The Pack: Rule Number 1 - No Mates

Chapter Two Hundred DELILAH I must be crazy. Absolutely, positively nuts. I just let the lion that was going to attackin the creek, waltz through the padoors and into the bedroom.

The tion that was a naked woman not two minutes ago.

The naked woman that, for whatever reason, almost hadfor a snack teen hours ago.

I watched her change into the creature of my nightmares and said Tey why not let her in? Let's show her how brave you are!" What the fuck? Am I certihably insane? She says she's here to see me, but what if she's not? Why would she be? What business can she possibly have with me? Aside from the, hey, sorry we got interrupted before I could end your life kind of unfinished business? Maybe she really is here to see Quinn and she is Drying is trick me.

Maybe, she's into him, or they have a history, or... maybe he simply fucks her from tto time. That could be why they were both in the creek this morning. Technically, yesterday morning since it's after two a.m., but who really gives a damn about that part? It's not important.

atwith an almost cavalier grin. As if What is important, is that she hasn't changed back into a human yet. Why not? Why is she staring at he won the game?: Oh Delilah, if you were just going to fuck yourself you could you could have at least taken a little longer in doing doing it. Drag out your pleasure til the end, diht Without even realizing what I'm doing, I start backing away from her. Heading toward the stairs one tiny little backward and barefoot step at a time.

She snarls, her head swiveling in my direction and I swear in that moment she glares at me.

"Aww fuck," I hiss as her muscles gather and bunch the way they did when she was perched on that boulder. She's going to pounce on me! Who's the dumbass now, Det? Huh? That's right. You are. And no can of sug was injured in the making of this murder.

A rumbling reverberates behind her chest and she springs into the air with a growl. It's almost as if she does it in slow motion too, because / should be running, or dodging or... dying! But I'm not, nope. I'm standing here watching a large gold cat clear the ten feet of space between us, and all the while I'm wondering how angry Quinn's going to be when my blood seeps into the plush white carpet. Will it be ruined? Does he know that a half cup of steaming water and three tablespoons of dawn dish soap are all that he needs to get the blood out? Wish I could tell him. Too bad I don't have tto. When I get to heaven and God askswhat I learned here on earth, all I'm going to be able to say is - I learned the Animal Plexperts are wrong. It's not Fight or Flight after all. It's Fight, Flight, or Freeze. Because the only thing I seem to be able to move is my fucken jaw as it stretches toward the ground in absolute horror.

I'm going to die.

As the sound of her roar reaches me, I'm pretty su sure I pee a bit. And just as her long, lithe body is about to tumble directly into my chest, her face suddenly morphs into that of an evil Quinn concubine and her roar fizzles into the giggles of a madwoman.

She drops onto the floor in a naked heap. Rolling and laughing as she clutches her arms to o her stomach.

All of my air is gone. I can't fucking breathe as I stand here with my jaw still open and my mouth completed raped of moisture. She's laughing.

1/4 Chapter Two Hundred "Oh God!" she cackles. "You should have seen your face. Well, actually, still there, so you can if you hurry." One sharp inhale Inter, I'm still watching her cry happy tears onto the floor. "You, y-you- "I'm sorry," she gasps, "I couldn't resist. I could see you overthinking and... well... it was too easy." "You know what? I snap, crossing my arms and tapping my foot angrily, I think I may have just been converted." "Converted?" she snacks, hiking an eyebrow atas she stands in her abundantly naked glory. "Converted to what? Her mouth falls open in shock. "OH! You mean - oh no! I'm sorry, I must have given you the wrong impression. Yes, I am here to see you, but no... not in that way." She shakes her head, scrunching her nose at me. "I'm only naked because I have to be. Not because 1 wanted to seduce you, or... comert you, or whatever. I can assure you, I may be a pussy, but mine is the only one I like." I don't even know where to start.

Her mother certainly raised her to be confident.

If not conceited.

"I understand," I tell her. "And lucky for us, I'm one hundred percent behind your decision. When I say converted, I mean from green to gore." "Green to gore?" she speculates.

"I'm a vegetarian," I say smoothly walking into Quinn's closet to find her a pair of sweats and a sweater. At least I was, until I suddenly had the urge to try barbecued lion." She snickers, giggling into her hands with a feline smirk like the saucy little lioness she is. "Ahhh! Okay! Phew," she chuckles, taking the plain black sweat suit I offer her, gratefully.

