The Mating Rules
Book 3 – Chapter 33

Isaac’s POV

As soon as we pulled up in a parking spot, Raelyn unclipped her belt and opened the door, sliding from the truck with a rushed thanks for the ride, leaving me alone as she disappeared into the crowd of shoppers that were moving along the street past the rows of shops.

Sighing heavily, I unbuckle my own seatbelt, pulling the keys out of the ignition and opening the drivers side door. Climbing out, I shut the door behind me, locking the vehicle before rounding the bonnet and stepping into the flow of pedestrians, allowing them to sweep me along.

I’m determined, focused, I’m going to replace the best damn present for my mother that is going to completely blow her mind. This gift is going to rock so much that it’s going to be sat on the bookcase for the rest of time, NO! The kitchen table! So she can see it every single day and bask in my love that will emanate from it.

I head into the first shop, that has wooden makes lining the shelves. Moving through the racks, I pick up a bowl, turning it over in my hands and running my thumb over the smooth finish. Hmm, maybe? Mum could put fruit in it, she’d like that wouldn’t she?

‘We’re werewolves’ Indigo huffs inside my mind, ‘we eat meat, when have you ever seen mum storing fruit on her table?’

Scowling, I shove the bowl back on the shelf and keep looking. A chopping board and some coasters go the same way, and with a growl of annoyance I stomp out of the shop and head to the next.

An hour and four shops later and I’m about ready to throw one of these trinkets out of the window.

‘Flowers?’ I mutter to my wolf in desperation, ‘she has t display flowers!’

Indigo snorts as he shakes out his fur, ‘way to phone it in human’ he replies in a bored tone.

‘What about this then?’ I ask, grabbing a worlds best mum mug and holding it up.

My wolf sniggers condescendingly, ‘I’m a wolf and even I know that’s a lame a*s present’ he growls. ‘That’s the kind of gift a pup buys, what are you? Five?’

I shove the annoying mutt to the back of my mind before thumping the mug down a tad harder than I meant too, resulting in a loud and very obvious breaking sound.

‘You break it you buy it’ comes a curt voice behind me and I turn slowly to replace a short but stern looking woman glaring at me.

Sighing deeply, I pick the mug back up, eyeing the deep c***k that now runs down the back and carry it toward the till.

‘How much?’ I ask in resignation.

‘Sixteen bucks’ the woman replies, eyeing me with obvious dislike.

I blanche at her, ‘for a mug?’ I demand, ‘what’s it made out of? Gold?’

She shrugs, holding out her hand for the money as I grumble under my breath and pull my wallet out, counting out each note grudgingly into her greedy palm.

When I reach sixteen, she snatches her hand back and opens the till, my cash disappearing in the blink of an eye before she smiles at me victoriously.

‘Do you want it wrapped or are you going to take it as it is?’ she practically purrs.

Isaac’s POV

As soon as we pulled up in a parking spot, Raelyn unclipped her belt and opened the door, sliding from the truck with a rushed thanks for the ride, leaving me alone as she disappeared into the crowd of shoppers that were moving along the street past the rows of shops.

I growl back at her as I shove the offending ceramic toward her, ‘just throw it in the garbage’ I snap before turning on my heel and stomping toward the door angrily.

‘Have a nice day, please come again’ the shop owner sing songs behind me, a cackle of laughter following me out of the door.

Shoulders hunched, I don’t even register my surroundings as I step out of the doorway, and directly into the path of someone hurrying along the street.

A squeak of shock hits me as the other person drops a very large and heavy looking bag and starts to topple backwards after literally bouncing off me.

My hands grab their arms, and I right them as I start to apologise profusely. Looking up, that familiar red hair is all I can see as Raelyn is busy looking down at her dropped bag, a g***n of frustration leaving her lips.

The sound goes straight to my groin and I make a conscious effort not to rearrange myself as her gaze comes up to meet mine, a frown forming on her pretty face.

‘Are you doing this on purpose?’ she asks heatedly.

‘Doing what?’ I ask in genuine confusion.

‘Keep trying to knock me over’ she retorts as she bends down and scoops up the handles of the huge paper bag that strains under the weight of whatever is inside.

