How far down does that blush extend? Nope! Snap out of it Isaac! Not your mate!

In my head, Indigo sniggers, rolling onto his back as he wriggles, scratching an itch no doubt.

‘Shut it’ I snarl at the mutt who just continues to wriggle happily, his tongue hanging out.

‘That was not a cough’ I challenge grumpily.

Raelyn places her hand on her chest, feigning shock, ‘that was too a cough! I’ve had a bit of a tickle since we arrived, maybe it’s the air around here, you are much closer to the highway! Probably the fumes messing with my lungs’ she huffs.

It’s my turn to snort and I glance at her from the corner of my eye to see she’s trying not to giggle, her lips pressed together tightly.

‘What is wrong with getting my mother something in a pretty box?’ I ask, ‘she happens to like pretty boxes, and ribbons and all that other unnecessary crap that these shops charge the earth for.’

Raelyn just shrugs, ‘nothing, nothing’ she replies, ‘she’s your mother, I’m sure you know what she would like.’

‘I do’ I growl back, which is a complete lie, I have no idea.

‘It’s just . . ‘ the she wolf continues before trailing off and moving her gaze toward the window.

‘What?’ I demand, unable to stop myself, ‘spit it out, you obviously have something to say.’

Raelyn shrugs, ‘It’s just that when I would give the Luna a gift for her birthday or Christmas, she was much more excited by the actual present than the wrapping. I always made her something, she has a throw on her bed that I crocheted when I was twelve that has holes from dropped stitches. There is a photo frame made out of popsicle sticks that contains a photo of her and me from when I was like five, which is on full display in the Alpha suite. It’s covered in glitter and the Alpha m***s every time he brushes past it as he ends up sparkling, but she won’t ever let him move it. Everything that her children and I ever bought or made her that had love in it, she keeps out where she can see it.

The only time she ever made a fuss over the nice box was when Jasper forgot Mother’s Day and rushed to town. He grabbed some ornament in the first shop he saw and brought it back. There was no thought in the gift and the Luna knew so she gushed over the only thing she could, the wrapping. Jasper obviously doesn’t know because the Luna would never want to upset us, but I could see that she was sad he’d just got her something because he should not because he wanted to.’

An icy shard pierces my chest and I have to gulp in a breath as I stare out of the windscreen. Does my mother feel like that? Does she think I just buy her something because I have to? No! She knows I love her . . . OK not every gift has months of planning, but she’s hard to buy for! And maybe I’ve run out of time and grabbed something that looks sparkly, but she always smiles and thanks me . .

My mind walks through my parents’ house and I frown when I can’t actually remember seeing anything I’ve bought over the years out on display.

I growl in frustration as I slam my palm against the steering wheel, the truth hitting me hard, I suck!