The Alpha's Shatter Zone
|25|

The sun rose too early.

It seemed Chesca had barely closed her eyes and fallen into a dreamless sleep before the light tapped on her eyelids and beckoned her awake. After trying to ignore it for a few moments, two things suddenly made her sit up in bed and fight the shadows from her mind. One: the events of last night came flooding back into remembrance, the way her office had been broken into with a pin and her personal, private belongings sifted through by unfamiliar hands. The violating event crowded out the happy memories from the picnic that had preceded it, and the first kiss she’d shared with her mate...

And two: the heavy breathing from across the room that definitely didn’t belong to anyone other than her soulmate, Kaiden. He was sleeping a few feet away from her, on the couch, and as Chesca watched him for a couple moments from the comfort of her warm covers, she couldn’t help admiring the relaxed lines of his face as sleep momentarily erased his worries. The hair that rested in a mess across his forehead couldn’t be any more beautiful, with the first ray of sunlight peeping through the curtains and illuminating it to amber shades. His bare chest rose and fell in even breaths, and Chesca’s eyes traced the curves of muscles all the way down to his belly button before averting her gaze as a blush heated her cheeks.

He’s your mate, for goodness sake, her wolf snorted. It urged her to go over and jump on top of him, drag him to the ground in a jumble of sheets and—

Shut it, will you? Chesca whispered to herself and tip toed over to Kaiden, wanting to prove to herself that she did have self-control. Placing a finger gently on Kaiden’s forehead, she traced a line down his cheek and to his strong jaw, loving the feel of sparks that tingled up her finger. When his mouth twitched cutely in response, yet he didn’t awaken, she did something without thinking. Placing a quick yet soft kiss on his forehead, she scampered to her bathroom and locked herself in. Leaning against the door to catch her breath for a moment, she grinned stupidly at herself in the mirror, placing a hand over her hammering heart. Score one for the Alpha female, she giggled silently.

After a quick shower, she came out and found Kaiden up and standing at the window, pulling back the curtains. His face was once again etched with worry lines from the stress he was under. His muscles were once again taut and rigid with unease, and in an alert readiness for the long day ahead.

“Good morning, Beautiful,” he smiled, his eyes lighting up as they landed on her.

Her heart did a little flip on itself. “Hey yourself,” she draped her towel over a chair after drying her long hair, and adjusted her shirt, looking down at her toes as she felt his gaze on her.

“You really do look beautiful, you know that right?” his voice was like melting honey, flowing over her and warming her from the outside in. Shaking herself to put a stop to her erratic thoughts, she lifted her chin. “You may have mentioned it once or twice.”Truth was, no one really commented on her looks, which was how she liked it. Beauty was a vain and prideful pursuit, her mother had always said. It didn’t really matter what physical features one was blessed with, as a smile and proper grooming could make anyone attractive and feel confident about themselves. But on the other hand, having a powerful Alpha male such as Kaiden, her mate, tell her she was beautiful, did something to unlock a spring of happiness, and radiance blossomed within her like nothing she’d ever felt. She’d never get tired of hearing his affirming compliments.

“Well, you look as fresh as the new day outside, and ready to conquer the world—”

She had to put a stop to his over the top romantic nonsense before it made her do something stupid. “And you should go freshen up, you look like a mess,” she motioned to his baggy track pants and disheveled hair. Honestly, he looked amazing…

“Wow, thanks,” he rubbed a hand over his face and grimaced with sarcasm.

“Hey, just being honest,” she smirked.

“Alright, then allow me to be honest,” he looked her over, “You look way too hot in that shirt to be going anywhere near my brother.”

“Oh sure, Mister! No one asked for your honesty,” she snapped and crossed her arms, puffing out her chest and not caring that perhaps it was a little more revealing than what she normally wore.

He threw up his hands. “Actually you do, at every turn,” he chuckled. He had the audacity to chuckle!Chesca bit her lip, the knowledge that he’d won this round tasting bitter in her mouth. She had only ever wanted him to be honest with her, so why did his comment about her clothes and Elah make her upset? “Whatever,” she mumbled while she walked out the door. “I’ll see you downstairs for the discussion.”

“I won’t be too long,” her mate replied firmly as he headed towards his room to get ready for the day.

They parted ways and she was glad she didn’t have to see him for another few minutes while she pondered his words, and the upcoming confrontation with his no-good brother.

“Mmm these peaches are good,” Lexi chirped around a mouthful.

“They’re the same as every morning.”

Charles stated flatly, then grunted as Lexi presumably kicked him under the table. “You ever heard of a conversation starter?” she whispered not so quietly to her mate. He shook his head and sighed deeply, as if patiently enduring her constant exuberance.

