Page 2 of Chained By the Alpha (Claimed Duet #1)

“Oh, Maya is here,” Lydia gushes excitedly and immediately prances off to her friends who are hanging out next door, outside the ball’s entrance.

My father grabs my arm. “Stay close,” he says, and I know he is worried about this venue. He did warn the Alphas that we need to change the venue given the heightened security risk in the city. Routine is bad with all the recent attacks, and council meetings are always held here.

He shakes his head and drags me off inside, where the council meeting will take place.

The place is already full of Alphas in crisp suits.

“Too many of us in one place. We should have changed venues,” my father growls as he leads me upstairs and into a conference room.

My father’s jaw clenches when he notices one particular seat is still empty.

I internally groan. Please don’t be late, Alpha Zayn. Great, now my father will be extra moody, if that’s even possible. We take our seats, and my father drums his fingers on the huge table, appearing more annoyed as each minute passes.

“Where the hell is he?” my father hisses. Alpha Samuel looks over at us. He is Lydia’s father, yet she doesn’t have to attend this shit show like I have to.

“Joseph, calm down. He’s on his way,” Samuel warns my father.

Alpha Zayn. The Alpha of the Black River Pack. Rumors have been swirling for months about how he gained his position. One thing is clear—my father hates him. And those who don’t hate him fear him.

Sitting back in my seat, I remind myself that four more hours and the annual council meeting will finally be over, and I can go home.

Well, as long as Dad doesn’t force me to go to the ball and babysit Lydia.

Dad loves to drag me to these silly meetings, even though I find them boring as hell.

Mostly, they just argue or boast about their latest business affairs.

The meeting is held in the main part of Nightshade City, which is neutral territory.

All the packs are on the outskirts surrounding the city.

So, it makes sense for the city to be a neutral ground because otherwise, movement within the city limits would be restricted.

All five packs rely on it not only for business to thrive, also to keep supplies coming in.

I’ve spent all my school breaks in these sorts of meetings.

Despite literally nothing important happening in them, my father has still insisted I attend even though my stepmother volunteered to go in my place.

Dad, however, wasn’t having it, lecturing that I needed to learn the ropes of running a pack and how these meetings are a big part of it.

I guess I am an accessory, and I’m one step away from becoming his fanny pack at this point. I’m already his notetaker, calculator, mediator, and coffee maker. He might as well just hand the pack over already.

A few of the other Alphas have brought their sons and daughters. It is strategic on their parents’ part, a way to strengthen alliances through marriages.

However, I have no such interest, and it is clear I’m not the only one who isn’t interested in parental antics. The only person I will marry one day is my mate, if I find him or her, that is.

I often wonder what my mate will be like…

who my wolf will choose… if I find my mate before Deacon marks me, that is.

One part of me is conflicted if I should wait a year to see if I find my mate.

Deacon wants to mark me once I get my wolf; we’ve been together two years, though sometimes I am not so sure.

Finding my mate, that person who is made for me seem more appealing.

I am brought out of my thoughts by Dad’s irritated voice.

“This is ridiculous. Where is he?” he growls, smacking the table with his fist. Alpha Zayn is notoriously late, and as Dad explained earlier, he doesn’t seem to care much for these meetings.

Well, that is one thing we have in common, I guess.

That explains why I’ve never met the man, since he’s too busy to attend.

Maybe now’s my chance to slip out to the bathroom and not come back. Dad seems preoccupied enough with Alpha Zayn’s tardiness. I peer around the room, only to find the young man across from me staring. He smirks, and I bite back the urge to ask him to look away when he leans over the table.

“Have you heard the good news?” Boyd asks. I furrow my brows when his father elbows him harshly. He gives him a look that seems to tell him to shut his mouth. Boyd leans back in his seat and folds his arms across his chest, looking rather smug, like he knows something important I don’t.

Confusion washes over me; we don’t have much to do with their pack. My father never really liked Alpha Dane, who is Boyd’s father. I glance at my father, who is stiff as a board beside me.

“Dad?” I elbow him.

“Well, discuss it later,” he whispers back, diverting his attention back to the conference room door. “For fuck’s sake, where is he?” my father snaps angrily, glancing at his watch.

“Hush, Joseph, I would prefer no bloodshed at this meeting,” Alpha Samuel states, glancing at the other Alphas nervously.

