20. Rule #20 Always Have A Plan
Rule #20: Always Have A Plan
Zoe
T he dagger flew from my hand, landing square in the middle of the target. I let another fly, landing right next to the other. I flicked my hand and was relieved when one of them came flying back to me. My powers weren’t gone entirely, and they were stronger lately, but Amelia was right. I couldn’t keep relying on power boosters.
I smiled to myself as I thought of last night. My body hadn’t been this relaxed in ages. Muscles that only got worked out during sex ached in a delicious way as I remembered how Daniel felt moving above me and inside me. The way he stoked that fire in me and took me to a high I couldn’t comprehend. He had given me control, handing the power over and it wasn’t lost on me. He had been careful, but had worshiped me in the way he fucked me. He was addictive.
I had dreaded the fallout of opening up to him, but the way he had held and reassured me, was like a protective layer wrapping around me.
“You seem different,” a teasing voice came from behind me and I turned around. Lewis stood there, leaning against one of the pillars on the mezzanine section of the gym with his arms crossed across his broad chest. “And also, that was cool as fuck. I can’t believe you kept this from me.” He sounded more excited than angry. He walked up to stand next to me, fingering a dagger on the table before nimbly throwing it at the target. It landed right next to mine.
He narrowed his eyes, assessing me.
“Did you get laid? You don’t seem as tightly strung as usual.”
I scoffed and punched him in the arm. “Fuck off,” I mumbled.
His eyes went big. “You did, didn’t you? Did you pick someone up at the club?”
“No,” I said, letting another dagger fly. “I’m not you.”
Lewis picked up another one and as he flicked his wrist, I said, “It was Daniel.”
His dagger flew off course, clattering to the floor.
“What? You hate him.”
“Well, they say there’s a thin line between love and hate.”
“You love him?!”
“What? No! Sex doesn’t mean love. Besides, you’re the one who gave him my number.”
“He wanted to thank you,” he argued.
“Are you upset about this?” I asked.
“No, I’m not. I’m just… worried.”
“Is my distrust rubbing off on you?”
Lewis ran a hand through his black hair. “Seems so,” he answered. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I’ll be careful,” I promised him. “He feels safe.”
Lewis placed a kiss on top of my head. “Well, I do trust your gut. So, how was it?”
“Oh my god, so good!”
He high-fived me. “Nice! You deserve it! ”
We packed up the daggers, locking them away in the weapons closet.
“What are we having for dinner tonight?” he asked.
“You coming over?” I replied, raising an eyebrow. “What about the ghost?”
“Well, I have questions now,” he replied.
“You’re taking all of this really well,” I observed with a raised eyebrow. Lewis shrugged. It really was a testament to our friendship that he just accepted me and my crazy life.
Forty minutes later, Lewis drove to my house while four boxes of pizza sat in the backseat of his black Audi RS7. I had been thinking and plotting all day and pulled out my phone to send a text.
Me
Come over tonight. I might have a solution to your full moon problem.
Daniel
Is this an attempt to get me into bed?
Me
No *unimpressed emoji *
But also maybe. We got pizza though. Just come over and stop being irritating.
Daniel
Who’s we?
Zoe
Lewis and I.
Daniel
I don’t like sharing.
Zoe
Going all Alpha on me? Besides, pizza is the ultimate sharing food.
Daniel
Be a good girl and I’ll show you an Alpha.
Zoe
Omg. Be less annoying please. Do you want to hear my plan or be killed on the full moon?
Daniel
Fine. But I expect to be compensated afterwards *eggplant emoji * *splash emoji * *kissy cat emoji *
That’s you being very happy tonight.
Zoe
Yes, I got that. And maybe if you’re a good boy, you’ll get some.
Daniel
I’m never a good boy when it comes to you.
See you in 20.
“Who’s got you smiling like that?” Lewis asked, glancing over at me.
“No one,” I replied, stuffing my phone into the pocket of my hoodie.
“You’re so fucking obvious,” he said, shoving my head playfully and I swatted his hand. “Happy looks good on you, Zo.”
“Whatever,” I muttered, thankful that we had pulled up to the house, bringing this painful conversation to an end.
We trudged into the house and I yelled, “Yo! Pizza’s here!”
There was no reply. I shoved the pizzas into Lewis’s hands then ran up the stairs. I turned to the left and knocked on Rory’s door.
“It’s open,” she called.
“Hey. We got pizza downstairs. But I wanna talk to you first. Do you have a minute?”
“Sure, come on in.”
Rory sat on her bed, still in her yoga clothes with a mug in her hand. Her mat was rolled out next to the bed along with some yoga blocks. She patted the bed and I climbed on next to her.
I peered into her mug.
“You don’t have to eat up here you know? This is your home too.”
