The Pack: Rule Number 1 - No Mates

The Pack: Rule Number 1- No Mates

Chapter Seventy-Six

DOMONIC

ONE MONTH LATER

“Brinier’s back from his little quest,” says Bartlett, “Did he call you?”

1 shake my head, my por falling armed the quiet of the bat. It’s wintertime

to slow down around this time, but | can’t help but think there’s a different feat

It helps with the mending ache in my chest if | block out all memmy of... hangover. | stops the room from

spinning out of petrol

I'm sure he would have if he’d found anything” Bartlett say with a shake of his heal

1 place has chimped semely. Sure, its not unusual for things

The altogether pitiful atmosphere. However, | wont think about her. Lefse to

Bartlett has been quietet these days. He wanders this place in a perpetual state of lancholy. It seems, he’s

missing her the sas the rest of our pick it, like me. | don’t miss her. | thirst for her. Teyi waking berwih is a

moment of renewed pain. Like a bleeding hole in my chest, | die a little every minute Em awake thless 1 manage

to create a distraction for musell. Which bus Loften: Most of the time, I lift weights for hours in what was once

the spare bedroom of my house Punishing mywell until my arms are about to crack. | work myself into a straight

jacket of pain forcing the thumbhing in my chest mat teeth to blend into the fatigue that meets every mode. And

because Im a shifter, it takes a lot of reps. Its the only reping mechanism I've been able to cup with.

Especially after our initial search didn’t yield any results. That was the worst time, | felt like a poddamned

cokehead with my nose to shattered glass for the first couple of weeks she was gone. Shilling and scraping for

any residual dust that may have been left behind.

A month ago, | would have bet my fangs that Bartlett knew where she went. Or at least, that he was in contact

with her. But I've been watching him, Every day and every night. | don’t even go to my club anymore. James has

been in charge of the plate. During our full moon shift a few days ago, | had hoped to catch a sort following the

tracks to the northeast, but nothing. Not a damn thing. Unless you count the appearance of a new den of bear

shifters in the Selkirk Mountains, which | don’t because-well-they’re bears. They mostly keep to themselves. We

don’t have any stake in the Selkirk Mountains so it don’t matter anyway.

+ Sometimes, very seldom, La

whatever bullshit to myself to fantasize that she’s aching foras much as | am for her. | pretend that she’s

looking at the sky above Port Orchard from

T

sin, and sendingkisses so that | know that she still calles. That she still... loves.

But, it’s bullshit, because she’s still gone.

“I hate her,” | lied. Taking a swig from a bottle of Jack. Oh yeah, and that’s the other thing I'm also drunk for

seventy-five percent of my day.

“You hate her? A familiar voice sounds on my left. “Tm pretty sure it’s you, you hate

My eyes wander upward, bearing reluctantly from the bottle on the table in front of me. “Gryffin,” | chuckle.

Damn it. He looks almost as bollow as | do. He takes a seat in front ofand grabs the bottle, downing half of it

in one pull. How the fuck did he get in here without my noticing? | sniff the air lightly. Shit, he’s losing his lion. He

smell like a fucking human. “I take that to mean that you still haven't shifted.”

His eyes darken, banking from gold to raw umber. “Nope.”

“Holy shit,” | hiss

THE

grits his teeth. “I think you were right about the venom. Taking another drink, hans cross the table. | need to find

a mate

Itense. “I guess whatever the good doctor took couldn't be found then?”

He shakes his head. “Not a trace. It’s weird really. Because, by the tTardora waste to get back to the cabin,

the damn place had been cleaned out. Nothing was

“Who do you think-"

He raises a hand, cuttingoff. “A cleaning company that she uses for all the properties was in and out before

we could stop them. | know what you were thinking.

1 was hoping for the sthing. But all that she could scent was humans. Plural,”

“Huh,” | choke gut. “That's fucked.”

“Yeah,” he sighs. “But it does makefeel a bit better saving that you're just as miserable.”

