Page 58 of Chained By the Alpha (Claimed Duet #1)

I take a deep breath, trying to calm the turmoil within me.

“Zayn,” I begin, my voice wavering despite my determination.

“What choice do I have? You’ve given me every reason not to trust you.

” The image of Deacon dead and locked in the freezer flashes through my mind, filling me with an overwhelming mixture of anger and betrayal.

Zayn’s face falls at my words, his eyes filled with pain. “Cleo, you have to understand, I never meant for any of this to happen,” he pleads, taking a step closer to me.

“You never meant for it to happen? What about Deacon?” I snap, unable to control my anger any longer. “Did you mean for him to be missing? Did you mean to kill him?”

Zayn’s shoulders sag as he stares down at the ground. “No, of course not. I lost it when I found out what he was doing. I am not some psychopath who goes around killing people, Cleo, not without reason,” he murmurs quietly.

“Then why didn’t you tell me what happened?” I ask, tears stinging at my eyes. “Why did you let me believe everything was fine when it wasn’t? How could you let me sleep upstairs knowing he was underneath us? Your story makes no sense! None of this does!”

He looks up at me, his eyes filled with tears of his own. “Because I knew you wouldn’t believe me. You didn’t know me, and you saw the video. What does that prove besides me losing my temper?” he admits softly.

“Absolutely nothing. The only truthful thing you’ve said so far is that I don’t know you. And you are right about that!” I turn to leave when he speaks again.

“Stay here then, I’ll leave,” he tells me, and I scoff.

“Please, Cleo!” he begs, taking a step closer to me. “Let me do this for you. Just let me keep you safe.”

“Safe?” I scoff, feeling the bitterness rise within me. “Do you think I feel safe with you now? After everything?”

“Look, I know I messed up,” he admits, his gaze locked on mine. “I was trying to protect you, Cleo. I swear, I would never hurt you.”

His words wrap around my heart, squeezing it painfully. “I don’t know if I can believe that anymore, Zayn,” I whisper, my voice breaking.

“Then let me prove it to you,” he pleads, his hands gripping my shoulders. I shiver at the intensity of his touch. Memories flooding back to me. “Stay at least until your birthday, please.”

“I…” I hesitate, my resolve wavering. Then I remember the lies and the betrayal, and I force myself to pull away from him. “No, Zayn. I can’t. Not until I know the truth.”

“Please, Cleo,” he whispers. His breath warm against my neck as he pulls me close once more. His lips brush against my skin, sending a shiver down my spine. “I can’t lose you.”

“Stop,” I choke out, tears forming in my eyes. My whole body trembles with desire and frustration, my emotions warring within me. “I can’t do this, Zayn. I don’t know who to trust anymore, and you were the one person I hoped I could count on.”

The distance between us feels insurmountable, the gulf of lies and secrets too wide to bridge. My body trembles with the effort of holding back tears – and the undeniable urge to run into his arms and forget everything. He must see the conflict on my face because he sighs heavily

“Alright,” he relents, stepping back and releasing me. “Fine, but I’m not letting you sleep on the streets or without guards.”

He ignores my protests when I tell him I don’t want guards, dialing a number on his phone. “I’m booking you a room. You’ll be safe there. I won’t have you on the damn streets, Cleo.”

As I watch him make arrangements, the cold knot of betrayal tightens in my chest. The man I once thought I knew seems like a stranger now. How could everything have gone so wrong?

A short while later, I find myself standing in the lobby of a modest hotel, a room key card in my hand.

The receptionist gives me a sympathetic look.

I ignore it. My jaw set as I march toward the elevator, Zayn chasing after me trying to convince me to come home with him.

As the doors close, Zayn forces his way into the elevator.

I let out a shaky breath, trying to process everything that has happened.

“Seriously, Zayn, this is not giving me damn space.”

“Just let me walk you up, Cleo.” He argues, pressing the button to the second floor. We step out of the elevator, and he insists on walking me to the room. We walk along the balcony, stopping at my door.

The cold key card in my hand bites into my skin as I swipe it through the reader.

The door clicks open with a soft beep. Stepping inside, the room is small but clean.

Its peaceful atmosphere is a stark contrast to the turmoil raging within me.

I drop my bag on the floor unceremoniously and Zayn tries to talk to me.

