Chained By The Alpha Jessica Hall

"Put me down, what is it with and being so damn handsy?" I snap at him

Zayn rolls his eyes, ignoring my comment

Instead, he lifts me effortlessly off the couch and carries me, bridal-style, towards the door. I cringe at the sudden proximity, feeling heat rising in my cheeks

"Can't you just let me walk?" I say, my voice coming out a bit too high-pitched

"You can barely stand," he retorts, not bothering to look at me

We make our way towards my car parked outside. Only another man is there waiting. His

hair is the same color as Zayn's, but his eyes aren't as silvery gray as Zayn's and his expression is perfectly neutral. Though I do detect a glint of humor in his gaze as he looks at me. His lips are thin, and his jawline is sharp and angular, giving off a very serious vibe. I stare at him, he has an uncanny resemblance to Zayn, and I peer up at Zayn

"My brother Vance, he's also my Beta," he explains, answering the question before I can ask it

"He'll follow in my car," he tells me. I nod, not knowing how I feel about that. Zayn sets me down gently on the passenger seat before walking around to the driver's side. The car is silent as we drive towards my house, the tension so thick you could almost cut it with a knife

I keep stealing glances at him from the corner of

my eye, taking in the sharp lines of his jaw and the way his dark hair falls across his forehead

Aggravating though he may be, there's no denying he's handsome. He looks like he's in deep thought, his expression unreadable

As we pull into my father's territory, my anxiety starts to grow. I have no idea how I'm going to explain this to my father, and knowing him, he'll want answers

"Pull over here; if my father catches me with you, he'll kill me," I blurt

"Either way, he'll know I was with you. Your car reeks of my scent," he states, and panic rises in me as he continues driving. As we come to the main gates, he begins to slowly pull up when two pack warriors wave to us, too. I wind my window down, recognizing Mitchel. He's one of the training instructors for my father's

pack

"Cleo, your father put out an alert..." Mitchel pauses, his eyes moving to Zayn in the driver's seat before they dart back to me. "You wanna have a good excuse being in that man's presence, Cleo," Mitchel growls. I growl back, refusing to be scolded like a little girl. Putting up with my father's wrath is terrible enough; I won't take it from one of his men. Not when I will be their Alpha one day

"I don't need an excuse," I spit back at Mitchel, my pride stinging. Zayn's hand lands on my thigh, and I jump, not expecting the sudden contact. He squeezes gently, a silent message telling me to calm down

"Seen her in the city, she was looking for her phone in the wreckage. My brother 1s in the car behind us. Cleo looked on the verge of passing

out. Figured I best drive her home," Zayn cuts in smoothly, the lie sliding off his tongue with practiced ease. "Is there a problem?"

Mitchel eyes him suspiciously for a moment before shrugging. "Just wanted to make sure everything was okay," he says before waving us through the gates

As we drive towards my house, I can feel Zayn's gaze on me

"Are you okay?" he asks softly, and I nod, not trusting myself to speak

I stare at him for a moment, taking in the sincerity in his eyes. For all his rough edges and gruff exterior, there's something kind about him, too

"Thank you," I say softly, meaning every word

The car falls into a tense silence once again until we pull up outside my house. Zayn nods e before getting out of the car and coming around to open my door for me. As I step out onto the pavement, I can't help but feel a sense of safety with him around

But as I turn to face my house and see my father standing on the porch waiting for me, that sense of safety is short-lived. "Thanks for the ride," I say, turning to face Zayn. He nods, his expression serious

"Will you be okay dealing with him?" he asks, and I glance at my father to see him storming over to me. Before I have a chance to say anything, my father growls

"Where the fuck have you been?" he demands

"I was just out taking care of some things," I say

carefully, trying to keep my tone neutral

"With him! What business have you got with him, Cleo?" he snaps, grabbing my arm when I feel Zayn's presence suddenly behind me. His hand goes to my waist, the warmth of it seeping into my skin. I fight the urge to look down at it, my skin buzzing slightly at his touch

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"Your men really aren't good at communicating

As I told your man at the front gate, I ran into her in the wreckage looking for her phone."

"You could have called me to pick her up," my father snarls, glaring at him

"Would you have answered?" Zayn replies quickly, and my father falls quiet

My father doesn't look convinced, but after a moment, he sighs and shakes his head

"I don't have time for this right now. Go clean up and get some rest," he says before walking away

I let out a sigh of relief when I feel Zayn's breath sweep across my neck. "I'll call you in a few days," he whispers, and I nod when his hand grabs mine suddenly. I look up at him, only for his lips to graze mine. He is that close. Stunned, I just stare at him for a second when he smirks

"Your keys," he adds, then chuckles

I shake myself out of the daze I am in. "Thanks, I say awkwardly, and he steps away, moving toward his car parked on the curb