“Just feels disrespectful drinking blood in front of people with beating hearts,” she replied.
“It’s not. You can’t help what you are, but you can help who you are. Now if you were feeding off a human right there in the kitchen, I might have a problem, but it depends on if they were a shitty person or not.”
Rory laughed. “Okay. Noted. Thanks.”
She took a long sip then asked, “You okay?”
“Yeah. I’m good actually. So you know Daniel has that pack problem? I think I have a solution, but I’m gonna need your help and he might not like it.”
“The solution or me?”
“Not gonna lie, probably both.”
“Okay. Lemme hear it. Anything for my girl. ”
I told her my plan, and while she didn’t say it was an awful idea, she did frown and twist her lips through the entire thing.
“You think he’ll go for it?” she asked.
“What other choice does he have?”
“His options are limited,“ she agreed.
Rory stood and I followed her.
“Well, the pizzas are getting cold and Lexi is probably scaring Lewis by now,” she said.
“How’d you know he was here?”
“Are you kidding me? I can smell that Cool Water cologne a mile off. He’s delicious.”
I choked back a laugh.
We made our way downstairs and followed the voices into the TV room.
“So you can float through walls?” Lewis asked.
“Yeah. Watch this!”
Lexi disappeared through the wall behind her that I knew led to the library, then popped back through.
“Wow, that’s a trip,” Lewis said. “Can you touch anything or do you go right through? Can you move things?”
I chuckled at his inquisitiveness, like a child discovering something new.
“Sometimes I can move things. But other times when I try my hand goes through it.”
“Huh,” he said, sitting back. “I wonder why that is?”
“Why do I feel like you’re going to research this?” I asked from the doorway, moving into the room.
“Because I am,” he said emphatically .
I stepped past him where he sat on the couch, grabbed a slice of pizza then fell into one of the leather recliners. Rory took the seat on the couch next to Lewis and gave him a shy smile as she grabbed a slice too.
A knock sounded at the door and Lexi yelled, “I’ll get it!” Zooming out before I had a chance to follow her.
“Can she even open the door?” Lewis asked.
“Guess we’ll find out,” I answered, chewing my food.
Turns out she could, because Daniel followed her into the living room a minute later. He took in the scene before him and just about managed to hold in his growl when he noticed Rory. I was proud of him. Progress.
He stalked over to me, lifted me then took my place in the recliner positioning me on his lap. He wrapped his strong arms around my waist, pulling my back into his hard chest, burying his face in my neck as he placed a small kiss there. I slipped the fingers of the hand not currently being occupied by pizza through his soft, brown hair.
“Mine,” he murmured.
“So possessive,” I teased, but I wasn’t complaining. Truth be told, I liked being someone’s entire focus for once. It was intoxicating.
He tried to take a bite of my pizza but I pulled it out of reach.
“Mine,” I shot back at him. I already warned him that I didn’t share food and just because I was sleeping with him didn’t mean that would change. “So weird seeing you like this,” Lewis said as he leaned forward to grab a box, offering it to Daniel.
“Get used to it,” Daniel replied, grabbing a slice.
“I like seeing her happy,” Lewis assured him. “But remember I’m trained in all kinds of weapons and I won’t think twice if you hurt her.”
Daniel kissed my head, then said softly, “Wouldn’t dream of it. She’ll probably kill me before you do.”
“Damn straight,” I said from his lap .
“Wait, so is he your boyfriend now?” Lexi asked with the unrestrained glee only a teenager could muster.
“Yes,” Daniel said at the same time I said, “I don’t believe in labels.”
The arm around my waist squeezed once. “We’ll talk about this later,” he mumbled, then in a louder voice, “So, what’s this plan you have?”
I stuffed the rest of my pizza slice into my mouth, then cleaned my hands on a napkin before turning around in his lap to face him. I gave him a bright smile and his face fell.
“I don’t like that smile,” he said.
“But you like me,” I replied.
“Debatable right now.”
I rolled my eyes before carrying on. “Okay, so you need a place to run on the full moon and the forest is the only safe place you can do that.”
“Except it’s probably not safe anymore. As we’ve established,” Daniel said.
“Right. So, you’ll need back up.”
“Back up,” he repeated, blinking owlishly at me.
“Yeah. Back up. You need people to run with you. Like a pack would.”
“And where am I supposed to find this pack?” he asked, though I could tell he was cottoning on to my idea and not liking it one bit.
“Rory and I will run with you,” I said.
“What? You and Vampire Barbie?”
“That’s not the insult you think it is,” Rory chirped from the couch. “And yes. I’m fast enough to keep up with you. Strong enough to fight off any wolves that give you grief–”
“And you?” he cut her off, turning to face me again. He held my face in both his hands. “Do you honestly think I’ll put you in danger like that?”
