Zach spent the rest of the day grumpy at how Kat had technically denied anything that was there between them. And he honestly couldn't blame her. After breaking the mating bond he knew he was nothing but her Alpha. Yet the fact itself hurt him deeper than he wished to admit. He wanted to be much more to her than that, but it was impossible now. He lost his chance and now he was paying the price.

Arriving in front of Mike's place, Zach turned off his ride and grabbed his phone. He called Megan after they decided to meet at the party but when he got to her voicemail he headed inside.

****

"Wanna get wasted with me?" Jessica shouted over the music as she danced with Katie.

"With my tolerance and my wolf's I'm gonna have to drink three whole bottles to get drunk, Jess." Katie shook her head as she laughed at her best friend, swaying along.

Katie's scent was clear to Zach once he walked inside the house. Only he wasn't prepared for what he saw. On the dance floor and in a casual short black dress, Katie was swaying to the music so seductively that Zach's breath was caught in his throat. God, was she enchantingly beautiful. Her beauty was mesmerizing him in a way that made him weak at his knees. No, she wasn't just beautiful, Zach decided. She was beautiful, kind, sweet, strong and sexy, and she should've been goddman his.

Zach's eyes scanned the crowd around Katie and his blood boiled at the sight of several men, drunk and otherwise, staring at her body. He would bet his life any of them even knew her name. To them she was just a hottie moving her hips around. To him she was so much more precious than that.

Katie smelled Zach's scent over the alcohol and felt his eyes on her as she danced, even before she saw him. She didn't like the idea of dancing seductively in front of him out of all people. No one else paid any attention to her, but Zach's attention was all hers, she was sure.

"Hey, Jess. I'm gonna get some fresh air, alright?" After recieving a nod from Jessica Katie turned around and made her way to the second floor, wondering where Mike could be. She still had his crown in her purse, waiting eagerly to give it to him and wish him a happy birthday but he was nowhere to be found.

Walking around the second floor, Katie finally spotted a balcony at the far end. She could see through the glass doors that no one was inside and she was glad as she made her way in. The music faded into the background, easing the pain of Katie's headache, and the cold breeze of the night opened her lungs further as she took a deep breath.

Zach watched as Kat's hair moved slowly with the breeze along with the hem of her dress and once again he found himself captive by her allure. Her hands traveled up and down her arms, offering what little they could in warmth, and Zach automatically took of his Jacket.

Even though Katie wished to escape Zach, she realized her mistake when his scent followed her all the way to the balcony. Turning around, she saw him walk over with his Jacket taken off and she was unable to stop her eyes from admiring his physique. The way his white shirt's sleeves were rolled up to his elbows gave her the perfect opportunity to study his forearms and for a second the image of those arms wrapped around her to keep her safe and happy invaded her mind.

"It's a bit chilly tonight." Zach's voice pulled her out of her inappropriate imagination as he draped his jacket around her shoulders. Katie smiled at his attempt to make small talk, yet when his scent filled her lungs like never before as she breathed, she shook her head briefly.

"It's alright, thanks." Pulling the Jacket off her, Katie tried to give it back to him.

"Keep it for a while, Kat." Zach shook his head, hating how she declined yet another offer for what seemed like the hundredth time now.

"Thank you, but I shouldn't." Pushing the Jacket his way again, Kat insisted. She could see the desperation in Zach's blue eyes and she wanted nothing more than to let herself be engulfed by his warmth but she needed to keep reminding herself that his warmth was no longer hers.

"It's just a jacket." A little furious now, Zach stated. How he wished he could stay away from her, from this urging need to have her beside him and this never ending pain of her refusal.

"It's a jacket with your scent on it, Alpha. I don't want your girlfriend to get the wrong idea. Please take it." Kat's voice was final, and Zach felt a knife go through his heart as he registered her words. Yes, Megan was nowhere to be found right now but Katie didn't know that.

"I'm sorry, Kat." Even though Zach took the jacket back, understanding her worries, he still couldn't stop himself. He was truly sorry and he needed her to understand that. He needed her to understand that he wasn't as happy as she was sad. Quite the contrary.

