Chained By The Alpha Jessica Hall

"Of course, you can. Just let me speak with Vance first," he kisses my shoulder. "Please, it's not my story to tell and not a story he is even familiar with. He should know first," he tells

me. I nod reluctantly

"So, what happens next?" I ask nervously

"Either your father comes clean, or I will have to drag all this out into the open. Either way, once it's out, Alpha Dane will have nothing else to use against him. But first, I need to figure out one other thing first. That's if your father is hiding something else and has put your pack up for collateral, I need to be able to prove it first." he tells me and my brow furrow as I try to think of any other reason but besides what Zayn has

said and what my father has confessed, I am also at a loss of any other reasoning

"Prove what first?"

"That your mother never signed the pack over to

him." "But your father witnessed it. You said so

yourself.” He nods, his hands featherlight against my skin as he rubs my arms

"Yes, but you said that wasn't your mother's signature." Zayn tells me and he is correct it didn't look like her writing, but then again what I remember of her has been dulled by time so I could be wrong, but I'm sure my father would have her signature on something at home

"You think we are missing a piece of this fucked puzzle?"

"I think we are missing half the pieces," he states

"My father may have the original document. It seems that would be something he would have to keep, right?" I ask and Zayn nods. "I could try to find it. But...Zayn, I can't go back, my father will force me to marry," he growls, cutting off my words

"You're not going home, Cleo," he growls, and his arms tighten around me, his fingers digging into my skin

"But my pack, I don't have a choice," I tell him

"Your pack will be fine, I promise," he whispers, and I chew my lip hoping he's right, but I know

I can't go through with marrying Boyd, not only for the bond but I couldn't force Zayn to endure

that either, that would be cruel. Yet it still

worries me of the consequences if I don't

"But I can't just abandon them, Zayn..." My voice trails off, feeling the weight of responsibility closing in on me

"And you won't have to," he reassures me, his strong hands coming up to cradle my face. His silver eyes bore into mine. "I will do everything in my power to protect them, Cleo. They're your pack, which means they're mine too."

I don't say anything, just lean into his touch and let his warmth soothe my nerves. I know in my heart that Zayn will do everything he can to protect my pack. That thought alone gives me a sense of peace, but there's still so much uncertainty looming over us. We remain in the bath until the water starts to get too cold

Eventually, Zayn helps me out of the tub, his

hand securely gripping mine as he leads us back into our room. Once we are both dry, he pulls me against him, dragging me back to bed. We don't bother putting clothes back on and I let my head rest on his chest when we climb into bed, listening to the steady rhythm of his heart. I feel safe here, in the circle of his arms, but that just makes everything outside that circle seem more terrifying

Eventually, sleep claims me, wrapping its comforting arms around my weary mind. But even in sleep, there is no escape from my worries, as they transform into nightmares that torment my dreams. Dreams of Zayn leaving me and being forced to marry Boyd, of my pack being slaughtered by alpha Dane

Suddenly, I'm jerked awake by Zayn's arms tightening around me. I can feel his chest rumbling against my back as he purrs lowly. It

takes me a moment to realize that it's my own muffled whimpers that have woken him

"Ssh," he whispers, pulling me closer to him

"T've got you, Cleo."

Opening my eyes, I blink away the remnants of the dream and wriggle closer into Zayn's warmth. His hands roam over my skin soothingly. "Just a nightmare," he murmurs against my hair. "You're safe."

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But the fear lingers, wrapping around my heart like a cold vice. It takes a long time for it to fade enough for me to fall back asleep

The next morning, I wake to Zayn moving around the room. I watch as he moves around the room. His movements are graceful, predatory - every action is thoughtful and calculated as he gets ready. He returns from the closet with a

pair of jeans and track pants, he hands me a pair of his track pants and I slip them on before he pulls one of his sweaters over my head. I sniff it, loving the way it engulfs me in his scent. He finishes getting dressed. "I'll grab your clothes from your house today.” he tells me

As he finishes getting ready, I can't help but study him. Alpha Zayn is the kind of man my mother used to tell stories about - fierce, protective, loyal to his pack. And now, he was Just as fiercely devoted to me - something I still can't wrap my head around fully

"Done," he announces abruptly, pulling on the black sweater over his toned torso. The fabric stretches across his muscles but does nothing to hide the bulk of strength beneath. His eyes remain locked with mine and there's an intensity there that sends a shiver down my spine. He steps closer, reducing the space between us until

our bodies almost touch as he stands between my legs looking down at me where I sit on the edge of the bed

He reaches down to tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear. His touch 1s gentle; a contrast to the strength that lies within him

"T'll take care of everything okay?" he says, and I nod in response as I meet his gaze. His silver eyes soften at whatever it is he sees in mine, and I can't help but smile slightly. Before I can process the moment further, Zayn leans towards me, pressing a soft kiss against my forehead

"Stay here while I speak with Vance," he instructs

"I want to come with you," I protest but he shakes his headContent rights belong to NôvelDrama.Org.

"It's better if I go alone, Cleo, I'll be going to see your father afterward," he tells me, leaving no room for argument. "T need you to trust I will handle this and not do anything stupid or try to leave the house while I am gone."