The Alpha's Shatter Zone ✔️

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Chesca brushed out her long hair before rebraiding it. Not a simple braid, like what she wore when running or training with her warriors, but a fancy and complex updo like what a queen might wear. Her fingers twisted and tied the golden band around the last strand of hair, and she checked herself in the mirror.

Smoothing out her flowing top that hung nicely over black pants, she kept telling herself she wasn't dressing up any more special than usual. She was just having dinner with her friends and command — beta, gamma, head guard and a few warrior leaders—like usual. She kept pushing to the back of her mind that a very unusual visitor would be joining them. But her heart refused to let her forget that her mate was waiting downstairs in the dining room. Which is probably why she slipped on her favourite pumps and checked herself once more in the floor length mirror.

Catching herself with a groan, she stormed out the door and bumped straight into Lexi.

"Hey, I was just coming—wow, don't you look nice!"

"No, I don't. I don't look any extra special," Chesca said quickly.

"Sure honey, keep telling yourself that," Lexi said with a raised eyebrow and smirk.

"Stop it. Now what did you want to tell me?"

"Oh yeah, everyone's ready for dinner. And boy, that guy is a jerk! First he refused to go to the west wing, saying he wanted to be with you, but there was no way we were gonna let him get near our Alpha. Then he practically punched Roman for telling him to smarten up! but it's ok, Charles and Roman handled it and —"

The growl erupted from Chesca's throat on its own accord, and her fists clenched.

"Whoa, Sis you ok?"

Chesca took a deep breath and attempted a smile. She had no idea where that reaction had come from, but the talk of hurting her mate— "I'm fine. Good, so he's a jerk. That will make it all the more easier to get rid of him."

"What are you going to do?" Lexi looked at her sideways.

"Honestly? ...I have no idea," she admitted to her best friend, and pushed through the doors into the dining room.

____

Conversation was minimal, the air filled with an awkwardness that even Roman's jokes couldn't displace. Chesca's third in command usually made a crack about everything from the way his warriors trained, to the colour of the potato mash on their plates. But tonight, the chuckles were forced. Everyone kept glancing at the newcomer who acted like he owned the place. They all secretly wished he was down rotting in the dungeon, but Chesca had made it clear she wanted him here for dinner, so they could get to know him and figure out what malicious plans he had up his sleeves.

Speaking of sleeves... Chesca couldn't take her eyes off the muscles that showed through the borrowed button up shirt he was wearing. Neither her beta, Charles, nor her gamma, Roman, were quite as big as him, hence the shirt wrapped tightly across a very broad chest and biceps that bulged every time he lifted his fork to his mouth.

An image of dragging her fingernails over his skin popped into her mind—

A loud throat clearing snapped her back to reality. Lexi shot her a glare and Chesca blinked, mentally shaking the desirous notions from her mind.

"So whath's yername?" Roman asked around a mouthful of steak.

"What, you don't already know?" he aimed his question at Chesca, one eyebrow raised.

She swallowed hard and looked down, chiding herself for not remembering it when she heard it a couple years ago. At the time, it hadn't been worth remembering. He was just another power hungry Alpha—