Shattered by the Alpha Stronger Than Ever novel Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The moment that slap landed, the world went eerily silent

Alpha Karl Creed’s hand sliced through the air like a blade. And then a sharp crack echoed through the room.

My head snapped to the side. A metallic taste flooded my mouth, and a ringing noise exploded in my ears like a swarm of bees trapped in my skull.

1 stumbled, catching myself on the edge of the desk, my fingers trembling,

My left check went numb before it began to burn–hot, sharp, humiliating.

When I looked up, Kael’s hand was still hanging midair, his knuckles bone white with tension.

My mate. My fiancé. And now the man who’d just struck me in front of everyone- to defend his precious Beta Riley.

For a brief second, Kael’s expression faltered. A flicker of guilt. But it vanished, swallowed by rage and impatience.

Talia can you stop making a scene for once?

Someone snorted. A few others chuckled under their breath. No one stepped in.

Riley stood beside him, chestnut curls catching the light like strands of honey. Her red lips curled into a lazy, mocking smile.

Kaol, don’t be so harsh Look–you’ve scared your little mare. Poor thing’s about to cry.”

Rael’s jaw tightened, his eyes still smoldering, but he reined in his tone, voice sharp yet measured. “Talia, this is Ashveil Pack, not Silverclaw. Try to remember where you are.”

The room buzzed with murmurs and half–stifled laughter.

I touched the corner of my mouth. It came away wet, though I couldn’t tell if it was blood or tears.

Eighteen years of knowing this man. I’d seen every side of his temper–but I never knew a slap could sting this bad.

Humiliation, rage, and heartbreak twisted together like barbed wire in my chest.

I dug my nails into my palms, swallowing the scream lodged in my throat.

Keel started to say something else, but I didn’t care anymore,

I turned on my heel, grabbed my bag, and shoved the glass doors open.

Behind me, someone let out a sharp whistle. “Look at her rum. She waddles like a damn penguin!”

I had no idea where I was going–Tjust knew I couldn’t stay here.

I couldn’t stand one more minute in Ashvell Pack. Not with those eyes on me. Notwith that handprint burning on my face.

Sure, Karl never had much patience with me. But he’d never hit me before.

This wasn’t just a slap. It was the first time in my life someone had ever struck me.

when

my world first fell apart at six years old.

Back then, Silverclaw Pack was attacked, and my parents moved us into the Ashveil Pack for safety.

That’s when I first saw Kael

A

He was sitting in the yard, playing with a toy truck. Sunlight streamed down, stretching his shadow long across the ground until it brushed the tips of my shoes.

grew up next door to each other.

My mom used to say we were like two saplings growing side by side, Only… Kael grew faster. Stronger.

When we were in grade school, a boy named Tommy tuck a wad of chewed–up gum in my ponytail.

The class burst into laughter.

The teacher tried to smooth it over. “Ile Just likes you, sweetheart loys trase girls they like. Don’t cry.”

Those words stung worse than the gam.

After school, I cried all the way home.

Chapter 1

Kael’s father, David Creed, heard what happened. He called out to his son, who was doing homework on the floor.

“Kael. Tomorrow. Go have a word with Tommy in second grade.”

The next day, Kael stormed into my classroom and kicked the back door open.

He moved like a wild little beast, charging Tommy with his tiny fists clenched. He slammed a fist on the boy’s desk.

“Listen up,” he growled, grabbing Tommy by the collar–still speaking in that soft, childish voice. “Talia’s my little sister. If you ever mess with her again, I’ll end you.”

Before leaving, he patted my head.

And from that moment on, I became Kael’s shadow.

Chapter 2

Back in middle school, Karl would always hit the field after class to play soccer, His teammates would drag him off for ice cream, and I’d squat on the sidelines with my backpack, waiting so long that my stomach would start growling

He’d grumble and yank me up by the arm. “Talla, are you glued to me or something?

But he’d still break his strawberry popsicle in half and give me the bigger plece..

As I remembered, he hated when people said he “hung out with girls.”

One time I went looking for him, and his buddies started teasing, “Look, Kael brought his little mate!”

He got so pissed he chucked his whole bag of marbles down the stormy drain.

But when I missed school the next day with a fever, he skipped class, climbed the fence, and showed up outside my window.

He tossed crumpled notes through the screen, each one scrawled with a messy little folce meant to make me laugh.

By high school, I caught him staring at me more times than I could count–when I was chewing on a pen while solving equations; when I tucked behind my ear, even when I dozed off on my desk.

His gaze would land softly on me like the brush of a summer breeze–barely there, but impossible to ignore.

One morning, I turned around suddenly and caught him in the act

“Kael,” I said, locking eyes with him, “how do you solve this problem?”

His pen slipped right out of his hand

Sunlight poured in through the windows, lighting up the tips of his ears until they looked like they were glowing

“I, uh…” He scrambled to pick up his pen, his bangs brushing my fingers. “It’s just… I mean

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