Chesca couldn’t help but laugh at the couple’s antics, but understood what Lexi was trying to do. The breakfast table in her dining room was insufferably silent, as Charles stared at Kaiden, who was glowering at Elah, who was trying to make conversation with Roman, who was in turn studying his bowl of cereal very intently.

Chesca hated the tension of it all, but was too mad to think of a polite way of breaking it.

“Who wants chocolate ice cream?” Lexi tried again. “No one? Ok, all the more for me,” she exclaimed a little too brightly and trotted off to the freezer.

They didn’t usually have breakfast all together in Chesca’s small dining room, but they were still discussing the incident in her office the night before. She’d called her top command over to her residence first thing in the morning, before breakfast, so they could solve it as soon as possible. Elah flatly denied any involvement, but that didn’t mean she trusted him. After talking—more like shouting—for more than an hour, they were nowhere closer to replaceing the culprit. Beta Charles had a few good ideas, and would chase some leads as soon as they were finished here. She didn’t even feel like eating, and kept rearranging the banana around in her bowl of porridge.

When the heat of someone’s gaze entered her awareness, she looked up and her eyes collided with the cool dark ones of Elah. The twitch of his lips barely alluded to his thoughts, yet when his eyes slid down to her chest, she knew what he was thinking. He continued staring smugly at her top and exposed midriff, an amused expression on his face as he casually lifted cornflakes to his mouth.

Chesca’s eyes flickered automatically to her mate, silently begging him for his protection against the unwanted attention from the shady man in front of her. Kaiden had been right, she did feel exposed in this stupid shirt of hers, and she couldn’t remember what had possessed her to wear it in the first place. Maybe the rush of excitement of sleeping in the same room as her mate for the first time? The kiss from last night and his close proximity had defiantly messed with her head...

“Wow, it’s really hot in here,” Kaiden exclaimed suddenly and rose, stretching his arms and tugging off his hoodie. He moved closer to Chesca and she got the hint.

“Funny, I was thinking it was cold.” She rubbed her arms for added effect.

Elah frowned. Good.

“Oh, would you like to borrow my jumper?” Kaiden askeda and offered it to her, resisting a small smile of triumph as she reached for it. She’d punch him later. Or maybe kiss him. Chesca wasn’t too sure what she felt for him right now.

Gratefulness at least, because as she slipped her arms into the hoodie then lifted it over her head, her mate’s scent wrapped permeabley around her, enveloping her in its richness. She wanted to breathe it in forever; or better yet, feel Kaiden’s arms around her forever. She mouthed a silent thank you just as he leaned in and placed a kiss longingly on her forehead.

Jumping slightly from the sudden sparks and heat, she leaned in and savoured the feel of his lips on her skin. She knew what he was doing. Every wolf, especially males, had an inherent instinct to claim their mate, smothering them with their scent so other wolves would know who they belonged to. Although Chesca and Kaiden has already marked each other, it obviously wasn’t enough to ward off hungry wolves who insisted on eyeing her with interest. But mating would completely entwine their scents, sealing their fates as one body, one soul.

Kaiden’s kiss was a silent reminder—and threat—of who Chesca really belonged to.

A low whistle followed by a giggle from Lexi snapped them both out of their daze.

“Looks like someone had a nice night last night. Good to see you’ve progressed from snapping at each other’s throats.”

A low growl from Kaiden proved just where his primal instincts were still at.

Chesca smiled at the protectiveness of her mate, but bade him to sit back down with a soft touch on his arm.

He slid back into his seat, and conversation resumed around them, stilted though it was. They were no closer to replaceing the intruder who’d messed with her office.

After a few moments of losing herself in the warmth of his hoodie, Chesca glanced up and frowned. She met Kaiden’s eyes and the heaviness now in them matched the weight in her chest. Too much stress that she’d been living with the last few weeks was surely causing more harm than good, and she wondered how much more she could take. Maybe it was within her rights to just tell Elah to pack his bags, and get as far away from her territory as a vehicle could carry him. And then some more.

“Chesca,” Kaiden’s wary voice cut through her thoughts like the knife that sliced his piece of toast. Despite the unease it held, his voice still managed to soothe her racing heart and tightly strung nerves.

“Yeah?”

“I got an email from Asa. It came last night,” he scrolled through the phone in his hands. “He’s called a meeting, and wants us there ASAP.”

“A meeting? About what?” she got up and took her half-eaten breakfast to the fridge.

“You probably got the same. Maybe read it yourself?” His eyes grazed over his brother who watched on with keen interest. She caught Kaiden’s knowing look and abruptly called an end to breakfast. If this was important information, they wouldn’t want to discuss it in front of those it didn’t concern.