Taking a deep breath to try and calm her senses, Katie clenched her jaw. "There's no need for apologies, Alpha. You have nothing to be sorry for. Please excuse me." She didn't want to go there with him again. Not now, not ever. She was finally at peace with what had happened, or so she thought.

"Why do you keep doing that?" His temper rising a notch, Zach asked, waving his arms around. He truly hated how she kept avoiding him like he was the plague. All he wanted now was to apologize and there she was, not giving him a chance to do even that much.

Katie felt her heart beat faster as she narrowed her eyes at him. "Why do I keep doing what?" She could feel the fury she had been keeping at bay sneek its way up to her.

"You keep running away from me every time I get within a mile from you. Don't deny it." Zach shook his head as he turned to face the night sky. He wasn't one to speak his heart or argue, but she was changing him in more ways than one.

So he wanted to do this now, then. Well, be it, Katie decided. "I'm not denying it. Yes, I'm trying to stay away from you, Alpha, and you're not exactly making it easy for me. Why do you keep following me? Why can't you just leave me alone?"

Turning around to face her once more, Zach's eyes softened with sadness. "I don't know. I don't know why I can't leave you alone. Trust me, I'm trying my hardest, because it's damn obvious that you don't want me to come near you, but I just can't. Unlike you, I can't just pretend that nothing had happened between us." Zach ran a hand through his black hair, tugging a bit at the roots in frustration. This wasn't like him, and he knew it well, but he couldn't stop the words from flying on their own.

Katie's fury was now at its peak. "So is that what this is about? You want me to keep grovelling at your feet like a love sick puppy? You made your choice, Alpha. You chose your girlfriend over your mate and for the thousandth time I'm telling you again, I'm okay with that. Why can't you just accept that fact and leave me alone?!" She shouted, unable to help herself this time.

"That's not what this is about, and you know it, Kat." Zach shook his head, hating how this was once again getting out of proportion.

"Then what is it about? Please enlighten me, Alpha." Katie crossed her arms as she waited for him to respond only his gaze never left hers.

"It's about how you keep addressing me as Alpha. You think if you keep pretending that I'm nothing more than your Alpha, you'll believe it soon enough." He spit the words out as if they were venomous.

Katie wondered how he could easily see through her just like that. Yet she knew what she needed to do in order to end this once and for all. And even though every single bone in her body fought with her and begged her not to do it, she had to. It was the right thing to do, she believed. And so she closed the distance between them until she stopped a few inches away, her head tilting up to meet his eyes. "I'm not pretending. You truly are nothing to me but my Alpha. You made sure of that."

As if he was just slapped on the face, Zach took a step back as her ice cold words knocked the breath out of him. No, he thought. Her eyes spoke a different language.

Shaking his head, Zach decided to speak his heart. "You're lying. Because if I was truly nothing to you, you'd be nothing to me, Kat. And if you're nothing to me then how come not a single hour goes by without you invading every thought that crosses my mind? Trust me, love, I've been trying my hardest to convince myself that too, but my own goddamn heart won't let me. And yes, I'm well aware that I have made my fucking choice and broke the bond but I can't seem to let you go, no matter how hard I try. And believe me, I do try." Gone was the brooding Alpha, and in front of her was just a man pouring out his heart.

Katie's heart was going to stop from how fast it was beating. It was as if every word Zach spoke was igniting her, bringing her back to life. And for a second, her eyes wandered to his lips and she wished she could just kiss him then and there. Shaking the image away, Katie took a deep breath. "I'm not lying. You're nothing to me, and you need to leave me alone."

Katie turned to leave only Zach grabbed her arm and gently turned her back around to face him. "Then tell me you don't feel that." His eyes spoke to hers, "Tell me your skin doesn't feel like it's on fire and your heart isn't about to burst out of your chest like mine. Tell me I'm the only one living in this hell, and I will let you be, Kat. Tell me it's all in my head then."

Zach knew he shouldn't be pouring his heart to her like that, but the agony and confusion he had been living since the day he found her were driving him insane. He truly believed that after they broke the bond everything would fall back in place, even if a piece of his heart would still be forever broken and missing. He had made his peace with the fact that he had to live the rest of his life with a heart anything but complete, and with the broken promise of a happy life with his mate that he never got to live. But he had never imagined it would be this painful, this torturous, to stay away from her. It was like every bone in his body ached to be near her, even when he had absolutely no right to do so.

