Chained By The Alpha By Jessica Hall

“Alright,” Vance concedes, though I can tell he doesn’t fully agree with my decision. “Just… be careful.” With that, he turns and leaves the room, his footsteps echoing through the corridor

I step outside, taking a deep breath of the cool night air. Popping the trunk, I find Deacon still passed out, the sight of him igniting a fresh surge of fury within me. Every muscle in my body tenses as I stare down at him before I drag him out of the car and down to the basement

His unconscious form is limp and heavy, forcing me to grit my teeth with the effort it takes to move him

“Damn it,” I curse under my breath, my heart

pounding in my chest. The basement door creaks open, revealing an unfinished space filled with equipment and boxes. I haul Deacon’s body over the threshold and let him drop unceremoniously down the stairs and onto the cold concrete floor

“Let’s see how you like being vulnerable,” I growl, my voice low and menacing as I tower over him. My body aches with the need for retribution, but I know that simply hurting him won’t be enough. He needs to understand the gravity of his actions

“Please,” Deacon moans weakly, his eyes fluttering open as he starts to regain consciousness. “I didn’t… I didn’t mean…”

“Save it,” I snap, cutting him off before he can finish his pathetic excuse

“You’re going to pay for what you did, and the best part?” I tell him, grabbing him by the shirt and dragging him to the center of the basement where the pulley is. He tries to scramble away, but my order rushes over him. Pathetic, he’s weaker than an Omega

He freezes, and I grab rope and tie his hands before pulling them above his head and attaching them to the pulley. Hitting the button on the wall, he is hoisted until his feet no longer touch the floor. However, I need to figure out what I am going to tell Cleo. No doubt she will question how she got here, also her boyfriend’s whereabouts when he is suddenly missing, vanished without a trace

Walking over to the table where the tools are, I find a dirty rag one of the painters left last time they were here. I turn back to him, and he

whimpers, begging and pleading, but I stuff the

rag in his mouth and secure it with duct tape

“Can’t have your screams waking my girl now, can I?” I tell him. His eyes widen, and I crack my neck

“I wasn’t planning on going to the gym today, but you’ve changed my mind,” I tell him when my fist connects with his sternum

As I stand over Deacon, a sense of cold fury washes over me. The memory of finding him attempting to violate Cleo, my mate, in her vulnerable state fuels a primal rage within me

My clenched fist collides with his sternum, the sound of the impact echoing in the basement like a thunderclap. His body jerks with the force, a muffled cry escaping through the gag

Each punch I land is a release, a physical manifestation of the anger boiling in my veins

My knuckles meet his flesh with brutal precision, leaving behind a blossoming map of bruises and swelling. Deacon’s eyes, wide with fear and pain, flicker with the dawning realization of his grave mistake. He struggles weakly against the restraints, his futile attempts only adding fuel to my rage

I pause for a moment, my chest heaving, as I watch his battered form swing slightly from the pulley. I lost control, and he is no longer breathing, and I look down at my hand where his heart now rests. The satisfaction of seeing him helpless, paying for his heinous act, courses through me. But there’s no time to revel in this retribution. Cleo, injured and unconscious, needs me

Glancing around the basement, my eyes land on the chest freezer tucked in the corner. It’s large enough, a temporary solution to hide Deacon’s

body until I can deal with it properly. With a grunt, I lower him to the ground and untie his hands. His body is limp, a dead weight, as I drag him across the floor. The scrape of his bo against the concrete floor fills the room as I haul him towards the freezer

Lifting him is a task, his body an unwieldy burden in my arms. With a heave, I hoist him up and over the rim of the freezer, his body landing with a dull thud against the icy interior. I slam the lid shut, the sound a final note in this dark, quiet room. The freezer will preserve him until I can dispose of him permanently, ensuring no trace of him 1s left to be found

Turning away from the freezer, my thoughts immediately return to Cleo. My heart aches at the thought of her in pain, her trust violated in the worst way possible. I need to be with her, to ensure her safety and comfort. With one last

look at the sealed freezer, I make my way back upstairs, my mind already focusing on Cleo

As I ascend the stairs, each step brings me closer to her, to the Woman who has unwittingly become the center of my world. My mate. My responsibility. My priority. And no one will dare touch her once I make her mine