Zach woke up to a knock on his door. His eyes instantly falling on Kat to make sure she was still by his side, Zach couldn't contain his smile. How lucky he found himself to have her so near. Getting off the bed gently, Zach made his way to the door.

"Morning, Alpha." Nick rubbed the back of his sore neck after spending one of the longest nights he had in a while. After Zach had moved Katie to his bedroom, Nick stayed with Jessica until he made sure she was okay. And soon after she left with Jared he started working.

Zach stepped out of his room and shut the door behind him. "Morning. Any news?"

Nick nodded, his heart heavy with what he was about to say. "How's she?"

Zach instantly grinned. "She woke up last night. She's okay, Nick. She is in pain but she's healing faster than anyone would've thought." Zach was as grateful as he was proud of his mate.

"Damn. That's great news. What a relief, man." Nick smiled broadly, nodding in awe at how strong Katie was. He was still impressed with the fact that she had taken out five enormous rogues on her own. Later last night Nick went back to the east of the woods and looked at everything more clearly. The rogues Katie had killed were large enough to make him wonder if he could've done the same, was he in her place. "I'm afraid my news are not as good." He stated.

"What did you find?" Zach had refused to join Nick last night, the idea of leaving Kat alone like a blade to his heart. He trusted his beta was up to the task alone.

"So do you remember when Ella told us that she and Katie had smelled something rotten before they were attacked?" Nick waited until Zach nodded for him to go on. "Turns out there was a body deeper into the woods, recently slaughtered."

Zach frowned, already knwing who it was. "Thomas." Ever since they got back they had been looking for him but to no avail. They thought he had escaped, after somehow betraying them to the rogues.

"Yeah. He had been killed earlier yesterday. A few hours before the rogues attacked. My guess is that he was indeed working with them, trying to sneak them inside our pack, until they made their move. Something must have gone wrong for them to murder him, and when the ladies showed up they decided to kill them." What Nick didn't say was that he also believed that Thomas had known Katie was the Alpha's mate and informed the rogues, so when they found her, their main focus was on murdering her and not Ella. Yet Nick wasn't going to speak of his assumptions to his Alpha before he had proof.

"When Katie wakes up I'll ask her what she remembers from the attack. Maybe she knows something Ella doesn't." Zach said, hating the idea of making Katie relive what had happened to her, yet he knew it was necessary. "Keep looking. Meanwhile, I need you to double the patrols and the guards around our whole territory. I don't want a single fly to come inside our lands before I'm informed."

"I'm already on it. I added training sessions on the weekends too. If our guess is true and the rogues Katie killed were indeed working with much more, then the message we sent by leaving their dead bodies there to rott would indeed make them angry. We need to be ready." Nick stated.

Zach nodded in agreement. "Check Thomas's office. He might have left anything behind that would help us."

"I will, Alpha." Nick nodded his head before leaving. With a heavy sigh, Zach entered back his bedroom.

Feeling the bed move next to her, Katie slowly opened her eyes.

"Shit, I didn't mean to wake you. Go back to sleep." Zach whispered as he lied back down.

Instantly blushing as she remembered that she stayed the night in his bed, Katie couldn't stop the shy smile she felt taking shape on her lips. "It's alright, I'm up. Good morning."

Zach could stare at her sweet smile for eternity. He would never get bored, would never want to look away. "Good morning, beautiful. Did you sleep well?" Zach saw the red shade in her cheeks get deeper as she shyly nodded. "How do you feel today?"

Katie slowly tried to move, pushing herself on her elbows to see how badly it hurt. Surprisingly, it wasn't as painful as she thought it would be.

"Easy, Kat." Zach's hands were instantly on her to support her but she only smiled at him with warmth.

"It doesn't hurt so bad. I wanna see if I can sit up." She informed him, his blue eyes widening at her comment.

"Are you sure?" He asked. She nodded her head and he paid close attention to her as she slowly lifted her self up into a sitting position, using her arms to support her weight. "Here." Zach arranged the pillows behind her back.

