21. Rule #21 Dont Open The Door To Just Anyone

Rule #21: Don't Open The Door To Just Anyone

Daniel

L eaving Zoe in the mornings was getting old real fast. I let myself into my apartment on Friday morning, dropping my keys into the little bowl on the entrance table. I had classes to teach today, but the way Lewis had arranged the schedule, Zoe and I were never teaching at the same time. If I had been miffed by that before, now that I had her, it was a whole different level of frustrating. I checked the laundry room for a fresh gi , before packing my gym bag for the day. Placing my things by the door, I put the coffee machine on then grabbed a quick shower. The hot water ran down the muscles in my back and I hissed as they hit the scratch marks there. Zoe was so free in bed. She lost just a little bit of the control that she fought so hard for every day. I stepped out, drying myself off and getting dressed in navy blue sweats and a black t-shirt, then laced up my trainers. As I was pouring my coffee into a travel mug, a knock sounded at the door. I frowned. Not many people had this address. The mailman being one of them. I looked through the peephole then groaned inwardly .

"I can hear you, you know?" came the nauseatingly sweet voice from the other side.

I flung the door open and glared at the woman in front of me. She was tall and svelte, and would be considered beautiful, if she didn't have the personality of a rotten fish.

"What are you doing here, Selena?"

She placed a red manicured hand on my chest and moved past me into my apartment.

"Good morning, handsome. Is that anyway to greet your fiancée?"

"Fuck off, I'm not marrying you and you know that."

She sauntered over to my dining table, perching on top of it. Crossing her legs, she undid the belt of her black trench coat, letting it fall open to reveal nothing but red lingerie.

I glared at her coldly. "Cover yourself. You're embarrassing."

Selena cocked her head as she ran her fingers up her bare thighs, over her stomach and gripped her breast through her bra.

"This could be all yours." She moaned, letting her long white-blonde hair fall back. Her legs fell open and she ran her fingers over the middle of her panties.

I crossed my arms over my chest and said, "Do you really think after what your demented brother did to me I'd have an interest in anything your pack offers me?" I sniffed once. "Do you even want me? You're not even wet. My girl's always dripping for me. But it's like the Sahara down there. Or do you just do whatever daddy tells you? Selling your body, for what? To be the Alpha's wife because that's the only way you can get anyone to respect you?"

Selena growled and hopped off the table, her heels clicking on the floor as she stalked toward me .

"You could be so much more," she growled into my face. "You'd be the Beta Prime. You'd be Alpha when he's gone. And I could arrange for that to happen sooner rather than later."

"And all I have to do is marry you? Hard pass," I replied.

"I can smell that witch all over you," she sneered, an ugly look crossing her pretty face.

"Good. Because I belong to her. And the sooner you get that through your thick skull, the better."

"The full moon will be here soon, Daniel. What will you do then?" she asked, laying a hand on my chest, pressing her nearly naked body against mine. But it felt cold. Nothing like the way Zoe stoked the fire in me.

I squeezed her hand and she winced in pain when I removed it, pushing her away.

"None of your concern. Now get the fuck out of here," I growled in her face.

I didn't watch her leave, but I heard the door slam on her way out. I ran a frustrated hand through my hair. I was getting really tired of being ambushed in my own home.

Me

What's your schedule like today? Are you gonna be at the gym?

Zoe

I only have evening classes today.

Me

I miss you

*crying emoji *

Zoe

You saw me a few hours ago * unimpressed emoji *

Me

You don't miss me?

Zoe

I do. I'm just too cool to tell you all the time.

*laughing emoji *

Me

Brat

Zoe

Don't act like you don't love it.

Might come by later for lunch.

Me

See you then!

Zoe

Maybe.

Morning classes flew by. The beginners were coming on quite nicely and I was rather chuffed that a few of the girls from Zoe's classes showed up for mine too. They'd be all rounders if they ever got stuck in a dangerous situation.

Even though my classroom was at the back of the gym, I scented her the minute she walked through the door of the building. Sunshine and summer caressed her skin and I smiled to myself. The scent of sadness had all but disappeared. The wolf in me was cocky enough to take credit for that. The clock on the wall said it was almost one p.m. I clapped my hands, getting everyone's attention.

"Okay, you lot. That's time for today. Don't forget to do your cool down stretches."

I followed my nose to Lewis's office where I found Zoe curled up in one of the chairs opposite his desk. It was covered in various Thai dishes and Zoe was crunching on an eggroll.

"There you are," she said when I strolled in. "How was class?"

I ran a finger along her jaw, tilting her face up by her chin. Leaning down I took her mouth in mine, my kiss soft but claiming. It was like the whole world disappeared when we kissed. I could only see her.

"Good," I replied. "Some of your girls joined today." I fell into the chair beside her, reaching for a corn cake on the table, stuffing it in my mouth. I was starving.

Lewis chuckled at the way she glared at me.

"Who?" she asked.

"Lisa and Caroline," I replied.

"Don't worry. They didn't switch," Lewis told her. "They're doing both classes."

"Caroline?" she said with a growl. Her jealousy was adorable, but she had no reason to be. She was the only woman who had my attention. I reached out a hand to tuck an errant strand of hair behind her ear. "No need to be jealous, Hurricane. I only have eyes for you."

"Does she know that?" Zoe spat .

"Honestly, I don't think she'll last very long," I said. "You can always sit in on a class if you're that worried."

"I'm not worried. But I don't like the way she's always eye fucking you."

"Darling, not a single man in this place can keep his eyes off you when you're wearing those damn shorts."

"Yes, but they're all too scared of me to actually do anything about it. Caroline on the other hand…"

I didn't want to laugh at her because I knew the root of her insecurity. "I don't give a fuck about Caroline or her flirting. But I'll let her know I'm off limits, okay?"

"Fine," she grumbled.

I smiled while reaching over to pick her up and placed her in my lap, laying a kiss on her neck. "That's better," I said, making her laugh softly.

"I didn't know what you liked, so I got a whole bunch. I got extra Pad Thai, and chicken satay noodles," Zoe said.

"Pad Thai's good," I replied and she reached over for two boxes, handing one to me. I maneuvered her in a way that we could both eat while she still sat on my lap. I loved having her close. Touching her grounded me. I didn't know why touching her brought me a sense of peace, but it did. Especially after my run in with Selena this morning. It had unsettled me.

"How's your day been?" she asked. "Anything exciting happen?"

I choked on my noodles. How would she know? That engagement wasn't real. It was an offer made to sweeten the deal of joining a pack I had no interest in.

Zoe patted my back. "Slow down. You're such a savage."

She handed me a bottle of water and I gulped it down, taking a minute .

"Day's been good. Just classes today. But I was thinking, I want to take you out on a date."

Lewis snorted from across the table.

"What? Why's that funny?" I asked him.

"Because in the five years I've known her, Zoe's never been on a date. Not even when she was seeing that asshole, did he take her out."

She glared at him. "Well, Marcus wasn't exactly winning the boyfriend of the year award," she snapped and he grimaced at her.

"He really was a piece of shit. How do you never take your girl on a date? I can't believe you were with him for that long," Lewis said.

"Yes, well, everyone makes mistakes," Zoe said, throwing a balled up napkin at his head that he was too slow to avoid. He picked it up and threw it right back at her and I caught it before they devolved into children.

She turned to me and said, "I'd love to go on a date with you. But not anything boring, okay?"

"So not the classic dinner and a movie, then?" I joked.

"Do better, Blake," she said, calling me by my last name.

"Challenge accepted," I grinned back at her.