The Alpha's Shatter Zone ✔️

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"Thanks, both of you," Chesca pulled them in for a group hug.

"I'll send you the bill later," Lexi picked up a spoon and continued eating from a container.

Chesca groaned and looked over the pregnant guard's shoulder. "Is that....frozen cucumber?"

Charles rolled his eyes and rubbed his mate's shoulders affectionately, "Don't even ask."
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After dinner, Chesca plodded up to her room, deliberately bypassing her office, and locked the door behind her. She was in no mood for interruptions or distractions or silly problems that her pack members could sort out themselves. She just needed a breather. Space to relax, chill out, roll her shoulders back trying to ease the tension, and forget about everything.

Turning her shower on steaming hot, she slowly washed her hair and tried to think happy thoughts. Butterflies on summer days, daisies waving in the meadow breeze, ocean waves lapping and whispering secrets from the sand. Her mom's laugh when her dad wrapped his arms around her from behind, the twinkle in her eyes when she gave Chesca a new book for her birthday, her dad's scolding tone when she snuck back in the pack residence after being out late playing pranks with Lexi. The red grimace on Charles' face when he realised Lexi stole all of his socks off the washline and dyed them pink, the laughter and fun between her friends as they splashed in the lake on the last day of school, the water dripping off Kaiden's nose when he leaned in to kiss her after their spontaneous water fight.

Snapping off the water, she daydreamed about her mate's beautiful smile while preparing for bed, drying her hair and brushing her teeth. It went a long way to calming her tightly strung nerves. When she stepped from the bathroom, a familiar scent hit her nose, making her stomach clench and her heart race. In a good way  as well as bad, if that was possible. When it came to her mate, though, anything was possible.

"Kaiden."

"Chesca."
His eyes met hers, as he leaned against the back of her door and regarded her carefully. His arms were crossed, his hair tangled and messy, a bruise growing on his left cheek. Otherwise, he was a handsome sight that went entirely against her better judgment.

"You're looking awfully free for a man who's meant to be in a dungeon cell," she remarked while folding her clothes before putting them away. However she just laid them on the bed, wary to go in her closet and turn her back to the menacing Alpha in her room.

His dark stare continued to be directed at her, glowering, and stripping beneath the layers of adamant she'd built against him. Her mental shields were failing miserably at protecting her, and she knew she would soon be in deep trouble if her knees began shaking and her heart racing even faster. His lips curled in a small grin, further inducing her fear to spike. "You obviously don't know how many of your guards are loyal to me."

A growl erupted from her throat and she took a step towards him with clenched fists. All it did was produce another smirk to lazily spread across his face. He most certainly deserved top marks for making her infuriated in ten seconds or less.

"How did you get in my room? I thought I locked it," her teeth were clenched so hard her jaw hurt. But not as hurt as his would feel if he didn't start explaining himself.

"You really think a flimsy lock could keep me out? And besides, I thought it was our room," he kicked off from the door and slowly stalked towards her.

She watched him warily like he was a predatory lion, afraid that if she made one wrong move he'd pounce and end her life with a wild gnashing of teeth and flying tufts of fur. The image of her blood splattered all around the room jumped to mind, but she quickly dismissed it. Why was she being so paranoid? This was Kaiden, her mate. He'd never do anything to her like that just as much as she wouldn't to him, despite her numerous threats.