"Alpha Steven." Zach gave a tight nod, his arms subconsciously holding on to Kat. From the corner of his eye he could see Lucy standing with wide eyes and an open mouth among the crowd and he wished she wouldn't make herself visible any time soon. He just wanted her to leave them alone.

Kat nodded her head in respect at the Alpha and was ready to explain what happened when she heard him hiss as he saw the psychopath on the floor.

"For the love of God, what did my son do now?" His face showed disapproval and anger as he motioned with his hands for someone. "Please, take him to his room and send the doctor to check him."

Kat's eyebrows shot up in surprise at his father's reaction. So it seemed like causing scenes was something they were familiar with. She could feel Zach stiffen slightly at the new piece of information they had just gained.

"He touched my mate against her will." Was all the explaining Zach needed to do. They should be glad they didn't truly kill him.

Alpha Steven frowned deeply, his expression changing into shame as he shook his head. "God, I apologize deeply." He nodded at Zach again before turning his gaze to Kat. "I'm sorry for his behavior, Luna. I'm Alpha Steven of Redshadow. Pease accept my sincere apology." Alpha Steven knew his son could've just started a war if Alpha Zach and his Luna didn't accept his apology, and the last thing they ever needed was to stand against Alpha Zach and his pack.

Kat sucked a breath at what he just called her but nodded nonetheless. "Your apology is accepted, Alpha. Thank you. Just make sure he doesn't come near me again, because I'm not sure If I'll want to stop Zach next time."

Alpha Steven nodded his head again in understanding. "Of course. My Luna would be pleased to meet you. I'm sure she'll want to give you her apology personally."

Kat smiled sweetly. "It'll be my pleasure to meet her, no apologies necessary. I just need to freshen up a bit, if you'll excuse me." She honestly needed to take a shower to wash the feeling of his hands and mouth off her.

"Of course." Alpha Steven nodded before meeting Zach's eyes again. "Once more I apologize for Peter's behavior, Alpha Zach. Please forgive us."

Zach only nodded his head as a reply with a cold stare and a clenched jaw. He held Kat's hand in his and pulled her away from the gathered crowd and up to their room. Once they shut the door behind them, he pulled her to the bathroom.

"Zach." She could sense his anger rising again as his hands frantically started the shower and adjusted the water's temperature.

Even though a part of him was glad that Kat had stopped him before killing Alpha Steven's son, he still couldn't help but want to go crush his neck for touching his mate. "I need you to wash it off, Kat."

Kat understood and so she nodded. "Just please calm down. Look at the bright side. At least everyone now heard you call me your mate. We still just need to explain the bite, though."

Taking a deep calming breath, Zach gave her a smile as he held her hands in his large ones. "Bite or no bite, after taking him down like that everyone will swear on their lives that you're my luna." He couldn't help but smile again as he remembered how she bravely stepped in front of him to protect him from a punch. "You have one killer right hook, baby."

"I told you I was full of surprises." Kat giggled and gave him a playful wink. She knew he was in a sour mood. She could feel his anger in the pit of her stomach and she knew it took him a lot of self control not to kill the asshole they called Peter.

Deciding to take a quick shower and change, Kat wondered what else did this trip have hidden for them.

****

Zach paced the floor of their bedroom once again as he tried to forget about what happened earlier, and focus on what mattered. For now, all he had to do was talk to Kat like he had originally planned and fix the whole Lucy issue with her, and after they settled that, he wanted to take her down to dinner and socialize with the other guests.

Combing down her damp hair, Kat took a deep breath and went over what she wanted to tell Zach. She wanted to apologize for starting up a fight over something in the past that they both had no control now over.

"Hey." With a smiled, she stepped out of the bathroom and made her way to him, her hands nervously fiddling with the hem of her blue dress as she bit down on her lip. "Can we talk?"

Zach nodded eagerly as she sat next to him on the bed and wondered if he should start explaining himself better. "Listen, Kat. I just want you to know that I understand how you feel and how you must be thinking. I understand that you still don't trust me, and that's okay. I hurt you deeply and you're afraid I might do it again, but I swear to you I will never do such thing. And I will do anything in my power just to show you that."

Kat's eyes softened as he held her hands in his and spoke out his heart. She could hear his heartbeats as loud as her own.

