The Alpha's Shatter Zone
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Despite another cold shower to ease the dizzying fire that clawed in her system, she didn’t feel much better. Her throat was dry no matter how much water she drank, and the sheets of her bed felt like they were strangling her.

Pacing her room didn’t help, nor did playing her favourite music super loud through headphones. She kicked herself for not remembering that during a full moon, a female who hadn’t completed the mating bond goes into heat. It was just nature’s way of hurrying things along if the mates were shy or stubborn or headstrong or just plain out had no desire for each other.

That latter option didn’t entirely apply to them, a part of her hated to admit as she recalled the way Kaiden had watched her by the fire, and the feel of his touch on her waist as he tried to get her to dance. Or the wordless understanding that had passed between their locked gazes when they awoke in the forest, in each other’s arms. No, there was no denying that something was growing between them, as much as she despised the revelation.

The spa on her back porch sat cool and glistening in the silver night light, and Chesca decided she had time to waste. She hadn’t used the large spa—which she always thought of as a mini pool—for ages due to lots of other things always crowding her mind and attention. The little time she had to herself after Alpha duties were completed she spent in sleeping, but it looked like tonight that wasn’t going to be an option.

It didn’t take long to slip on a bikini and traipse outsider to the rooftop alcove. Switching on the lights that wavered beneath the water, she remembered just how calming and romantic it could be out here. No... Relaxing. Not romantic. She had no idea where that word had come from, but it didn’t take many guesses. More than once, Kaiden’s face splashed across her mind’s eye as she sank to her chin in the cool water. Closing her eyes and resting her arms on the ledge behind her, she let herself relax, the tension slipping from her shoulders. The fire in her middle slowly calmed, and a goosebump or two even raced across her skin as a slight breeze sneaked its way over the porch railings.

Then a woodsy and very masculine scent reached her nose, one that almost had her jumping from the water and that didn’t compare to the thirst inside her. But she bit her lip and clenched her jaw as his footsteps came closer.

“Wow, this place sure is lovely. I don’t remember seeing it on my tour,” Kaiden’s deep and soothing voice wrapped around her like a luring drug, beckoning to all her senses.

She thought of many retorts to his sly compliment, but kept her lips shut, afraid she wouldn’t stop herself once she got started. Or afraid she’d say something sappy and stupid she’d totally regret.

He walked into her field of vision, and tore off his shirt before she could react. His bare torso was achingly beautiful in the diffused light, his muscles defined like an expert artist had carved them just for her to admire.

It was hard tearing her eyes away, but knew she had to for the sake of her floundering dignity. He could probably already sense the blush on her cheeks from a mile away. “How did you get in my room? The door was locked,” she managed to say through a clamped throat and a racing heart.

“Chesca, do you really think a flimsy lock can keep me from my mate?” he drawled slowly.

She made a mental note to upgrade her security system.

He eased himself into the spa opposite her, despite no invitation. There was only a meter distance between them and if she wanted to, she could reach out and poke him with her foot. The ripples he made splashed against her gently. She swallowed, trying not to meet his eyes but instead crossing her legs tightly and folding her arms across her bare stomach. She felt so bare and exposed in her bikini that she just wanted to escape before either of them did something they’d regret.

“Your scent is enchanting, by the way. A mixture of jasmine and… and ocean breezes,” he said softly, and her eyes flicked to his automatically.

Bad idea. The intensity of the rich brown depths nearly undid her, the desire swirling in his irises speaking directly to her own rampant feelings. He tilted his head to regard her more intently, and his dark curls fell across his forehead in an utterly gorgeous and enticing way. “My wolf is going crazy,” his voice had lowered, and Chesca watched with concern the way his jaw ticked and his eyes traveled down her body that sat blurry under the rippling surface.

“Then your wolf is an idiot,” she snapped airily, rolling her eyes. But by that same standard, her own wolf must be too. She could feel it slamming against the front of her head, urging her to throw herself at her mate. She was going equally crazy from the heady scent of pine forests and fresh grass that exuded from the handsome man in front of her. It wasn’t helping that her mark on her neck was tingling and burning, sending little shockwaves of pain down her nerves and spinal cord. Only one thing could remedy her symptoms; only one man could satisfy her hungry, burning desire.