“Charles, Roman—my office,” she ordered and headed upstairs, flanked by her command while Lexi happily finished her second serve of ice cream.

Flipping on her laptop, she saw that, sure enough, she got the email.

A frustrated sigh escaped her chest and her eyes scanned the contents. “Alpha Dennison…. of course,” she mumbled.

“The one who keeps contacting us with his nonsense schemes?” Charles raised his eyebrows.

“The one and the same. What did you tell him last time you replied?”

“Mostly the same as what you wrote, just reworded for someone with his level of....intellect. He doesn’t seem to understand what ‘no’ means,” Charles shook his head, clearly not amused.

“Just as I thought. Dennison has always been so hard to deal with, always thinking he knows everything and his ideas should be the statutes we all swear by.”

“Yeah, I’ve read some of the blogs he posts about pack discipline and managing his ‘economy’, as he calls it,” Roman added to the conversation. “The stuff he writes is total garbage.”

“Right. Well, now he’s annoying Asa with his ridiculous ramblings,” Chesca muttered.

“So Asa wants to meet up to discuss this and put Dennison in his place,” Kaiden finished the thought. “Dennison’s latest posts could start a revolt!”

“Really, Kaiden. It’s nothing that dramatic,” Chesca rolled her eyes and leaned back in her chair. Tapping her fingers on her desk, she pondered the situation. “Going to the meeting will be at least a three day trip. Get Lexi and Elah here, this involves them, too.”

Roman got up quickly to replace them, and Chesca waited until they were present before she finalised plans.

“What’s this all about?” Lexi perched on Charles’ knee as there were no other seats in her office. He rubbed her back absently while looking deep in thought, and gave them all a rundown on the matter. “Alpha Asa has called a meeting to discuss the best course in dealing with Alpha Dennison. A number of other Alphas will be there, also. Asa wants us to convene at Alpha Jackon’s place, because his territory is most central—”

“Alpha Jackson’s place? Ewww, do you have to go there? That boy is such a pig!” Lexi scrunched up her nose.

“Is there something particular you have against Jackson? Or do you just hate the entire male population?” Kaiden asked.

“Yah, all men in general are idiots. All except one, of course,” she leaned over and placed a loud kiss on Charles’ cheek.

“Idiots, huh? I guess that explains why ninety-nine percent of Alphas are male,” Elah stated flatly, his tone hinting at a sneer. He casually inspected his nails and crossed his ankles as he leaned against the wall.

“Here we go again,” Roman muttered, covering his face with a hand.

“You think women can’t be Alphas?” Lexi jumped to her feet and spun towards Elah.

“Alexis…” Charles cautioned.

“I didn’t say that. I just said men can’t be too stupid since we do a pretty good job of running all the territories,” Elah smiled down his nose at the short border guard.

“All the territories?”

“I understand this one was ruled by a male up until recently,” he shrugged.

This statement of his started another round of bickering, only ending when Kaiden stepped in to defend his mate. Chesca watched with slight irritation, but did enjoy the fact that Elah nearly got punched by his brother when he dared to say another insult about her.

“Please take that mutt with you,” Lexi begged Chesca with stricken eyes. “There’s no way I can put up with him while you’re gone.”

“Don’t worry, I’d never leave him here with free reign of my pack grounds. Who knows what he’d get up to without his older brother to keep an eye on him.”

“I said, I didn’t break into your office,” Elah shot her a glare.

“Don’t blame me for not believing you,” She replied with equal fire in her gaze. “Charles, you will be in charge while we’re gone. Kaiden and I will leave this afternoon, and Roman will accompany us.”

“I’ll drive,” Kaiden stated nonchalantly.

It took her an instant to reply, “No, you won’t.”

“Yes, I will.” Was his equally demanding answer.

She just stared him down, not wasting her breath with a comeback. Sometimes the best response was cold silence anyway. He knew what she meant without a word leaving her lips.

“We taking Piper?” Roman hedged quietly, while smiling enthusiastically.

“We sure are,” Chesca swivelled her gaze to his and replied heartily, causing him to clap his hands together. It was always good to see Roman so excited about something like this, his face lighting up like a little boy on Christmas morning.

“Who’s Piper?” Kaiden raised his eyebrows.

“You’ll see,” she winked at him and smirked.

“I hate surprises.”

“You do not,” she rolled her eyes and smacked him on the arm as they all filed out of her office.

