Chapter 10 - Mine

I swallowed the lump forming in my throat and took a deep breath.
"Fine, I'm going then," I snapped, walking away.
Zach grabbed my arm and stopped me.
"Okay, okay. Calm down, shortie. I promise I'll behave." Zach laughed.
I huffed and turned back to look at him.
He gave me a toothy smile that made my heart skip a beat. My entire body was so hyperaware of Zach that it was becoming challenging to keep up the serious facade, but I had to draw a line in the sand and set my boundaries. There was no way I would let a guy break my heart again.
"Come on. I'll show you your room." Zach started to walk towards the lift.
Just like before, we got into the lift, and Zach pressed the button. The lift started to move once it had confirmed Zach's identity.
"I'll have security load your fingerprints into the system so you have access to the penthouse." Zach pulled out his phone.
"You don't need to do that. It's just for tonight. I'll be out of here tomorrow. I don't want to be a burden."
"Don't be absurd. You can stay here as long as you need to. All the empty rooms in the penthouse could use some company." Zach snickered as he scrolled through his phone.
The lift stopped, and we walked into Zach's place.
"Would you like a room upstairs or downstairs?"
"Umm... Downstairs please," I replied.
His room would be upstairs, so if I stayed downstairs, I would be able to keep my distance.
Zach nodded and started walking towards the kitchen. Towards the left of the kitchen, there was a hidden entrance that curved into a hallway.
I followed Zach down the well-lit hallway until doors started to appear. Zach stopped in front of the third door and pushed the door open.
He flicked on the lights, bringing the room to life.
The bedroom was huge. There was a massive bed to the room's right with a couch and desk set up on the left side. However, just like the rest of the house, the room was very clinical and minimalistic. Besides the pastel purple covers on the bed, everything else was dull.
Did Zach not like color or interior decoration? If the apartment and this room were so dull, I wonder what Zach's room looked like.
"The bathroom and walk-in closet is through there" Zach pointed to the door next to the bed.
This was all very fancy.
"You can decorate the room however you want to. Feel at home" Zach smiled at me.
"Yeah, I don't have anything. Everything I owned was destroyed tonight. Hopefully, once the police finish their investigation, I can go back and salvage some things."
"I'll give Clint a call first thing in the morning and see what progress they've made. In the meantime, I'll get you some clothes to wear tonight." Zach started walking towards the door.
"No, that's okay! I can just stay in these clothes. I'll give Crystal a call, and she can bring me a new uniform and some spare clothes in the morning." I protested.
"Will you relax, please? Go have a shower and wind down. I'll leave the clothes on the bed for you." Zach shook his head and walked out of the room.
Why was that man so stubborn?! Couldn't he just do as I asked?
I sighed and looked around the room. As gorgeous as the room was, it would definitely look better if it was more decorated.
I walked over to the door Zach had pointed out and opened it. The light inside turned on automatically as soon as the door opened. I strolled in, gawking at the place. The walk-in closet was the first thing I walked into. Both sides of the walls were covered in shelves, drawers, and racks to hang clothes. There was another door at the end of the room. I opened the door, and the lights once again turned on themselves, illuminating the bathroom.
I glanced around the bathroom, thoroughly impressed with how stunning it was. There was a big tub against a wall with an enclosed shower dome next to it.
I knew Zach's place was fancy, but this was extravagant.
I sat down on the edge of the tub and let go of the breath I was holding on to. The tiredness was starting to make my body feel heavy and sore. I took Zach's advice and decided to have a shower. I turned on the shower and quickly stripped out of my clothes, pulling my hair up into a messy bun. As soon as the hot water hit my body, all knots unraveled.
The water pressure gently massaged my sore loins, and I stood there enjoying it. The more my body started to relax, the heavier my eyes got. I was tired, and the events from tonight had made me mentally and physically exhausted.
I turned off the water and grabbed a towel to dry myself. I walked out of the bathroom and through the walk-in closet.
Zach said he would leave clothes for me on the bed. I opened the door and slowly poked my head around the corner. The bedroom door was shut, and a stack of clothes sat on the bed.
