The Alpha's Shatter Zone ✔️

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2540 words

The heaviest beast on land was an African elephant, right?

Wrong.

Kaiden's heart grew heavier than every monster or element known to mankind, a cold stone thudding in his chest. The black beast was trying to claw its way out and beat a heavy club over his head for being such an idiot.

"I am so sorry. You've got to believe me, Chesca. Hear me out, at least," he whispered against her ear, the erratic beat of her heart strumming faintly. "Don't give up on me yet," his lips traced the path of tears down her cheek. His tears.

"K...Kaiden?"

Her soft whisper snapped his eyes to hers. They fluttered and struggled to open. "I'm right here. That's it, you're going to be ok," he encouraged.

She opened her eyes fully, her jade irises taking a few moments to focus and adjust on anything. When they did, and settled on him, a frown creased her pale features. "Get... get off me!" she hissed, followed by a strangled cough.

"I'm sorry, of course. You need room to breathe," he patted her back as she heaved water from her lungs. He hoped that her Alpha blood was working overtime to heal her extra fast. "Is that better now?" he cradled her in his arms again, the rest of the world seemly not existing in his mind, in this moment.

"No. I said...get back. Let me go," she struggled against him, striking her fists against his chest.

"What...? We need to get you back to the house, to see a doctor," he said sternly. She was talking crazy.

Her eyes peered into his, green tinted chips of ice that held anger and hurt. "Let go of me," she tried again to push him back, and Alpha Asa laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Kaiden, just step back," he said gruffly before kneeling down and taking Kaiden's mate in his arms. She calmed down instantly, and rested her head against his very broad chest. She reached up and wrapped an arm weakly around Asa's neck.

Kaiden growled slightly. If Asa wasn't already mated, Kaiden would be furious and most likely take it out on Asa's face. Watching Chesca trust Asa like that was killing him. She'd rejected him, in her moment of greatest need. He'd saved her. Why would she be acting like this?

"What happened between you two anyway?" Miranda asked with flippant curiosity as they followed Asa and Jackson back to his house.

"Stay out of my business," he growled, refusing to look at her. All he'd see would be her enchanting brown eyes that he had once done everything he could to figure out. But right now, they were the most distasteful thing in his mind.

"Did I say something wrong?"'she asked sweetly, albeit feigned, and placed a small hand on his arm.

"Shut it, Miranda! You not only said something wrong, you did everything wrong, can't you see?!" He glared at her furiously, releasing more of his pent up anger. It threatened to manifest in his fists, and he pitied whatever would be on the receiving end.

"Woah, take it easy cowboy," She snarled right back. "It wasn't me that failed to mention they had a mate! When Jackson invited me here, I assumed it was part of your plan to pick up where we left off," She recoiled like a viper, ready to strike the moment he stepped off course. Whatever course that was, he could only guess. It always was that way with Miranda—he could never be sure what she had in mind or would be capable of doing next. The unpredictability had been something that drew him in, toying with him mysteriously once upon a time. But now it just infuriated him.

"Well, you assumed wrong," he clenched his jaw, done with this conversation already.

"Fine, but it's not my fault your mate walked off a cliff to get away from you," she spat with enough venom to put down ten men. But he had his shield up.