I held up my hand, counting off. “You forget I’m a Muay Thai fighter with a championship belt, I’m trained in weapons, thanks Lew,” I said, shooting my best friend a smile, “and I’m the best offensive witch you know.”
“Your magic’s…” he trailed off, trying to find words that wouldn’t sting, “...unreliable right now.”
“I feel stronger,” I insisted. And I did. Lately I had been feeling the flow of my magic coming back. “I lit a candle this morning without needing a power booster.”
“Oh! A whole candle? Zoe, be serious! This is too dangerous for you.”
“I can hold my own, Daniel!”
I stood from his lap, glaring down at him. Anger coursed through my veins and the fire in the grate behind me sprang to life.
He took a deep breath, calming himself. “Darling, I’m not saying you can’t. I’m saying I can’t in good conscience put you in danger. I won’t do it.”
“I’m not giving you a choice.”
We glared at each other, both of us far too stubborn to budge.
“It’s that or you can curl up in the backyard like a good little puppy,” Rory said.
Daniel growled at her then turned to Lewis. “What do you think? Tell her this is a terrible idea.”
“I mean, I could tell her that, but it doesn’t mean she’ll listen to me. The amount of shit I’ve pulled her out of because I told her it was a bad idea is a lot. She’s gonna do what she wants to do. And if you tell her not to, she’s gonna find a way to be there anyway. So if I were you, I’d stick close to her. For both your sakes.”
“He’s always going to take my side,” I said, crossing my arms and giving Daniel a triumphant grin.
“I’m not taking your side. You’re a stubborn asshole who’s going to do what you want either way, so you might as well stick together and try not to get killed. ”
Daniel looked between Lewis, Rory and me, then sighed heavily. He was outnumbered, and he knew it.
He reached for me, my body tingling when his hands landed on my hips, pulling me back to him. I curled up in his lap and he said, “I’ll think about it.”
So stubborn, but I knew I’d won.
“So what are we doing for the rest of the night?” Daniel asked, changing the subject. “Are we staying in or going out?”
“If we go out, Lexi can’t join,” Rory said.
“Oh, no. Don’t stay in because of me. You guys have lives to live.”
“Nah, I’m kinda beat. It’s been a busy few days,” Lewis said, letting his head fall to the back of the couch.
“Same. Classes were hectic today,” I agreed.
“A movie then?” Lexi asked, her eyes shining with the excitement of someone who’s been alone for too long and had finally found people who wanted to hang out with her.
“Sure,” Daniel agreed. He reached over and grabbed a blanket that was hanging over the back of the couch and pulled it over us as I settled into his body.
“Rory and I have started The Lord of the Rings. I’ve never seen it before,” Lexi said.
“A classic,” Daniel replied.
“I’ve seen it a hundred times and that’s not nearly enough,” I added.
“Lord of the Rings it is,” Lewis said, stretching his long legs out to rest on the coffee table, while Rory queued the movie. She settled back on the couch next to Lewis, closer than the last time but either my best friend was too tired to notice the hot girl next to him, or he was trying to respect some imaginary boundary he had invented .
Daniel pulled out the foot rest of the recliner and I snuggled against his warm body. His right arm wrapped around my waist, his hand slipping under my t-shirt while his left hand gripped my thigh possessively.
Lexi turned the lights out and the movie started.
Lewis’s phone buzzed with a text. His phone’s glow illuminated his face when he checked it, but tucked it away without replying. Five minutes later, it buzzed again. Again, he checked it and set it face down without replying. Two minutes later his phone buzzed again and again.
“Lewis! Your hoes are looking for you.”
Rory snorted next to him. Lewis was my best friend, but he was a notorious playboy. The girls he saw never stuck around for more than a week. And even that was long in Lewis terms. He never wanted to settle down.
“How progressive of you, Zo,” he deadpanned, before turning his phone off.
I stuck my tongue out at him.
“Leave him alone,” Daniel chastised, pulling me back to his chest.
Seeing as this was the eleventy-first time I was watching this movie, at some point I craned my head up, kissing Daniel’s neck softly. He squeezed my thigh when I dragged my teeth across his pulse point.
“Behave,” he whispered in a low voice. His warm breath tickled my ear, making me throb between my legs.
“Make me,” I replied.
He turned his face to look down at me, the lust shining brightly in his eyes. “You’re so much trouble,” he whispered against my lips.
“You love it,” I replied.
“I do,” he agreed before kissing me softly, his tongue dancing with mine, making me clench my thighs. His thumb stroked the soft skin along my hip, making me squirm .
“If the two of you are gonna fuck, can you at least take it upstairs?” Lewis said. “There’s a child here.”