My eyebrows shoot toward my hair line as I take an instinctive step back, putting space between us, ‘I don’t keep knocking you over’ I reply, glancing around us as if someone might hear our conversation and come rushing to the red heads aid against the huge bully of a man.

Raelyn rolls her eyes as she goes to step around me, ‘isn’t this like the third time you’ve almost sent me flying?’ she queries, flicking me a challenging look before starting to head in the direction of our pack house.

‘Are you going to walk home?’ I ask, my mind suddenly realising that the Omega is ready to go home and I’m not, meaning she’s not waiting for me to drive her back.

She glances back at me, her gaze falling to my empty hands before returning to my face. ‘You still have shopping to do’ she states dryly, ‘I don’t really want to hang around your truck by myself for hours while you complete your errands.

‘You could help me’ I blurt out, grimacing as her eyes widen in shock. ‘I mean, I could really use a second opinion, I’m not doing overly well in the thoughtful son present buying department.’

She studies me as I give her my very best lost puppy dog expression, pouting slightly until with a sigh of irritation she nods curtly.

‘But you carry my bag’ she orders, holding out her purchase and smirking as I take the weight and almost drop it, not having expected it to be as heavy as it is.

‘What the heck have you got in here?’ I demand, holding the bag up in front of me like it’s some sort of concealed bomb or something.

‘Just some books’ she replies airily, turning back to face my way and setting off down the street as I hastily fall into step beside her. ‘Don’t tell me that the big strong Beta is replaceing it too heavy’ she coos, batting her eyelashes at me, ‘do you need the little Omega to take it from you? I’d have for you to overexert yourself after all.’I huff in annoyance as Indigo pushes forward again just so he can snigger at me before fading away again.

‘It’s not heavy’ I grit out, ‘I just didn’t expect you to have as much in there as you have.’

Raelyn nods up at me, smirking as she reaches out and pats my bicep, electricity coursing through me from the touch of her fingers on my bare skin.

‘It’s OK Beta’ she murmurs with a wink, ‘I won’t tell anyone how you almost dropped my shopping, I’d hate for the other wolves to look at you as less capable.’

I growl like the stubborn, embarrassed fool I am, loud enough that a human couple look at me in surprise. I quickly avert my gaze, pasting on a smile as I turn back toward the Omega.

‘So what do you think my mother would like for her birthday?’ I ask hopefully.

Raelyn peers up at me incredulously, ‘umm, I don’t know?’ she retorts, ‘I don’t even know the woman!’

My expression must match the crestfallen look on my face because the woman beside me sighs. ‘I just mean that you are her son, you must know what she likes to do or have heard her mention something she wants?’ My blank expression tells her the answer and she scrubs her hand down her face before pushing me out of the flow of pedestrians and standing in front of me, giving me a pointed look.

‘What did you come up with so far?’ she asks, folding her arms across her chest that only serves to zero in my gaze as it pushes up her breasts spectacularly.

‘Uhh’ I start, shaking my head slightly, ‘well, first I thought of a wooden fruit bowl but Indigo pointed out that mum is more likely to have steak in the fridge than fruit on the table.’ Seeing Raelyn’s face I hurry on, ‘then I wondered about a plant pot so she could plant one of those windowsill herb gardens? But she actually already has a herb garden in the garden so . . . Then I picked up a calendar because everyone needs a calendar right? It had baby animals on each month! . . ‘

‘Dear Goddess’ the she wolf breathes out, pinching the bridge of her nose, ‘please tell me that your ideas got better’ she pleads.

‘I also came up with a worlds best mum mug and a metal back scratcher’ I add in self defence. I actually thought the back scratcher was a good idea, I hate not being able to reach that spot between my shoulder blades. More than once the frame of my office door has become a makeshift scratching post.

The incredulous look on Raelyn’s face tells me that she does not share my enthusiasm over my gift ideas.

Wordlessly she grabs my hand, tugging me back into the body of people and leads me down the street.

‘I feel so sorry for whoever you end up mated too’ she mutters under her breath, ‘that girl better be ready to buy her own damn Christmas presents.’