The Alpha's Shatter Zone
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“Tell me again why we’re here?”

“Because it’s fun, and we need to have fun once in a while,” Chesca reached around Kaiden for a glass on the table, and sipped it carefully. Satisfied that it wasn’t alcoholic or spiked, she took a bigger gulp. Her broken arm had fully healed after a few days as the doctor had said, and she was all fine by the time Alpha Jackson’s party had rolled around. Even her and Kaiden hadn’t had any fight since then. “Aren’t you having fun?”

Kaiden snorted and crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes glued to his younger brother. At least Elah was enjoying Jackson’s party, Chesca mused with a shake of her head. His smooth moves on the dance floor had attracted more than one beautiful knock-out woman, and right now he had three vying for his attention. She was just glad that none of them were hanging off Kaiden’s arm. He was by far more handsome than Elah and all the other males in the room, but the scowl he perpetually had on his face was a pretty good deterrent. No one dared mess with her mate, the mighty Alpha of Razestone. Even Miranda, the slinky minx who’d nearly started world war 3 unintentionally was behaving herself, not touching Kaiden or even talking to him. Maybe Chesca wouldn’t have to scratch her eyes out after all.

It had been a bit of a struggle convincing Kaiden to stay for the party. And even though she herself didn’t really want to go to all the trouble, she wanted to prove to him and herself that she could let loose and socialise once in a while. But the loud music and crazy atmosphere was just like she’d expected and definitely not to her liking.

She’d tried mingling with the crowd, and other girls her age, but her conversations with the dolled-up models with their tanned skin and daringly revealing dresses had all ended awkwardly. She never had fit in with that kind of crowd, and she didn’t mind hanging out by the drinks table, standing beside Kaiden despite his sour mood. To be honest, she was tired and just wanted to go home. Her mate's familiar presence was comforting and she found herself wanting to be near him more and more often.

Just then, Jackson walked up to them and planted himself in front of her.

“Come dance!” He tugged on her arm and grinned like a little boy. His breath was defiantly tainted with alcohol, but he didn’t seem too intoxicated. His tone of voice left her little choice, but she was happy to go along with it.

“Ok, sure!” She practically threw her drink at Kaiden, who tried latching onto her arm instead. But she was already whisked away onto the floor just as the next song started and she didn’t want to hear the jealous arguments she knew he’d be spewing.

“How are you enjoying tonight?” Jackson spoke loudly in her ear over the loud beat of the music.

“It’s good,” she nodded her head and swayed her hips in time to him.

“Your mate seems to share your enthusiasm,” he laughed and spun her around.

“Totally,” She giggled and rolled her eyes, wanting to put a certain Alpha out of her mind. “So...that blonde,” she wiggled her eyebrows at a woman who she’d seen with Jackson on numerous occasions during the last couple days. “She your mate? You never mentioned you’d found her.”

Jackson searched out the woman in question but shook his head with a chuckle. “Not mate. But close. If I never replace my mate, I’ll definitely be keeping Allison around for a while.”

“Wow, that sounds….callous? So you’re not flipping through girlfriends like pages of a magazine anymore?”

The rumble in Jackson’s chest was just like she remembered. “I wasn’t that bad, was I?”

“Worse actually, according to the tabloids.”

“Never believe everything you read.”

“That’s what I keep telling Lexi,” she mused with a shake of her head.

“You both keep up with my life? I’m flattered.”

“Don’t let it get to your head,” she smacked his chest.

“But seriously, how is your Head Guard going? She was with your Beta, if I recall.”

“Yep, and they’re both good. Going strong,” Chesca smiled wistfully.

“Give her my love, will you?”

“I think you owe her more than that,” Chesca rolled her eyes.

“Ahh Ches, you still hung up on that one night?” Jackson held her hand and spun her around before pulling her close again.

“It was a night to remember, that’s for sure,” she raised an eyebrow at the tall Alpha in front of her, her fingers growing hot from his touch.

“For all the right reasons, I hope,” he smirked.

“Of course,” she bit her lip and chuckled, holding his gaze defiantly with a smirk playing on both their features.

They danced till the end of the song, sometimes talking, sometimes just smiling at each other or laughing at something crazy another dancer did. When the song changed to something slower, Jackson’s expression changed and he regarded her intently.

“What?” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear nervously.

“I was just remembering something else from that night—“

“Mind if I have this dance?”

Kaiden’s deep voice startled her, and she turned quickly. He was right beside them, his hand gently on her back, a dark glint in his eyes. His disposition seemed opposite to the playful Alpha who slipped his hands from around her waist. Kaiden and Jackson were like two thunderheads in winter and summer, and she dreaded the storm they would create if she were to get between them and cause them to butt heads.

Jackson gracefully bowed away. “He’s all yours,” he whispered to her with a wink.

When Chesca faced her mate again, his eyes were on her and his hands gently found their way to her hips. Instinctively, her own arms reached up around his neck.

“I thought you’d never ask,” she whispered, knowing he’d hear even over the loud song.

