Zack moved first, reaching for the hem of my shirt. “You’re still bleeding a little,” he said.
“Then maybe you should help me wash it off,” I murmured.
The corner of his mouth curved up. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
We stepped into the bathroom. Zack told me to take off my shirt. He had that stubborn look on his face, so I complied. Then he turned on the tap.
Steam filled the bathroom, curling up around us like mist. The tiles were cold beneath my feet, the contrast sharp against the warmth of the water cascading from above.
Zack stood close enough that I could feel the steady rhythm of his breathing.
“Turn around,” he said softly, reaching for the washcloth. His voice was gentle, almost hesitant.
I obeyed, letting him tend to me. Zack’s movements were slow, deliberate. He traced over the cuts and bruises, cleaning away the streaks of blood that had already begun to dry.
“You really don’t have to do this,” I said after a moment.
“I know,” Zack replied, his tone calm but firm. “That’s why I want to.”
Something in my chest tightened. I didn’t know what to say to that. So I stood there, letting him finish, letting the sound of the water fill the silence between us.
When he was done, Zack turned off the tap and grabbed a towel. He handed me one, then used another to blot the water from my hair.
We stepped into the bedroom, both of us wrapped in towels and exhaustion. Zack sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes following me as I pulled on a clean shirt.
“You scared me tonight,” he said suddenly.
“I scared myself,” I admitted. “When Theo shifted, my wolf wanted to end it. For a second, I almost didn’t stop him.”
Zack looked up, his expression softening. “But you did stop. That’s what matters.”
I sat down beside him, elbows resting on my knees.
“I thought I was going to lose you. Not because of him, but because I’d let myself turn into the kind of man you couldn’t stand to be around,” I said.
Zack reached out, his fingers brushing mine before curling around my hand.
“You’re not that man,” he said quietly. “You made a choice tonight. The right one. And that’s the kind of person I want beside me.”
I swallowed hard, the weight of his words settling deep in my chest. “You really mean that?”
Zack smiled faintly. “You still need proof?”
“I think I just… needed to hear it,” I told him.
Zack squeezed my hand. “Then listen carefully, because I’m not saying it twice. I choose you, Mark. Not because you’re perfect. Because you try. Because you care, even when you mess up.”
Something broke open in me then, the tension I’d been holding onto for days finally giving way. I leaned in, pressing my forehead to his. “You have no idea how much that means to me.”
“I think I do,” Zack whispered.
We lay back on the bed, the silence between us now easy and full of warmth. Zack curled into my side, his head resting just beneath my chin.
His hand found mine again, fingers tracing lazy circles against my skin, grounding me.
“I don’t want to think about Theo or the pack or anything else right now,” he murmured. “Just this.”
“Just us,” I said, tightening my arm around him.
