Zach kept glancing at Kat's sleeping face every five minutes, as if to make sure she was still there. They were almost back at the pack house, with Nick and some other fighters close on their tail, just in case the rogues decided to attack. Zach has been giving Nick the cold shoulder for the past couple of hours, wondering what possibly led him to believe such a peice of information was not important enough to share. Like he had anything better to worry about than Kat's safety. He trusted Nick with his life, but he still felt betrayed that his friend decided to keep him in the dark, especially with a matter that concerned Kat.

Lifting Kat gently in his arms, Zach silently made his way up to his bedroom. It was the middle of the night, and she needed to sleep it off. What she had gone through wasn't something to be taken lightly. She had literally been attacked, assaulted, and almost bitten against her will, and Zach had once again been too late to protect her from such an awful experience. Yes, he had saved her, but he shouldn't have left her alone to begin with.

If he hadn't been so worried about her, he would've hunted Lucy down and made her pay for messing with him earlier. She had obviously planned the whole thing with Peter. She had unknowingly fucked with Zach's emotions, getting him nervous and angry enough that he hadn't been able to distinguish between his own feelings and Kat's. Thankfully, Zach had snapped out of it just in time.

"Welcome back, son." Zach's mother whispered a greeting with a loving smile that only fell once she noticed her son's stone cold expression. "Is everything alright?"

Zach shook his head silently before pushing his door open and walking to his bed. Gently putting Kat down, he watched her stir a little before settling down. He tucked the covers around her body then turned back to his mother and nodded his head to the door.

Luna Mel followed her son quietly out of the bedroom, a frown present between her brows. She knew her son better than anyone, and he looked like he was carrying the weight of the whole world on his shoulders. Once they stepped in the hall, she turned to him. "What's wrong?"

Zach sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "I don't know what to do, Mom. I keep screwing up and I don't know how to keep her safe anymore. It feels like the whole damn world is plotting against us, every day more brutally than the last, and I'm so fucking exhausted."

"Come here." Opening her arms wide for her son, Luna Mel hugged him tightly, her heart breaking at the worry evident in his eyes. "Tell me what happened."

And he did. He told her everything that had occurred once they'd reached the RedShadow mansion. By the end of his story she was wincing at the images of Peter on Katie and Zach furious enough to kill him. "Oh, poor girl."

"It's like whatever I do is never the right thing. She keeps getting hurt, and I don't know how much more she can take before she runs." Zach hated the sound of every word that left his mouth, but he was truly worried.

"Katie's strong, Zach. She's your equal, remember? Have more faith in her." His mother assured him softly, dying to tell him the truth she knew, but she believed it was best for him to figure it out on his own.

"I don't deserve her, Mom." Zach shook his head.

"But you love her." She smiled even wider when he silently nodded.

"Everything will be alright, I promise you. Now go take her in your arms and go to sleep. We'll talk in the morning." She patted his back lovingly.

Zach entered his room to find his bed empty. His eyes scanned the room quickly, and when they didn't land on his beautiful Kat, he started to panic. "Kat?"

"In here." She announced sweetly, the sound of her voice calming down his heart instantly. He let out a sigh in relief once he saw her walk out of his bathroom in one of his black Tshirts that covered most of her thighs. "Where have you been?"

Zach crossed the distance between them and wrapped her in a hug. "Talking to mother."

"I thought you chose to sleep in a different room, afraid you'd get another nightmare after what happened earlier." Kat rubbed his back soothingly before she pulled back to look him in the eyes, her irises flashing with the stubbornness he had fallen in love with. "I was just about to put on some pants and go hunt your ass."

Zach chuckled, his shoulders finally relaxing. "How are you feeling, love?"

Kat took a second to think about her answer. She knew everyone was expecting her to crash and breakdown again, but surprisingly she was feeling fine. Stronger than ever, actually. Zach's presence was helping calm down her heart, but the strength and power he had shown earlier had killed any drop of fear left in her. Kat flashed him a mischievous grin, and he only frowned in confusion. "Like I want you to wrap your arms around me in this amazing bed of yours and never let me go."

Zach wondered how she could be so playful, so upbeat. Once again he had underestimated her, and he had never been more glad to be proven wrong.

"Why are you frowning?" She asked softly, her hands moving up and down the arms he had secured her between.

"You keep amazing me, Kat." He breathed out, his eyes shining bright with pride.

"Don't believe this front I've put on." She playfully swatted his arm. "I'm exhausted, physically and mentally. But do you know what my remedy is?"

"What?" He asked desperately. "Just tell me what it is that will make you feel better and I'll bring it right fucking now." Every word was laced with sincerity that Kat couldn't help but beam at him.

She stepped on her toes closer to him and whispered in his ear, "You."

Zach blinked. And there he was afraid she'd leave him. God, his Kat.

"You make me feel happy. Safe, cherished, and happy. And I don't care what the hell I go through, as long as I get to be wrapped in your arms right after." Kat meant every word. With Zach by her side, she felt like she could conquer the world. She was unstoppable, unbreakable even, as long as he was right there to support her.

What she had been through was a lot, but she was strong enough to keep fighting, to buy herself as much time as she needed, until Zach saved her. She wasn't weak. She didn't let her fear destroy her. Sure, if he hadn't shown up, she would've been nothing more of a broken shell of a person now, but he had. And the trust she had put in him made her feel invincible.

"Fucking hell, Kat." Zach groaned, lifting her off the floor in an instant.

Wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his torso, Kat smiled. "I'm not made of glass, Zach. I'll be okay, I promise. It's over, and we'll forget it about it in no time."

Walking to the bed, Zach sat down with her straddling his lap. "You're not mad at me? For taking so long to get to you?"