1/3

Chapter Seventy-Six

1 laugh for the first time

checking for prying eyes? We've been online for weeks. Searching every avenue | can think of in fin

there. Someone else has to be doing the skind of work”

My bar “Makes sense. Find anything

“Tandora thinks she did.” He sighs, Jining back against the seat. “Splace in Vardhaner. She been taking

weekly trips up there to check it out.”

My hand stills mid reach for the bottle and suddenly | am stone cold be. My arms back and may from the whiskey

Tandora, huh? Weekly you may

What is

Tout,” he say “She just got back again last night.”

Tst

that righ

“Is taking her multiple trips? hint to check out a

Apparently, it's a difficult spot té get to

mewhere in the mountains. She Joan’t been able to get close enough yet to see things not properly”

Majhe And

| cench my teeth, my mind suddenly whirling as | remember Deaven’s words. Tardor told me. Could they have

gotten that close? In one fucking night? Sta you believe that shit? She’s a focking lion shitter for crying out loud.”

He smiles, reaching for the bottle and downing the rest before laughing to himself. His dark eyes twinkle as he

winks my way. “Exactly.”

DRAVEN

1 race toward the restroom the moment | get home. The scent of whatever Emily’s cooking in the kitchen

sending my tummy into spasms. What the fuck? Imping to be sick, I just know it. “Jesus, what are you cooking?” |

shout as | tumble to my knees in front of the ivory throne and puke my silly little guts out.

As | retch, | hear her walking up the hallway. “What do you mean? I'm cooking dinner. Catfish,” she says as she

rounds the corner and Endswith the toilet like it’s my lost lover.

Catfish? Fucking cash? But | love catfish. At least, | used to. But it seems just the word is enough to send my

belly rolling yet again. “Oh my God, | choke out, a fresh wave of nausea causingto heave. What the fuck?”

““Draveti! Shit!” She coos, kneeling down to stroke my back. “Are

you

| shake my head as best as | can, woping my mouth and pressing my head on the cold porcelain of the tub. “I

wasn’t until I smelled dinner “

She winces. “Do you wantto throw it out?”

“Fuck yes | do,” | whisper, abandoning the tub to lie on the floor. The cold tiles feel amazing against my body.

1.y. “1-Im sorr

sorry. But, please throw it out.”

She nods frantically, disappearing to chuck our supper.

What the fuck is wrong with me? | used to love fried catfish. In Miami | would eat it at least once a week at a

place on Beach Avenue. The smell would be heavy in the air mund the ht establishment and | can thoroughly

remember that it did not bother me. Just then, my nose catches on something else that burns my belly. Pe four

cleaner. | jerk upright, positioning myself over the toilet again as a concemed Emily strides back into the restponi

“Did you clean the floor here, Emily? To

“Today?”

She talks, looking somewhat taken aback. “Ub - yeah I did. Should | not have?”

| wave an arm at her, indicating that

she should shut up as | begin to dry

heave. Tud Isap, hee gPasiTs

are over Susidenty Dea smell

eVenything in this place. Including her

gaudy floral perfume. Obs. What the

fuck? “Something's wrong with me. |

think | need fresh air,” | say, reaching

up for her arm. “Helpget The

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the latest chapter there!

up

But the moment she leans downward

| snack her away and hold mypreath.

Her per pgkingeth “Nevermind” |

suhk pushing up from the tub for

Support. “Back away from me.” The

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the latest chapter there!

2/3

12:55 Thu. Nov 14

Chapter Seventy-Six

particulier. Right before another

1 post myself onto its fert and lean

of our porch. “Call Alam. Lired him

vand bem munity days it a been. Holy shit. It's been fat weeks.

You probabl

“Emily ways. Trying to

forpast to have

(her and her horrible pumpent

it 1 think | might be pregnant.”

Chapter Comments

Visitor

Loving this book

Karolina Kowalczyk

POST COMMENT

so good until this point. why the

werewolf story always get the m

pregnancy plot jugtflel afarking,

HisBtoh) would be equally good

without this plot, so...sorry but no

need. The content is on

novelenglish.net! Read the latest

chapter there!

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