I shut the door in his face. He bangs on the door while I sit on the edge of the bed, burying my face in my hands.

How did it come to this? How did everything spiral so far out of control?

Eventually, he gives up and realizes I am not going to speak to him, at least not tonight, and I move to the window.

I see Zayn talking to one of his men downstairs pointing to the room, before he climbs into the car.

I sigh, knowing he assigned me a babysitter.

The door to the Chinese restaurant opens, drawing my attention across the road to see my father staring after Zayn’s car.

I suck in a breath, then his gaze goes to me in the window.

I stagger back, letting the curtain close, wondering if he saw me, though I know he did. He looked directly at me.

The bitter sting of betrayal threatens to suffocate me, and I struggle to keep my emotions in check.

An hour later, a knock on the door startles me from my thoughts, my pulse pounding in my ears. My eyes dart around the room, searching for something to use as a weapon if need be. With a shaky breath, I wipe away the tears clinging to my lashes and stand, opening the door cautiously.

“Dad,” I breathe out in surprise as I find my father standing there.

My father stands before me, his normally stoic expression now softened with concern.

His eyes meet mine, filled with a mix of sadness and understanding.

I take a deep breath, my heart racing. I can feel my tears welling up as I take a step forward and wrap my arms around my father.

He hugs me back tightly, and I feel a wave of emotion wash over me, half expecting him to shove me away. Yet growing up, there was no place I felt safer than on his shoulders or in his arms. That was until all this mess since that stupid Council meeting.

When I step back, he holds up a bag of Chinese food.

“Hungry?” he asks, his graying hair and tired eyes give him an air of vulnerability I’ve never seen before.

“Cleo,” he says gently, his voice betraying his own hurt. I nod and he passes me the bag. After a moment, he says, “I’m sorry,” and his voice cracks with emotion.

“What are you doing here?” The question tumbles from my lips unbidden, my defenses crumbling in the face of his unexpected presence.

“I saw Zayn banging on the window of your room, so I figured I’d check on you,” he replies, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him.

“I came to make sure you’re alright.” He takes a deep breath before continuing.

“I really didn’t mean to interrupt you, especially after…

I knew you wouldn’t take my calls, and Zayn won’t let you near me.

I just wanted to make sure everything was ok.

” He smiles weakly, his expression a mixture of guilt and something else.

“Well, I’m sure you see that I’m not?” The words burst forth, raw and accusing. “Everything I believed in has been shattered. I don’t know who to trust anymore.”

“Trust me,” Dad says softly, reaching out to place a comforting hand on my shoulder. “I know what’s best for you.”

“Is that why you banished me?”

He drops his head, looking ashamed. “I did that out of anger. I never should have, Cleo. By the time I came to my senses and returned, you were gone, you went with him.”

“Zayn said he was trying to protect me,” I murmur, the weight of my uncertainty heavy in my voice.

“Zayn has his own agenda, Cleo,” my father replies, his grip on my shoulder tightening. “You need to focus on what’s best for you and our pack.”

“How can I do that when I don’t even know what’s true?” The ache in my heart is unbearable.

“Give it time,” my father advises, pulling me into a tight embrace. His familiar scent washes over me, bringing with it a sense of comfort and safety I haven’t felt in so long. “Things will become clear eventually.”

After a few moments, I reluctantly let him go. “How did you get past Zayn’s man downstairs?” I ask him.

“Knocked him out.”

I place my hands on my hips. “Really, Dad?”

“I put him in the garden, it’s not like I left him on the stairs to be trampled.” I roll my eyes, and he moves to the small kitchenette and grabs some forks before handing me a plastic dish full of Chinese. “So are you going to tell me what you and Zayn were arguing about?” he asks.

I shrug; I don’t trust anyone right now, least of all the men in my life, and that means my father, especially after learning about the rogues my father banished.

At the same time, he is my father, and I know he loves me in his own way.

Even if he struggles to convey that, especially now that I’m older.

The dim light of the room casts shadows on my father’s face, highlighting the deep lines etched into his forehead. I can see the weariness in his eyes, but there’s also a glint of determination that I’ve always admired.

“Tell me everything,” he says, his voice low and firm. I take a shaky breath, preparing myself for the tough conversation ahead.