Wincing in pain, Katie took a deep breath. "I'm alright. It hurts, but not awfully. Better than I thought." She said with a nod.

Zach was still in awe at how strong willed Kat was. She wasn't one to sulk in pain. She was a fighter at heart. "You keep impressing me, Kat. I'm honestly speechless."

Her heart skipped a beat as she saw approval and fascination swim in Zach's crystal blue eyes. Her wolf moaning in pleasure at the thought of impressing their mate. Katie almost moaned as well when her eyes moved to his lips as he smiled.

"Dr. Hall told us to inform him once you're awake but it can wait after breakfast if you're hungry. What would you like to eat, love?" Zach gave her a dashing lazy grin.

Katie wondered how desperate would it sound if she told him she'd rather have him as her beakfast. Shaking her head, she tried to get rid of the wicked thoughts that his proximity shoved into her head. "I'll have whatever you're having."

Zach's eyes moved to Katie's lips as she bit her bottom lip. It was a habit she subconsciously did whenever she was nervous, but to Zach it was painfully seductive. He wanted nothing more than to kiss those full lips until they were swollen for him. As if reading his thoughts, Kat's eyes moved to his lips as well.

Once again, Zach was looking at her like she was his own personal delicious feast, and he was starving. Katie found her heart beating so loudly that she knew he could hear it. Her eyes moved on their own to fall on his lips as well and she almost whimpered in need for him. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

A deep groan sounded from Zach's chest as his dark eyes met hers and he found the honey in them urging him, begging him to claim her already. "Because I want nothing more than to make you mine right now."

Katie's breath caught in her lungs at his words. How badly she wished he would. She knew that that train had already left the station, leaving them both behind to sulk, but that didn't mean they couldn't reach the same destination if they took another way around, another road. "How do you propose to do that?"

Just like a siren calling him, Katie gave him the most delicious smile he had ever seen. Another soft groan escaped him as he felt his pants tighten around his length. "Well, firstly, I'm dying to taste those---"

Zach's words were interrupted as his bedroom's door was suddenly shoved open. "You're up! Oh, Katie!" Ella came rushing in.

"Fuck." Zach cursed under his breath as he pulled the covers over his lower half in an attempt to hide his need for Katie. Taking a deep breath, Zach growled in anger. "Next time knock."

Katie's eyes were on Zach's lips for a second as he was slowly killing her with a new type of aching need, and the next they were wide and staring at Ella. "I am." She awkwardly cleared her thoat.

"I'm so glad you're okay." Ella carefully wrapped her arms around Katie's figure. "I was so worried, Katie."

Moving her eyes to Zach's annoyed face, Katie gave him a soft smile to calm him down. Yes, she too was dying to know what he had in store for her, to get high on her new favorite drug, but they still had a lot of time ahead. And Kat was okay with taking things slow. "I'm alright, Elle. Don't worry. I'm glad you're not hurt."

Kat's smile did ease Zach's grumpiness at their ruined moment a little. Her smile assured him that they would get another chance, and even though he was dying to have his way with her already he still wanted to take things slow with her. He didn't want to scare her or confuse her anymore.

Running away from him was Kat's area of expertise and he would be broken if she ran again after the progress they've made. So he needed to calm down and take things slow, show her everyday how much he deeply felt for her and how badly he regretted not choosing her when he had his chance. He knew she still didn't trust him when it came to her heart, and he couldn't blame her; he had technically broken it once before. But he also knew just as surely that he would do absolutely everything in his power to gain her trust.

"I'll get you something to eat." Zach sent her a wink before leaving the room.

Katie loved how all his bad temper and sour mood needed was a smile from her to fade away. Letting out a sigh, Katie smiled.

"I can't thank you enough for what you've done for me, Katie. You risked your life to save mine, and without you I'd now be gone." Ella couldn't help the tears that had escaped her eyes once more.

"Don't cry, Ella. You know how much I love you. And it's okay, I'm truly fine. I'll be back on my feet in no time, I promise." Katie assured her friend with a smile.

