Chained By The Alpha By Jessica Hall

I yank my arm away, frustration boiling over

“Stop interfering! You’re making things worse,

I snap at Zayn

“Cleo, your mother wouldn’t want this,” Greyson persists, but I cut him off

“Maybe that’s exactly why I’m doing it!” My voice breaks as I speak; the weight of my mother’s absence is like a stone in my chest, and everyone is hellbent on using her against me lately. “If I step into that ring, at least my father can’t banish me. I’ve done what he wanted.” The image of my pack-my home-slipping through my fingers if I refuse this fight makes me stubborn, I won’t let that bitch get her hands on

my mother’s pack

As I turn to leave for the ring, Zayn’s hand finds my arm again, pulling me back. “Don’t expect me to stand by and do nothing if you’re losing,” he warns, his gray eyes stormy

“That’s exactly what you’ll do,” I retort, my heart pounding in a fierce rhythm of defiance. “I am not your problem.” I remind him

His next words hit me like a physical blow. “T’ll pull my men from your borders if you do this.”

We had a deal his protection in exchange for..

something else, something I haven’t actually delivered on yet. “Consider it broken if you step into a title fight,” Zayn growls, the muscle in his jaw ticking

“You’re all the same,” I mutter, shaking my head, my insides twisting with anger and betrayal. “All of you just want to control me.”

Zayn”s gaze hardens, and his eyes flicker at my words

“Control this, Zayn. Go fuck yourself,” I spit out, the words laced with venom. I storm off, leaving him standing there, his expression unreadable

“Last warning, Cleo,” he calls after me, but I ignore him

“Pull them then!” I throw the challenge over my shoulder without stopping

“I’m not talking about my men this time, Cleo,” Zayn replies, and I hesitate, confusion momentarily breaking through my resolve

“What are you talking about then?” I ask, suddenly worried

“Get in that ring, and you’ll find out,” he says, a

note of dark promise in his voice

My father’s call slices through the tension, demanding my presence. I turn away from Zayn, ignoring the mix of disappointment and anger in his eyes. I march toward the makeshift ring a simple dirt circle of onlookers that feels more like an arena than ever

now

Lydia has already shifted, her wolf form sleek and menacing. The surrounding alphas and their packs form a tight circle, their attention fixed on the impending fight

“Let’s get this over with,” I mutter under my breath, stepping into the circle that’s about to kick my ass

But before I can brace myself for her attack, Zayn 1s beside me, his presence a wall against the chaos. Our eyes lock, a tumultuous storm of

emotions swirling between us. He’s close enough that I can feel the heat radiating from his body and smell the pine and earth scent that is uniquely his

Zayn leans down. “I warned you,” Zayn whispers, his lips so close that they brush against mine with every word. “This is on you. I warned you not to get in this ring.”

“Zayn, don’t—what ” I start, but he cuts me off with a searing kiss, pushing me out of the ring with a force that leaves me breathless. He steps in front of me, facing both Lydia and the other Alphas and my father, who is glaring daggers at him for kissing me, and so is Alpha Dane

Zayn strides into the circle, his presence commanding the immediate attention of all

“Under the Protector’s Right, I, Zayn Holt, head

of the council and Alpha of the Black River Pack, invoke my right to stand in this challenge on behalf of Cleo,” he declares, his voice echoing with a power that sends a shiver down my spine

I’m stunned, my mind racing. This isn’t what I wanted, nor have I heard of it before. The murmurs around us grow louder as Alpha Samuel steps forward, his disbelief mirrored in his tone, “This is ridiculous. You aren’t even in the same pack. You can’t possibly mean to― Can he do that?” Samuel turns to look at Alpha Dane and my father

Before he can finish, Alpha Dane interjects, his own frustration clear. “This is unheard of,

Zayn

The challenge was meant to settle a dispute, not create a spectacle.”

But Zayn, unflinching, meets their protests

calmly, “The law exists for this very reason to protect those who hold the future of our packs in their hands. I will not stand by while Cleo’s safety and leadership are undermined.”

As if on cue, Alpha Greyson steps up beside Zayn, solidifying the gravity of Zayn’s claim. “I stand with Zayn. This isn’t about spectacle; it’s about upholding the very foundations of our society. He has every right to stand in on her behalf whether she is pack or not.”

“You want to challenge my daughter?” Samuel scoffs

“But it’s okay for you to toss your daughter into a fight with an unshifted alpha; by all means, Samuel take her place.”

The silence that follows is heavy, charged with Zayn’s challenge

Panic sets in, and I try to intervene, realizing the spiraling consequences of Zayn’s

actions. “Zayn, no, please. This isn’t what I-”

“Are you really willing to risk your council title for her?” Dane scofts from across the makeshift arena

“Step into the ring and find out,” Zayn challenges, a dangerous glint in his eye

Dane, fueled by ego and the backing of my father, steps forward, ready to escalate the challenge into a full-blown conflict

“Dad!” I yell, seeing him step in next to Dane, but he glares at me

“I told you to end things with him.” my father snarls

The air is thick with the tension of impending violence

“Zayn, this is stupid,” I protest, reaching for him, but he brushes my hands away

“No, what’s stupid is you thought I would let you get in this ring,” he counters, his

voice low, a storm brewing in his gaze

“Samuel backs out, too chicken to fight Zayn,” someone murmurs from the crowd, and

I feel a surge of hope-maybe this madness will end without bloodshed

But it’s short-lived. Alpha Dane’s voice cuts through the murmurs like a knife

“You can’t be stupid enough to challenge two alphas,” Dane counters, removing his

jacket and tossing it to his son. The audacity of his move

draws gasps from the onlookers, but Zayn chuckles a dangerous, thrilling sound that sends shivers down my spine

“Zayn, please, for me, don’t do this.”

Before I can argue further, he grabs me, and his lips crash onto mine, a searing kiss that

leaves me breathless and disoriented. It’s raw and demanding, a claim, a promise

“You are exactly why I’m doing this,” he whispers. And then I’m stumbling back, pushed out of the ring by his strong hands

“Stay out of this, Cleo,” Zayn commands, his silver gaze locking onto mine one last

time before he glances at Alpha Greyson. “Grab her; she doesn’t step a foot in this ring,” he tells Greyson, and before I can even move, Vance and Greyson grab each of my arms. Zayn sends

me a wink, then turns to face the other alphas

“Last chance to walk away, boys,” Zayn taunts them, rolling his shoulders in anticipation