“Just tell me you don’t feel anything, Chesca. Then I’ll leave,” he said surprisingly gently. She had thought he’d be the type of guy to just push her up against a wall without permission, and trap her with his lips…

Or is that what she wanted?

Her breathing increased as she watched him carefully, and before she knew what was happening she was moving forward, the water rippling out from her. Her hands rested on his knees, pushing her into his lap.

The heat that zapped across her skin from his against hers was electrifying, numbing any sense of reason. Sliding her hands up his large biceps and over his broad shoulders, they came to rest on either side his face. From this proximity, she noted each of his black eyelashes and the small freckles on his nose. The way his lips were so smooth compared to the dark stubble on his jaw didn’t escape her sweep of attention. Then, she tilted his head up so her lips collided with his.

He didn’t need any explanation or direction, and soon his grip on her hips strengthened as he pulled her closer. His hair curled between her fingers as she ran them over his head. Suddenly the pace of their kiss grew insistent; slow at first as if testing each other, then getting faster and closer. Her body pressed up against his was a feeling like something she couldn’t describe, a mixture of ecstasy and calm, relaxing and exhilarating all at once. It was a place she suddenly realised she was always meant to be.

When his fingers slid up her back and started tugging on her bikini straps, she snapped back to reality, like being doused with an icy bucket of water.

She stared up at him, a smirk on his face and water droplets falling between them.

“What are you thinking?” He asked from his seat across the spa, obviously having just flicked a handful of water her way.

“N-nothing,” She stammered, and blinked at the space between them. Her hands felt clammy and wrinkled in the cool water and she shivered involuntarily. She had to get out of her before her wandering thoughts materialized into an actual reality. The fantasy of kissing him that her subconscious had summoned still lingered in her mind’s eye.

His chuckle stretched lazily between them, but she was already quickly pushing herself up the steps. Grabbing for her robe as fast as possible, her numb fingers struggled to wrap it around her body quickly enough. She could just feel his eyes feasting on every inch of exposed skin and every uncovered curve she’d always kept modest. It couldn’t be helped now, she cringed. Dashing inside, she ignored the surprised and amused voice of her mate and stumbled out her room. A set of stairs nearby led directly to the back courtyard of the castle, and she knew from numerous midnight runs that the secret corridor would then run directly beside the outer ramparts before spitting her out in the northern forest. Her safe place.

Cold twigs and sharp rocks snapped and poked underneath her bare feet, but she didn’t bother to notice. She just wanted to put distance between that alluring man and her crazy hormonal body that seemed to have a mind of its own. If those thoughts were passing through her mind, she could only imagine what he had been thinking, she mused with a small amount of disgust. They weren’t dirty thoughts, considering he and she were mates and had even accepted and marked each other. But they were unwanted thoughts. She didn’t want to complete the bond. She didn’t want to let him in, or open her heart to him. Open her pack to him. That’s what this was still about, right? The pack?

She wandered the familiar paths aimlessly, not sure where she was actually heading, but not caring either. Maybe she’d just curl up underneath her favourite tree and wait the night out. The moon had to set at some stage.

Who was she kidding? She was an idiot. An Alpha, hiding from her problems in her own dark forest instead of facing them with steely courage and determination, like she always had. Now she pictured herself as a phantom in the shadows, afraid of the light of reality. Pathetic.

She heard the snap of a twig the same moment an unfamiliar scent passed by her extra-sensitive nose. Her feet started running the same moment a growl erupted from the usually comforting trees.

A snarling wolf was soon on her tail, and she suddenly felt a wave of fear attack her despite her years of fearless training and tenacity. She was an Alpha, for crying out loud! Not a wimp who turned tail at the slightest suggestion of danger.

Reminding herself who she was despite the weird body-control from the moon, she spun around to face him head on—just as he leapt on her and tackled her to the ground. With a faceful of fur, she rolled and rolled down the slight incline of the path until they came to sharp halt at the base of a boulder. The wolf was on top, pinning her down and his jaws hanging close over her face.

