The Mating Rules

Lauren’s POV

You b***h!’ Arleth bursts out, ‘you need to wait until Lauren has been given the all clear by the doctor! She’s injured.’

Ellie shrugs, ‘by invoking her right to challenge on Inaya’s behalf, she hands me the right to decide when and where the challenge will take place’ she replies. Thats the law, right Lauren?’ she adds, meeting my gaze with so much hatred, I wonder if I ever knew before my accident just how deeply her feelings ran.

‘Those are the rules’ I agree gruffly.

‘Lauren, no’ Jessica whispers, grabbing at my elbow.’ It’s OK Laur, I was the one who ran my mouth.’ Inaya swallows, ‘I should be the one to fight her.’

I shake my head, not turning around, keeping Ellies gaze, ‘I accept your choice of time I reply instead, ‘ where would you like the challenge to take place?’

Ellie considers for a moment, glancing around us before pointing toward the forest behind me, “the clearing” she replies, that way no one will interrupt us.’

I nod curtly, turning around and starting to stride toward the edge of the trees, Ellie beside me as my friends follow, muttering in low, worried tones to each other.

“Your witnesses?’ I grit out, keeping my gaze straight ahead.

In a fight between wolves, witnesses need to be present on both sides so no cheating or calls of foul play can be brought after the match.

‘Already on their way’ the she wolf replies smoothly not sparing me a glance.

We push our way through the tree branches, following the well worn path that has been scuffed into the grass from the years of visitors to the clearing.

Stepping out from under the canopy, I tilt my head upward slightly as the sunlight hits me once more, concentrating on the sounds of nature as my friends’ hustle around me, trying to talk me out of what I’m about to do.

I ignore the four of them, my gaze pinned to Ellie as I start to stretch my muscles out, preparing for the fight.

This is a really bad idea Jessica frets, ‘the Alpha is going to be really mad, you were told not to over exert yourself.’

I grin thinly, I’m not going too’ I reply, ‘I’ll take her down with very little effort, even with a head injury, I’m a hell of a lot stronger than her and she knows it.’

To our left, the leaves rustle just before a small group of people step into the clearing with us. I immediately recognise the girl who said she was my best friend, Ophelia.

“What are you doing here?’ Inaya demands, crossing her arms over her chest.

Haugh bitterly as the other she wolf sneers at my friends,’ she and her minions have come in the hope I get my a*s kicked’ I reply for her. ‘Because I see through their shallow asses, they’ve swapped sides, and now they are going to stand behind Ellie who I can guarantee they bad mouthed only days ago.’

Ophelia yawns delicately, patting her fingers to her lips, ‘we are only here because Ellie needs people to act as her spectators’ the she wolf replies. ‘I mean, I’m sure you and you … friends, she almost snarls out the last word,

, ‘would

never be underhanded, but the rules state that both sides must have witnesses.’

I growl darkly, Liana raising her head with her own growl of disgust, ‘whatever you say’ I retort, not bothering to keep my derision out of my voice as I turn back to the four girls around me and lower my voice.

‘I don’t trust them at all’ I mutter, ‘keep an eye on Ophelia and her entourage, any sign of them making a move or trying to interfere with the fight, Jessica, I want you to link the Alpha, Taiga, link my sister, OK?’

The group nod, stepping back slightly as Ellie steps forward and takes her stance in the middle of the clearing.

Rolling my shoulders, I ready myself, meeting the she wolf’s angry gaze as she sneers at me.

I’m going to enjoy seeing you go down’ she hisses.

I scoff, the only thing you will be seeing is stars’ I retort.

Snarling, Ellie throws a punch that I easily dodge as I throw one of my own. We circle each other, neither attempting more than the odd jab as we size each other up.

Come on, Goddess, this is boring’ Ophelia m***s after a few minutes.

My opponent growls as she throws her body at me, l allow her to grip my top, falling backwards with ease as I bring up my knee and use it along with her own momentum to send her over my head.

Claws out, Ellie digs into the ground, sliding to a halt as I roll onto my stomach and push up to my feet, facing her.

Lunging for me, the she wolf swipes with her claws at my face as I extend my own, lifting my arm to block her attempt to slice my face. Her other hand comes up from underneath, piercing my side as I hiss with pain. A victorious grin contorts her face, her claws twisting to cause maximum damage as I grab at her hand to pull her out of my side.

