35. Rule #35 Fight For Whats Yours

Rule #35: Fight For What's Yours

Zoe

I got back home in the late afternoon the next day. I had thrown myself into my classes and training, thanking every deity that existed that there were no jiu-jitsu classes scheduled today. Dragging my feet up the staircase, I reached the landing when voices floated down from the attic.

Rory was home!

My gym bag landed with a heavy thud as I dropped it and raced up the narrow flight of stairs that led to Lexi's haunt. I hadn't seen her in days either.

"You're home!" I cried as I burst into the room. Rory and Lexi were lying in a spot of sun on the Persian rug and they both sat up when I entered.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I just needed some space," she said.

"From me?" I asked, trying not to sound as pathetic as I felt.

"Not everything's about you, Zoe," she snapped and Lexi gave her a warning look .

"I… I know that. I was worried about you," I said.

"Were you, though? You don't let anyone close enough to even care."

I frowned at her then turned on my heel, racing to my room to retrieve something from my bedside drawer then bolted back to the attic.

Lexi and Rory looked at me with wide eyes as I came to stand in front of her. I opened my hand, letting a thin rose gold chain with a sunflower pendant unfurl, dangling off my fingers.

"It's for you," I said.

Rory gingerly took it from me, setting the pendant on her palm.

"It's pretty. Thank you."

"It's a daylight necklace," I said. Her gaze jerked to mine, eyes going wide.

"Like in the Vampire Diaries?"

"It's where I got the idea," I admitted, although they used rings in the TV show. In an attempt to distract myself over the last two days I had been using the library to research and it turned out the spell wasn't complete bullshit, just very complicated. It had taken a double dose of power boosters and a video call with Amelia to get it right.

I lowered myself to the floor in front of her, knees touching as I crossed my legs. I grabbed her hands and looked her straight in the face and said, "Of course I care about you, I was worried about you. You're my friend. You didn't reply to my texts."

She looked sheepish. "Oh, yeah. My phone died." Draping her long blonde hair over one shoulder, she put the necklace on.

"I can go out in the sun?" she whispered, tearing up.

I just nodded. The lump in my throat wouldn't let me speak.

"Did you really think I didn't care about you?" I asked.

She sighed deeply. "No. I didn't really but…"

"But what? What happened? Who did you need space from?"

"Promise you won't be mad?" she asked.

"I promise."

"Lewis," she whispered.

I frowned. "What has that bonehead done now?"

"Nothing. Nothing, I swear. I just needed to get my head straight about him. I'm fine now."

"You like him, don't you?" I smiled.

"You're not mad about that?"

"Why would I be? You guys would actually be really great together if he pulled his head out of his ass long enough."

Rory laughed out loud and Lexi joined in.

"Speaking of boys. I heard what happened with Daniel. I'm sorry." She squeezed my hand and this time it was my turn to sigh.

"I mean, I kind of understand why he did it, but also…"

"Boys are dumb," Rory said, letting go of my hands and leaning back to rest hers on the floor behind her.

"So dumb," Lexi grumbled and I raised an eyebrow at her.

"You having boy trouble?" I asked.

"Not in this lifetime," she answered but didn't seem keen to elaborate.

"So we're all good?" I asked, looking at them both.

"Yeah, we're good," Rory replied and Lexi nodded.

I felt a little of my magic rustling in my veins. Seems Madame Picoult had been right.

I drummed my fingers on my bedspread, staring at the text I had sent.

Me

I think we should talk .

My heart hammered in my chest like I was a teenage girl chatting with her crush. The reply was almost immediate.

Daniel

Just say when and where.

Me

My house. Whenever you're ready.

Daniel

On my way.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my completely frazzled nerves. I didn't know how I could look him in the face again. The image of his hand on her hip played over and over in my mind to the point of nausea. But I pushed it all down when a knock sounded on the French doors twenty minutes later. I got up and opened them to let him in.

"Hey," he whispered, his voice shaky.

"Hi," I replied, stepping back to let him in.

"Zoe, I –"

"Let me get this out first," I said, sitting on my bed and he sat next to me, keeping some space between us. "I trusted you with all of me. You knew how much that would devastate me and yet you still thought that was the best plan of action instead of talking to me. You didn't believe in me. That I could take care of myself. That we could work through this together. You made a stupid decision."

"I did. And I didn't realize that till it was too late, but Zoe, I watched you almost die. When Selena bit you, you almost died. Do you know how hard that was for me? Do you understand what that did to me? It was like Aurora all over again. I was too late for her. I couldn't save her. But I could save you. I couldn't lose you again. The world needs you so much more."

This stupid, self-sacrificing, beautiful man. I reached out for his hand and he held it as if he would never let go. "I am so fucking sorry," he said. "I regret everything so much and I don't know how to fix this. I don't know how you can forgive me and let me make it up to you. I swear I will never do anything like that again. We were supposed to be a team, and I disregarded that. And if you can't find it in you to forgive then, well, I'd deserve that."

Fuck, I loved him. Yes, I was hurt and betrayed but never had I gotten an apology before. Never had anyone begged for me.

"I'm all in with you, Zoe. Till the fucking end."