Zach looked her deep in the eyes as he spoke. "As for Lucy, I know I did a grave mistake by sleeping with her, one that I should've never done. It was stupid and irresponsible of me. I was just hurt by what Megan had done and I thought our relationship was over and a part of me wanted to prove to myself that I wouldn't be hurt or lonely forever. Yet as soon as the sun came up that's exactly how I felt after sleeping with Lucy. It was a mistake that I'd never repeat, Kat. Not just because I would rather die than touch another female, but also because you made me see how ruined I actually was, maybe still am too."

Kat frowned at his last comment, her heart rapidly beating in her chest. "What do you mean?"

Zach was going to give her his all, he decided. Kat was the best thing he had ever been blessed with, and the second chance he didn't deserve. But she had his heart and he needed to show her that.

"I mean that before you came into my life I was different than I am now. I was selfish and arrogant and too proud. And I can't promise you that I'm a hundred percent different now, but I'm getting there. I'm changing for the better, and that's all thanks to you. I don't want to be that person anymore, because honestly he's not a person you'll be fond of. I want to be better for you, Kat. Kinder, braver, lighter, easier to deal with. I want to be more compassionate, more hopeful, more mature, even more romantic. I want to become a person you could easily fall in love with, Kat. Someone who actually deserves you. And I'm trying to become that man, all I'm asking you is just to be patient with me, even if you don't have to do. Can you do that for me, love?"

Kat could feel how truly nervous Zach was and she couldn't help but grin. Zach was much more that he gave himself credit for, yet the idea of wanting to change for the better for her made her fall for him even deeper. "Of course, Zach." She threw her hands around him and pulled him in a tight embrace. "I'll wait for as long as you need me to. And I'm sorry for fighting with you over something in your past. I was just jealous."

Zach let out a deep breath as he wrapped his arms around her, his wolf jumping in happiness. "You have nothing to apologize for, baby. You were right, I shouldn't have slept with her when I knew It didn't mean anything. I'm sorry that I put you through that, Kat. But you have absolutely nothing to be jealous of. I would never touch another female. That's a promise I'll die before I break."

Kat's heart swelled with happiness as she hid her face in the crook of his neck. "Not even if we're going through a rough time?" She needed to make sure he understood how important this was to her. She needed to make everything clear with him once and for all.

Shoving his nose into her hair, Zach spoke softly. "Not even if you give up on me and leave for good." She was it for him.

Kat knew she wouldn't do that. She wouldn't just leave Zach. She too was going to wait for him forever if she had to, like he would for her. She too was going to fight for him, just as hard as he was fighting for himself to change. Pulling back enough to say the words she felt, Kat let her eyes speak to his. She moved her hands to each side of his face and pulled him down for a kiss, hoping it would convey everything she felt but wasn't ready to speak aloud. "Come here."

Zach moved his lips against hers sweetly, tasting the heaven between his arms that he knew he could no longer live without. He brushed his tongue against her bottom lip, earning himself a soft moan.

She wondered how every time Zach kissed her felt like her first kiss and couldn't help but open her mouth for him eagerly. The things he was doing to her heart and body were unspeakable. Biting softly on his lip, Kat moved herself even closer.

Groaning in aching need for her, Zach moved his hands to her hips and pulled her onto his lap to straddle him, as he tasted her tongue with his own.

Kat felt his hardened shaft between her hips as they moved with a slow pace on their own, rubbing her core against his. She believed every word he said to her and the happiness he made her feel was one she never wanted to forget.

Zach believed he wanted nothing of this world other than Kat between his arms, happy and content with him. His heart calmed down whenever she was near and the happiness he experienced when she said she'll wait for him was all the proof he needed. Yes, now he knew what he felt for her was greater than anything he ever imagined he could feel for someone. Kat owned every piece of his heart, he was now sure. He belonged to her, body, soul, mind and heart. And he couldn't wait to tell her.

"Zach," Kat moaned, out of breath, as his lips trailed to her jaw before reaching her neck again. The hands she rested on his shoulders now fisted his shirt in each palm.

Zach groaned deeply as he felt her move her hips against his throbbing length in need and it took him every ounce of control not to tear their clothes apart and lose himself deep inside her. The idea alone had his fangs once again sharpen against her skin. "Dammit!"