I don't really like the thought of her wearing Quinn's clothes. Something about it rubsthe wrong way, but what choice do I have? If she remains naked, then every tI look at her she's going to think I'm converting.

I should have tried the douchebag's room and swiped something of his instead.

"I'm going to need those back," I say offhandedly and she snorts.

"Okay, Missus Quinn, she winks.

My cheeks flred. Oh yeah, I forgot about that. “Right. Well... I didn't know who you were and Quinn... he...

um...

"It's okay, really," she says. "I totally understand. He's your mate. It's natural for you to feel crazy possessive of him. If you way I'd be worried." I release a sigh of relief, smiling for the first time. "My nis Delilah, didn't feel that She grins, stepping forward and offeringher hand. She stands at least a few inches taller than I do, but then again, I'm only tall for a midget so nothing new there.

"I'm Gayle," she says as our fingers entwine briefly. Gesturing to hurry up and get out of here before Quinn gets back." Once again. Jaw on the floor. Frozen in tline.

toward Quinn's closet, she says, “You should get spants on too. We need "Wait," I protest, watching helplessly as she snags a pair of navy blue sweatpants. "I'm sorry, but... Why are we leaving, again? I must missed the entire conversation that we never had." 2/4 Chapter Two Hundred She grina, tossing the pants at my face. I put them on, but only so that hy as it bare. "You know She nods then shrugs. "I know where he was. But it's already been an hour since I last saw him and there's no telling where he could be here any minute and if he gets here before we leave, we'll never be able to get away dean.

"Wait!" I say as she starts to dragtoward the back padons. First of all front In the ocean at night! Second, where the fuck are we going and why would we need to get awary barefoor human and "Right," she says exasperated. "I was hoping to get out of here first and explain later, but I suppose it makes sense that you want to "Uh-huh," I say with mock gratitude. Thanks so much for understanding her eyes for a moment before she speaks, "When I attacked you this morning, it wasnt because I thought She takes a deep breath closing her ey you were one of the hunters." "The hunters?" I told Goose when he laid intoabout trying to splice you in the creek.

She nods, raising her chin defiantly. "That's what I told Splice me? How colorful. Jesus.

Im not even to ask what animal Goose must be... so, go on..."

She giggles again. "He's a moody ass mountain lion shifter that doesn't know when to mind his own damn business but that's not what En important." She bites her lip. "I saw you last night through the window of Dobson's cabin. Before I landed myself in that bear trap in the woods." gasp, goosebumps riding across my flesh. "Oh my God! You're the one You re the shifter that my brother shot at!"

"Not shot at Shot! He fucking shotand somehow the bond must m have causedto shift into this form, myhuman form. Other than that, I have no explanation for why it happened. I was a lioness when the first bullet hit!" "First bullet?" "Yeah, there were two. But, who cares? That's not the issue. The issue is that we have to find him before they do?!" "Wait a minute!" I argue, stumbling when she yankstoward the back doors. "Find him? Find who?" She groans, grabbing the ends of her hair in frustration. “Your brother! They're going to go after him!" My bady goes cold. It physically feels like my blood drains all the way down to my feet as I ingest her words. "M- my brother? What? No! Quinn... he... ]....." e shakes her head. "You don't get it. We were attacked tonight in the woods. By men like your brother! That's where Quinn was. That's where I was! Him, me, and a few others. We were defending our territory." she

From the Elder Few?" It's a question, however, Im not really asking anything. I'm sure I already know. Then I shake my head, trying to clear aye Txban.

the sex fog from they were knew they were up to something tonight Quinn and his friend, Domonic. They were acting shady as fuck and after the guy left, Quinn pounced on me. Even though the sex was great, it seemed almost like skind of distraction. Or like a diversion he had planned for me. But I hadn't wanted to believe that. I still don't. But..... I hear what she's saying, and I do. "Why would you care about getting to my brother? I finally you! Why would you=" nally ask her, my eyes narrowing suspiciously. "He was hunting you. He tried to kill "I attacked you in the creek because I was jealous!" she confesses, her es glossy with tears. "I didn't know you were his sister. I thought