The Mating Rules

Isaac’s POV

Alpha Grant and I stare at each other silently, my words hanging between us until he blinks a few times and I see the shift in his body language.

‘Raelyn who?’ he growls, and his tone holds a deadly edge to it.

‘Raelyn, the Omega who works in the kitchen and also delivers clean towels to the gym’ I reply, holding his gaze. He may be a higher rank than me, but now I’ve put it out there, I won’t back down from my decision.Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

The Alpha snarls warningly, ‘I do not trade Omegas, Beta’ he huffs, ‘they are not property to be bartered with.’

I hold up a hand placatingly, ‘nor do we’ I reply, ‘of course I would not force her or anyone else to accompany us, you asked who had caught my attention, who I think would be a good fit for our pack, and I answered. I have had quite a few interactions with Raelyn over the last few days and I find her charming and intelligent, she would be a wonderful addition to our pack. I merely suggest that she be given the opportunity to answer for herself before we throw away the idea as a terrible one.

We are a good pack, I am not even asking her to be my chosen mate, I am merely offering her the chance to join our pack, start a new life and maybe meet someone who could be important to her. In our conversations, I get the feeling that though she loves her pack, she is searching for something, maybe her something is within diamond Star? Obviously, if she does not want to come, I would never force her, and not just because my Alpha would kick my a*s before bringing her straight back, but because I respect her right to choose her own path.’

My words seem to do something to the Alpha because his shoulders sag slightly as his eyes glaze over for a second and I assume he is talking to someone before he snaps back to the room and nods reluctantly.

‘She is on her way’ he mutters.

*******************

Raelyn’s POV

After Isaac left me, I hurried off to start my chores, we were all given a later start after the claiming, but Omegas still needed to get their work done and I’d avoided mine for long enough.

Grabbing my bucket from the kitchen, I make my way to the meeting room on the first floor which is on todays list of cleaning tasks.

Pushing open the door, I g***n inwardly at the humungous table that stretches the length of the room and seats thirty people. The thing is massive and I literally have to climb on top of it to polish the heavy stained wood. Moving the few coasters off the top, I sigh heavily before grabbing the polish and rag out of my bucket, kicking off my shoes, and hoisting myself up onto the table. Starting at the Alpha’s end, I methodically spray and sweep, rubbing at the few water stains that mar the wood with a growl of annoyance. Doesn’t matter how many damn coasters I put on this thing, there is always some a*****e who just puts their glass directly onto the surface.

I rub hard at each stain, swearing under my breath with each new scratch I find. Reaching the halfway point, I sit up, wiping my sweaty hair out of my eyes just as Alpha Grant’s voice floods my mind.

‘Rae’ he calls out and I can hear a nervousness to his voice that puts me on edge.

‘Yes Alpha?’ I reply quickly, giving the man all my attention.

‘Please can you come to my office’ he asks and that niggling feeling deepens as I force myself to breathe. Alpha Grant rarely calls me to his office in the day but there have been a few occasions.

‘Is everything OK?’ I question nervously.

Alpha Grant’s sigh flows through the mind link, ‘I’d rather discuss it face to face Rae’ he murmurs, ‘please come now, if you are doing a job for anyone just link them and let them know that I have called for you.’

Cutting the link, he leaves me biting my l*p nervously, did he find out about Beta Isaac dropping that weight on his foot? It wasn’t my fault!

I slide to the edge of the table, dropping down to the floor and drop the polish and rag back into my bucket. Picking it up, I walk over to one of the hidden passageways and open the door, placing my supplies inside before closing it again and straightening up, running my hand down my jeans worriedly.

I head out of the meeting room, turning left and moving toward the stairs, walking up them slowly as I mentally prepare my defence just in case it is about the accident involving the brooding Beta from Diamond Star.

‘He was startled’ I mutter to myself firmly, ‘I don’t think he had a good grip on the weight, his body was sweaty, so his hands probably were too.’

My mind starts to wander to just how sweaty Beta Isaac had been, all masculine with bulging muscles and raw strength that made me feel fragile but not in a scary way, more a protected way.

