The Mating Rules

I feel a little better after my talk with my brother, he gave me no advice that could help with my decision, but to know that at least he is behind me and accepting of whatever I decide, calms me.

I use up my time waiting for seven o’clock tidying up my room, which is, to be frank, a bomb site in the making. When did I acquire all these clothes? I swear I didn’t buy them all, yet I have to accept the reality that I cannot see the floor right now. I also grudgingly admit that it is due to discarded clothes from various panic induced changes before dates with my mates.

Six o’clock and I’m back to throwing clothes everywhere searching for an outfit for my date with Caden. Settling on jeans and a strappy top covered with a hoodie, I pull on my ankle boots, just as a knock sounds on my door.

‘Coming!’ I call out, hopping on one foot toward the door to open it, my boot half over my toes as I pull the door toward me to be faced with a towering popsicle of yumminess.

‘Umm, you OK?’ Caden asks in amusement as I drag my gaze up his body until I find his face.Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

‘Fine, just getting my shoes on’ I reply, stamping my foot on the floor to force it over my heel.

Bending down, I tie my laces before looking up and finding myself in direct eye contact with Caden’s crotch. Annnnnd now my mouth has gone dry and I can’t hear anything, and I’m staring . . I know I should be doing something else but I’m still crouched here staring . . . Jamie-Lee look up! For f*cks sake look up, look up right now! Nope, eyes are not listening to me.

I wonder what it feels like. Maybe I could just graze it with my fingers accidentally, like oops! Sorry! My bad, I could get away with that, right?

‘See something you like Leeway?’ my mate’s cocky voice floats down to me.

‘Cramp!’ I blurt out, rubbing at my shin, ‘cramp in my leg, ouch! Ooo! The pain!’

A hand wraps around my arm and hauls me to my feet, my gaze painfully raising to his face where a look of pure hunger is in his eyes.

‘Cramp hey?’ he rumbles, ‘need me to rub it better baby? I’m good with my hands.’

Goddess yes! My lady parts scream at the top of their voice but I manage to shake my head even as a g***n of longing leaves me.

‘Shame’ Caden replies with a shrug, ‘you’d have enjoyed it.’

Taking my hand, he leads me out of the room, shutting my door for me and checking it’s locked before we head down the corridor. At the stairs, I turn to head downwards but the Alpha turns the other way, steering me toward the ones going upwards.

‘I thought we were having a date?’ I mutter in confusion, looking back over my shoulder as I stumble up the stairs behind him.

‘We are’ Caden replies, leading the way, his hand wrapped around my own possessively until we reach the Alpha floor. Walking down the hallway, we stop outside of his room and I gasp nervously as I stare at the door.

The last time I was here, the room was a mass of broken furniture, but as Caden pushes open the door, I find everything replaced, a brand new bed against the far wall, a cosy seating area placed around the large fireplace that boasts a huge flat screen tv overhead.

Leading me toward the couch, he grins as I look around, ‘I thought we could have a movie night’ he says hopefully, as I look down to take in the huge collection of junk food and sodas that are covering the small coffee table in front of the fireplace.

‘Really?’ I squeal, trying to hold in how much I love this idea. I like going out, don’t get me wrong, but I’m not a high maintenance girl, I’d often rather curl up in bed with a bag of popcorn and my book, so this is completely up my street.

‘You OK with that? We can go out if you want’ the Alpha hurries out, scratching his neck worriedly.

‘No, this is awesome! I’d love to watch a movie, I just wish I’d known, I’d have just come up in my night wear’ I reply enthusiastically.

Caden g****s, shaking his head, ‘Leeway’ he m***s painfully, ‘please do not put ideas of you in your sleep wear into my head, I have to sit here with you!’

I grin mischievously as I take a seat and kick off my boots, ‘sooooo you don’t want to know that sometimes I sleep naked because my room gets really warm?’ I ask innocently. ‘Or that I have this really lacy, skimpy camisole thing with a matching thong that Ashleigh bought me last year for, and these are her words, preparation for my mate.’

A growl rips through the room before I find myself on my back, a heavy muscular body pressed down on top of me, ‘you shouldn’t tease an Alpha wolf Leeway’ Caden rumbles heatedly, ‘we only have so much control.’

‘Sorry’ I whisper meekly.

Caden lets out a rugged laugh, ‘no you are not you little minx, you love to torture me’ he replies before kissing the tip of my nose and climbing off me so I can sit up.

Crawling back into a sitting position, I watch as my mate moves around the room, locking the door and turning off the lights so the whole space is lit only by the light streaming in through the window. Pressing the button on the remote to light up the TV screen, Caden then shuts the curtains before heading back to the couch and sitting down next to me. Throwing one arm around my shoulders, he brings up the library of movies and flicks through them leisurely.