The smile that tugged on his lips sent delightful little shivers tingling down her spine, and it took all her willpower to not stretch up on her toes and kiss those lips. She was replaceing it harder and harder these days to resist the temptation, and instead hold on to the walls she’d built against the arrogant and overconfident Alpha. He was teasing her, she knew by the playful squeeze as they swayed gently to the song, but she wouldn’t fall for it. She couldn’t fall for him. She had too much to lose, and she would never be selfish no matter how much her wolf and heart screamed for her to just give in.

“Why don’t we get out of here?” Kaiden whispered in her ear when the song once more changed to a mind-numbing, eardrum-shattering pop beat that thumped against the walls.

She raised an eyebrow in question.

“Don’t worry, it’s not what you’re thinking,” he chuckled, and she let him lead her towards the exit of the party floor.

“Then what did you have in mind?” she asked once they were walking down the outdoor steps that led down a path to the beach.

“Hmm, I don’t know, just someplace away from that madhouse.”

“If you didn’t want to come, why did you goad me into staying?” she couldn’t help but laugh and grip his hand tightly when she stumbled over a pot plant.

“Goad you? I did nothing of the sort!”

“Yes you did, when Jackson first invited us to the party. You went on and on about how much I hate parties.”

“It was true, wasn’t it?”

“No, I enjoy them. On occasion,” she said hesitantly, knowing he could hear through her fabric thin truth.

“Then what’s the problem?”

“You tricked me into agreeing to stay.”

“It was you who decided we should,” Kaiden stated the obvious.

“Yeah, after you insulted me and--”

“I was kidding.”

“But you could’ve figured how I’d respond, and here we are. Escaping a stupid party,” she murmured, not sure if he was following her reasoning. Or if she even understood it herself.

“Well, this isn’t so bad, is it?” he asked while waving his arm at the beach that stretched out in front of them. Gentle lapping waves echoed across the sand where they crashed, and Chesca took off her heels to feel the warm sand between her toes.

“No, I guess not,” she shook her head and brushed the hair back from her face while the breeze persisted in blowing it every which way.

“Then I don’t see any problem.”

She turned to look at him, observing a small smile once more pulling on his lips. “I thought you wanted to leave a lot sooner?”

“Yeah, well. You’re so much fun to tease,” he smiled down at her and wrapped his arm around her waist.

“Kaiden!” she tried pulling away, but he caught her again and spun her around. “Well, you’re so much fun to annoy,” she giggled when he put her down and she backed away, the waves splashing around her ankles. Kicking some water up at him, she had to dodge his arm again as he tried retaliating.

“Ha! So you do like me,” Kaiden sprinted across the sand but she stood her ground firmly and ducked every attack angle he tried.

“I wouldn’t say that.”

“Actually, you have. Numerous times.”

“Like when? Name one,” she folded her arms across her chest defensively.

“Hmm, when you said goodnight the other night,” he tapped his chin in thought before nodding.

“No way, I did not! Unless I was talking in my sleep by that stage.”

“Aha, so you admit you dream about me!” he grinned mischievously.

“Oh ha ha, very funny. More like, I have nightmares about you!”

“Aww Chesca, if you really hated me, you would’ve rejected me by now,” he slung an arm over her shoulder.

“Not such a bad idea,” she turned and walked backwards, in front of him so she could look him in the eyes, “I, Alpha Chesca of Steelheart Pack—“

She was cut off by his lips on hers, his hot breath stealing away anything she might have been thinking of saying. Her fingers curled around his shirt, pulling him closer briefly before pushing him back. “What—what was that for?” Her ragged breathing made speaking a chore.

“I know you don’t want to reject me, so don’t pretend like you do. After that kiss…” Kaiden swallowed hard and brushed her hair tenderly behind her ears.

“Did you really think I was going to?” Her eyes searched his, the pale moonlight barely illuminating his true feelings.

“As much as I hate to admit, you’re unpredictable, and I can’t figure you out Chesca,” he murmured, and the warmth of his breath on her cheek sent goosebumps rising across her skin.

“Well, that makes two of us,” she whispered back. After interlacing her fingers through his, she focused on breathing evenly. His close proximity wasn’t helping matters much.

“We should…”he began speaking as they slowly walked up the beach together, their joined hands swinging between them and the sand swishing around their ankles.

“Head back inside and try to get some sleep. Before we leave tomorrow,” she slowly finished his sentence.

“I was going to say grab a drink and sit out here for a while. But okay, if you want to sleep, we can.”

“Yeah. Alone, in separate beds.”

“You still don’t trust me?” Kaiden lifted an eyebrow.

Chesca laughed and pecked her mate’s lips, pressing her hands firmly on the sides of his face. “I don’t trust myself.”

That earned a deep laugh from Kaiden. “Well, ok then, if that’s what you want,” he kissed her nose.

“It is.”

“Ok.”

“Ok.”

He sent her a wink before they turned and walked quietly up to their room.