Katie could fall into his ocean blue eyes and never leave for eternity, she believed, and oh how badly she wanted to. Yes, Zach had consumed her in a way she never thought possible. And she wished she could reach out and gently touch his cheek to ease some of the pain and confusion that were evident in his eyes, but instead she only nodded. "It's all in your head, Alpha. My heart feels fine. Now let go of me."

Zach only smiled, well aware she was lying. "Bullshit."

"Believe what you want; that's not my problem. Now, let me go, I won't ask again." Katie bit down on her lip, fighting with herself not to give him the satisfaction of seeing how nervous he truly made her. His touch alone had started a fire deep inside her core that she knew nothing could douse but his affection.

"Or what? What are you going to do about it, love?" Flashing her one of his rare smirks, Zach challenged.

And Kat wasn't one to back down from a challenge. Even though she was rendered blind for a few seconds, staring at his dashing smile, she still couldn't help reciprocating it with one of her own. This was catastrophic, she knew. They were arguing and he was saying words she wished he hadn't and she was letting herself fall deeper into this endless pit. Yet, she hadn't actually felt this alive in quite a while.

"No disrespect, but Alpha or not, if you don't let go of my arm right now I will forcefully make you." She promised and his smile turned into a grin. God, was she beautiful. Not only was she the only person who ever dared to challenge him, but the fire in her eyes captivated him to a whole new level.

"Make me, then." Zach purred out so seductively that Katie wished they were mates so she could do unspeakable things to him. Realizing he just challenged her again, Katie smiled.

"It's your funeral." Grabbing his wrest with the palm of her hand, Katie twisted it away from her arm in one painful movement before grabbing his elbow and using her full power to twist it backwards.

Letting out a curse, Zach took a step back and pulled his arm out of her hold, his eyes wide with surprise and fascination as he ran his left hand over his right arm in a soothing manner. "Goddamn, woman." First lesson learnt, Zach was to never underestimate her again. No wonder the moon goddess had chosen her for him then. Katie was truly his equal.

Smiling slightly, Katie straightened her dress as she decided to remind him of their conversation. "Now please, do leave me alone. You don't have to apologize for the choices you've made. You just have to live by them and let me be."

Gaining bach his posture, Zach quickly took a step closer to Kat only she held her hands up to stop him. "I'm serious, Alpha. Give me a chance to be happy again. You owe me at least that much. Goodbye."

Even though deep down in her heart she knew her happiness was still tied to him, Katie gave him a final glance and turned on her heels, leaving him standing. And even though Zach's heart had never been lighter than it was a few moments ago, it was now heavy as a rock. He saw it in her eyes before she left; that she meant what she said. She truly wanted him to stay away from her for good. Was he truly hurting her that much by his mere existence?

Turning back to the night sky, Zach took a painful, deep breath. He owed her much more than that, he knew. Yes, breaking the bond, and a part of their hearts along with it, was a decision agreed upon from both responsible parties, but she had the most to lose. At least he still had Megan, while Katie desperately tried to move on; he understood now. Yes, his happiness was still connected to Katie's presence near him but so was her misery, it seemed. And if staying away from her was what she truly wanted him to do, then that's what he was going to do. For her, he would break his own heart again and again, if needed be.

"Zach." Turning around, Zach saw Megan make her way into the balcony with tears in her eyes.

"Meg. Where were you?" Zach asked, swallowing the lump in his throat. How much of that had she seen and heard, he wondered. Maybe it was time he told her everything. Maybe it was time he tried to get back to normal, as Katie wished. Yet after tonight he knew it wasn't going to be easy, if not impossible.

"We need to talk." Wiping her face, Megan turned around to shut the glass door behind her.

"Alright. Why are you crying? What's up?" Gaining back his usual composter, Zach asked, yet he hadn't braced himself enough for what he was about to hear.

"I've just found my mate." Was the words Zach never thought he would hear from Megan.