I sighed. It was a bone weary sigh. One that originated in the depths of my soul. I was so tired of my emotions and confused when it came to him. I loved him. I knew that, but trust and love were very different beasts. "Daniel, I love you. I really, really do. And I forgive you, but I don't know how to believe you anymore. I don't know how to trust you again."

Devastation washed over his features and my heart ached with both his pain and mine. I didn't know if we could fix this. He grabbed my hands and sunk to his knees in front of me.

"Then let me prove it to you. Let me prove that you are it for me."

My eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Please don't tell me you're proposing."

"Not exactly," he said. He held my hands in his, kissing the top of them. "Be my bond mate."

"What?" I whispered.

"I want to bond you. That way, I will always be yours. I won't be able to hide anything from you, and quite honestly I don't want to. "

"Can you even bond a witch?" I asked. Not all wolves had a bond mate. In fact, many went their whole lives without finding one.

"You're not the only one with a magical library. Amelia's been helping me with research and we've found a couple of wolf/witch bonded mates. Not many, mind you. Wolves prefer their own kind, but there's a precedent. As long as I bite you while I'm in my human form."

I reached out to stroke his face and look into those forest green eyes that were my peace. Was I forgiving him too easily? Maybe. But I had to learn to forgive, that we were all at the very core of it all, human. I had made mistakes too and I had to give people the grace to atone if they really meant it. That's how family worked.

Nothing was more permanent or intimate than a bond mate. That's what he was offering me. All of him.

"Yes," I whispered and his eyes went wide, shock and joy flitting through them.

"Fuck, really?"

"You want me to change my mind?"

"Hell no!"

He crashed his lips to mine and it was like coming home. His tongue swept through my mouth, licking against mine and I moaned into our kiss.

"I missed you so fucking much," he murmured between kisses. "I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

"Make me yours, Alpha," I said.

"Alpha?" he asked, pulling away.

"Seems we've formed a little coven, nest, pack here. That's why my magic was getting stronger."

"And I'm your Alpha?" he asked.

"Well, you sure as fuck aren't an omega anymore, now that we're pack. "

"Now that we're coven," he replied.

"Don't forget nest. Rory's home," I said with a big smile.

Daniel ran his nose up the length of my throat, making me shiver. He kissed me gently below my ear and I wanted nothing more than to move forward with him.

I clicked my fingers and his clothes disappeared, reappearing neatly folded on the chair in the corner. I burst out laughing at the look of shock on his face.

"You get your magic back and that's the first thing you do?" he choked out.

"Yup!" I said, eyes sparkling with mirth. I had never felt happier.

"Well, then you won't mind if I get a bit wolfy with you then." He didn't give me a chance to respond before he ripped my tank top down the middle, doing the same to my shorts and lace panties.

"Hey! Those were my favorite pair!" I exclaimed.

"I'll buy you twenty more," he growled against my ear. His warm breath made me clench as I shivered in anticipation. "Just so I can rip them off again."

Oh my ever living fuck. I was sure I just got wetter.

He chuckled darkly at the soft whimper I let out, then nestled his face in my neck, inhaling deeply. "My sunshine," he murmured and my heart grew tenfold.

I grabbed his face, my lips slanting over his as I kissed him. His tongue caressed mine, ramping up my need for him. I stroked my fingers over the strong muscles in his back, gripping onto him as he thrust into me. I was so fucking needy for him, I didn't even need foreplay. We both groaned as he entered me, fucking me hard and fast. We had so much time to make up for, we could take it slow later. But right now, I needed to feel connected to him again. Daniel sat up, pulling me with him while I rode him. Obscene moans fell from my mouth while he sucked on my throat. He pulled back, gripping me behind my neck and pulling my forehead to his.

"I love you so fucking much. I'll spend every day of my life making this up to you."

I ground against him, my clit hitting his pubic bone with every roll of my hips. I smashed my lips to his, pouring all my love into our kiss.

My belly tightened and I could feel my orgasm barrelling toward me. Daniel lay soft kisses on my throat as I rode him faster, chasing that high.

"You feel so good, love. You're riding me so fucking good," he murmured the praise onto my skin.

"Daniel, oh fuck, I'm gonna come."

"That's it, pretty girl," he said with his lips brushing against mine. "Take what's yours."

A whimpered moan escaped me at his words, my hips grinding against him. This was everything. He was everything.

"Give it to me, Zo. Come for me." The words whispered into my neck as he gripped the back of it.

My orgasm crashed over me like a wrecking ball, pleasure racing through every inch of my body. Daniel groaned and thrust up into me, holding me close and burying his face in my neck as he came. I cried out when he sunk his teeth into my neck where it met my shoulder, hard enough to draw blood. A connection sparked in me, and I could feel him. All his pain, regret and remorse. But over and above all that was an overwhelming feeling of love. Of pride and admiration. Of pure joy.

"You feel that?" he whispered, voice filled with awe.

"I feel everything."

I could feel his anxiety, his devastation, how much betraying me had hurt him too. I understood so much more.

"Forever and always, Daniel."

He licked my neck, tending the wound and I fluttered around him .

"Oh, that feels good," he groaned.

I laughed as he lowered me down to the bed and wrapped himself around me.

"War's coming, Zo."

"And I fight for what's mine," I replied.