The Pack: Rule Number 1 - No Mates

Chapter One Hundred-Fifty-Four

RAINIER

My ears twitch in the soft breeze that floats between the trees. While following the ridgeline and the trail of the

intruding wolves, WE scented something even more disturbing. Humans that bear fire from their arms. Our Alpha

sent us to investigate and one of us was almost caught. We were just about to converge on the shooters when

we heard his Gamma cry of warning. Circling back for him, we found him freed by a human fentale. Her aura was

much different than the shooters and so we left her to head away from the danger. Even though our brother

didn’t want to leave her, he did. But | was watching him as we ran together, and | could sense his mind

wandering back to her. Perhaps he feared for her safety. After all, she did free him. Something humans rarely do

when it might mean their own skin.

Now, we are racing through the hills behind the city. Howling as we run toward the beaches where yet another

foreign wolf's scent seemed to permeate. Will will track this wolf as far as we can and then return to the

shooters. It is our duty to protect these hills and forests. As well as the creatures that live within. They caught

something. We heard it. A lioness cried out into the dark. It sounded like they shot her and although we knew she

was probably dead, that didn’t mean the humans could be allowed to leave after such a crime.

No. We would find them and we would tear them apart.

Something in the breeze catches my attention. A smell so sweet | stutter my steps and veer left, away from my

pack, | can’t explain what's just cover me, or why | suddenly have to find the source of the sweetness.

Images flash through my mind as | descend the hillside, causingto growl in frustration at the unwelcome

thoughts. There is something down there that | wanted. Something I'd forgotten until that smell found its way

into the wind. But now, as I'm remembering, a face flashes before my eyes and | let loose with a how to signal

that I've changed course. My human is down there somewhere. My... mate.

-FELIX

Oh no! No! Hector?

As inconspicuous as | can, | tiptoe back toward the har entrance. | make it almost the entire way before the

crunch of gravel behind me

freezeson the spot.

“Hello Felix,” a cold voice sounds at my back and my entire body shudders.

| keep walking at first, thinking that he hasn't seen my face and that if | can just get back inside everything

might be okay. | can pretend that | m not Felix and he can fucken leave. I'm close, just a couple feet left to go

and I'll be safely hidden behind that heavy metal door.

“I know it’s you,” he says calmly. Td know that ass anywhere. Turn around.”

Fuck. I have to do it. | have to turn around. If | don’t... who knows what he might do.

“Antman,” | say calmly, not wanting him to see how just the sight of him frightens me.

He's bigger than the others Hector and his friends. I've always tried my best to steer clear of him and it wasn't

too hard to do because he was always busy. Antman isn’t the skind of threat that Hector is. Both are pretty

awful in their own right, but Antman is altogether worse. He's not a gang leader like Hector, not exactly. Antman

is the one they go to, to settle disputes between rival neighborhoods. His word is law in sparts of Southern

California and the only people who know about him are the people who run his underground

network. Hector is one of those.

Antman smiles, flashing a full set of pearly white teeth as he saunters toward me. His thick black hair is neatly

trimmed as always, his tribal tattoos and muscles on full display beneath a crisp white tank top. Doesn't he ever

get cold? Maybe not, considering he has ice in his blood.

“What are you doing here, babydoll? Where is my boy? Where is Hector

“He’s in jail,” | say matter of factly. “He was arrested for a shooting at this club down

n the street.”

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Chapter One Hundred-Fifty-Four

“Is that right?” he says, his face wrinkling with irritation. “Well, we'll go and get him out then. Con.”

| don’t move, racking my brain for an excuse to get back upstairs and call Draven. “How did you find us if Hector

didn’t call you?” I ask, slowly taking a step backward while he’s facing the Cadillac

He laughs, then shrugs. “That would fall into the category of my little secret,” he snaps. And while we're an

secrets- why don’t you tellhow it is that you're holding up in sbar that Hector’s car has been parked

behind for three days. Is this where he was arrested?” he asks, stepping closer. “Are you the one who called it

in?’

| shake my head, not liking where his mind is going. “No! Don’t be ridiculous. | wasn’t even here when he was

arrested. He ditchedoutside of the club after one of his bullets grazed my shoulder. | was taken to the

hospital with sother guy.”

“He ditched you,” he repeated, his eyebrows drawing together. “Just left my property in the parking lot of some

club. That's not good. He'll definitely be answering for that. Now let's go.”

He turns around and | use the moment to step back toward the bar the whip around to open the door. Suddenly,

I'm shoved from behind and | go slamming into the bar door. The air is knocked from my lungs as Antman’s

heavy body crashes into mine from behind.

His bot breath fans across my cheeks: “Dumb move, babydoll. | mean, reilly stupid.” He grabs the back of my

head and slams it forward into the doog so hard stars sparkle across my vision and my body goes mashing into

the ground. Antman leans over the and spits, “You fucking cunt. You think you can just do whatever you want?

Did you forget that | own you? That pussy and that ass - they belong to me. And as long as you're able to fuck, |

will sell you. When your tits finally drop, and your sweet little cunt runs dry- that is when | will set you free. The

way you behave between now and then will decide whether you leave my shackles with a fat severance check or

in a pine box. Now get your fucken ass up and let's go get my boy.”

| whimper, dragging myself up off the ground slowly, my limbs protesting and my head throbbing. Once on my

feet, | sway a bit and Antman snatchesby my hair, draggingtoward Hector’s Cadillac. He throws me

against the passenger door and trapsbetween his arms, his cold black eyes locking on my neck

“It looks like you've been earning a few bucks on the side, babydoll. Is that what you're doing up in that bar?

Huh? Have you been fucking the owner of that place? | shake my head no and he snickers. “I'm not rupid bitch.

After we get Hector, Ill bring you back down here and we'll take what he owesout of whatever's inside. Now

get in.”

“You don’t own me,” | whisper as he turns around, not really surprised when he doesn’t hear me. | didn’t say it

for him. | said it for me.

Glancing up at the apartment window, with its light still on glowing warm against the night, | say goodbye. For a

minute there, | had chance to have everything | wanted. In the back of my mind, | wonder if Rainier will look for