The Mating Rules

Isaac’s POV

I’m broken, in a way I never thought was possible and it has taken everything in me not to rush back to Raelyn’s room over the last few days and tell her I was wrong, demand that she pick me.

I was ready to hand in my Beta position, go to Caden and tell him I couldn’t choose the pack over Raelyn. I’d rather not be the Beta and have her for my chosen mate than lose her and be forced to pick someone else. I’ve never felt like this before, she consumes me in a way that makes me almost thankful I haven’t heard my fated mate call.

I don’t believe that my fated mate could make me feel the way she does, I even wondered for a moment, if maybe this was the Goddess’ plan all along, to keep me mateless for Rae. Once she admitted she’s never sat under the full moon, never tried to be claimed, I knew that was just a pipe dream, I also knew that I can’t claim her for my own without giving her the chance to find out if she has a real mate out there. I’d never be able to live with it, it would eat at me, drive a wedge between us and I don’t want that to happen. I want her to be happy even if that means its with another man, I know it will destroy me to watch her walk out of the woods with someone else, looking up at them the way she currently looks at me, but I know that if he’s out there, that he’s the best choice for her and I need to step aside.

I’ve made sure to stay away from both Raelyn’s room and the Kitchen area, determined not to put either of us in a difficult situation. The Full moon is drawing closer though, and I need to talk to Caden about Raelyn joining this month’s claiming.

Making my way up the stairs, I pep talk myself, ‘this is for the best, she needs to make sure that her mate isn’t out there at least once’ I mutter to myself.

Indigo growls angrily in my mind, he’s pretty much had his back to me since I talked Raelyn into the claiming. He even refused to shift and take a run yesterday so I know he’s pissed with me.

‘She could have a mate’ I growl for what feels like the fiftieth time.

‘Like Raelyn’ my wolf retorts, still not looking at me.

‘Yeah’ I agree sadly, ‘me too mate, me too.’

Reaching the top floor, I reach out and knock on Caden’s office door, waiting impatiently for a few minutes before Caden’s voice calls out for me to enter.

Pushing open the door, I roll my eyes at the sight of Hadley hastily buttoning his shirt as Caden gives me a s**t eating grin.

‘Well at least it wasn’t my sister this time’ I mutter, walking toward the chair across from my best friend.

Caden pushes back slightly from the desk seconds before Jamie-Lee crawls out, her face bright pink as she quickly k****s the Alpha before grabbing Hadley’s hand and dragging him from the room without looking at me.

As the door shuts, I turn back to my friend incredulously, ‘really?’ I demand? ‘I waited outside man!’

The Alpha smirks at me, ‘and I wasn’t balls deep in your sister when you opened the door’ he replies, ‘see, we’re getting better at this.’

I grimace, shaking my head emphatically to remove any trace of the image that puts in my head.Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

‘I’m here about Raelyn’ I huff, deciding that it’s best to just get it out there.

Caden nods, waiting for me to continue as he leans back in his chair, resting his ankle on his knee.

‘I think she should take part in the claiming’ I hurry on, ‘at least this one that is coming.’

That get’s my best friend’s attention as he straightens up, staring at me in surprise. ‘She’s thirty isn’t she?’ he asks, rubbing his thumb over his forehead.

I nod, ‘yes’ I reply, ‘and I know that’s a bit old but lets be honest, there is no real law about how old a she wolf can be before she can no longer take part. We all just kind of made our own decisions over it, but if you check the rules set by the Council, no age limit was ever imposed.’

Caden huffs out a breath, studying me, ‘OK’ he murmurs slowly, ‘but I need to know why man, I mean, it’s a bit of a random request, did Raelyn ask to be included.’

I swallow, forcing myself to hold the man’s gaze, ‘she’s never been outside of her pack’ I offer, ‘so only males that were given permission to travel have ever had the chance to hear her. I just think that maybe letting her take part in one outside claiming would be a good idea.’

