Page 26 of Chained By the Alpha
My eyes flutter shut again, the effort to keep them open too much for my drugged body.
The darkness is all-consuming now, a suffocating void that seems to stretch on endlessly. I’m lost in it. I feel myself slipping away, the edges of my consciousness fraying and dissolving into nothingness.
Then, suddenly, a burst of light pierces the darkness, followed by a loud crash.
The wagon shakes violently, the sound of rattling glass and groaning metal filling the air.
There’s a final, decisive thud, and then silence. The oppressive weight of the situation lifts slightly, the air no longer thick with the threat of violence. I can sense someone else in the wagon now, a presence that is both comforting and terrifying in its intensity.
Gentle hands lift me, cradling me with a tenderness that is in stark contrast to the brutality of moments ago. Warmth of the person holding me, a sense of safety I cling too desperately.
“You’re safe now,” the voice murmurs, its tone soft and reassuring. “I’ve got you,
Cleo. You’re safe.”
I want to believe those words, to let them wash over me and take away the fear and pain. But the darkness is too strong, pulling me back under with an irresistible force. I surrender to it, letting it envelop me completely, the last remnants of consciousness fading away into oblivion.
Chapter 3
• Zayn •
I glare at the thrashing bodies on the dance floor, my heart pounding with frustration. After handling the fight, I head upstairs to watch those dancing below and to keep an eye on Cleo. However, when Cleo rises from her seat, I instantly know something is wrong as she stumbles to the bar, and my stomach twists with unease, feeling the flickering of my bond to her.
Zarek nervously presses beneath my skin, urging me to go to her, but she has no idea who I am to her. Cleo, vulnerable and unaware of our bond, struggles to maintain her balance at the bar. Her green eyes are unfocused, and her blonde hair clings to her flushed cheeks.
“Hey!”I mindlink Courtney, the barmaid.“Don’t serve her. She’s already drunk.”My finger jabs in Cleo’s direction, and Courtney’s concerned gaze follows.
“She wants water, not liquor.”Courtney mindlinks back a moment later.
Where the hell is Deacon? I growl inside my head, my body tense. He should be taking care of her, yet he’s nowhere to be found.
My wolf, Zarek, presses restlessly beneath my skin, urging me to intervene. I resist. It’s not our place—not yet.
“Boss?”Courtney’s voice penetrates my thoughts again.
“Stay with her,” I order, my eyes fixed on Cleo. I can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong, which eats at me.
“Boss?”Courtney mindlinks, drawing my attention back to the bar.“I don’t think she is drunk. She can barely talk. Is she on something?”
I peer down at her to see her sway, and Courtney reaches over the bar, grabbing her arm to steady her.“No, she’s only been drinking,” I reply.
“She’s only had two drinks all night, and I don’t know, boss, something is off with her; she seems really out of it.”
Cleo shakes Courtney’s hand off her arm and stumbles into the fray of people grinding on each other.
“I’ll handle it,”I mindlink back, moving toward the stairs when another fight breaks out. This time between two men when one glasses the other one. I am shoved backward and turn, grabbing the man who shoved me. Recognizing me, he freezes and places his hands in the air. “Sorry, Alpha Zayn,” he stammers.
“Get out of my club,” I snarl before shoving him. He nods, and one of the bouncers comes up the stairs. Meeting him halfway down, I pause. “Handle them for me.” The bouncer nods, and I continue down the stairs looking for Cleo. She isn’t on the dance floor or at the bar. Moving toward the bathrooms, I bang on the ladies’ twice before pushing the door slightly open.
“Cover up!” I order before hearing shrieks. Stepping in, I stalk around.
“Any of you seen a girl wearing a black leather jacket, a blue cami, and black leggings?”
The women shake their heads, some looking concerned, others irritated by my intrusion. “Damn it,” I mutter under my breath. Leaving the restroom, I try to think of where Cleo could have gone. My wolf, Zarek, is growing increasingly restless, picking up on my own mounting anxiety.
I moved to the men’s bathroom when I remembered her phone. Pulling mine out, I find hers, which I linked to mine to keep tabs on her. It takes me a few seconds to realize she is outside somewhere but hasn’t left the parking lot.
I walk to the front, bumping into people as I am too busy watching my screen. The moment I step outside into the cool night air, Zarek is frantically pressing against my skin, and my blood boils when her fear hits me.
