Chained By The Alpha Jessica Hall

My father doesn't answer; he merely turns toward the door, resignation clear on his shoulders. As his hand hovers over the handle, before he sighs heavily

I clench my fists, nails digging into my palms as I watch him. The door creaks open, revealing Alpha Dane, his towering presence filling the doorway like a dark omen. The faintest smirk playing across his lips as he steps into the room "You sold me out," I accuse, my voice slicing through the charged silence, sharp and brittle with betrayal as I glare at my father's back

My father whirls around to face me, his expression contorting with frustration and

something that looks dangerously close to regret. "I'm protecting you!" he snaps back, his eyes flashing with the ferocity that has commanded our pack for years

But that ferocity now seems like a weapon turned against me once again but now the hurt is outweighed by fury. He moves aside, granting Alpha Dane entry into the sanctuary that was once my home

"Protecting me? Or protecting your alliance?" My words are laced with venom, my heart pounding in my chest. Every instinct screams at me to fight, to flee, but I am rooted to the spot by a mixture of disbelief and dawning horror

Dane's gaze rakes over me, dark and calculating, and I shiver despite myself

"Cleo, my dear," he says, his voice a low purr

that sends a chill down my spine. "It seems we have much to discuss."

"Discuss?" I scoff, holding his gaze with all the strength I've mustered. "There's nothing to discuss. You can't force me—"

"Can't I?" he interrupts, a dark eyebrow arching

"T think I can change your mind," he smiles, pulling his phone from his pocket

Alpha Dane's cold hand clamps over mine, pulling my attention to the small screen he's holding. The dim light from the device casts ghastly shadows across his face as a video plays a scene so horrific that bile rises in my throat

Zayn, bound and tortured, hanging from the ceiling on a chain as Alpha Dane's men pummel him

"Stop," I gasp, trying to wrench away. Dane rips

me closer, wrapping his arms around me,

holding me against him and forcing me to watch. My father growls at him, but Dane ignores him

"Watch, Cleo. This is the future of your mate if you don't comply." His voice is devoid of warmth, each word a nail in the coffin of hope I've been desperately clinging to

"You will do this, or I will live stream his death for you." His eyes are like chips of ice-cold, hard, merciless

"No, you won't get away with this. The entire city is looking for him." I snarl, ripping away from him and heading for the door. I feel for my wolf, urging her forward

Yet the moment I do I realize something's wrong. A numbness spreads through my limbs,

a disconnect between mind and body that leaves me reeling. My wolf, usually a thrumming presence within me, is silent. Terror grips my heart as I glance at the teacup on the coffee table-the same one I'd finished not long ago

"You drugged me!" I accuse, my voice cracking as I stare at my father, who can't meet my gaze

"Just a mild sedative," Dane murmurs, almost soothingly. "Ensures you can't shift."

My world narrows to a pinpoint of despair

Betrayed by my own blood, my autonomy is stripped away; I feel the weight of my choices- or lack thereof-crushing me

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Suddenly, the door opens again, and two of his men step in. "So am I ordering my men to kill Zayn, or do we have a wedding to attend?" Dane asks and my eyes dart to him. None of this

makes any sense. First Dane wanted a virgin and I know he can smell Zayn all over me. Then my pack, but Zayn said he already owns it, what could he possibly want me for still

"Cleo?" my father urges but I don't look at him instead head for the door knowing Alpha Dane's car will be waiting

The ride to Alpha Dane's packhouse is a blur, a surreal slide through a landscape that looks too sharp, too vivid against the backdrop of my jumbled thoughts. As we pull up, the preparations for the wedding are in full swing under the pre- dawn gloom. Tents are rising the lawn, festooned with fluttering ribbons and blooms that sway gently in the breeze

"Everything is set, and will be finished by morning," Dane's voice cuts through the cool air, not just for my father's benefit but loud

enough for all to hear. "The news will broadcast the union of our packs, a show of alliances and power."Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

His words fade into a drone as I'm escorted through the bustling Claymore Packhouse

Servants dash about, their preparations chaotic as they get ready for tomorrow. Amid the flurry, my eyes catch a surprising sight-Maya, disguised as a maid, slipping from an office

Our gazes lock, and her subtle wink sends a jolt of hope surging through me, a dangerous flicker in the gloom