Chained By The Alpha Jessica Hall

I turn my face, refusing to let his mongrel lips touch me. Boyd leaves and Dad waves to him

Linda makes her way inside

"Did he try anything? I rushed home as quick as I could, I am pretty sure I got done by every speeding camera on the way here." My father asks

"What do you think?" I growl and he sighs

Then my phone vibrates. A message from Zayn, each word a dagger to my heart

Zayn: Is it true? Did you agree to marry Boyd?

I let the phone slip from my hand and back into my pocket, unable to confront the truth in his

question. But Zayn doesn't relent a second message follows, heavy with a threat that sends a chill down my spine. We head inside to the living room. I sit in the armchair by the window

Dad falls heavily into the other one by the fireplace. My phone vibrates again

Zayn: Answer your phone. You aren't doing this, Cleo

A tremor runs through me, fear and longing warring within

The phone rings insistently, Zayn's name illuminating the darkened living room. My finger trembles as I press the reject button, the beep of the call being declined

"Everything okay?" My father's voice is laced with concern

"It will be," I mutter, the lie tasting bitter on my tongue. I lean my head against the back of the armchair, trying to anchor myself to something real, something tangible. But even the solid chill of the room can't dispel the heat that flares within me when I think of Zayn-his silver eyes, tattooed arms, the scar down his left flank. And most of all, his wolf, Zarek, wild and untamed, a perfect mirror to Zayn's soul

My phone vibrates again, and without a glance at my father, I retrieve it from my pocket, my fingers trembling. Zayn's words blaze across the screen, igniting a wildfire in my chest

Zayn: I will wipe out every pack in the city before I allow you to marry him

"Who is it?" my father asks, his voice laced with suspicion

"Nobody," I lie, clutching the phone so tightly my knuckles turn white

"Give me that damn phone," he demands, reaching over

"No!" I snap, surprising both of us with the ferocity in my voice. I shove the device back into my pocket, away from his prying eyes. The air between us crackles with tension, and for a moment, I'm not just his daughter; I'm a defiant she-wolf challenging the alpha

"Fine," he grumbles. "But remember where you are, Cleo. You have responsibilities now; I know that's Zayn; if you need me to handle him, let me know. We can't have him getting involved right now; I need him to back off."

"Why?" I ask when Linda calls out. He glances down the hall and sighs

"Not now, tomorrow, but I'll find a way to get you out of this. I just need you to play nice for now."

"Get some sleep. You'll need it with tomorrow being your first shift," my father says, his tone softer now, but it does nothing to ease the stone in my gut

"Thank you," I mutter, climbing the staircase to my room

Hours later, lying on my childhood bed, the moon spills its cold light through the window

Every shadow seems to whisper Zayn's name, and every creak of the house echoes with the promise of another message. My skin tingles with the memory of his touch, the roughness of his calloused hands against my flesh, and the way he could ignite a fire within me with just a lookAll content © N/.ôvel/Dr/ama.Org.

Zayn has been blowing up my phone all night, I have ignored every call when suddenly a message comes through that has my blood turn cold in my veins

Zayn: I will wipe out every pack in the city before I allow you to marry him

If you do this and I have to come to stop your wedding, I will make sure I paint your wedding dress red with your fiance's blood

You've been warned, Cleo. You are mine and only mine

I gulp. Something about his words feels more threatening than if he said it to me, maybe because It's so late at night, and he 1s still raging over it