Chained By The Alpha Jessica Hall

"Don't say I didn't warn you. I will let you play pretend for now, but you will see I am not lying, and when you do, don't even dare ask me to spare your father because the answer will be no." He grows, pushing off the wall and stalking away

"Do you think you are better than him?" I ask, and he stops; the sound that leaves him draws the attention of the entire street

"Excuse me?" He snarls, and I see Zarek press beneath his skin, his eyes changing slightly, and his entire body seems to vibrate as his aura comes out violently

"My father, do you think you're better than

him?" He stares at me but calms slightly, and I realize he thought I was comparing him to Boyd

Yet before he can say anything. "You're not. My father lied to me, and you may think I am foolish for going back to him and my pack, but at least I know what to expect from him. You, I don't; you lied from the beginning, proving I don't know you at all. Then you have the audacity to get angry that I leave. Isn't the saying better the devil, you know? Because that's just it, Zayn. I don't know you, but what I do know is you're a liar."

"Which will make it all the easier when I kill him because you'll realize I was the only one who told the truth. I may have hid the fact that I killed your boyfriend, but I never lied about the reasoning for it. I just didn't want to upset you. I hid that you were my mate, but I knew you

wouldn't feel the bond and that you'd question it. But the main reason I hid it? It was because I wanted you to feel and realize we shared a bond. I didn't want to ruin it on you."

"Ruin it?" I scoff. He ruined it when he lied

Zayn grips my face

Zayn's fingers wrap tightly around her jawline, his knuckles turning white as he forces my chin up to meet his intense gaze. The pressure of Zayn's grip on my face is almost painful, but I can feel the intensity of his emotions through his touch, which 1s shaking

"Yes, because the day I laid eyes on you was the greatest and worst day of my life," he tells me. I swallow and try to pull away from his grip, but he doesn't allow me toCopyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

"The greatest, because I found my mate. And the

worst because I realized you couldn't feel the bond. Yet I've never felt my heart race so fast, never knew loving someone so much could hurt until I thought you were ignoring me." He whispers

"The moment I laid eyes on you in that conference room, I knew you were mine and knew I would never love anyone else. I knew then I wouldn't just kill for you. I'd lay my life down for you without even thinking." He whispers "Zayn..." guilt gnaws at me at his words, but I fail to come up with anything else

"Even now, when you're about to betray our bond and marry him, I'd still die for you, despite that at this moment, I hate how much I love you." He shakes his head

"You think I lied, yet I marked you, giving you the power to destroy me. Does that sound like a rival alpha getting revenge?"

"I marked you," he continues, his tone rough with barely contained fury, "not to bind you, but to offer up my soul at your feet-because that's what you hold now. Not just my heart, but my soul; my very existence 1s tied to loving you." His jaw clenches as he locks eyes with me, his gaze holding mine hostage. "I've handed you the power to destroy me. Tell me, does that sound like a man who merely seeks revenge? Or like one damned and determined to love you, regardless of the cost?"

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He then lets me go, turning to leave when he stops again. "Happy Birthday, Cleo," I chew my lip, and he leaves, storming off toward his car, which I just noticed across the road. Yeah,

happy birthday, I think to myself dryly. This 1s by far the worst birthday of my life

My heart races as I watch Zayn storm off, his words still ringing in my ears. I can feel the weight of his emotions, the intensity of his love and pain, and it overwhelms me. But at the same time, I can't help but feel anger towards him for lying to

me

I take a deep breath and make my way back to my car. As soon as I get in, tears start streaming down my face. This is supposed to be my birthday, a day filled with celebration. Yet here I am, feeling more confused and broken than ever

I feel like shit, but it still doesn't change the fact that he killed Deacon. Still won't change the situation I'm in, even if I wished his words could. As I head back to my father's car with my

dress, I can't help but replay Zayn's words in my mind. The conflicting emotions swirl inside me, leaving me feeling torn and confused. The entire drive home, all I can think about, is the angry look on his face and my impending shift. Once home, I am relieved to find Lydia and Linda still not home, and I sneak off up to my room. My mind is still reeling from Zayn's confession and his anger towards me. It's like a war inside me, with one side trying to justify his actions while the other side screams that he killed Deacon