Chained By The Alpha By Jessica Hall

“Make yourself comfortable,” he grins, Tm going to get out of this suit,” he tells me, leaving me as my eyes adjust to the light

I walk through the grand foyer, taking in the luxurious furniture and high ceilings, feeling out of place among the opulence. Zayn finds me a few minutes later, walking toward me in sweats and a tank, his eyes intent on me as he closes the space

He places his hands on my hips, pulling me closer until I’m flush against him, and brushes his lips over mine. “Hungry?” he asks, and I pull away from him, my hands flattening against his broad chest

“Actually, we should talk,” I tell him, knowing what I need to do. “We can talk after I feed you,” he tells me, leading me to the kitchen. I sigh but let him lead me to the kitchen and I take a seat at the island bench

Zayn cracks open a beer, before tossing one to me, and I catch it, noticing the way his muscles ripple under his tank. As he opens the fridge, I watch him, taking a swig of beer

Zayn’s movements are graceful and confident as he pulls out various ingredients from the fridge, humming to himself. His scent fills the room – a mix of woodsy musk and freshly bathed skin that makes me shiver involuntarily. The clink of glassware and metal on metal echoes against the stainless steel surfaces. I finish my beer when he goes to the fridge before pulling out an open bottle of wine

He pours some wine into a glass and hands it to me, his fingers brushing against mine as he does so. It tickles my senses, sending shivers down my spine. “Tell me what you like in your food,” he asks while chopping up some vegetables with precision. I watch him work, his hands almost dancing across the cutting board with an ease that speaks volumes about his experience in the kitchen

I sip from the glass, feeling the smoothness of the wine glide down my throat as I ponder his question. “Surprise me,” I finally reply with a smile

“Challenge accepted,” he murmurs lowly before getting lost in his task once again – sautéing onions now while keeping an eye on something simmering on the stove top simultaneously. The aroma of garlic begins to fill the air, making my mouth water. His movements are graceful and

predatory as he prepares food and I find myself entranced watching him when he glances at me over his shoulder

“Like what you see?”

I blush a little, looking away quickly because damn it, he knows he looks good in this kitchen

He chuckles softly before turning back to his cooking

He pours the leftover wine into a pan, and the sizzling sounds fill the room as he tosses two big steaks 1n it with seasoning and olive oil he sears each side before he slides it onto a baking sheet, making sure to season both sides evenly before popping them into the hot oven. The smell intensifies as they cook, making my stomach gurgle with hunger

“So,” I start tentatively, “My father…” I trail off,

wanting to get this over with, when he cuts me off, holding the wine bottle up

“Did you like this wine?” he asks, I shrug because I am not much of a wine drinker. “If you want, you can grab us another bottle. I have a few in the basement in a small cellar. Down the hall first door on left,” he tells me, and I sigh, knowing he is deliberately avoiding the conversation, but it’s one that needs to be had

Reluctantly I go to the basement and open the door only for Zayn to come rushing toward me, scaring the crap out of me with how fast he moved

I clutch my chest, “Jeez you scared me.”

“Figured I would come to help,” he says, though he suddenly looks anxious. He leads me downstairs to a huge basement. Chains hang from the ceiling, and I see this part looks like a

typical basement. One side has storage and a huge freezer when I see him walk through to another room. I stare at the chain, wondering what it’s for

“Punching bag,” Zayn answers my thoughts, yet I don’t see any gym equipment down here, but I

smell the stench of bleach making me wonder if he is a clean freak

“This way,” he nods, and I follow him through a door which turns out to be another set

of stairs leading further down under the mansion. I hesitate on the top step

He must hear me stop because he glances back at me. “Are you coming?” he asks while I look at the darkness below

“Maybe I should wait upstairs,” I tell him nervously; he rolls his eyes, stomping up the

steps only to grab me and toss me over his shoulder

“Seriously, we’re back at the Zayn 1s a serial killer. If I wanted you dead, I would have killed you in the freezer,” he tells me

“Because 1f you were a serial killer, you would tell me too,” I remind him

He chuckles before placing me on my feet. “And if I was, you didn’t even put up a

fight. Maybe you want me to kidnap you,” he tells me before turning me around to

face a giant cellar of wine

“T thought you said it was small?”

“Nothing about me 1s small,” Zayn chuckles, and I look at him.

“Oh, you mean the cellar,” he laughs, and I fold my arms across my chest. He nudges

“I’m fucking around. Now, choose one,” he tells me, and I peer around

“TIL let you; I know nothing about wine.”

“That makes two of us because this was my father’s, and I prefer whiskey or rum, but

someone’s gotta drink it.” he chuckles, snatching a bottle off the shelf

“Come on, let’s see how hideous this one tastes.” he tells me