A Second Chance ✔ (The Alpha's Mate)

Chapter 13

"All my agony fades away when you hold me in your embrace." -Within Temptation, All I Need.

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Katie hoped that Rick was smarter than to cause a scene in front of all these people. All she had to do was dodge him for four more minutes until their time was up. Getting him to the floor would need physical contact, and touching Rick was not on her to do list for today.

Alpha Zach hated how Rick's mischievous eyes were ogling Kat like a predator does his prey. Kat was no one's prey and Zach would be damned if he let Rick touch her again.

"Come on now, Katherine, don't play hard to get." Rick said once Katie dodged him again. Suddenly stepping to the left, Rick pretended he was about to attack only to get Katie to move quickly to the right, and once she did he grabbed her arm and spun her around like she did to him at the party. "Just like that."

Katie felt Rick's breath on her neck as he spoke and tried to wiggle her arm free, but he twisted it further. One more attempt and her arm might break. So he wanted revenge, it seemed.

Zach pushed himself to his feet in an instant, all his senses aware and alert. Hearing nothing but the loud rythm of his own heart, Zach was stopped by Nick. "Alpha," Nick hissed, "you have to stay calm."

"Either let go of me or end this fight, Rick." Katie demanded when she felt Rick smelling her neck for a few more seconds than appropriate. She hated how she had no control of this situation, but what truly worried her the most was her Alpha.

"Always in such a hurry, Katherine." Rick pushed his head closer to the skin of Katie's neck, his breath sending a nauseating shiver down her spine. "I wanted you then and I want you now even more. But not before I make you submit." Rick's words made Katie's stomach turn and before she could utter a single word she felt his teeth on her neck, sending her a wave of paralyzing fear like she had never felt before. Rick was going to bite her, in a way only her mate was allowed to. He was going to take from Katie something that wasn't his to take.

Yet before Katie could feel his teeth pierce through her skin, Rick was shoved away from her with so much force that she heard bones breaking. Snapping her head around, Katie saw Alpha Zach pinning Rick to the ground and punching him repeatedly, just like a monster whose leash had finally been loosened.

"Alpha!" Nick called as he ran to Zach, but didn't dare touch him. No one would ever dare touch him when he was in such a fit of rage. "Alpha, stop! He's out, just stop." He yelled but Alpha Zach was not listening.

The image of Rick's teeth on Kat's neck blinded him as it kept replaying in his mind. How dare he bite the Alpha's mate? How dare he try to steal such a precious gift from his Kat? Zack had never felt such fury as he did now and throwing a punch after another did little to ease it.

"Alpha!" Nick shouted once more, his voice louder than the crowd that had gathered. Katie looked around, watching as members of her pack whispered in fear around Alpha Zach, wondering what was happening and why was he killing one of their own, and she finally broke out of her shocked state.

"Oh, my god." Katie ran to the Alpha's side, getting a glimpse of Rick's bloody face passed out on the ground. Her whole body shook in fear, from what Rick was just about to do and from what Alpha Zach was now doing.

"Katie, don't get any closer!" Jared yelled through the crowd, afraid his best friend might get hurt, but Katie knew her Alpha would never hurt her. Not even if his own life depended on it.

Ignoring Jared and Nick's shouting, Katie stepped even closer to Alpha Zach. "Alpha, stop, you're killing him."

Zach could hear people shouting for him to stop, to let Rick go, but he wasn't going to. Not until he made sure he never touched another female without her consent again.