The Mating Rules

Lauren’s POV

‘Laureeeeeen, where are you? Come out come out wherever you are?’Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

I snigger into my hand as I try to stop my laughter from being heard, laying down in some kind of dark tunnel, a cubby by the looks of it as the walls around me are wooden and there is only about a foot of space between the floor and the ceiling.

‘Come on Lauren!’ the voice calls again before a second speaks, sounding amused.

‘Can’t find her? She’s not the Sparks hide and seek champion for nothing’ the second, feminine voice laughs.

‘How does she keep finding such good hiding places’ the first voice grumbles, ‘there are only so many hidey holes in the house!’

I giggle again, ramming my fist into my mouth desperately smothering the sound. I can’t let him find me, if he finds me, he’ll know my hiding spot and then I won’t be the best hider.

I can hear footsteps stomping across floorboards through the wood that separates my hiding place from whoever is looking for me. Suddenly the wall beside me slides across, the cheeky face of my twelve year old brother popping through the hole as he grins widely.

‘I found you!’ he yells triumphantly.

I jerk upright in bed, my heart pumping as I suck in a breath, my brother! My brother Philip! I remember him!

Swiping my phone from the bedside table, I flick through the names before pressing down on Philip’s. It rings a few times before a groggy voice comes through the speaker.

‘What? Lauren? What the f*ck? Do you know what time it is?’ he growls in annoyance.

Ignoring him I squeal loudly, ‘I remember you!’ I practically yell down the phone, ‘I remember playing hide and seek when we were little! You found my hiding spot!’

The line goes silent for a second before Philip’s voice wraps around me, no longer annoyed, but choked with emotion. ‘You remember me?’ he asks disbelievingly, as if he’s scared I’m going to yell April fool or something.

‘I remember you’ I repeat, quieter this time, ‘I remember when we’d play games because it was pouring with rain, and mum wouldn’t let us go outside to play. I remember when you snuck in my room the time I got blamed for breaking a picture frame that was really you. Dad made me go to bed with no dessert, you brought me the sweets you’d bought earlier that day when mum took you to town with her, to say sorry.’

The husky laugh of my brother fills my ear, ‘yeah’ he rumbles, ‘I didn’t have to guts to tell dad the truth, but I felt so bad that you got blamed, I had to give you something. It was treacle tart that night, which everyone knew I loved, I didn’t want dad to make me go without instead.’ I can hear the smile in his voice, ‘you didn’t rat me out either, even when I came and told you the truth and why I didn’t want to say anything, you took my sweets and promised never to tell anyone.’

I can’t control the smile on my face, ‘you were my big brother’ I reply softly, ‘Jamie-Lee, Isaac and Bailee were all so much older than me, I was more a daughter than a sister to them. You treated me like your sister though, you’d let me tag along with your friends even though I was so much younger, I didn’t want you to be in trouble.’

Philip huffs out a breath, ‘I’m really glad your memories are returning’ he mumbles, ‘it really sucked that you didn’t know who I was.’

I nod, even though he can’t see me, ‘it was pretty crummy for me too’ I admit, ‘I knew that I was upsetting you all but I didn’t know how to make it better.’

‘Yeah, I get it, you can’t really pretend to remember someone’ my brother chuckles, ‘we’d all soon catch you out.’ There’s a long pause between us before he whispers, ‘goodnight little sis.’

‘Night big bro’ I reply with a giggle before hanging up.

Checking the time, I cringe when I realise it’s three thirty in the morning, no wonder Philip was annoyed.

Placing my phone back on the nightstand, I roll over and pull up the covers, closing my eyes as I fall back to sleep.

At breakfast the next morning, Jessica spots me as I step out of line with my food and waves wildly at me as I release a relieved breath and head toward the group of girls, taking a seat beside Albeth who smiles at me.

‘Let’s ask Lauren’ Taiga orders, as four pairs of eyes turn to me, ‘who is hotter? Koa, Derek or Tyler?’

My face heats at her words as Arleth takes over the conversation, ‘I’m telling you, Derek has that brooding wolf thing going on, and he has tattoos! That is the definition of sexy.’

‘No way!’ Inaya growls, ‘Koa is elite warrior trained, has that surfer boy hair that always looks windswept and you know with those arms, he could haul you over his shoulder like a caveman.’

I shake my head without realising it, drawing Inaya’s attention, ‘you don’t think Koa is cute?’ she asks.

I shrug, swallowing my mouthful, ‘I’ve only spoken to him the once’ I reply, ‘and to be honest? I found him to be a bit of a jackass.’