‘What do you fancy?’ he asks, his gaze flicking form one title to the next.

‘Something with lots of killing and b***d’ I reply immediately, grinning widely as he laughs.

‘And that is why you were picked for me’ he murmurs to himself, ‘no sappy love films for my girl, oh no, she wants death by chainsaw.’

I giggle, leaning forward the snag the large bowl of popcorn and placing it on my lap as I snuggle into the Alpha’s side. ‘Love stories are boring, and it’s funny to watch the pretty blonde girl run straight into the axe murderer in the first five minutes.’

Caden nods, ‘I know right?’ he chuckles, ‘and why do they always have high heels on? You’ve gone camping in the woods! Why would you pick stilettos and a boob top to wear?’

I throw my hands up, ‘exactly! Like, love, you are going to die first, you know that right? Your choice of attire has labelled you as the first victim. If I go camping, I’m dressing like a member of survivor and taking an airhead with me. She can distract my serial killer whilst I get away wearing my sensible and well worn in hiking boots, no blisters for this girl when she’s running for he life.’

‘You’ll also have a vast variety of survival items like a torch, knife, fire starters’ Caden agrees, ‘my girl wouldn’t make it easy for a killer to chainsaw her up.’

‘You got that right’ I puff out proudly, flexing an arm muscle, ‘these guns aren’t the only ones I’d be sporting on a camping trip.’

The film starts and we settle back into the couch, sharing the popcorn whilst making fun of the characters.

‘Awesome hiding place’ I heckle, ‘that murderer will never find you under the stairs! First prize to you for the second worst hiding spot of the movie so far. You are only surpassed by the red head who screamed and ran into the basement where there is no way out!’

Beside me Caden is grinning, watching me from the corner of his eye as I throw popcorn into my mouth between ridiculing comments.

‘What?’ I ask, turning to him with a grin on my face.

‘Nothing’ the Alpha replies, shifting slightly as I realise I’m practically glued to his side now. I’ve curled my legs underneath me which has tipped me toward him. At some point I’ve snuggled into his side and his arm is now draped around me, holding me into his side.

‘You are laughing at me’ I accuse, deciding to ignore how comfortable I’ve gotten myself.

Caden shakes his head, ‘no I’m not’ he argues with a smile, ‘I’ve just never met anyone like you.’

I snort, ‘you’ve known me my entire life, I’m pretty sure you came over the day I was born, you know exactly what I’m like’ I counter.

The Alpha tightens his grip ever so slightly on my shoulders, his thumb caressing my arm through my top. ‘Yeah, I’ve known you, but you still have secrets’ he murmurs.

‘Like what?’ I ask curiously, I’m an open book, I see no reason to pretend to be someone I’m not.

Caden laughs, ‘well, I never knew you like to dig your toes down the edge of the couch cushions before you will stop wriggling’ he starts.

I glance back at my feet that are indeed tucked down the side of the cushion, ‘it’s comfortable’ I retort, ‘otherwise I end up sitting on them and my feet go to sleep. You only try to walk on dead feet once before you decide not to let it happen again.’

‘I also didn’t know that you love scary movies’ the Alpha continues, ‘Isaac would never let you watch them with us, he always said you would be scared.’

I laugh, ‘please, he wouldn’t let me watch with you because when I was eight, we watched one when mum and dad had gone out. Isaac got so scared he peed his pants and I made fun of him so he wouldn’t let me watch with him anymore.’

Caden’s eyes went wide, before he spluttered, ‘what?’

I nod, grinning, ‘yup, I’m sitting there with my bag of candy as the girl climbs across the ceiling. Her head is turning three hundred and sixty degrees before she leaps at the screen and the next thing I know, Isaac jumps out of the chair, throws the pillow he was hiding behind across the room, and bolts out the door. As I watched him go, I saw the wet patch creeping across his slacks. He tried to swear me to secrecy, but I wouldn’t do it, not even for all his dessert for two months.’

I grin evilly as my mate roars with laughter, ‘how did you never tell me this?’ he demands.

I shrug, ‘couldn’t hold the threat over him if I told anyone, for the rest of the year he did my homework, my chores and took me for ice cream once a week. After that, I let him off the hook and pretended to forget about it’ I add with a wink.

Caden shakes his head, ‘you are an evil woman’ he scolds playfully, ‘my poor best friend, being schooled by an eight year old.’

I laugh, ‘why do you think he always tells our siblings that I’m in charge?’ I counter, ‘I have dirt on all of them, even little Lauren.’

The Alpha’s mouth falls open before a smile crawls its way across his face, ‘you are a very dangerous person’ he growls, leaning closer to me, ‘I’ll need to keep an eye on you.’