‘Get it together Rae’ I scold myself, shaking my head to remove the wayward thoughts, ‘not the time!’

Concentrate, he was injured, it was not my fault, I took him to the clinic and stayed with him whilst he was checked. The doctor said that he would be fine and then I helped him to his room just like a good pack member would do. I did everything I could to take care of the man, no one can say I didn’t.

Rounding the top of the stairs, I start up the second flight as a thought forces it’s way into my mind. Of me, pressed against a wall as Isaac’s mouth covers mine, coaxing my lips apart before his tongue dominates mine in the most knee trembling way.

My eyes widen, oh Goddess, did someone find out? Am I being called in for being inappropriate with a visiting ranked wolf? Alpha Grant has always treated me like a daughter, he will be furious if he thinks that Beta Isaac took advantage of me somehow.

My mind goes into overdrive as I hurry my steps, fear curling around my heart as I start to go over the repercussions of Alpha Grant of Jasper finding out that Isaac kissed me. Are they calling me up to question me? I’m a terrible liar, especially where the Alpha family is concerned, they can all read me like a book, I’ll never be able to deny what happened if they ask me directly.

I scratch at my palm nervously as I crest the stairs and start to head down toward the Alpha’s office.

I need to do damage control, let the Alpha know that even though Beta Isaac kissed me, it was consensual and didn’t mean anything. My gut twists at that thought because it meant something to me no matter what I said in Isaac’s room. Being the weak pack member who is also under the Alpha’s care means that boyfriends were few and far between. Heck I was twenty five before a guy from the pack had the guts to take my clothes off and he was so worried about the repercussions of that quick fumble in the back of his truck that he begged me to never tell anyone. Yeah, that’s just what you want a guy to say when you let him take your virginity.

Stopping outside of the Alpha’ office, I suck in a shaky breath, trying to focus on what I need to do. I don’t want our treaty with the other pack to fall through just because of one k**s! I need to put out this fire before it even starts to burn.

Steeling myself, I lift my hand and knock loudly on the door, bouncing nervously on the balls of my feet as I wait for the familiar tone of my Alpha’s voice to tell me to come in.

As soon as I hear him speak, I reach out with a shaky hand and place my fingers around the handle, pushing it down slowly and swinging the door open.

Stepping into the room, my gaze falls first on my Alpha who looks stressed before flicking to Isaac who is leaning back in his chair, keeping his back to me.

‘Alpha . . ‘I start hurriedly.

‘Raelyn, shut the door please’ Alpha Grant orders gruffly, waiting for me to comply before waving a hand toward the seat beside Isaac, a silent but obvious order for me to sit.

Moving immediately, I perch on the edge of the chair, avoiding looking at Isaac as I try to figure out how to start in my defence of the man next to me.

‘Rae’ Alpha Grant murmurs and I meet his gaze, my stomach churning as he stares at me worriedly. ‘We have a situation’ he continues slowly, licking his lips as I try not to fidget in my seat.

‘It’s not what you think’ I blurt out quickly, ‘nothing happened, I mean obviously something happened, but not what you think happened! It’s not Beta Isaac’s fault, I promise.’

I can feel Isaac’s gaze move to me, burning into the side of my head as my Alpha’s expression becomes confused.

‘I know it’s not Beta Isaac’s fault Rae’ he huffs, ‘if anything it’s Mercedes’ he adds with a flicker of anger.

OK, now I’m confused, how the heck is Mercedes responsible for me kissing Isaac? Did she see me leave his room? Did she guess what happened? That b*tch! Did she squeal to the Alpha about what she thinks happened in there?

As my mind flies through every possible scenario I can think of that could explain how Ford’s sister could be the cause of everything that is currently happening, Alpha Grant growls softly, the sound rumbling around the large room.

‘Rae’ he says softly, he expression almost pained as he speaks, ‘Mercedes was claimed last night, but she is refusing to accept her mate, he is asking to exchange packs, but as he is not officially mated to a pack member, we can only do this via a member swap.’

He swallows reluctantly, his gaze flickering to Isaac before landing back on her. ‘Beta Isaac was wondering if you would like to move to Diamond Star pack, be our side of the member trade.’