The Mating Rules

Lauren’s POV

‘Good evening, ladies’ his voice booms out as he stops in front of us, and welcome to the Diamond Star pack claiming ceremony, am sure your happily ever after is closer than ever before.

Getting us to line up, we one by one, go through the ceremony, before being led toward the forest by two guards each.

As I reach the front, Caden smiles at me, holding out his hand for my own and giving it a quick squeeze before cutting my hand with the ceremonial knife.

Glancing toward the heavens, he takes a deep breath before starting to speak.

‘Moon Goddess, this woman

offers you her b***d, a scent to help you guide her Mate toward her. We pray that you will help her wolf’s voice carry far and wide, so that these two souls can be united as you wanted.’

I look down at my hand, where my cut is already healed, ‘ good luck the Alpha whispers as I pull back my hand.

Stepping to the side, I am immediately shrouded between two huge warriors who stare resolutely ahead.

Giving my brother in law, one final nervous smile, I quickly wave to Inaya who is stepping forward into my space, before turning toward the treeline and allowing the silent men either side of me to escort me to my home for the night.

As we walk toward the edge of the forest, the ring of warriors that surround the area, step aside, allowing me and my guards to pass. We make our way through the dense trees, and I glance around me nervously. Somehow, the forest feels a little less friendly, right now the shadows that once welcomed me as I ran past them hold a hard edge that unnerves me.

Stopping suddenly, just before a break in the tree line, the warrior on my right finally addresses me. ‘This is where you wait Beta’s daughter’ he growls sternly, ‘do not stray from your spot no matter what you hear or see. Please give us to the count of thirty before you step out into the moonlight, and keep your hood up until you are standing in the centre of the clearing.’

I nod quickly, letting him know I understand as I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. The two werewolves melt into the darkness of the trees around us in seconds, and I shut my eyes for a second before I start to slowly count.

One, Two.. I wonder where Inaya has been placed, is she nearby? Six, Seven, That b***h Ellie is also out here, I hope her face still hurts.. Eleven, Twelve. will any of the visiting pack end up staying with us … Nineteen, Twenty .. . how many wolves will we lose? Twenty Four, Twenty Five.

.. What if Tyler hears the call this month?

I force down the ball of unease in my stomach at that last thought, I am here to call to my Mate, I have no control over whether Tyler hears his Mate tonight as well.

Peeking up at the moon through the leaves, before checking my watch that reads five to midnight. The ceremony took longer than I expected, I hadn’t realised how much time had passed. Straightening my shoulders, I step forward into the small grassy opening, looking around for somewhere to sit. Spotting a couple of large flat stones, I hurry toward them, bending down to brush away the stray leaves before turning to sit down.Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Pulling my knees up to my chest, I press my forehead to the fabric covering them, giving myself a pep talk.

‘It’s your first claiming, it’s not like your Mate is even here, what are the chances really? You’re a Beta, so most likely your Mate is a Beta or an Alphafand that means he’s in another pack just like Bailees.’ I bunch up the fabric of my dress in my hands, steeling my nerves before forcing my fingers to relax and reaching up to my hood.

‘Everything will be OK’ I whisper before ripping the covering off my head. I can feel the moonlight caressing my dark curls, a gentle force coaxing me to look upward.

I’m scared’ I admit to my surroundings, what if I get claimed? What if they see me and I’m not good enough?’

I feel my wolf stirring inside of my head, her soft purr vibrating through me, “Mate will love us’ she soothes me, ‘I know it’

I turn in on myself, concentrating on Laila who has never looked so clear to me as she does right now. ‘How do you know?’ I ask worriedly, ‘how can you be sure? Rejections happen.’

Laila shakes out her fur, her head tilted upward as though she’s searching for the moon. ‘Because the Goddess says it will be so, our Mate is our other half, he will want us and we will want him.’

‘But …’I start to argue

‘Mate will want us’ Laila cuts across me firmly, and I know it’s no use to try and argue with her, no wolf will ever understand they could be rejected until it happens to them.

Turning my attention outward again, I look upward, the moon drawing my gaze like a magnet. Within me, I feel Laila stiffen for a second before she pushes forward, not taking over so much as joining me on the surface. It’s a strange feeling to have her with me like this, normally one of us is in control whilst the other sits back, but right now, though I’m in control of our body, Laila takes control of our voice.

My mouth opens, my wolf starting to sing a melody that I didn’t even realise that we knew. It’s sweet and has a calming effect on me, suddenly nothing else matters, only the music that surrounds us, floating on the breeze.

I push up from the ground, a smile on my face as I turn on the spot, arms held outward, my soul just wanting to dance.