"I'm truly glad to hear that." Ella gave her another careful hug before moving to the topic she was dying to discuss. "So my brother is your mate, huh? I hate you so much for not telling me. You should've seen how devastated he was yesterday, Kat. I've never seen him like that before, not even with Megan. What I don't understand is, why haven't you two mated yet? I know the age difference is a little unusual, but we have finally found our Luna."

Katie groaned as another blush made its way to her warm cheeks. "It's way more complicated than that, Ella."

"How so?" Ella asked with a frown on her face. With a deep sigh, Katie started filling her in. Fifteen minutes later, Ella's eyes were so wide that Katie was a little afraid. "Holy shit."

"Yeah." Katie nodded, her heart aching at the memories she had just relived. Zach breaking their bond had felt so ancient to Katie yet in reality it was only a couple of months ago. She was suddenly reminded of how easily he had let her go when she wanted nothing but to hold on to him.

Ella's eyes moved around nervously, thinking about a way to break her news to Katie. "Well, I might have done something that I shouldn't have done." She cleared her throat.

Katie knew that look a little too well. "What the hell did you do now, Ella?"

"I might have called my parents and told them that Zach had finally found his mate and that she was attacked severly because of me and that I might be the reason Zach loses her forever." Ella rushed out her words at once as she scooted a little further on the bed, out of Katie's reach. "And they might have freaked out and might have told me that they were taking the first plane in the morning that should arrive here in half an hour."

"You did what?!" Katie yelled, her eyes as wide as Ella's. "You didn't. Please tell me you didn't. I'm no longer his mate, Ella!" Katie winced in pain as she tried to sit straighter.

"How was I supposed to know that? All he said yesterday was that you are his mate. My family has been waiting for four long years for him to find his mate, Katie. Even when he had lost hope long ago, my parents never did. You have to understand how big of a deal this is to us. Mom had almost accepted the idea of Megan becoming our luna, but when she heard that Megan too had found her mate and broken up with Zach, she was heart broken. Besides, I was so worried about you and so full of guilt I had to call someone. Unlike you, I don't have a mate to vent to, so." Ella shrugged and Katie wanted to murder her.

"I don't have a mate either, you idiot. We broke the mating bond! What are we supposed to tell your parents now?" A knock on the door stopped Katie's words as Zach entered with a tray in his hands.

"That's my cue then." Ella hurriedly stood up. She was not about to tell her brother how she had technically just invited their parents back into town to meet the mate they had so desperately been waiting for, whom he had actually rejected.

"Don't you dare!" Katie whispered, her eyes begging Ella to stay. She didn't want to do this alone.

"It'll honestly be much better if you break the news to him, Katie. He'll kill me. Good luck." Ella whispered before she ran out of the room, grabbing the door shut on her way. Katie groaned in annoyance, deciding to help Zach if he chose to kill his sister nonetheless.

"What was that about?" Zach asked once he reached his bed. Once again, the sight of Katie lying on his bed in nothing but his shirt made his heart skip a couple of beats.

"Uhm. Well..." Kat started, biting her lip, as she thought of the best way to explain the issue they were about to face.

Zach noticed how nervous she was and smiled softly at her. "You can tell me anything, love. You don't have to be worried." He promised, meaning every word.

Kat swallowed before giving Zach a weird smile. "Promise not to get mad, Alpha." Last thing she needed today was a brooding Zach.

Zach frowned at Kat as he sat in front of her on the bed. "Don't call me Alpha and I won't be." He hated her calling him Alpha with all his heart. Anyone else was welcome, but not her. Never her.

"Okay, Zach. Well, did you tell Ella that I was your mate?" She asked, deciding to show him that it wasn't entirely Ella's fault. Zach nodded. "Did you elaborate further on that statement?"

Narrowing his eyes at her, Zach shook his head. Was she trying to scold him for saying that she was his mate? Hadn't they somewhat moved past that? Yes, he broke the mating bond, but bond or not, Kat was his. And yesterday when he felt his own flesh tear open as she was wounded, when he heard his own heart stop with hers, he believed that their connection was in reality much deeper than a mating bond he had so stupidly broken.

