Claws

Chapter Twenty-Five

Zale was strangely quiet after a little while of bickering. It kind of made me anxious. I assumed he was going to bug me the whole walk home, but that wasn't the case.

"What the heck is your deal," I finally broke the silence after about ten minutes of walking as he helped me get through an icy patch. "I never thought you'd actually listen to me. You're being so quiet."

"I thought you told me to shut up. What, do you want me to talk?" Zale eyed me. He looked slightly irritated. What was up with this gaslighting?

"Not exactly. I just didn't expect you to listen to me," I glanced at him, trying to get out of his grip. I didn't have much strength, so he obviously won me over. "Come to think of it, I want to talk about what happened at the party. You were even more of a douche than usual, especially to Beck. Then, you go correcting me? I've taken an interest in a beta. So what?  You don't have a say in what I can and can't do. Especially considering what you do in your spare time. The only reason I went off the rails was because of you, and now I have to be on not only inhibitors but pheromone stabilizers."

"So you do like that beta, then?" Zale stopped walking, taking me with him. He turned to me. "You know it won't work out between you two. He can't stand by your side and lead the pack. Only an alpha can."

"Screw you," I scoffed, trying to walk forward again. Zale stood still, continuing to hold my arm. I jolted back and clenched my teeth together in pain. "Either let go of me or move. My head is killing me, and my ribs are aching. I need more pain meds and a pheromone stabilizer ASAP, especially after being with you."

"Oh, really?" Zale looked at me with a smug glare. "Well, that's funny since your very own solution is right here."

"What do you mean?" I grew even more anxious as Zale dropped the dirty look and raised an eyebrow.

I froze the moment I smelt them. Zale's pheromones.

My cheeks turned red, and my eyes grew wide as I covered my hand over my mouth and nose. "What the heck are you doing? Are you trying to send me into heat? What's wrong with you?"

"Let me ask you something. What do you think calmed down your heat the night you got injured?" Zale asked as we entered the trail straight to Robin's home.

"A pheromone stabilizer, of course. That's the only thing that makes sense," I said, looking at him, confused. "Why? Am I wrong?"

"You are. Did you ever wonder why you were all over me in your heat in the first place?" Zale scoffed, the smug look returning on his face.

"Shut up! I wasn't in my right mind! I'd never do that if I were sane!" I tried tugging away from him, but he just held onto my arm tighter. "Ow! You know what? It might be less painful walking on my own with you trying to cut off the circulation in my arm like that!"

"I was going to say this in the most humble way possible, but since you're being ungrateful, I'll tell you straight out," Zale said, giving me a devilish smile. "You love my pheromones. In fact, you adore them. You can't get enough. When I give you the right amount, you start to..."

Zale put a finger in the air, releasing even more pheromones. I gasped, covering my nose and mouth with my hand again, even though I knew it wouldn't do anything. The moment I took one whiff of the excessive amount of Zale's pheromones, the pain in my head...no...all the pain in my body subsided. I felt good. I looked up at him with tired eyes, stopping. He smiled as I turned to him and stepped closer, taking hold of his jacket. I wanted more. More. More...

"See? I'm probably the only guy in the world that's pheromones you don't find repulsive," Zale's voice became clearer as the smell of his pheromones decreased. I blinked the moment I got my sanity back, realizing that I was gripping onto his shirt, my face inching towards his chest. I gasped, stepping back at the sharp pain returned. Zale didn't let go of me. Instead, he held onto both of my arms and whispered in my ear. "I'm your only exception. I'm your cure."

"Cure my butt!" I yelled as loud as I could, taking advantage of how close he was to me. Zale cringed as he put his hands on his ears, finally letting go of me. "If you're my cure, then why did I go into the most painful heat I'd been in after you smothered me in your pheromones the night your drunkard butt started to sexually harass me? You know, the night you can barely remember? If your pheromones are so good for me, why did they make me sick?"

"Ah, there's an easy explanation for that one," Zale scoffed, trying to look composed as he stood up and brushed some snow off him. "I got in a fight with a bunch of guys at a party that night for hooking up with both of their girls. When male alphas get angry, they emit a lot of pheromones to try to suffocate each other. You must've smelt the mixture of my pheromones with theirs."

"And you say all of this like that's supposed to make your case sound even less perverted than it already is?" I sneered. "Even if your pheromones did ease my pain, I wouldn't care! As if I'd ever come begging for you, even when I'm in the middle of a painful heat!"

"Oh, you will. Trust me, kiddo. Even when you're in your regular heat without the pain, you're going to want me right there with you. You're going to scream out my name, begging for me to hold you," Zale smirked, leaning close to my face. "Because I'm your alpha, right?"

"I hate you," I glared at him, not budging. "Why do you love to tease me? And what's up with this pathetic new attempt at flirting with me? I'm not a doormat like everyone else you go after. Why would you even try? What. Do you think just because I lost my sanity in my heat and said some things to you that I never meant gave you the idea that I'm interested?"

Our faces stayed inches apart for a moment until Zale finally sighed and pulled back with a dramatic look on his face. "You're so mean to me. I wasn't hitting on you. I was teasing you. Don't be gross."

"I'M THE ONE WHO'S GROSS? YOU JACKA-" I began to yell. I couldn't finish because of the searing pain in my throat and ribs. Zale's snarky expression vanished as he took my arm again without a second thought. I gently pressed my free hand against my neck, underneath my jacket, and inhaled. "Ow."

"Okay, that was on me. I'm sorry," Zale sighed, looking at me a little worried. Who was this guy? He had to be a professional gaslighter or something.

I glanced up and gave him the nastiest look I could. "Listen to me. Don't get in the middle of me and Beck. If he were an alpha, we would already be planning to mark," I lied. I didn't even know if I liked Beck. I just wanted Zale to leave him alone. To leave me alone. "Even if he's a beta, there are cases of betas becoming alphas in special circumstances, so don't count him out. In fact, I'm going to do everything I can to make sure he turns into an alpha with my pheromones. He's a good guy and would be a great mate, unlike you."

Zale's eyes widened, and it might have been my imagination, but I thought he looked a little bit hurt. Taking advantage of his dumbfounded state, I turned around and limped past him --with a hand to my side--to finish my way to Robin's house.

Zale didn't follow me after that.