Page 51 of Chained By the Alpha
When we pull up out the front, he helps me out of the car and leads me up to his door. I take a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. I don’t know what I’m getting myself into.
Inside, Zayn takes off his jacket and offers me a glass of water. He moves around his kitchen, his muscles flexing under his shirt. I lean heavily on the counter, resting my head on my arms.
“Here, drink this, it will help,” Zayn says, and I lift my head, staring at him. I take the glass and sip the water, not realizing how thirsty I am. I watch Zayn over the glass.
“You’re not gonna be sick on me again, are you?” he asks, and I shake my head.
“Good you’ve puked on me once, let’s not go for another round,” he teases. My face heats as I think back to Alpha Dane suggesting my virtue will be checked.
“Alpha Dane said I have to prove my virtue is intact,” I tell him.
Alpha Zayn’s eyes darken. “His pack is religious, it’s seen as a bad omen to take an ‘impure’ mate.”
I pull a face when a revelation hits me. “So if I am not a virgin, it’s a bad omen to the pack and Boyd can’t marry me?” I ask him.
Zayn seems to think for a second. He shrugs. “I guess.” he takes my empty glass, and sets it in the dishwasher. “But you’llfind a way out of this. Don’t let it bother you.”I think I just did find a way out of it?
Zayn closes the dishwasher and turns around. “Are you okay, Cleo?” he asks when he notices me staring at him. I shake the thought away, reminding myself I have a boyfriend.
“Yep, just tired,” I tell him, and he sighs.
“Come on, then,” he says, pulling me from the stool at the counter. He leads me upstairs to his room before wandering into his closet, while my heart races at the thought of spreading my legs to some stranger while they test my slick. Just the thought is horrifying, and I blink back tears. Zayn returns in a pair of gray sweats hanging low on his hips and his chest bare. My eyes roam over his tattooed, muscular body, desire pooling in my stomach.
He clears his throat. “Here, you can wear this.” He cups my cheek with his hand gently. “We’ll figure it out, just sleep. You’re safe here,” Zayn murmurs, and I nod.
“I’m going to make sure the house is locked, I’ll be back,” he tells me, leaving the room. Alone in his room, I strip my clothes off and pick up the shirt when I hear my phone notification go off.
Picking up my phone off the bed, I see another threatening message from my father. I toss my phone on the couch and pick up the shirt, my eyes going to Zayn’s bed. I stare at the shirt in my hand and bite my lip.
“Come on, Cleo, he kissed you. You could just be another notch in his belt. Rip the band-aid off or rip the virginity away and no alliance, simple,” I tell myself.
I suck in a breath, glancing at the door when my thoughts go to Deacon. He’d be furious, but fuck him, he ditched me while drunk, and is now refusing to answer my calls. With my anger slowly simmering hotter and my thoughts growing more panicked, I toss the shirt on the couch and shut the light off before slipping under the covers naked.
You can do this! He’s not that big, he’d be… what’s the word. Experienced. Beats losing it in the back of a car, right? Then I hear his footsteps, and the rhythm of my heart falls in beat with his steps.
Zayn taps on the door. “Are you decent?” he calls out. “Cleo?” he calls out again. Oh goddess, what am I doing?
I say nothing and after a few minutes, he opens the door, flicks the light on, and I pretend to be asleep. I hear him moving around the room before the lights go out, and he climbs into bed next to me. I remain frozen, stiff as a board, paralyzed by my own humiliation and panic.
“Cleo? Are you okay? Your heart is beating so fast,” he comments and sits up slightly, rolling me toward him.
“Hey, are you okay?” he asks again, shaking my shoulder, and I open my eyes, peeking out at him. He lets out a breath of relief.
“I called out to you, you said nothing. I can sleep on the couch if you want,” he offers, and I shake my head. His brows furrow and I know he’s about to ask me what’s wrong, but before he can, I kiss him. Unlike at the club, he freezes at the action, caught off guard, and I move to straddle him. His hands grip my hips only for them to rip me away like I burned him. He pulls his face away.
“What are you doing, Cleo?” he growls. I kiss him again, he doesn’t respond, instead freezing beneath me when his hands grip my shoulders. “Have you got clothes on?” he snarls, moving, and my eyes are assaulted by light as he flicks the lamp on. His eyes roam over my naked body, making me feel very exposed under his gaze.
“Cleo, what the fuck?” he growls as his eyes take me in straddling him naked. His eyes flicker as they roam down my body, his rejection hits me loud and clear. My face burns and my eyes prickle with warmth. I scramble to climb off him.
“Fuck, Cleo. Wait, it’s not like that,” he grumbles, grabbing my hips before I can climb off him. He rolls, and I find myself pinned beneath him on the bed.
I look away, unable to meet his gaze, and it feels like all the blood has run to my face. Zayn watches my face for a second and curses. He then groans and drops his head onto my shoulder.
“I am not taking your virginity just because you’re scared you’ll be forced to marry Boyd,” he breathes out. I swallow, nodding and feeling foolish. I suddenly want to change my mind and ask him to take me home to face my father instead.
He lifts his head, and I refuse to meet his gaze, instead staring at the lampshade like it is a work of art. Well, it kind of is with its swirling shape.
“Cleo?” Zayn growls, pinching my chin between his fingers and turning my face to look at him. His eyes soften slightly. “I’m not rejecting you; you haven’t got your wolf.”