Jessica nods knowingly, nudging her friend in the side, ‘see, I told you! Even Lauren, who has no memory of anyone, thinks Koa is a pretty package around a rotten centre.’

‘I don’t think I said he was pretty’ I point out as the girls around me laugh.

‘Ok Ok, she just thinks he’s a douche’ Jessica relents, ‘and I for one am in agreement.’

Fine’ Inaya huffs, ‘Koa isn’t the hottest, and I refuse to accept Derek as the hottest guy in the pack, so that means Tyler wins.’ She nods her head sharply to punctuate her words as I shrug.

‘I suppose he’s cute if you like his type’ I mutter carefully, ‘but as he’s got a girlfriend, it’s not like it matters.’

Each of the women around me swivel their heads toward me in shock, ‘Tyler has a girlfriend?’ Arleth demands, ‘since when? How has this news not reached us already?’

She glares at Taiga who holds her hands up defensively, ‘I don’t know anything about this either’ she protests, ‘no one has mentioned it, I swear.’

The bronze-skinned woman turns back to me, frowning, ‘are you sure? I mean, no offense to Taiga here, but she’s like the gossip queen, she knows everything that goes on in this pack. I swear she knew the Luna was pregnant again before the Alpha did.’

I nod, shoveling more food in my mouth and chewing, ‘yeah, she even told me, because obviously . . ‘ I point to my head. ‘She and Tyler are always together as well, why would they be if they were not a couple?’

‘Girls! Are you intending to come to training today?’ comes a sharp voice and I glance over my shoulder to see one of the older warriors standing in the doorway, hands on h**s, glaring at my new friends pointedly.

‘We’re just coming Eleanor!’ Jessica calls back, as each girl pushes back her chair and grabs her empty plate. Following suit, I trail after them, joining the girls as they cluster around the woman who is trying to look stern but failing as they start to compliment her with gusto.

‘I love those shoes Eleanor, did you just get them’ Inaya asks, pointing at the trainers that the warrior is wearing.

‘Did you do something new to your hair?’ Taiga adds, ‘it’s looking amazing, I almost feel bad that it might get trashed in training class.’

Eleanor shakes her head in amusement, ‘OK girls, I won’t make you run laps . . this time’ she adds with a growl, ’but you better be on time tomorrow, I do not want to have to leave the others to come and find your asses.’

‘Sorry’ I mumble, ‘that might have been my fault, the girls have been helping me with my memory, you know, like pointing people out and explaining who they are? We lost track of time, I swear it won’t happen again.’

Eleanor raises an eyebrow at the girls still standing around her, ‘I highly doubt that Beta Lauren’ she replies ‘but I won’t argue with you. Now get your butts moving girls, you are already half an hour late.’

The four girls wave to me before sprinting out of the dining room and toward the front door.

‘Umm Eleanor?’ I ask tentatively, as the woman turns to head out, ‘would you mind if I came along to your training session?’

The warrior hesitates and I’m quick to rush on, ‘not with any of the contact stuff, but I would like to take part in the individual moves. I went to the gym yesterday, but it just didn’t feel like enough for my wolf.’

Eleanor studies me for a second before nodding, ‘OK’ she agrees, ‘but no sparring, at all. The Alpha warned all of the trainers that you might try and defy the doctor’s orders, and I know that the Elites have been told under no circumstances are you to be a part of their group until the doctor clears you. The girls are in the low-level class, so it’s not that heavy a contact anyway, but I’m taking no chances. I do not want the Alpha on me because you get hurt worse! And if you feel at all unwell, I mean the slightest niggle in your head, you are to sit out immediately.’

I nod excitedly, bouncing on my heels as I grab her hand, ‘I promise!’ I squeal, ‘I will be on my best behaviour, thank you, thank you, thank you!’

I turn on my heel and run for the door before the older woman has a chance to change her mind, catching up with the other girls who have slowed to a walk as soon as they are out of the trainer’s sight.

‘What are you doing here?’ Jessica asks.

‘I’m coming to train with you guys’ I reply happily, ‘come on! Let’s get there quick or class will be over!’

Behind me, Arleth g****s loudly, ‘oh Goddess, she’s one of those elites! How did we forget? They love to get sweaty and bruised up! What have we done to ourselves?’

I laugh, grabbing her hand and tugging her along, ‘come on’ I encourage, ‘it’s going to be fun!’

Shaking her head, the she wolf allows me to pull her along, the others following behind me. They might not be thrilled just yet about training but I’m sure I can show them just how much fun it is to fight and win.