Kat rolled her eyes. "Leave it to you to turn a blind eye on everything you've done and focus your entire attention on that."

"Kat." He warned, needing an answer.

"Of course I'm not mad at you. I'm sure something happened that pulled you off, but I knew you were going to save me, Zach. I had absolutely no doubt. And you did."

"But if I had made it a second later..." he trailed off.

"Stop. You didn't. You made it in time and you saved me. You protected me, and I know you always will." She smiled so sweetly at him, trying to show him how deeply she trusted him. She would no longer allow Zach to sulk in self-hatred. Not when she knew the love she felt for him was enough for the both of them.

Zach hated how after everything she has gone through she was still the one to assure him, the one to make him feel better. She was truly magnificent.

"You're stronger than I am, you know?" He announced with awe, and her face broke into a grin.

"Why do I have a feeling that you don't mean that physically?" She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes at him.

Zach chuckled, tucking a strand of her beautiful hair behind her ear.

"Don't laugh at me. I can take you in a fight, Alpha. Don't let what happened confuse you, now." She challenged, the memory of the last time he had physically underestimated her in that party moving to the front of her mind.

Zach grinned, removing his hand from her thigh and landing it on her ass in a spank. "First of all don't call me that." She gasped at the sudden contact, blushing already. "Second of all, do you wanna bet, love?"

"I most certainly do. Are you ready to lose?" She pulled her hands from his firm shoulders and fisted them in front of her. "You sure your big ego can take it?"

Zach laughed at her sweetness before he dropped her on the bed and hovered above her. God, he wanted to tell her how much he loved her right then and there. But once again the warning bells in his head rang loud enough to stop him. "You're beautiful, do you know that?"

"I'm sure you've mentioned it before." She nodded with a giggle.

"I don't deserve you." He repeated, studying her beautiful features as if he was seeing her for the first time. Kat's heart twisted inside her chest.

"Well, since my soul is apparently already linked to yours, I'm just gonna have to settle. I've never been a lucky girl anyway." She shrugged playfully. She hated it with every piece of her heart when Zach doubted himself. He was so much more than he gave himself credit for, and she was going to stick around long enough to show him.

"That smart mouth of yours is gonna get you in trouble." Zach warned, his eyes falling to her lips, his mouth still in a grin. There it was, the mischief in his eyes she had missed.

"What? You're gonna spank me again, daddy?" She teased, only Zach groaned deeply and flipped her on her stomach in an instant. "No, no, no! I was joking, I swear!"

The sound of Kat's loud laughter awakened Zach's heart and filled it with the happiness he knew he could never feel anywhere except in her arms.

"Careful, Kat." He whispered, lowering his lower body on hers enough so she'd feel his erection poking her from behind.

She was suddenly out of breath. "It was a joke."

Zach hummed, his hand traveling between them to rest on her round flesh before he gave her ass a pinch.

Kat squealed again, wiggling underneath him as she laughed. Raising himself enough to give her space, Zach rested his weight on his forearms. She settled on her back and met his eyes. "Thank you."

"For what?" Zach asked, his eyes barely leaving her full lips.

Kat truly appreciated everything Zach has done for her. He had always made her feel so damn precious, like she was the sun that warmed his whole world. Even when they broke the mating bond, he chose to do what she had desperately asked of him, despite the fact that he didn't quite agree. And everyday since, he had put her first. She could feel how he was dying to move forward with her, but he respected her wishes and gave her the space and time she asked. To her, Zach was perfect, and she needed to start showing him that. "Everything."

"You never have to thank me. I'm still quite worried that I'll wake up tomorrow and find you gone." His voice lowered a notch and his jaw clenched at the image.

Her smile was suddenly replaced with a frown. "I'd never do that to you. We promised to always talk, remember? I'd never just vanish. Besides, who the hell will keep the brooding Alpha in check if I'm gone? I'm doing this for the sake of the pack." She grinned, only his stare didn't falter.

"Promise me. Promise me you'll always be here to keep me in check, Kat."

"I promise." Kat meant every word. "Now kiss me, Zach, and seal that pr--"

Zach smashed his lips on hers before she got to finish her request. Hands traveling beneath her shirt, Zach held her torturing hips nailed to the bed.

Kat kissed him as passionately as he did her, pouring every emotion she felt for him through her lips. She started unbuttoning the shirt he had on hastily. Pushing it down his shoulders, Kat whined when he pulled back.

Zach removed his shirt quickly and tossed it to the floor before putting his mouth back on hers, invading it with his tongue. Kat inched her hips closer to his, repeatedly brushing her soaking core against his hard length despite the groans of protest that kept escaping his throat.

"Enough." Zach growled against her lips, desperately hanging on the little control he had.

Kat knew what he meant. She loved the effect she had on him, proving that she wasn't the only one dying to lose everything she had to him. As if her body had a mind of its own, her hips only rubbed harder against him and her hands traveled to his muscled shoulders, pulling him even closer.

"Do that again and I'll fuck you." Zach warned, biting down on her lips, earning himself a loud moan in pleasure.

Kat knew his threat was real, so with every ounce of strength she had in her, she let her body relax against the mattress and her hands fall back to her sides.

Zach felt the shift in movement in his Kat, and he removed his lips from hers. Giving her one last peck, he moved his head to the crook of her neck and nested there, calming down his breathing.

"Get off me, you fatass. I can't breathe." Kat whined playfully, trying to lighten the mood.

Zach chuckled as he got off her. "You'll be the death of me."

Kat grinned proudly. Shaking his head, he headed to the bathroom for a quick cold shower before getting ready to go to sleep in the arms of the woman he loved.