A Second Chance

Katie's eyes widened at the mention of her mother. "You know my mom?"

"Of course! We're actually good friends." Luna Mel made her way to Katie and quickly gave her a hug. Katie's eyes travelled to Zach's who was just as shocked.

"Hold on," Alpha Mark frowned as he tried to remember. "She's John and Emily's daughter? Last time we saw you you were thirteen."

"How do you know my parents?" Kat asked as her heart warmed with the memories of her family. She had missed them so much and had a lot to tell them.

"SilverNight is one of our oldest and most loyal allies, darling." Alpha Mark answered Katie as he took a seat at the couch across from Zach's bed.

It wasn't news to Zach that Katie's old pack was on good terms with his. If they weren't allies she wouldn't have been able to join his pack at all. But he didn't know that his parents knew the pack's alpha and luna personally.

"How's Emily? I miss her so much. I heard she gave birth to a little girl." Luna Mel spoke, her eyes shining with nostalgia as the memories flooded through her. She and Emily used to be inseparable before she became luna and her responsibilities pulled her away.

"Yes, she did. Little Bee is four now. Her name is Biance but she loves being called Bee." Katie smiled broadly and Zach's heart beat a little faster at the happiness that was evident in her eyes.

"I can't wait to see Emily again!" Luna Mel laughed as she sat beside her husband.

Alpha Mark noticed how Zach hadn't taken his eyes off Katie since they walked inside. "We can't thank you enough for saving our daughter, Katie. We owe you."

Katie felt a blush reach her cheeks and she only smiled, nodding her head in respect. "You have nothing to thank me for, Alpha. I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

Zach frowned slightly at the thought of Kat in grave danger once again, yet his heart was at ease when he remembered how she bravely took down five rogues on her own. She was a fierce fighter, and even though he wanted nothing more than to keep her safe, he knew quite well that she could handle her own.

Katie hadn't felt this happy in a long while, talking and laughing with Alpha Mark and Luna Mel as if they were her own parents. They hadn't once mentioned the fact that she was no longer their son's mate, or made her feel anything less than welcome. The feeling of family washed over her senses as the hours passed.

****

"Has Dr. Hall checked you yet?" Zach asked once he and Kat were left alone. His heart was at peace for how his parents seemed to easily love her.

"Yes, he came by earlier." She said as she tried to slowly move her legs."He said he couldn't believe how fast I'm healing. Said that the progress I've made so far should've taken at least a week." She flaunted.

Zach's smile instantly turned to a grin. "I'm glad." Katie hissed at the pain she felt when she moved her legs again. "Easy, Kat, you still need to take your time."

Feeling a smile reach her lips, she nodded. "I know that, but I seriously need to use the bathroom." She pointed at the door on her left.

Zach chuckled. "I could easily just carry you there, love."

Katie rolled her eyes at him. God was he one handsome Alpha. The image of him carrying her flowed through her brain and she grinned. "Wouldn't you just love that?"

Zach's grin matched hers. The idea of him carrying her perfect, soft and delicate little body against his own sent his blood to a boiler. "Oh, I would kill for it. And did you just roll your eyes at me?"

Katie giggled as she slowly pushed her leg to the ground. "I don't know, did I?"

Zach's heart was as light as a feather when he moved closer to her. "At least let me help you." Once again he felt his skin on fire as he placed both his hands on her waist to help her stand properly.

Despite her pain, Kat's main focus was on Zach's hands around her. The shirt that she had been wearing fell to the middle of her thigh and she instantly blushed as she noticed it was indeed his. Holding onto his forearms for balance, Katie ignored how wonderful his muscles felt beneath her touch and asked, "do I want to know who helped me in your shirt?"

His hands still holding her steady, Zach stepped slightly away to enjoy the sight before him clearly. Shamelessly moving his eyes up and down her body, Zach smirked at how sexy Kat looked in his shirt. "I wish I could take credit, love, but unfortunately it was Jessica."

Giggling again Katie started taking small steps with Zach holding her weight. "Speaking of, Jessica and Jared are on their way. Are you going to join us for a movie night downstairs?"

Zach frowned at the mention of Jared. Basically, Zach now understood that he posed no threat to him. Yet the idea of another male close to Kat enough to touch made his jealousy overrule his logic.

"You should be resting, Kat. You're not supposed to leave bed."

Kat nodded with a sweet smile. "I know but they're my friends and I miss them. I'll be alright, don't worry. Will you join us, though?"

Zach groaned lightly as he helped her to the sink. "I can't. Nick and I are investigating the reason's behind the rogues' attacks. I think we'll stay up late." Sighing, he carefully let go of her. "I'll be right outside if you need anything." After receiving a nod, Zach shut the door behind him.

Katie's smile faded in disappointment. She wanted to spend more time with Zach but she knew he had important matters to pay his attention to. He was still the Alpha after all.

Helping her back to bed, Zach decided that he could never get enough of touching her. "I have to go now, love. Are you sure you don't want anything?"

Shaking her head, Katie smiled at him. Zach leaned in to give her a kiss on her cheek that lingered long enough to make her feart flutter, the thought of leaving her alone again for hours had him already missing her. Giving her a final smile, Zach went on his way.