“Shift!” she ordered in her best Alpha voice. He wasn’t rogue, which increased the chance of him listening to her command and obeying, or else this would end up an all-out fisticuffs which she really didn’t feel up to.

The wolf moved back and shifted, standing tall in front of her.

A man, broad shouldered and straight backed, a chiseled chin that was sharp in the dappled moonlight, and dark eyes that stared at her ravenously. She scrambled to her feet and didn’t dare take her eyes off him.

“Wh-who are you?” She stammered and cringed at her weak voice. Wrapping her muddied robe around her body tighter, she hastily tucked her hair behind her ears and hated the way he made her feel so flustered.

He took a step closer, his lips lifting in a coy manner. “Someone delighted to make your acquaintance. Might I say how absolutely stunning you are, even with twigs in your hair?” His smooth voice was nothing like the growl she’d expected, but then nothing about this encounter was expected. He lifted an arm and started plucking the offending twigs from the top of her head. She stepped back but bumped against a tree. All she could do was watch him carefully, his movements deliberate and precise.

“Yeah? Well they wouldn’t be there if you hadn’t tackled me to the dirt,” she chided, but with less acid in her voice than she intended. Something about this magnificent creature before her had her intrigued, maybe even entranced. The firm angle of his chin, the fluid motions of his powerful body that was devastatingly close to hers, and the deep pools of endless dark eyes with a glint of silver staring at her as if reading her thoughts. It was unnerving and dangerous, but exciting and slightly thrilling at the same time. A part of her knew it was probably the heat that was heightening her senses like this, but another part didn’t care.

“How else was I to introduce myself when you insisted on running from me?” his melodic words reached her ears from where they were whispered a few inches away. He leaned in, and she pressed her back against the trunk. His arms came up on either side, trapping her. Not that she felt like running away. Again, probably not a good feeling when being seduced by a complete stranger in the forest in the middle of the night, but her control over her emotions had long ago taken leave.

The man’s lips caught her attention as they parted, and she sucked in an involuntary breath as he leaned in closer still. Images of Kaiden flashed through her mind, but she didn’t want to think about him right now. Not when this mysterious and insanely handsome man with short yet beautiful black hair and such soft looking lips, was so close their breaths mingled. With the tempo of her heart raging like a wildfire, she lifted her chin—

A roar suddenly filled the silence of the forest, and in a rush of air the man was snatched from in front of her and slammed to the ground.

“How dare you touch my mate!” Kaiden’s outraged voice echoed off the trees, snapping sense back into her confused mind. She watched as he sat atop the man and drew back his fist before punching him in the face. “What were you thinking?” Another punch, and another; over and over the thuds rang out along with Kaiden’s heated words. A part of her felt a fraction of relief at him coming to her rescue, but she soon realised that was the accursed heat talking.

“Kaiden, stop!” Chesca yelled eventually. “He should be my prisoner to question,” she reached down and tore him off the man, then grabbed the stranger by the collar of his bloodied jacket. Slamming him against a tree, she put her hands around his neck.

“What are you doing on my territory?” She hissed with enough venom to put down ten men.

“I came to see you, what else?” he drawled slowly, his words slurred through swollen lips, but he maintained eye contact and a devilish smirk. He held up his arms in a show of surrender that she didn’t buy.

“What for? Who are you?” She pressed his neck harder, making it clear she meant business.

“Chesca…” Kaiden tugged with urgency on her bicep but she ignored him.

“Why don’t you ask your mate?” The stranger smiled lazily, a grin that looked more familiar on Kaiden’s face than this bruised one.

“Wrong answer,” she narrowed her eyes on his daring ones and tightened her fingers until the man gasped. She couldn’t believe she had nearly kissed this disgusting piece of trash.

“Chesca! Stop hurting him!” Kaiden’s insistent words made her growl and turn to him for a second.

“What?” She snapped. “Don’t you want to kill him for trying to kiss me? Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t just snap his neck!”

Kaiden’s heavy breathing fluttered briefly across her shoulder.

“He’s my brother.”