If he realises that I’m skirting around his question, Caden doesn’t let on, instead he nods thoughtfully. ‘If she and Lance decide to swap back, then really this is the only chance Raelyn has to participate in a Claiming not run by her original pack’ he muses. ‘We also have many wolves here that have never been to her old pack, especially the Omegas, technically her mate could be here and she’d never have the opportunity to find him.’

I shuffle forward slightly, waiting tensely as Caden mulls over the decision in his mind.

Slowly Caden raises is gaze to mine, ‘and you are in agreement that she should take part in the claiming?’ he asks me, his aura rolling over my gently, just enough to make me fidget.

‘I am’ I reply firmly, ‘it’s actually pretty stupid that we only allow wolves ranked warrior or higher to travel for Claimings. Mated pairs, even Omega strength, only enhance our pack’s value. I know we at least allow our Omegas to be part of our Claiming ritual but we don’t let them travel to other packs. Honestly, when was the last time you remember an Omega male coming to our pack to take part in our Claiming? When did we ask let alone take any of our own Omega males to another pack?’

I can see I’m getting to my friend, one thing he has been religious about since he took over, was that everyone was treated fairly. Omegas train and have the same opportunities to learn under his leadership, they are valued members of the pack, and it’s bothers him that he didn’t think about this aspect, that unknowingly, he could have been keeping wolves from their fated mates.

Finally, Caden’s gaze meets mine, ‘OK’ he agrees, ‘Raelyn will take part in our Claiming, she will be given the chance to find her fated mate. Also from now on, Omega males will be given the opportunity to travel for Claiming ceremonies. Obviously we can’t have the whole Omega population leaving, so we’ll run a ballot of anyone who wants to go and five Omegas each month will be taken to whichever pack we are visiting. I will also reach out to our allies and ask them to do the same thing, as you said, our packs are only strengthened by fated mates finding each other, lets do everything we can to help our members find each other.’

I nod, my chest loosening slightly at the fact I’ve got the Alpha to agree with me so easily. I stand up, smiling down at my friend as he grins up at me in amusement.

‘What?’ I ask curiously.

‘Oh nothing’ Caden replies easily, ‘it’s just nice to see you thinking about every pack member’ he adds.

I frown, tilting my head, ‘I always do what’s best for the pack’ I huff, feeling a little bit affronted by the undertone of accusation coming form my best friend.

Caden nods, holding up a hand to placate me, ‘you do Isaac, and I am lucky to have a Beta like you’ he replies, ‘but like most of us, me included, we sometimes forget about our lowest ranks, take them for granted. They need an advocate, someone to fight for their best interests.’

His gaze moves to the photo on his desk that shows his standing behind Jamie-Lee, his arm wrapped around Hadley with all their kids huddled around them, and his face softens.

‘She’s good for you’ he murmurs quietly as I frown, ‘Raelyn’ he clarifies, his gaze returning to me, ‘I’m glad you brought her back with you man, she’s good for all of us.’

Wordlessly I nod before turning on my heel and leaving the office, my head in a jumble. I’m glad that Rae is going to get the chance to be in a Claiming, even if its just this once, but I’m also confused. Caden’s words are again haunting me, she’s good for the pack, good for me, what does he mean? He knows I can’t have Raelyn as a mate in my current position, so why does it matter if she’s a good influence? Does he see through me/ Know that I was considering abandoning my Beta title? He knows I like her, I told him so but does he already know how deep my feelings run when it comes to Raelyn?

My mind in turmoil, I head back down the stairs, my next stop being my mother’s house. If Raelyn is going to take part in the Claiming then she needs someone to help her get ready and I know just the woman to do it. She will also need someone to take her to the pack house and though I know she’d be more comfortable with me, I just can’t bring myself to do it. The thought of Raelyn being claimed is destroying me but I know this is how it should be, that doesn’t mean I can’t ask my own father to do it for me though.