Kat blinked her eyes open as she felt his lips disappear from her neck and saw him fight for his fangs to get back to human length. Unable to stop herself, Kat pulled his mouth to hers again, not giving a damn about his fangs. The image of his fangs piercing her skin and sinking deep into her neck aroused her to a limit she had never experienced before.

Zach groaned when it physically hurt him to force his fangs back. It shouldn't hurt that much, he thought. But he didn't care about how much it hurt him. He would never ask Kat for something she didn't want to give him, and that thought helped his fangs get back to normal.

Rubbing herself harder against him, Kat felt like she wanted to explode. Their kiss had started slow and soft at first but now it was hungry and rough and so full of passion that Kat couldn't get enough. She pushed herself down against him, grinding her ache against his and he groaned loudly at the poweful contact.

Once again, Zach's fangs shot out on their own. Pushing her lips away from his instantly, Zach growled in anger as he panted. "Baby, you have to stop. We have to stop." Zach was a few seconds away from biting her, he knew.

Kat breathed heavily as she watched the deep frown on Zach's face and her eyes softened. "It's okay."

"It's not." Zach lifted her up and sat her gently on the bed before he stood up and paced the floor, his fists clenching in anger. "I can't control it."

Why the fuck couldn't he control it, he didn't know. It shouldn't have been this hard or this painful. Controling his werewolf from taking over, his calws, his fangs, all came naturally to him. It was as easy as breathing. Yet there he was, pushing her away for the second time only to protect her from himself. Yeah, this was his punishment, he knew.

Kat steadied her breath with a frown as she watched Zach deep in thought, angry at himself. "It's okay, Zach. You'll control it." She stood up and made her way to him. Standing on her toes, Kat pulled his face closer to his. "I trust you."

Zach growled when she captured his lips again in another burning kiss that had him aching against his damn jeans. Moving his hands to her ass, he lifted her up.

Kat wrapped her legs around him as a delicious shiver ran down her spine when she felt him poke her again. She needed him in a way she couldn't explain. The closer they got, the deeper she fell for him.

He moved them to the bed again, laid her down softly and hovered above her, not a second tearing their mouths apart.

Kat moved her hands up and down his shoulders, moaning as she felt his muscles flex beneath her touch. She wanted every item of clothing between them gone as her skin ached to be in contact with his. "Zach, please."

Her whimpers were driving him insane, as was the aching need to claim her his. Once again his lips trailed down to her throat, kissing her sofly and when he reached the spot he knew she loved most he paid it more attention.

"Oh," Kat moaned loudly, the feeling of his lips and tongue and teeth grazing her skin was making her lose herself into a blissful paradise. Moving her hands again up and down his back, Kat heard Zach groan loudly and hiss.

"Fuck, baby, your claws." Zach pulled back, breathing heavily, as he groaned at the unexpected pain of the skin of his back.

Blinking through the fog her pleasure had created, Kat pulled her hands from his back to look at them. "Oh, my god." She gasped once she saw her fingers ending in blood stained claws. "I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"

Zach groaned again as he got up and removed the torn shirt. "I'm okay, baby. It definitely hurts more than it should, but it'll heal in a minute." Zach didn't want to worry her but the painful expression on his face told her what she needed to know. It hurt way more than he was letting on.

Rushing to him, Kat shook her head in disbelief. "I didn't even feel them take over, Zach. I'm sorry." She turned him around to look at his back and the sight alone made her flinch. Ten deep and long cuts were open and bleeding down his back.

Turning around to face her again, Zach held her hands in his. "It's okay, love. I have a hard time controlling my fangs too. We'll figure it out, don't worry." Zach gave her a quick peck before grabbing a shirt and disappearing into the bathroom, leaving a nervous Kat behind.

This shouldn't have happened but somehow it did. Why couldn't she feel her claws shaping? Why couldn't she control it? Why was it that hard for him to control his fangs too? Kat paced around the room, the warmth in her blood suddenly turning ice cold.

Zach wasn't healing, that much he was sure of. Examining his back once again against the mirror, Zach groaned as he saw the wounds with no change. Shaking his head, Zach decided to test the theory that invaded his mind. He let his calws shape over his nails and with his right hand he scratched his left arm. He watched closely as the scratches took exactly two seconds before they disappeared, leaving his skin pefectly fair.

He still could heal then. So the problem wasn't that his body couldn't heal wounds, it was actually about who inflected them. For some reason, Zach couldn't heal from wounds that Kat caused.