Page 53 of Chained By the Alpha (Claimed Duet #1)

“Let’s get those buses arranged,” Zayn commands his men who move to help pull down tents. Greyson nods, already dialing numbers and issuing orders with the authority that comes from years of leadership.

The commotion stirs the commune, drawing curious, wary faces from their shelters. Eyes wide with a mixture of hope and uncertainty, they watch as salvation rolls in on wheels—buses that promise warmth, safety, and a future.

“Come on,” Zayn yells out, his voice louder than I anticipated, carrying across the broken ground. “There’s room for everyone. You’re safe now.”

“Is this real?” Blake steps forward, skepticism written in the lines of his face. “Will you really take us in?”

“Not us, Alpha Greyson. We haven’t the room, but every last one of you is coming back to the city until you’re all housed and settled within Alpha Greyson’s pack,” Zayn affirms, stepping beside me, his presence commanding attention and inspiring trust. “Get your things,” I tell them, my tone gentle yet insistent.

“It’s time to go home.” And they move, slowly at first, then with growing urgency as reality sinks in.

They’re leaving this place behind. They’re being offered a new start.

“Thank you,” they whisper, their voices a haunting melody that will stay with me forever.

As the buses pull away, we stand hand in hand, until they disappear from view before helping the rest of Zayn’s men clean up the last parts of the makeshift tent city so nature will take back over and, eventually, the place will be undisturbed.

In the quiet that follows, Zayn pulls me close, and I lose myself in the heat of his embrace, in the wild, intoxicating scent that is purely him.

“Come on, let’s get home; I’m starting to feel like a swamp monster,” I say, my voice muffled against his chest, my body humming with a current that only he can elicit.

Zayn pulls something from my hair. “You look like one, too,” he laughs, his lips pressing against my temple. We both snatch up a black bag, stuffing it in the dumpster that sits on the edge of the road leading to the old hiking trail.

· · ·

I almost groan, stepping under the shower spray; my skin feels icky, and dried mud covers nearly every inch of me.

Steam curls around us like a living thing, heat clinging to our skin as the shower drowns out the rest of the world.

Zayn’s eyes glint in the steam-filled bathroom, reflecting the light like precious metal.

In their depths, I see the untamed, fiery energy of his wolf, Zarek, just beneath the surface.

The muscles of his arms flex as he moves, his strong hands carefully tracing the curves of my body as he helps to clean off the mud.

“Zayn,” I whisper, my voice barely audible above the rush of water, yet the worry laced in that one word is evident. Guilt gnaws at me, I feel bad knowing my mother’s people were forced to live like that for years because of Linda and my father.

“Yes, we’ll go check the rogues at Alpha Greyson’s tomorrow. You don’t need to feel guilty, Cleo. You didn’t do this to them.” I nod, but his words don’t make me feel any better.

He leans in, his lips brushing against the sensitive flesh of my neck, sending shivers down my spine. “Stop, Cleo. You were a child. Stop blaming yourself.”

“I’m not; I know that. I just wonder how I forgot about Noah; I never questioned anything, never noticed my own people were missing.”

“You were a grieving child, and no one wants to think the worst of their family or believe their family is capable of such a thing.”

I sigh, turning to rinse the shampoo from my hair.

Zayn’s lips crash against mine, and I sputter under the water. He laughs, pulling me closer, his face going into my neck. “Hm, I can help you take your mind off it, though,” he purrs. I push on his chest, and his eyes sparkle with mischief. “You have no idea how much I want you.”

I swat his chest before reaching my arms around his neck and standing on my tippy-toes to kiss him.

He kisses me back, his lips traveling down my neck.

The water cascades over us, a soothing rhythm that matches our heartbeats.

Zayn’s hands are strong and sure as they glide over my wet skin, the warmth of his touch sending shivers of pleasure through my body.

His fingers trace the lines of water droplets that cascade down my skin, leaving a trail of heat in their wake.

Desire coils tightly in my belly. I tilt my head back, offering him more access, and he takes it, his mouth exploring the column of my throat.

His tattooed arms encircle me, strong and sure, pressing me closer to the heat of his chest. His breath is warm against my skin as his lips trace a path along my neck, sending a shiver through me.

Every touch, every kiss, ignites a fire within me, fueling my desire even more.

“Let’s take this… to the bedroom,” I breathe out, my fingers entwining with his black hair, tugging gently.

