Chained By The Alpha By Jessica Hall

When it is over, Alpha Dane returns to get the test results. And I rise to my feet to finally leave

“That wasn’t so hard, was it, Cleo?” Alpha Dane sneers and I can’t help myself, I spit in his face

“You’re a pig, and when I become Alpha, I’ll make you pay for this,” I snarl

He laughs cruelly. “How can you be Alpha when you’ll be my son’s Luna?” he tells me. I blink at him, is this why the arranged marriage, my father is giving this man control of my mother’s pack?

The ride home is silent and tense, my father

trying to apologize while I refuse to look at him

As soon as we reach our house, I lock myself in my room, wishing I could erase this terrible day

from my memory

Morning came too soon, but with it a glimmer of hope. My phone is back on my nightstand, Dad showing his guilty conscience and I waste no time packing for college. I can’t wait to escape the suffocating atmosphere of my home and finally live life on my own terms. So I packed and left the house before he even got a chance to speak with me

Once at school, I moved into my new dorm room and turned on my phone, surprised to find a barrage of messages from Zayn. I hadn’t heard from him since training, and though I wanted to talk to him, I didn’t know where to begin. Yet as I finish unpacking my room, my phone starts ringing. Picking it up, I see it’s Zayn. I let it ring out, only for it to ring again and I reluctantly answer It

“Cleo?” I suck in a breath

“Yes, its me” I assure him

“Thank God I saw you read my messages, but then you never replied. I wasn’t sure if it was you or your father,” Zayn says, his voice filled with concern

I didn’t answer, too overwhelmed by the emotions coursing through me. Here was a man who barely knew me and yet had shown more care for my well-being than my own family this past week. A single tear slips down my cheek

“Cleo?” Zayn asks when I say nothing

“T should go,” I tell him, trying to regain control over my emotions

“What’s wrong? Where are you?” he asks gently

“In my dorm room,” I admit, sniffling quietly

“I’m on my way,” he says before hanging up. I stare at the phone

About thirty minutes later, I hear a knock at my door. I hesitate, not entirely convinced that it could be Zayn since he had no idea which room is mine. But when I open the door, there he stood, his gray eyes filled with worry. He immediately scoops me up in his arms, pulling me tight against his chest as I burst into tears

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. I’ve got you,” Zayn murmurs into my hair, his strong arms comforting as he kicks my door shut. The raw intensity of his embrace sends shivers down my spine, making me all too aware of our close proximity. My body reacts to his touch, my heart pounding in my chest as he hugs me tightly like he can squeeze the life back into me

“Zayn,” I whisper, the sound of his name on my

lips sending another wave of longing crashing through me. Our eyes met, and for a moment, we were both lost in each other’s gaze. I could see the same need reflected in his eyes, but also a hint of something more – perhaps a tenderness and understanding that I never thought I’d find

“I’m right here, what happened?”

Despite the storm of emotions raging inside me, Zayn’s presence brought me a sense of calm that I hadn’t felt in a long time. Zayn moves toward the bed and sits on it

“Are you going to tell me what happened?” he asks gently, my face heats remembering the humiliation and at the hands of my own father makes it even worse

Zayn pulls away looking at me and waiting for me to answer. “My father and Alpha Dane…they

made me take a pelvic exam. They tested my slick to ensure my virginity.”

Zayn’s body tenses beside me, a low growl rumbling in his chest. But he doesn’t say anything, instead choosing to hold me even tighter, as if his embrace could shield me from the humiliation of what had happened

“Everything will be alright, Cleo,” he murmurs into my hair, pressing a soft kiss onto my forehead

Exhausted, both emotionally and physically, I eventually fell asleep in Zayn’s comforting embrace, feeling safer than I had in a long time

The next morning, I wake up to find Zayn gone

An unsettling emptiness settles over me, but I didn’t have time to dwell on it when I spot the alarm clock beside the bed. Crap! I’m running

late for my first class of the semester. I quickly got dressed and hurried to my science lecture, running through the corridors. This is not how I wanted to start my first day back. I manage to slip in the back unnoticed by everyone except Maya, Lydia’s friend who nods to me. Maya is vastly different without Lydia around and seeing a familiar face I calm a little as I take my seat

Besides being late to my first class, I had a good day, and feel somewhat normal, but as I walk through the campus, I noticed hushed whispers and furtive glances. Confused and uneasy, when

I spot Maya, heading to her next class I wave to her

“Maya,” I call out, catching up to her. Maya pauses and waits for me to catch up. I fall in

step with her

“Do you know what’s going on? Why is everyone whispering?” Maya stops looking at me. “You haven’t heard?”

“Heard what?” I ask as she blinks at me then rolls her eyes

“Where have you been? Do you live under a rock?” she asks incredulously. I frown, anxiety knotting my stomach. “It’s been all over the radio and social media!”

“What? Please, just tell me,” I ask, not wanting to play guessing games. It makes me wonder if Deacon has been found and dread fills me but I find her next words even

more shocking

“Alpha Zayn declared war against the Alpha of Claymore pack. He pulled all his men from pack protection and broke all treaty agreements,” Maya informed me, and my

eyes went wide with

shock

“Wh-what?” I gasp, my heart pounding in my chest. “Why?”

“Apparently, he punched Alpha Dane at the council meeting this morning. Right in

front of everyone,” she adds, her voice hushed

My world seems to crumble around me. At this moment, I know that everything has

changed

The consequences of my actions – and Zayn’s – would ripple through our packs,

altering the course of our lives forever

And yet, deep down, amid the chaos and uncertainty, a small part of me can’t help but wonder if this is my fault for telling him about Alpha Dane and my father. Fuck!