"Well, that made her feel even more guilty than she already was. She was afraid and worried and so she called your parents. She told them about what happened, and how your mate was almost dead, and all that. And they decided to come back here this morning to support their son." Katie swallowed again, her eyes studying Zach's every feature and reaction.

Zach frowned. "So they're on their way here now?" He shook his head at Ella's poor judgement. However, he knew he had to face his parents sooner or later.

"From what I gathered, yes." Kat nodded, her sadness taking over by the second.

"Don't worry. I'll deal with my parents. They won't bother you if you don't want them to." He stated, hating how disappointed she had suddenly looked.

"Not at all, I'll be honored to meet them. I just don't know what I'll say." She shrugged. She dreaded explaining to his parents how he had rejected her and how she was now here in his bed as if nothing had happened. What if they wanted him to find someone else? To wait for another mate, or to find another girlfriend and name her Luna?

"Is that what you're sad about, love? I'll do the explaining, don't worry." Zach's eyes softened as he saw the frown on Kat's face deepen.

"No, it's not just that." Kat shook her head. "I don't want them to give you an earful for rejecting your mate after they had waited years for you to find her. They wouldn't understand your reasons like I do, and I don't want them to be disappointed in you." She shrugged.

A smile printed itself on Zach's face as his heart was filled with warmth at how Kat never ceased to surprise him with her kindness.

Deciding to be true, Katie continued. "Besides, I really hate telling people that part of the story. It reminds me of how easy it was for you to let me go, and it makes me look pathetic, if I'm being honest. Like I'm nothing but your second choice that'll do after Megan had left. I know I've somehow started to move on from all that, and accepted what had happened, but it's still a little painful to admit aloud, that's all."

Zach's smile was instantly replaced with a frown as he felt his heart twist and bleed at her words. "It was never easy, Kat. It was the worst and stupidest decision I had ever taken, but it was never easy. My own heart broke with every word and I wished I never said them as soon as they left my mouth."

Katie saw the sincerity in his eyes, but she still looked away. It was like a sudden reminder that the happiness she had been feeling for the past couple of days was not hers. Should've been hers, yes, but no longer was. "It's okay, Alpha, I'm truly over it."

"Don't fucking call me that." Zach shook his head. She was not taking a step back from him now. "Listen to me. Even if you're over it, I'm not. I would spend the rest of eternity apologizing and asking you to forgive me if that's what you want, because there's nothing more I want in this miserable world than to take back the pain I've caused you. Don't you think I know that I could've been the happiest goddamn person on this planet if I had never spoken those god foresaken words?"

Zach stood up, feeling his heart ache at how Katie was once again pushing him away. "Remembering that day might turn your smile into a frown, Kat, but it breaks my fucking heart. Because it was me who said those words, and it is me who has to live carrying the weight of regret along with their venom till the day I die."

A humorless chuckle escaped him. "You think you're my goddamn second choice? You're not my second choice, you're my second chance, Kat. My second chance at happiness. One that I don't know what I did to deserve, yet will do everything in my goddamn power to try and keep. I had the chance to choose you once and I made an eternal mistake, that I will never forgive myself for. But I can't lose hope that you being here might be the goddess's way of giving me a second chance with you to have happiness, to choose you, and I will fucking choose you every single day, Katie. You're far from a second choice."

Katie imstantly felt bad as she saw the agony that had finally disappeared from Zach's eyes return with full force, and her heart fluttered with every word he said. She believed him, she knew she did. They were over it and they were okay, why did she have to bring their past into their present? "Shit, I'm sorry, okay? It was stupid of me to bring it up, please calm down."

She knew he had been trying his hardest to deal with the mess they were in, and lately she had been happier with him than she had ever felt before. Even if a part of her kept reminding her of the pain she felt with him once, the rest of her heart knew that she deserved happiness. And her happiness was found in Zach's arms.

Zach started pacing the floor, his temper rising. This was exactly why he wanted to take things slow with Kat, because she was easily scared when it came to her heart. He broke it once, she believed he could easily do it again, unaware that he would rather pull out his own before ever causing her anymore pain or disappointment.