Chapter 37

Knocking gently on the door to the alpha suite, located on the top floor of my former home, I grit my teeth, senses on edge.

Blake will not be one bit pleased that I'm here, but I need to speak to Zoe without him present. Despite what I said to Mandy, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't let me in the same room as Zoe if he was around.

"Blake?" Zoe throws the door open then jumps back when she sees it's not the man she expected. When we were growing up, we heard all the time that we smelled similar. As we got older and looked more and more alike, it became obvious this was more than a throwback to our grandfather"s DNA.

Her hand automatically goes to her belly, and I smile when I see the warring emotions on her face. She's torn between being the polite, friendly Luna who seeks to bring everyone back into the fold, and protective mammy to be. Glancing over her shoulder into her private space, she frowns, so I give her an easy way out of needing to be the perfect hostess.

"If it's okay with you, Zoe, I'd like to steal a minute of your time to apologise, but I won't come in. A newly mated wolf shouldn't arrive home covered in another woman's scent."

Laughing, I step back and make sure there's plenty of room for Zoe to step out into the corridor without needing to get too close to me. Relieved, Zoe nods and joins me on the landing, looking out over the wide sweeping staircase, and pulling the door over behind her. Clever girl doesn't want any of my scent drifting inside the apartment and driving Blake crazy.

She already knows how Blake will react when he gets home and catches my scent at his door.

I'd like to see that, I think, as I rub my hip along the wall, watching Zoe frown as I mark the wood panelling with my scent.

"I know it's very easy for me to say this now, but I'd never have hurt you. Or Noah. I wanted to make sure you know that."

Leaning back, arms folded, I attempt to look as non-threatening as a man with red eyes can possibly look. Zoe doesn't say anything, waiting for me to fill the silence with my explanation.

"It had been sixteen years since I saw my mate, and I had no idea where she was. I was desperate… both to find her and get my revenge on the pack that was hunting her and keeping her away."

My anger rushes to the surface whenever I think of how Wilson kept searching her, pushing her further and further away from me, even knowing what his son had done to her. Taking pity on me as I struggle to rein in my emotions, Zoe gives me a small smile.

"Blake has been away for one night, and I'm a wreck. I can't even imagine what that was like." Shuddering at the thought, she shakes her head. "Not being marked must have made it even harder. Blake and I were all over the place until we marked each other, him obviously more so than me since my wolf was still buried, but… it can make you act out of character."

With an awkward grimace, I nod. "It wasn't my finest hour. I'm truly sorry. And I understand if you're not keen to have me here on your territory. Blake might have given the order for everyone to leave us alone, but that doesn't mean you need to be happy about it." She doesn't look at me, which tells me I'm closer to the truth than she wants to admit. "You can ask me to leave, and I won't hold it against you. And I won't tell anyone either. The last thing I want after all that I've done is to make you uncomfortable in your own home."

Zoe takes in my earnest expression and presses her lips into a thin line. "But it's your home, too. And if Wilson hadn't sent the rogues to attack here that night, you might have been able to find her. You'd have lived the rest of your lives here and had the last sixteen years together. And you…" Her voice trails off, not wanting to insult me by saying I'd still just be a wolf, without the nasty vampire side I have now.

I used to hate that this happened to me, but after all this time, it's just who I am. I've learned to appreciate the good points and not dwell on the what ifs.

"Who knows what would have happened? I know it's hard to believe, but I was a cocky dickhead, even back then. It's probably reasonable to assume I would have gotten myself into some kind of trouble regardless."

Zoe chokes back a laugh and lifts her eyes, sparkling with mirth, to mine. When I roll my eyes and push back to my full height, she smiles. "So, no more threatening to murder people or overthrow the pack?"

Hesitating, I offer her my hand to shake. "No more threatening to murder people or overthrow this pack," I repeat, not willing to promise anything when it comes to what I do off Steel pack territory. Zoe shakes her head, picking up on the subtle distinction, but still presses her hand to mine and gives it a good, firm shake.

"He'll be glad to have you back," Zoe says quietly as I go to leave.

"Ha! I wasn't very nice to him, either. Somehow, I doubt he wants me back here for good."

Now that I'm older, I can admit that most of my dislike of Blake was jealousy. I convinced myself he was getting favouritism from everyone around him, including our father. But the reality is that it's very hard for people to help someone who has a chip on their shoulder. I didn't make it easy for people to like me, let alone support me.

"Every older sibling is mean to the youngest. That's just the way it goes. But I hope you two can find a way to get along. Even if it's in small doses."

Nodding, I think I'd like that, too. He did come to the house when I asked, and protected two of the most important people to me. And he was smart enough to bring someone from the council so we'd have a witness to what went on. I suppose I should be a bit nicer to him now.

"I better get back to Mandy. Thank you, by the way, for welcoming her and Noah into the pack. They spent too long on their own."

Zoe smiles at the mention of the tall, gangly teen. He has a way about him. Everyone who meets him falls in love with him.

"It's been great to have them here, but that was all Blake's doing. And Noah, well, Blake could sense he was going to be strong. He wanted him to get the chance to go to alpha school to make sure he reaches his potential and can control that power."

Regarding her thoughtfully, I tap my finger against my chin and mumble to myself, an idea taking shape in my mind. "Zoe, if I may, would you entertain my asking you for a favour?"