Chained By The Alpha By Jessica Hall

After leaving the café, and Zayn, I feel a mix of emotions swirling within me. The quiet comfort of his presence I found calming, but is now replaced by the cold, uncertain air of the city as I make my way home. My mind is a whirlpool of thoughts about Zayn, Deacon, the pack, the issue with rogue attacks and the complicated web I have found myself in. And then there’s the issue of explaining my absence to

my father

Either way he’ll find out, it’s just a matter of how long I can avoid his wrath for

When I finally pull up into the driveway, I breathe a sigh of relief as I notice my father and stepmother’s absence as both their cars are gone

However, the sight of Lydia’s car elicits an involuntary groan and a roll of my eyes knowing

she may just be worse than them together

Steeling myself, I step out of the car and head towards the front door

“About time you showed up,” Lydia snipes as soon as I step inside, her voice dripping with disdain. “Are they new clothes?” She asks, becoming distracted by my appearance. “What brand is that?” She asks, pulling to see the tag. I shove her away

She eyes me suspiciously. “Morning Lydia, nice to see you too,” I mutter and she folds her arms across her chest. I drop my keys on the counter ignoring her

“Where were you all night?” She questions

“None of your business,” I retort, trying to hide my unease as I shrug off my jacket. Her gaze lingers on me, her lips pursed in disapproval

She eyes my clothes and I know she is wondering where I got them from

“Really?” she presses, stepping closer, her eyes narrowing. “You were seen last night talking with Alpha Zayn at the club. You wouldn’t have been with the oh-so-dark and mysterious Alpha, would you? You know Deacon wouldn’t approve.”

“Lydia, don’t start,” I warn, feeling my cheeks heat up despite my best efforts to keep them calm yet thinking of Zayn makes me all hot and flustered and I know it’s the sire bond, I can’t believe he sired my wolf. Well I’m pretty sure he did, I wasn’t this overwhelmed by him when I first met him. “Deacon and I are adults, we don’t need your input on our relationship.”

“Relationship?” She smirks, her eyes gleaming with malice. “Is that what you’re calling it

now?

You don’t deserve Deacon, not with how you were throwing yourself at that alpha last night.”

“T was not throwing myself at him, and since when are you the expert on relationships, what’s your longest relationship? A week?” I ask her, and she glares at me

“Can you just go away, Lydia? I really don’t have time for your games today,” I snap, my patience wearing thin. But she doesn’t move; instead, she takes another step closer

Yet now, as I truly take in her appearance, my senses are immediately assaulted by the pungent scent of Lydia’s anxiety. Her eyes are wide with worry, bloodshot from crying, and her hands wring together nervously. She looks a mess, but there’s something undeniably satisfying about her vulnerability

“Lydia,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady as I take in her disheveled appearance. “What’s going on?”

Lydia sighs heavily and rubs her eyes. “Your father won’t listen, nor does he care, I……” She pauses and sucks in a breath

“Have you seen Deacon? He didn’t show up for patrol this morning, and his Alpha said he tried to mindlink him but found his tether broken,” she stammers, her voice quivering with concern

“His pack tether?” I ask, feeling a cold shiver run down my spine at the thought. There are only two ways to sever a pack link: go rogue, either by choice or by force, and death. My heart races at the possibility that Deacon might be in danger

“He’s probably wrong, Deacon is probably

passed out drunk somewhere, and it numbed his link to his Alpha,” I tell her. But something nags at me, and I pull my phone out of my pocket

Usually, Deacon visits me every day, it’s rare that I don’t see or hear from him

I try calling Deacon’s number, but it goes straight to voicemail. A sense of unease tightens in my stomach. Lydia’s worry seems to deepen, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “This isn’t like him, he always reports in,” she murmurs

“And why would his Alpha say it’s broken, he has no reason to go rogue, or what if he had an accident on his way home or what…?” Lydia is rambling, and I’ve never seen her this worried about anyone before

I try to calm her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Hey, calm down, he’s probably fine,”

I say, trying to catch her gaze

“We’ll find him, okay? But we need to stay calm and think rationally.”

“Rationally?” she scoffs, wiping away a tear with the back of her hand. “How can I be rational when Deacon could be…could be…” She chokes on her words, unable to finish

the sentence

“Why are you so worried about Deacon?” I ask, suspicion creeping into my voice. “He’s my boyfriend, not yours.”

Lydia shifts uncomfortably, avoiding my gaze

“We should all be concerned, shouldn’t we?” she deflects, but her heightened anxiety is

obvious. She’s always had a thing for Deacon

“We’ll check his house, he is probably hungover, or maybe he has passed out,” I

suggest, more to ease her worry than to appease

my Own growing concern

“Have you tried calling any of his friends?” I ask, breaking the silence

“Of course I have!” she snaps, her frustration evident. “They haven’t heard from him

either.”

“Alright, alright,” I say, placating her. “I’m just trying to help.”

“Maybe he went somewhere else after leaving the club,” I suggest, mixed emotions swirling within me. Worry about Deacon’s well-being churns with the lingering memory of his betrayal, and him ditching me in such a vulnerable state last night

“Or maybe he didn’t make 1t home,” Lydia suggests, her voice low and desperate, as if she’s afraid to speak the words aloud