My b***d is dripping her per claws, Ellie slashes again at my face and I duck under her arm, bringing up my own claws that rip through her skin as she jumps backward.

I clamp a hand to my side, quickly speaking to my wolf, ‘are you OK?’ I ask, ‘can you heal me?”

Already on it’ Laila growls as my skin starts to knit itself back together, ‘put that b*tch on her a*s.”

Nodding, I don’t wait for Ellie to attack, instead, I charge her, throwing my shoulder into her chest and carrying her backward until her back slams into one of the trees that surround us.

Pain lances my shoulder, and a quick glance shows me Ellie’s claws embedded into the flesh just behind my shoulder blade. Ignoring the burn, I retract my claws and punch my opponent in the ribs, Laila adding her own strength as the satisfying sound of bone breaking rakes the air.

Feeling the she wolf trying to retract her own claws so she can defend herself, I push upward, keeping her impaled in my skin as I continue to slam my fists into her stomach and ribs, my body pinning her in place as she struggles to push me away.

Finally, Ellie manages to wedge her knee between us, angling her foot into my stomach and shoving so I stumble backward into the dirt, her claws carving out a chunk of my flesh as I growl loudly.

Pushing off the tree, the she wolf lands on top of me, her own fists a flurry of movement as she rains punches down on me. I hold my arms in front of my face, blocking her attempts to hit me head and face, kicking up with my feet to try and dislodge her as she pins my h**s with her own.

Reaching for her right arm with my own, I grip her elbow, dragging her to the left so we roll over putting me on top Ellie claws at my eyes, trying to blind me as I grab her hair and slam her head into the ground with force.

The other she wolf whimpers, her eyes rolling and her attacks becoming feeble.

Instinctively I pull back, I’m not

here to kill her and any sign of the other being unable to continue to fight, the winner needs to refrain from further attacks.

As I sit back on my heels, still straddling Ellies chest, my own heaving heavily with the exertion, the woman below me throws up her h**s, sending me sprawling over her head.

“You cheat!’ I hear Inaya scream as I quickly turn just as Ellie tackles me, ‘you damn cheat! You can’t do that, she can’t do that! It’s against the rules of challenge!’

I dig my feet into the ground, taking Ellie’s charge, the she wolf managing to get behind me, her arm around my neck, squeezing.

Grabbing at her arm, I pull against the hold, my ability to breathe diminishing as she applies more pressure.

‘I knew you were weak, you don’t even deserve your rank she hisses in my ear. ‘I shall enjoy being Beta ranked and I’ll make sure to humiliate you every single day as you walk around like a regular warrior in my place.’Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

“You’ll never be a Beta’ I gasp out, struggling against her, ‘

your wolf is too weak.’ Throwing my head back, I slam back into her nose, breaking it, Ellie relaxing her grip as she howls out giving me room to move so I can turn my body, ramming my elbow into her face with all the strength I have.

Stumbling back, she grabs at her face, whimpers coming from her wolf as I storm toward her, turn on the spot and do a round house kick straight to her legs, taking them out from underneath her.

The she wolf falls to the ground, b***d pouring from her wounds as she shakes, her gaze slowly climbing up me until she meets my gaze, her own full of fear.

‘Submit!’ I growl, Laila pushing forward to demand the respect due to her.

Ellie’s wolf immediately surfaces, baring her neck to us as she drops her gaze back to the ground.

I nod, taking back control, ‘now, you will remember your place’ I spit, before turning back to my friends who are screaming excitedly.

“You won!’ Jessica squeals, jumping up and down as I walk over to them, a hand over my shoulder as Laila tends to my wounds.

You thought I wouldn’t?’ I grin, accepting the hugs of my friends as they chatter excitedly.

Well of course we knew you would . Taiga starts, glancing at the others, ‘but.

“Well that was a pretty tight hold she had you in’ Arleth agrees, nibbling her bottom l*p.

I laugh, shaking my head, ‘she’s got some moves, I’Il admit that, but I’m a Beta wolf, no one but the Alpha, Beta, Gamma or my sister, are taking me down.’

We start to walk out of the clearing, heading into the forest to make our way back to the pack house, leaving Ellies onlookers to pick her up. The girls are laughing loudly beside me, praising my moves, Arleth asking me to train with her and teach her how to use an attacker’s strength against them.

I’m nodding happily, agreeing when I feel pain ricochet through my head and the world goes black around me.