Rumors have spread that Alpha Zayn’s father met an untimely death, and the circumstances surrounding it remain murky. Yet, Alpha Zayn looks guilty as sin. His father goes missing, and he suddenly rules over the largest pack in the country. Yeah, that doesn’t sound shady at all.

Dad groans at his words, drumming his fingers on the oval table.

We are one of the smaller packs surrounding the city, and we rely heavily on alliances, especially when it comes to rogues and hunters.

Without alliances, we would never have won the last rogue attack.

We only survived because Alpha Samuel’s pack happened to be visiting; otherwise, we would have been wiped out.

That’s the subject of today’s pack meeting. Rogue numbers have grown out of control, and packs are constantly under threat of being attacked. Even the city has been targeted a few times.

If something does go down at this meeting after my dad warned against it, I’m blaming the Alphas who refused to listen.

The double doors swing open as if summoned, and Alpha Zayn stalks in.

The room eyesstills, all eyes turn to him.

He exudes confidence with every step, those piercing gray eyes taking in everything and the energy in the room, waltzing in like he owns the place.

My breath catches as I drink him in. Messy dark hair, stubble accentuating a sharp jawline, and tattoos peek out from his open collar.

He looks like sin personified. Maybe this meeting won’t be boring after all?

“Is there an issue, Joseph?” Alpha Zayn demands. Only then do I glance at my father, who is shooting daggers in his direction. I kick him under the table, and my father sits back in his chair, he folds his arms across his chest while shooting me a glare.

“Behave!” I mouth to my father. Gee, now I need to tell him how to act!

“Not at all, Alpha Zayn,” Dad denies quickly.

Looking back at the Alpha, I quickly avert my gaze when I realize that me kicking my father under the table didn’t go unnoticed.

Yet when I dare to glance up, Alpha Zayn is still staring at me as if I am some puzzle he is trying to solve.

He shakes his head and moves toward his seat.

My gaze follows him. My cheeks flush, and I quickly turn my attention to the giant board Alpha Samuel spent a good ten minutes writing on.

I swallow, not liking the way he is staring so intensely, and I can once again feel his gaze on me. A shiver runs up my spine. Thankfully, Alpha Samuel clears his throat, drawing his attention away, and I let out a shaky breath.

My eyes wander around the room, taking in the tense expressions of the Alphas as they discuss alliance strategies and resource management. All this talk about pack politics and territory borders is exhausting. I can’t wait to escape back to my life outside these walls.

“Alpha Joseph, your input on the new trade agreement would be appreciated,” Alpha Samuel says, his voice cuts through my thoughts.

Was I close to dozing off again? My dad straightens up in his chair, preparing to speak.

I can’t bring myself to care about whatever he’s going to say.

Instead, I find my gaze drifting toward Alpha Zayn, who sits across the table, every bit as disinterested as I am.

“Very well,” my father begins, launching into a lengthy explanation about supply chains and tariffs.

I try to focus on his words, yet it’s hard not to get lost in my own fantasies, especially when they involve the enticingly dangerous Alpha Zayn.

His dark hair and the Alpha’s steely gray eyes make it difficult to concentrate on anything else when my phone vibrates on the table.

I snatch my phone off to glance at the message lighting up my screen.

Leaning down, I look at it under the table to see it’s from Deacon.

Deacon: Meet me outside in ten minutes

Me: You decided to go?

I quickly typed a reply. His reply is just as quick.

Deacon: Jailbreak, meet me downstairs.

I can’t help the goofy smile that splits onto my face.

I quickly reply, telling him I will find an excuse when my phone is snatched from my hand. I grit my teeth, expecting it to be my father. I am shocked to find it is Alpha Zayn. He raises an eyebrow at me.

“Is there something you’d like to share with the rest of us?” Alpha Zayn asks, his gaze pierces through me. My cheeks flush with embarrassment, and I can’t deny how my heart races at his attention. I shake my head, staring at the man wide-eyed

“Um, no,” I stammer, and try to regain my composure. “Sorry for the interruption.”

“I’ll hang onto this until after the meeting,” his eyes flicker to his wolf as he peers down at my phone, reading my text messages. I reach for my phone, and he pulls it away. I glare at him.

“You can’t take my daughter’s phone,” my father growls. Alpha Zayn glances at him before pocketing it.