Chained By The Alpha Jessica Hall

Boyd stands next to my father, his broad shoulders and confident stance a stark contrast to how I feel. My father clears his throat, breaking the tense silence. "We have agreed on the betrothal of my daughter and Boyd."

"Oh, this is wonderful news," Linda and Boyd's mother exclaim. What?! I am about to stand up and refuse when my father leans down, his hand clamping on my shoulder. I turn my face to look at him. "You promised," I whisper

"I'm keeping it, but play along; we can push the wedding back until we know if Zayn 1s your mate,” he whispers, "I am biding your time; only Zayn can stop this wedding. It's out of my hands." I swallow thickly. "Agree for now; IPlease check at N/ôvel(D)rama.Org.

need time to work something else out if he isn't your mate." I bite my tongue

The words hang heavy in the air, suffocating me. Betrothal? I can't even imagine a life with Boyd, let alone being tied to him forever. But my duty to my pack and my family prevents me from protesting. As the only daughter of the alpha, it is my responsibility to secure alliances and ensure the survival of our pack. Marrying Boyd is the only way to do that. I just need to pray my father comes up with another way out of this marriage

"L want answers. Why is this out of your hands?" I hiss under my breath; if I am playing along, I want to know why

"Once home, now go stand with your fiancé." Boyd comes over, and I stare at his outstretched hand with disgust. My heart sinks as I take his

hand and nod, the weight of my decision settling heavily on my shoulders. This is the path I must take for the sake of my pack. The rest-I'll have to figure out later

"I'm glad you made the right choice," Boyd says

I want to rip my hand from his and punch his smug face, but I refrain

"Indeed," I murmur, my voice barely above a whisper, my mind racing with thoughts of escape, of Zayn, and the life that could have been. But those dreams are slipping through my fingers, replaced by a reality I never chose

Boyd leans in, whispering promises of a bright future together, but his words feel hollow. Boyd leads me to a table filled with our families, where we are met with cheers and congratulations. I force a smile, trying to ignore the uncomfortable weight of Boyd's arm draped

over my shoulders

"Congratulations, my dear," Boyd's mother gushes fakely as she pulls me into a hug. "I can't

wait for us to officially be family."

My stomach turns at her words, but I plaster on another fake smile and nod in agreement

"Let's toast to new beginnings," Alpha Dane announces, raising his glass. The sound of crystal clinking echoes around us, a chorus of assent to a union I have not consented to. The rest of the evening is spent 1n a blur of food, drinks, and well- wishes from pack members

Boyd never leaves my side, his possessive grip on me only getting tighter as the night goes on

His touch is possessive, not tender; his gaze calculating, not warm. I can sense his desire to claim me, to mark me as his own before

everyone, but I shrink from him, unwilling to play the part of the doting fiancée when he keeps glaring at the mark on my neck left by Zayn

Finally, the festivities come to an end. Boyd asks to drive me home, and I stare at my father pleadingly, who 1s quickly distracted by Alpha Dane. "It's fine, I can get a lift home with Dad and Linda." I tell him

"Nonsense, I will drop you home," Boyd says,

steering me out of the restaurant, and he leads me back to his car. As soon as the door closes

behind us, he lunges forward, pressing his lips against mine without warning

My body stiffens in shock before I push him away forcefully. "What do you think you're doing?" I snap

Boyd just smirks at me. "Relax, sweetheart. We're going to be married soon; there's no need for this prudish behavior."

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I scoff at his words and shift away from him towards the window. "There's nothing prudish about not wanting to kiss someone who has shown nothing but disrespect towards me and my wishes. You know I don't want to marry you!"

His smirk turns into a scowl as he grips my chin painfully with his fingers. "What you want doesn't matter. Our fathers have a deal. You will learn your place once we're married," he growls before shoving me away from him and starting up the

car

Ignoring his threat, I focus on the passing scenery outside until we finally arrive at my pack's territory. As soon as we step out of the

car, Boyd pulls me close to him again, showing off our 'happy couple' act for anyone who might see us

I feel sick to my stomach, but keep up appearances for my father's sake. After all, he is trying to find a way out of this. He pulls up seconds after us, and relief floods me

My father looks at me, his smile tight but approving. "You're doing the right thing," he says, helping a drunk Linda out of the car

I don't respond, just turn to gaze away, my vision blurring when Boyd speaks. "Oh, you were quicker than I thought; I figured you and Dad would have gone over formalities," Boyd states, clearly not happy that my father rushed home

"Linda wasn't feeling well," Dad says, and

Linda gives him a look, but I see my father's grip on her arm tighten

"I've had a few too many drinks," she quickly states. Boyd nods and turns to me, and smiles, leaning in like he may try to kiss me