Chained By The Alpha Jessica Hall

Chapter 88

Cleo

Zayn's fury at the attack is obvious when Vance and Andrea hesitate, neither of them look like they want to punish or torture this rogue for information, yet Zayn is blinded by his anger

When Vance hesitates a second too long, and Zayn moves toward the rogue man, who whimpers and starts begging

However, Zayn's grip on the rogue's arm is ironclad, his knuckles white with tension as he drags him inside the pack house. The air is thick with Zayn's aura which is menacing and the scent of the rogue's fear which emanates from his pores in a thick musk scent

"Zayn, stop," I plead, my voice steady despite the hammering in my chest. "He's scared, look at him. Please don't hurt him, he's too scared to lie to you!"

"And that is precisely why he would lie, Cleo! Especially knowing what he says decides if he lives or dies!" I shake my head, racing to catch up to him

The rogue's eyes flicker to me, wide and brimming with a raw desperation that clenches my heart. He's not much older than I am, his face gaunt, dirt smudging his skin like a second layer

"Please, Zayn," I urge, stepping forward to place a gentle hand on Zayn's tattooed forearm, feeling the thrum of power beneath the surface of his skin as his skin ripples. His aura blasts me and I gasp, my hand dropping, and I nearly do

too before he realizes what he did

"Cleo!" he blurts, letting the man go, he staggers and stumbles onto his knees at the abruptness of Zayn no longer dragging his weight. "I didn't mean that," he murmurs, reaching for me, but I slap his hands away, only for Zayn to lift his hand to the rogue. "Look what you made me do!" he snarls, about to backhand the poor man, but I move, stepping 1n front of him. Zayn only Just pulls back in time

"No, you're letting your anger rule you, stand down, Zayn, or I am leaving!" I growl at him, before covering my mouth with my hands at what I did. Zayn startles at the sound too

"Cleo, he..." Zayn starts, but I glare at him

"Leave him, hunger makes you do crazy things." I snap at him, grabbing the rogue man's arm, I

help him up. He looks at Zayn warily, yet doesn't move a muscle, using me like a shield. Zayn growls at his hand clutching the back of my shirt. Turning, I push the man toward the kitchen instead of the basement

"Cleo!" Zayn snarls. "What are you doing?" "Feeding him!"

Zayn's silver eyes lock onto mine, searching, probing, before he exhales sharply, the tension uncoiling from his frame

"Fine," Zayn grunts. "But if he tries anything-"

"He won't," I interject quickly, giving the rogue an encouraging nod. "Will you?"

The rogue man looks between us, his Adam's apple bobbing nervously. "No, Alpha... I'll tell

you whatever you want to know. We just needed help, our pack is starving."

"Pack?" Zayn raises a skeptical eyebrow, his alpha aura dominating the room

"Other rogues, like me. I guess we aren't a pack, but by remaining together we haven't lost our minds, or I hope we haven't, maybe we have? We aren't like the other rogues." Zayn watches him carefully, cautiously

"Other rogues?" I repeat, my mind racing with possibilities

"Alpha Dean and Alpha Samuel, they got rogues doing their dirty work. They ordered the attack at that hotel alpha meeting a couple of months back, we don't associate with them, they're not safe, they have mostly lost their humanity."

Zayn's jaw clenches, the mention of Alpha Samuel and Alpha Dean sparking a dark fire behind his eyes

"Come on," I tell the rogue man, leading him towards the kitchen, so I can make him something to eat

I motion for the man to sit on the stool at the island and open the fridge, looking for something to make him. I pull out ingredients to make him a sandwich. Zayn leans against the door watching me, but his aura isn't as angry and violent anymore, but I can tell he doesn't trust the rogue at all, refusing to take his eyes off the man. The rogue's eyes darted around the kitchen, his posture tense, like a cornered animal. His gaze settles on Zayn, and I can see the flicker of recognition in those haunted depths, a silent plea for some semblance of mercy

I add layers of turkey and cheese, tomato slices, cucumber, lettuce - everything I can think of not knowing what he likes, maybe I should have asked if he had allergies, I think to myself, but surely, he would have mentioned he was allergic to these things, since he is watching me

Glancing at the man, he doesn't seem comfortable around us, which I can't blame him for when Zayn was only threatening to kill him moments ago

When the sandwich is ready; I slide it across the counter to him, he hesitates for a second, so I grab him a bottle of water from the fridge, all while being very aware of Zayn's eyes watching me

His hands shake as he tries to open the bottle of water, taking huge gulps of it down like he hasn't had anything in days

"Thank you," he mumbles around a mouthful of food, staring at his sandwich

"Eat, we'll talk after," I tell him before feeling Zayn's chest press to my back, the rogue's eyes dart to him behind me when he speaks

"Eat, I won't hurt you," Zayn tells him before pressing his lips to my shoulder. The man takes a bite, he eats slowly like he is savoring every bite

"So, what's your name?" I ask

"Blake," he mumbles around food. "Cleo, right?" He asks before taking another bite

"Correct," I tell him

"How long since your last meal?" Zayn asks Blake

"Three days," he admits, and I chew my lip

"So why did you agree? You had to know it was suicide?" Zayn coaxes out