Without a word, Zayn lifts me effortlessly, carrying me through the misty veil of the bathroom into our bedroom.

The cool air hits my damp skin, but his body is an inferno against mine, keeping the chill at bay.

He lays me down on the bed, his lips trailing fire across my collarbone.

Anticipation tightens every muscle. His eyes darken with desire, and he kisses me passionately, his tongue lapping at my lower lip before nipping it gently.

Zayn’s hand travels down to where I ache for him most, dipping a single finger inside of me, eliciting a moan from my lips.

He groans against my mouth, as he slowly adds another finger to join the first, stretching and teasing me.

I arch my hips upward, desperate for more when he pulls his fingers from me.

“N..No…” I gasp, my voice husky with need.

He chuckles, “Patience, love,” His dark hands are a stark contrast against my pale skin as he cups my breasts, his thumbs flicking over my hard nipples. I arch my back, desperate for more.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispers reverently, taking one pert peak into his mouth.

The sensation of his tongue and teeth on my sensitive skin sends a wave of pleasure coursing through me.

My nails dig into the sheets as he lazily licks and sucks his way to the other breast, teasing and tormenting me mercilessly.

My breath catches in my throat when he pushes between my legs, exposing me to his hungry gaze. He spreads my legs apart, and I feel myself dripping with need for him. His eyes darken with lust as he stares at my core, his arousal hard against his abs.

“So beautiful,” he rumbles before he lowers himself between my thighs. His tongue flicks out and laps at my folds, making me moan loudly.

“Zayn,” I pant, my hips bucking against his mouth. He chuckles against me, gently nipping at my inner thigh before tracing his tongue along my most sensitive spot.

“You taste so sweet, love,” he mutters before diving back in. My back arches off the bed as he hits the right spot, his tongue swirling around in slow, hypnotic circles.

The pressure builds within me, coiling tighter and tighter until I can’t take it anymore. “I… I’m going to—” His tongue and fingers work against my most sensitive spots, driving me closer and closer to the edge.

“That’s it,” he growls, his eyes locking with mine as I break apart in his arms, my climax washing over me like a tidal wave.

He crawls up my trembling body, his arousal is hot and insistent against my dampness, and kisses me, forcing me to taste myself on his tongue.

He pulls away, leaving me breathless, and I wrap my legs around his waist. “Cleo!” Zayn growls. My fingers trace the scar down his left flank before my fingers wrap around his cock, and I try to pull him closer.

He hesitates only for a moment before pressing his body against mine when his hand moves to pull mine away from his cock and he reaches back to unlock my ankles from behind his back.

“Hands to yourself,” His voice is rough, laced with a restraint I know is for my sake, but I don’t get why he wants to. We already live together, and I don’t think things can get any more serious than they are, so his hesitation confuses me.

Just as his hard length drags across my core, he quickly repositions himself, a shadow crossing his face. He hesitates and then pulls back, leaving an aching void where his warmth once was.

“Zayn?” Confusion and a sudden fear grip me. Why is he stopping?

“Cleo, I—” He runs a hand through his wet hair, frustration etched into every line of his body. “I can’t do this. Not now. It’s not about desire, believe me. It’s…timing, respect. We should wait until you have your wolf.”

“My wolf?” The words taste bitter. “We live together, Zayn. What are we waiting for?”

“It’s not about the physical or our living conditions, Cleo. I respect you too much to rush this,” he says, his eyes pleading for understanding.

“Respect?” I sit up, wrapping the sheet around me. My heart feels like it’s cracking open, raw, and bleeding. “It doesn’t feel like respect. It feels like rejection.”

“No, that’s not what I meant.” Zayn reaches out, but I flinch away, the movement sharp and involuntary.

“Then what, Zayn? Help me understand because right now I’m lost. If you don’t want me, why the fuck am I here?” I say, my voice trembling.

“I want you, Cleo. More than I’ve ever wanted anything. I want us to be right. You said so yourself before that what you feel could be a sire bond. I would rather wait for your wolf so you know for sure.”

“Real?” I echo, anger flaring hot in my chest. “What could be more real than this?”

“Please, just trust me.” There’s a hint of desperation in his voice, a plea for patience I’m not sure I possess.

“Trust,” I mutter. “There appears to be a lot of that going around, isn’t there? What are you afraid of? I will go running and screaming that you slept with me while I have no wolf; oh, the fucking scandal!”