****

It had been hours since Zach left and Katie was feeling worse by the minute. Being away from him and out of his room had somehow drained her energy. She was feeling worse than she had since she woke up from the attack, both physically and mentally. The pain of her wounds had started to intensify.

"You have no idea how happy I am that you're okay, Katie. I don't know what I would've done had something happened to you." Jessica told Katie for the third time as they were about to leave, and Katie smiled. She knew how deeply her friends loved her and she felt blessed. And even though a part of her was glad the long night had finally come to an end, she still felt sad for their departure.

"You need to rest, Kitkat. We'll see you soon." Jared gave Katie a kiss on her forehead before smirking. "Don't let the Alpha bite you just yet."

Blushing, Katie slapped his arm. "Shut up, and stop calling me that. Besides, last time I checked he had your blessing."

"Oh, he does. Goodnight, princess." Jared nodded when his best friend giggled. Wishing them a goodnight, Katie let Ella help her back to Zach's bedroom.

"My parents want you to join us tomorrow for breakfast if you are feeling well, Katie." Ella smiled broadly. She had talked to her parents and the three of them had a fact to prove and a plan to see through.

Katie nodded as she stepped into Zach's room, breathing deeply after hours of waiting. Feeling instantly better, Katie lied down on Zach's bed, his scent finally making her feel much more alive. The few hours she had spent away from his scent were torturously slow. "Of course. I'll see you tomorrow. Good night."

Looking through the empty room, Katie missed Zach's presence once again. He had been gone for at least six hours and she was anxious to see him.

****

"Come on, Nick. We have been through this at least four times already. I have a woman to get back to." Zach grinned, flaunting, as he spoke.

Nick chuckled at his best friend and shook his head. "There's no way his office is this spotless for clues. It's either we're missing something or he had been working with someone else inside the house and once he died they came and cleaned it up."

They had been searching Thomas's office for hours and they had found nothing to prove he had ever been working against them. Yet both Nick and Zach believed he was. They believed it was a matter of time before the truth revealed. Sighing, Zach moved to Thomas's desk to look through it once more.

****

Katie couldn't go to sleep. No matter how exhausted she was, her mind was wide awake, refusing to let her rest. No, she couldn't go to sleep without him, she realized. As if she was with him, Katie felt Zach's distress and wondered what was wrong as she waited for him to come back, her wolf desperate to be closer to him. A little past midnight, he finally walked into the room. "You're back."

Zach smiled in heartease once his eyes caught hers. "What are you still doing up, love?"

Kat blushed as he shut the door and walked to her. "I couldn't sleep. How was your evening?"

Zach sighed in exhaustion. "We met a dead end. We believe Thomas had been working with the rogues but we found nothing. We don't know why they killed him or why they attacked you and Ella. The one thing that makes sense is that he was the one who let them inside my territory both times they attacked."

Feeling his anxiety increase, Kat reached for his hand. "You'll figure it out, don't worry." She heard the news about Thomas betraying them before he was killed earlier from Jared and she felt really sad. He had always been so nice that she couldn't help but feel his betrayel deep. "You must be exhausted."

"So damn much." Nodding, Zach gave her hand a squeeze before letting go. He wanted nothing more than to gather her in his arms and sleep forever if he could.

Katie's eyes widened as she watched Zach take off his shirt. Her eyes moved up and down on their own, taking in every inch of his toned chest. Her heart beat faster as her eyes trailed down to his torse and when he moved his hands to his zipper she chocked on air. Coughing awkwardly, Katie shut her eyes. "What are you doing?"

Zach chuckled at how red Kat's face was only a few moments after she looked him up and down like a kid in a candy store. "I'm getting ready for bed."

Sealing her eyes shut with her hands, in case her poor control decided to embarrass her again, Kat whimpered, "you could've warned me, you know?"

Zach threw his pants aside and went over his closet to grab something comfortable to sleep in. Usually he slept in nothing but his boxer briefs, but he promised to give Kat the time she needed and not rush her into this, so he got dressed with a smile on his face. "And miss you looking at me like that? I'd be an idiot."

Whining in annoyance, Kat couldn't deny how her heart fluttered at his playful tone or how her core clenched at the image of his body on top of hers.

Zach walked back to the bed and lied down next to her. "It's okay. You can open your eyes."

Slowly opening her eyes, Kat smiled. She felt closer to Zach than ever before. "We missed you at movie night."

Knowing very well who she meant by her last statement, Zach smiled as he watched her bite her lip nervously. "I missed you too, love." He truly had.

Kat grinned at him with a delicious shade of red on her cheeks and inched a little closer to him. Unable to stop himself, Zach carefully pulled her to his chest until her head rested on his shoulder. "How are you feeling?"

Nuzzling her face in the crook of his neck, she sighed. "Perfect."

Zach tried to remember if he ever felt this happy before and came up with nothing. Every moment he spent with Kat he believed it to be the best he ever lived, only to be blessed with another.

Breathing in his scent deeply, Katie knew she could now finally sleep.

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