Shattered by the Alpha Stronger Than Ever novel Chapter 60

Chapter 7

I turned to Corwin’s parents, and found solace in seeing his mother, her facial features were eerily similar to my own mother’s, with the same gentle curves, whereas Corwin’s mother had sharper, more defined lines.

“I wish you’d stay, “I sighed, pouting, as I hugged her tightly. She enveloped me in a warm embrace, just like my mother used to. It wasn’t easy for her either, losing her sister, they were incredibly close, and she had always encouraged my mom to leave my dad.

“Sweetheart, we’re your family, and we’re not going anywhere,” she said, her voice filled with affection. “And if you ever need us, we’re just a phone call away.” She ensured, I nodded, feeling a sense of comfort, as Papa kissed the top of my head and wrapped me in a warm embrace before they left.

I wrapped my arms tightly around Leona, holding her close as we said our goodbyes. They were leaving today, and I was going to miss them dearly. Leona, in particular, had wanted to stay, to be there for me, but I knew she couldn’t. Her second child, a new born daughter, Elaine, was fussing, needing her mamma, and I couldn’t bear the thought of anyone wasting their time babysitting me. I was a grown woman, after all, and I needed to learn to stand on my own two feet again.

“I’ll be fine” I reassured her, smiling through tears, she was like the sister I never had.

“Take care of my Juds. I’ll be okay. Leona nodded, her eyes welling up, and Corwin pulled me into a tight hug.

We’ll be back soon,” he promised kissing my head,

“And we’ll check in on you every day.” Leona added and I nodded, feeling a sense of gratitude towards them, my support system.

“You wanna open your gifts?” Deckard asked, and I nodded absently. He was still here because the building management had deemed this a luxury residential complex, prohibiting rentals. Hendrix had transferred the apartment to my name, which infuriated me. We’d almost gotten into an argument when he came to visit last week, but ultimately agreed I’d pay him rent, and if I moved out, the apartment would revert back to him.

Deckard’s presence ensured a smooth move and kept the management ridiculous interference at bay. Moreover, this apartment building security wouldn’t allow Keith in, so I would be spared of his ridiculous gifts and meaningless apologies.

And after all Deckard and his brother had done for me, I insisted he not waste money on a hotel. With the apartment now clean and boasting two bedrooms, I offered him the spare room to stay in until his return flight.

As we stepped into my bedroom, the soft glow of the lamp cast a warm light on the array of gifts waiting to be opened. The scent of fresh paper and ribbons filled the air. We began to unwrap each one, the rustle of paper and soft gasps of delight filling the space.

I felt a wave of relief wash over me as I saw that nothing was extravagantly expensive, I had made it clear I wouldn’t accept anything lavish, still mindful of the financial losses everyone had incurred due to the cancelled wedding. The simple, heartfelt gifts were beautiful, a reminder of the love and support surrounding me.

“This is one from me,” he said holding a long cylinder shaped box with soft pastel wrappers and I groaned, the delicate patterns and luxurious feel already hinting at the expensive gift inside.

I

“You are stubborn,” I said with a laugh, my eyes rolling in mock exasperation as I took in the familiar sight of the soft pastel–wrapped box, its long, cylinder shape unmistakable. “You know I specifically said no expensive gifts, Deckard, I teased, my fingers tracing the delicate patterns on the wrapping paper as I accepted the box from him, the weight of it hinting at the luxurious contents within.

“What can I say? I wanted something perfect and I wouldn’t exactly call it expensive.” His shoulders rose in a casual shrug, accompanied by a warm, gentle smile.

“Go on, open it,” he urged his voice low and encouraging, his hands gesturing slightly, as if to nudge me into revealing the surprise

within

Verify captcha to read the contentVerify