I glared at him and gave him the middle finger before settling back to watch the movie. Daniel’s strong arms and warm body left me feeling safe and content. A new feeling, that was for damn sure. I sometimes worried if it would last. But the soft kiss he placed just below my ear banished those thoughts. With how exhausted I was and the comforting feel of his hand stroking my waist, I must have fallen asleep. Because when I woke up I was under my blankets, with a half-naked werewolf wrapped around me.
He’d stayed.
He didn’t leave me.
I touched his hand that splayed over my stomach, feeling him shift closer to me in his sleep. His breathing was deep and even. He was solid and steady. And my walls had come down around him. I trusted him. And I wasn’t scared to admit that it still terrified me. His betrayal would be the worst one.
I gazed at the clock on the nightstand. The red numbers told me it was just after two in the morning. I gently lifted Daniel’s arm, scooting quietly out of bed, grabbing my vape and his black hoodie that was hanging over a chair. As silently as possible, I opened the French doors and snuck out onto the balcony. The summer night was still warm, but the crickets had long since gone to sleep. I took a long drag on my vape and glanced up at the waxing moon. In a week and a half it would be full and we’d need to be ready.
I could feel danger on the horizon. Something was coming. And I didn’t know if I trusted these fragile alliances that I had been building.
The scent of pine trees and fresh rain hit me a second before his arms wrapped around me. Daniel bent his legs and nuzzled into my neck.
“I don’t like waking up without you. ”
“You should be asleep,” I said as I blew out smoke. The peach flavor mixing in with his smell.
“Seems like I’m getting used to a warm body sleeping next to me,” he replied.
“That all I am? A warm body?”
His hand slipped under my clothes, caressing the skin along the top of my sleep shorts and goosebumps rose in the wake of his touch. I noticed that he always needed to be touching me. I didn’t know if it was just possessiveness or if it was the wolf in him. I wasn’t complaining either way. I missed being touched, being wanted this way.
“You know you’re more than that,” he said. “Come back to bed.”
“Full moon’s coming soon,” I said, not moving just yet.
His gaze followed mine as we both looked up at the bright moon hanging in the night sky. He sighed deeply.
“I still don’t like your idea. But you seem stubborn enough to follow me into the woods unless I tie you up. And the first time I tie you up is not going to be because I don’t want you getting into trouble.”
I huffed a laugh but I couldn’t help the images of him tying me to my bed from racing through my mind. My body shivered in anticipation at the thought.
He dragged his nose up the length of my neck. “You’d like that wouldn’t you? Giving up control for a little while. Not having to be in charge.”
I whimpered as he kissed my neck.
“Would you be a good girl for me? Or would you fight me?”
I raised my hand, threading my fingers through his hair. He groaned when I lightly scratched his scalp.
“What makes you think I’m a good girl?”
He laughed against my skin .
“Oh, I know you’re not. What would be the fun in that? I love that you challenge me.”
“Even though you hate this idea of mine?”
“I hate it,” he agreed. “But I love that you want to protect me. There’ll be rules though. If we do this. We’ll take every precaution necessary. I want you armed to the teeth. An extra strength power booster–”
“I don’t need it. I’m fine. I told you, my magic feels stronger lately.”
“This isn’t negotiable. There might be a whole pack of wolves in there.”
“Fine,” I relented.
“I don’t want you getting hurt,” he reiterated, squeezing me tighter.
“I need you to trust me, the way you want me to trust you,” I said.
“I do,” he replied with conviction. He really fucking did. Even though I’d never given him a reason to. And his need to protect me, squeezed my heart.
“Come back to bed,” he whispered again. His low voice made my insides go squiggly. I didn’t fight him this time as he took me to bed.
We slipped under the blankets and I made quick work of getting rid of his hoodie, but before I could discard any more of my clothes, he lay on his back and tucked me into his side. I glared at him in the dark while he wiggled around, getting into a comfortable position before gripping my thigh and pulling it over his leg. His arms were so stupidly long that one of them curled around my body, coming to rest on my hip while he slid the other behind his head. He did all of this with his eyes closed.
“Why are you looking at me with murder in your eyes?” he asked.
“I thought you were bringing me back to bed for sex,” I grumbled.
“You just want me for my body,” he said and I huffed a laugh.
I ran my palm up his chest, kissing his pec, but he grabbed my wandering hand and brought it to his lips for a kiss. Holding it fast in his, he lay our joined hands on his chest then kissed my forehead gently. “Go to sleep, Hurricane. I’ll fuck you in the morning.”
A smile bloomed on my face and I snuggled deeper into his embrace, feeling safe and whole for the first time in a long time. Between the soft rise and fall of his chest and his soothing scent, it didn’t take long for sleep to take me.