My h**s sway slowly, moved by the tune that is flowing out of me, as I dance my way around the tiny space, lost in a world of my own.

I doubt I’ve been dancing more than a few seconds, before an ear splitting scream breaks through my bubble. I slam my mouth shut, my body stopping as I turn desperately toward where I think the noise came from.

It sounded like a female’s scream, but I can’t tell if it was anger or fear that was wrapped around the sound

My instincts stab at me, wanting me to find my pack mate, help her but the warrior told me to stay where I am no matter what.

Another scream and what sounds like fighting starts nearby, to close for comfort. Are we under attack? Has someone tried to claim what isn’t theirs?

The formidable voice of Alpha Caden thunders through my mind seconds later.

‘Everyone stay where you are! Do NOT move, that is an order! She wolves, put your hoods back on!’

I blink in shock, stumbling back a few steps from the edge of the trees as something or someone crashes through the trees in front of me, heading toward my right.

“Dad?’ I call out, ‘are we under attack?’

My father’s voice comes through to me quickly, ‘no Lauren, everything is fine, just stay exactly where you are, do not try to leave your area.

He shuts down the link immediately and

I stare blindly through the trees as the sound of wolves running fills the air around me.

“MINE! a voice growls suddenly across the forest, but it isn’t a male voice.

‘Taiga! No!’ Caden roars just before a snarl echoes off the trees and a whimper follows.

“Dad! DAD!’ I scream frantically, hurrying toward the trees and starting to push my way through just before two arms wrap around me and haul me backward into my clearing, my hood being pulled back over my head.

Fighting against whoever has me, I go limp as my father’s scent surrounds me. ‘Calm dowp Pumpkin’ he growls softly,

‘you are OK!

Inod, going limp as he puts me down and turns me toward him, checking me thoroughly before pulling me in for a hug.

“I heard Caden call for Taiga’ I whisper, ‘what happened, is she OK? She wasn’t in the claiming, did she accidentally see the moon? Did she get claimed?’

Dad rubs my back for a second, a weighted sigh leaving him, ‘no pumpkin’ he murmurs, Taiga didn’t get claimed … she claimed someone else.’

I still in his arms, tilting my head up to look at my father,’ but that’s not possible’ I mumble.

My dad shrugs, ‘not so long ago, we thought that a double mating wasn’t possible and yet here we are with a Luna who has two Mates. What do we really know about the Goddess and her choices? Just because something doesn’t happen in our life time doesn’t mean it’s not possible.’

Caden’s voice comes through the link, ‘apologies to everyone, we had an incident which is now under control.

All warriors please check on the claiming participants that you escorted into the forest and then return to your stations. Ladies, once your guards have been to you, please restart your count and then call out for your Mate. Any guard who is currently restraining a wolf, wait for my order before you begin a count to sixty, then you may release him. This will give our warriors a chance to clear the area before they continue to respond to their calls.” I give my father a fear-filled look, as he grimaces, ‘a few had already started to leave the pack house’ he grumbles,’ we had to put teams on them to bring them down, a few men got injured. Thankfully every she wolf stopped calling when Taiga broke through the line which has allowed the human counterparts to gain some control over their wolves and talk them down from a rampage.

I bite my l*p, a rustling causing us both to turn to see my warriors heading toward me.

‘Beta’ the one who spoke to me earlier, greets my father,’ apologies sir but I’m going to have to ask you to leave the forest.’

My dad nods, placing a k**s on my head before heading toward the trees, and disappearing from view.

“Is everyone OK?’ I ask as he takes my elbow and guides me back to the middle of the clearing, ‘was anyone hurt?

Taiga?’

The warrior shakes his head, ‘everyone is fine’ he tells me, ‘ please start your count again before removing your hood.’

Releasing my arm, the two men turn together and hurry toward the trees, leaving me on my own once again.

I start to count again, even slower than before, whispering each number as my eyes dart around me nervously. I stiffen, as I hear a few growls coming from outside of the forest, it seems some she wolves have already started to call out again and their Mates are taking over, fighting against the men who hold them down.

Reaching twenty, I hesitate for a few seconds before slowly lowering my hood and looking up at the moon. Once more, I feel Laila push forward, the music flowing out of me as I stand in the middle of my clearing, arms outstretched under the light from above.

‘I can feel him’ Laila whispers to me excitedly, tingles running through my body seconds before a crash sounds behind me.

“MINE! a voice growls desperately, I don’t even have time to turn around before I’m engulfed in a pair of arms, my body exploding in goosebumps as electricity rushes from the contact to my bare skin.