Chained By The Alpha By Jessica Hall

Reluctantly, I pull away from his warmth, feeling the cool air kiss my skin where his touch lingers

“T have to go back to college, Zayn,” I insist, sliding out of bed and wrapping myself in the thin barrier of a sheet. My heart races, betraying the conflict within as I meet his silver gaze. “I can’t risk my pack.”

“What risk, Cleo?” he asks. I purse my lips

“And if my father declares war?”

“Then he’s more stupid than he looks. I would annihilate his pack, and probably single- handedly. Sorry, your pack is quite small,” Zayn

chuckles

“Exactly, Zayn. My father would declare war

He was willing to risk our pack by refusing your protection. Despite that, though, he declares war on your pack. My pack will stand with him

They’ll get hurt.” I sigh heavily. This is such a mess

Zayn watches me, silent and brooding, his eyes tracking my every move like a predator. But instead of pouncing, he reclines against the headboard, his dark hair in disarray. There’s a raw edge to him now, as if he’s waging his own internal battle

“I don’t like you being away from me,” he admits, his voice rough with emotion

‘You say that like I am your only friend?”

“If I say you are, will you stay?” he asks. I roll my eyes at him, looking for my discarded clothes

As I dress hastily, the weight of his stare 1s as tangible as the fabric slipping over my curves, igniting a familiar heat despite the urgency thrumming through my veins. I pause, glancing back at him, my resolve momentarily faltering as I’m reminded of the depths of this alpha

“Zayn…” [need him to drive me home, or I’ll be late for my first class, but it’s clear he doesn’t want to. “Please, I still need to go to school; I have classes,” I tell him

“Fine, since I am not allowed to kidnap you, I will drop you back—” I smile, and then he speaks again. “For now, your father keeps getting under my skin. I may not give you back next time,” he warns me

“And you said you weren’t a serial killer and could trust you?” I remind him

“T never said anything about killing you. I just wouldn’t give you back. I’d keep you all for myself.” he laughs but rises, pulling on some jeans and a black shirt

I follow him downstairs, where he grabs his keys and my hand, leading me out to his

car

The drive back is quiet, neither of us willing to disturb the peace, knowing that will be the last of it for a while

The engine purrs to a halt, and the world outside Zayn’s car blurs past insignificantly as he pulls me against him when we arrive back at my dorm. His kiss is a searing brand, igniting a fire that threatens to consume us both. “T’ll call you,” he breathes against my lips, his voice rough with the effort of parting

“Make sure you do,” I reply, the taste of him still dancing on my tongue. Reluctance claws at me, urging me to ignore everything else and stay in his presence

He brushes a thumb across my cheek, leaving a trail of heat in its wake. “When will you start working for me?” There’s hope in his eyes

“You’ll still protect our borders even after everything with my father?”

“If it means seeing you, then yes,” he tells me

I press my forehead to his, feeling the weight of the choices I have to make. “I’ll check my class schedule and let you know; I might drop out of a class or two.” The words come out more strained than I intend, tangled up with the knowledge of what’s at stake my future and my pack’s future. Yet once I am alpha, I will be able to make treaty agreements without my father’s

input, so this will do for now

“[ need to go,” I murmur, even as everything inside me protests

“Wait,” he says abruptly, capturing my hand

“Ring me when you finish class. We’ll go get dinner.”

“Zayn, we’ll get caught.”

“TI pick you up for dinner,” he smiles wickedly

I laugh, shaking my head. Sneaking out last night was one thing. Again, tonight might be asking for trouble

Climbing out of the car, I head to my dorm to get ready for my first class. The halls are deserted as I walk back; the students are still asleep or only just waking for the day, so

no one sees me

The key in the lock turns with a soft click, but the moment I push the door open, the chill of an aura rushes over me. The room feels different charged with anger. My eyes flicker to my bed, and there he is. My father, sitting like a judge presiding over his court, his jaw set in lines of disapproval so deep they might be carved from stone. Storm clouds gather in his dark eyes as they fix on mine, and my heart plummets into

an abyss

“Dad…” My voice is a breath, a whisper of dread that can’t mask the quake of fear that rushes through me

“Quiet, Cleo,” he snaps a command that rings with authority and silences any protest I might muster. The two hulking enforcers behind him are statuesque in their stillness, yet the threat they pose 1s palpable even in their silence

My gaze slides to them, noting the way they turn to look out my window, pretending not to listen or witness whatever is about to go down. I take an involuntary step back, feeling the walls close in around me

“When Lydia told me you were seeing Zayn, I hoped she was wrong, especially after the shit storm he caused at the council meeting staking claim to you!” His words slice through the tension, each one a cold blade against the warmth I felt with Zayn only moments ago