All Chapters of Shattered By The Alpha: Chapter 21 - Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty-OneZara Fen POV,The weaving machine didn’t care about the ache in my lower back or the way the skin on my fingertips had worn thin enough to throb with every pass of the shuttle. It only cared about the tension.Thump-clack. Thump-clack.The silver thread was a temperamental mistress. If I pulled too hard, the metallic core would snap, ruining hours of precision work. If I let it go too slack, the jagged, diamond-edged design that was supposed to be my salvation would look like a mistake instead of a masterpiece.I didn't hear the door open over the heavy rhythm of the workshop, but I smelled him. Rain, crushed sandalwood, and the sharp, clean scent of the Southern pines.“The sun went down three hours ago, Zara.”“I know.” I didn’t look up. “Deadlines don’t care about sunlight.” I replied, focusing on the weaving.A shadow fell over the weaving machine as he stepped into the circle of lamplight. He was carrying a tray, the steam from a bowl of stew curling into the a

Chapter Twenty-ThreeZara Fen POV,By the second week of the new shift, my fingers were a mess of fine red lines, a constant sting reminding me I was forcing metal to do something it was never meant to do."Almost there," I whispered, the word hitching in my throat.I stared at the woven silver. The center panel caught the light too sharply, forcing me to squint.I leaned closer, my breath fogging the surface. I could see the wooden rafters above me and the empty chair where Emily used to sit.But where my face should have been, there was only a soft, golden blur.And my mind dragged me back to the one day that mattered.The day I stood before Alpha Lir in Silvercrest Great Hall, my heart pounding as the bond snapped into place. I had looked into the mirrors of the hall, expecting to finally see who I was meant to become.Instead… there was nothing.Alpha Lir had stood beside me, all pine and cold authority, and whispered the words that became my cage.He rejected me within the hour.

Chapter Twenty-fiveZara Fen POV,I turned away from the gate, my legs feeling heavy as the adrenaline began to subside."He’s terrified," I whispered, my fingers tracing the rough iron of the gate before I followed Silas back toward the house.Alpha Silas shook his head. "No, he’s desperate," I didn't answer, I already knew that.“He knows he’s losing control,” Silas went on. “If people see the truth, everything he’s said about you falls apart.”I looked up at Silas. He looked tired. The pressure of the double tax had already strained Downridge granaries, and now Lir was threatening to cut the throat of their future.“You should stop,” I said.The words came out before I could hold them back.Silas frowned. “Stop what?”“The workshop. The Guild. All of it.” My throat tightened. “Tell them I got sick. Say anything. Just… end this before it gets worse.His expression didn’t change, but I felt the shift in the room.“I’ll stay right here,” I added quickly. “I won’t be the reason your p

Chapter Twenty-SevenZara Fen POVThe SUV smelled of leather, Silas’s sandalwood cologne, and the metallic tang of pure, unadulterated dread. Outside, the world was a blurred smear of grey and black as we tore through the lower mountain passes. Every bump in the road made my teeth jar, but I barely felt it. My entire universe had shrunk to the size of the black glass screen in my hand.I hit the call button for the twentieth time.“The subscriber you are trying to reach is out of coverage range or—”I cut it off, the robotic voice making me want to scream. I threw the phone onto the seat next to me. "Still nothing. Just the same recording.""Zara, breathe," Silas said. He didn't look away from the road, his hands gripped at ten and two on the steering wheel, his knuckles white. He was driving with a focused, predatory intensity that usually made me feel safe, but tonight, it only highlighted how fast we were running. "We’re in the shadows of the peaks now. The signal is dead for every