A couple hours later found the four of them driving down the sun-drenched highway. Tall sequoias lined the shoulder, and the shadows flickered across the windows of the SUV in kaleidoscopic patterns. Chesca squeezed her eyes shut until the sparkles of red and yellow filled her vision. Roman was driving, and Kaiden and Elah rode in the back. This leg of the journey was short, but it would be another few hours yet until they reached Jackson’s territory. She’d been sure to pack her swimmers and summer clothes. His coastal territory at this time of year was always balmy, and her skin could almost already feel the kisses of sun rays and the salty splash of seawater. Lexi wasn’t wrong in her summary of the Alpha of TidalBay Pack—he was a party boy that certainly didn’t need Chesca’s attention, but the location of his pack would always be something Chesca allowed herself to enjoy on the rare times she had occasion to travel there. Like now, for an Alpha meeting.

“Here we are!” Roman drummed against the steering wheel and turned into a narrow lane that ran along an open field.

“An aerodrome?” The surprise wasn’t masked in Kaiden’s voice. The clear azure sky reached down to touch the shortly clipped grass. The runway stretched down the field and a hanger sat just ahead.

“Isn’t it beautiful? Just wait till you see my baby.”

They pulled up, and Kaiden and Elah grabbed the bags while Roman unlocked the steel roller door on the side of the khaki green hanger.

“Fellas, meet Piper,” he said with flourish while pulling off the cover of a light aircraft.

The red and white Piper Cherokee sat majestically in its hanger, and Roman was proud to show it off. He’d gotten his pilot’s licence a few years back, and it certainly came in handy being able to fly Chesca and others around to distant territories when the need arose.

As Chesca reached for the door of the front seat, she looked up and saw Kaiden already in it, eagerly listening to Roman’s pre-flight safety check and instructions on how to fly the bird. She huffed, the fact she’d been displaced rattling in her already weary mind. Gritting her teeth, she climbed in the back and ignored Elah’s pleased grin as he sat beside her.

After taxiing down the runway and lifting off, she stared out the window and admired the patchwork colours of the land that belonged to her. Soon they crossed over Asa’s territory, and again the scenery took her breath away just as it always did. Soaring over the rolling hills and jagged mountain peaks, soft grassy plains and rugged forestry, was a feeling of freedom she never grew tired of. Knowing Roman felt the same was an extra reason for taking this journey by air. Going by the look of wonder on the profile of Kaiden’s face as he peered out the window, he too was enjoying this experience.

She wasn’t sure if she could say the same for Elah, however. His gaze was riveted on her, and it made her more than slightly uncomfortable despite her mate’s hoodie still embracing her torso.

“You like flying?” he asked with a charming grin.

“Weird question,” she spared him a moment’s glance.

“Your grip on the arm rest suggests otherwise.”

“I’m just annoyed at you,” she glared at him.

“Of course. How could I forget that?” He shook his head and muttered. “You and that guard dog of yours are very excitable women.” He shot her a sly gaze, “Very exciting.”

The way she clenched her jaw nearly hurt more than his insults, but she wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction of replying. Digging through her bag, Chesca pulled out a notebook and pen, appearing intent on taking notes for the upcoming meeting. But her thoughts kept getting dragged away disgustingly to the man only a few inches from her, as he peered over her shoulder with interest.

“Are you an artist? I used to love drawing too….in kindergarten,” he remarked with a smirk.

She looked down and realised she’d been doodling, the sketch of a tree taking up most of the page. It wasn’t half bad, but the comment from the jerk beside her made her want to scrunch it up and toss it out the window. Or better yet, toss him out the window.

“Want to play a game of noughts and crosses to pass the time?” the cheesy grin on his face made her want to puke.

Kaiden! she hissed through the mind link.

He turned in his seat, his eyes widened in surprise. He wasn’t used to hearing her voice in his head.

Tell your brother to shut it! Chesca jerked her eyes to Elah before once more pinning them on Kaiden.

“Uh, El?” He turned the other way to address his brother. “Stop annoying my mate. ...That’s my job.”

Seriously?

“Um...just lay off, ok?” He tried again, earning a roll of two sets of eyes. Chesca shook her head.

“Can’t I get to know my sister-in-law?” Elah whined and placed a hand on her thigh. She jumped and squeezed as far over to her side of the plane as she could.

“Get your hands off her! Don’t make me come back there,” Kaiden growled and even Roman looked up in the rear view mirror to see what was going on.

Yes, please do. And pitch him from the plane while you’re at it, she couldn’t resist the jab. Maybe then I’d get my front seat back!

Oh, Kaiden mouthed silently. Sorry? he grimaced and faced forward again.

Chesca just groaned and passed the rest of the trip in relative peace. Elah kept his dirty paws to himself, and she got a bit of rest with her head against the rattling window.

Nothing like a tightly-squeezed trip with three of her favourite people. She enjoyed Roman’s company, but the two brothers from Razestone were sure to cause the death of her.