I walked over to the bed and scanned the clothes. There was a plain white t-shirt with black sweatpants and a pair of man's boxer briefs. The boxer briefs still had tags on.
I smiled at the thoughtful gesture. Every girl's worst fear was not having a pair of clean undies.
I quickly got dressed in the outfit Zach had left me and turned off the main lights in the bedroom, leaving the bedside light on.
Out of habit, I looked around the room for a glass or bottle of water. I always put a glass of water next to my bed in case I got thirsty overnight. When I failed to find either of these things, I looked towards the main door. The kitchen was just around the corner. I picked up my phone and checked the time. It was very late, and Zach was probably in bed by now.
But what if he was awake? The risk of running into Zach was scary enough to make me want to climb into bed and forget about my late-night thirst.
I bit my lip and contemplated what to do. Knowing me, tonight would be the night I would wake by thirst only because I didn't have it next to me.
I sighed and decided to take the risk. If I was super quiet, maybe Zach wouldn't notice me in the kitchen.
I gave myself a pep talk and slowly opened the door. I poked my head out and checked the hallway, ensuring it was empty. Once I found it empty, I slowly crept down the hallway, being as quiet as possible. The radiant kitchen light came into view as I got to the end of the hallway. I said one last prayer before wandering into the kitchen.
My eyes scanned the place, trying to make sure there were no signs of movement. I walked further into the kitchen once I couldn't see any signs of Zach.
The kitchen was quite spacious and had plenty of storage place. With how many drawers and cupboards it had, you would think a small village lived in this penthouse.
I quickly walked over to the french door fridge and pulled it open. The top shelves of the refrigerator were filled with all sorts of beverages, while the rest were filled with perfectly organized fruit and snacks.
This place really was equipped to cater to a small village. As I reached for a bottle of water, the sound of a door opening and closing paralyzed me.
*Shit!* Zach was still awake.
I quickly closed the fridge door and darted for the hallway entrance. However, the voices flowing through the living area caught my attention.
It wasn't just Zach's voice, but a second person was here too.
I leaned against the wall next to the hallway entrance and peeked around the corner.
Zach and the second person came down the stairs and headed for the couches in the living area. They had their backs to me, making it hard to identify the other guy.
"I'm telling you, there was a wolf in her apartment. The smell of her underwear wasn't human urine," Zach growled.
"But why would there be a wolf in her apartment? She's as human as they come. And no one knows about her association with you. It's not possible, Zach."
I knew that voice all too well. It was Keiran.
I thought he said he was going home. So what was he doing here? Was it normal for him to be here this late? More importantly, why were they talking about a wolf?
"Don't talk to me like I'm crazy. I know what I smelt. There was a wolf in her apartment. I just don't understand what they would pee all over her panties. That was the only thing that had been peed on."
"Do you think they were marking their territory? Like sending a message that she belonged to them?" Keiran suggested.
A loud growl erupted from Zach's mouth. He looked like he wanted to drain every drop of Keiran's blood.
"*She is mine! Only mine*. I will castrate any man that thinks they have some sort of weird claim on her. So, instead of sitting here and making stupid assumptions, go find out who the fuck was in her apartment and what they want from her." Zach hissed.
His tone sent a shiver down my spine.
Without another word, Keiran got up and headed for the already open lift door.
"Keiran, call Jaxson. I need eyes on her at all times. Until we find whose behind this, Stacey will be under 24/7 surveillance." Zach instructed.
Keiran nodded and got into the lift. The doors closed, and Keiran was gone.
What the fuck was going on?! None of this made any sense.
I was sure my trashed apartment was the repercussions of my past. But Zach and Keiran's conversation indicated something completely different.
Why would a wolf pee on my undergarments? How the hell would a wolf even get into my fourth-floor apartment?
I glanced over to where Zach was slouched on the couch.
*"She is mine! Only mine"*.......
Zach's words replayed in my mind over and over again.
I pushed myself off the wall and headed for my room.
I didn't belong to anyone, and with how crazy and possessive Zach sounded, I definitely didn't want to belong to him…..