Page 65 of Chained By the Alpha (Claimed Duet #1)

“Pride is all we have left. Without this alliance, the pack faces bankruptcy and will be dismantled. It is already past that point. The only thing ensuring the pack remains in our family is with you marrying Boyd.” He steps forward, crowding my space, his authority enveloping me.

“Boyd will bring stability, resources…” He studies me as if seeing me for the first time. “And perhaps, in time, you may be happy with him.”

“Happy?” The laugh that escapes me is hollow, mocking. “And what of my mate when I find them? Can’t you see how wrong this is?”

“Right or wrong, it’s necessary.” He turns away, his shoulders sagging. “It’s the price of peace, the cost of safeguarding our people and ensuring we don’t lose our pack and way of life.”

“Even if it means sacrificing your daughter’s happiness?” I whisper the enormity of the situation pressing down on me like a physical force.

“Especially then.” His voice is barely audible, and when he looks back at me, there’s a sheen of unshed tears in his eyes. “Because that’s what leaders and Alphas do. We bear the burdens so others don’t have to.”

I want to rage against him, to fight and claw for my chance at happiness. As I stand here, watching the man who raised me, who’s battling demons I’m only just beginning to comprehend, my spirit falters.

“If it’s money, there are other ways. What else has he got over you?”

“Besides that, something that will send me to prison for the rest of my life. Is that what you want, Cleo?” he asks.

I swallow. “What?”

He looks away. “There is a reason Zayn was forced to kill his father. Misguided, but I am that reason. I had no choice; this is why I wanted you away from Zayn. If he knew, he would kill you as revenge. I thought he figured it out when he started showing interest in you; I thought maybe Dane let it slip.”

“Let what slip?”

“It doesn’t matter right now. I just need you to do this until I find another way or find something to blackmail Dane back with.”

Images of Zayn flash before my eyes, igniting a painful yearning deep within my chest. Was it all a lie?

“Listen to me, Cleo.” My father’s voice cracks with urgency. “Dane is offering a way out, a chance to stop a war between packs. He’s giving us a lifeline, one we can’t refuse right now.”

“Lifeline?” I scoff, anger flaring. “Or a leash for him to control us both?”

“Control is better than destruction and the dismantling of our pack. If we refuse, Dane will expose everything.” His gaze hardens. “Our pack will be torn apart. We’ll lose everything.”

The weight of it all crushes me. “So we bow to him? Let him dictate who I share my bed with? Who marks me?”

“It’s not just about us!” Father’s voice thunders through the room. “Think of the pack—our people’s lives and homes at stake.”

“Is there no other way?” I plead with him; this can’t be the only option, surely.

“None that doesn’t lead to war or worse.” He steps closer, his presence commanding even now.“Sometimes duty must come before desire.” He reaches out to cup my face, a gesture so tender it unravels me. “You have to do what’s necessary.”

“I…” My protest dies on my lips, the reality settling in like a winter’s chill.

“This is the only thing you have left of your mother, Cleo. You’re not just any wolf—you’re an Alpha’s daughter.

You were born to lead and make difficult decisions.

” Tears blur my vision as the weight of my impending fate anchors me to the spot.

“True love is selfless. It puts the needs of others above its own.”

“Don’t fucking guilt-trip me, Dad. You’re not the one being forced into a marriage,” I spit at him.

“Promise me you’ll consider this, Cleo. For the pack.” His voice is agonized, but the resolve in his eyes doesn’t waver. My heart splinters under the weight of the impossible choice before me.

“I don’t know if I can love him,” I finally whispered. The admission is painful, seeing the disappointment in his eyes.

“Love is… overrated.” He sighs. “Respect, loyalty, and a partnership built on shared purpose—that’s what lasts.

” I want to argue that he’s wrong, that love should be all-consuming.

Yet, I understand the magnitude of the sacrifice he’s asking of me.

Vaguely, I nod, as if agreeing to even consider this atrocity isn’t an affront to everything I believe in.

“I promise,” I whisper, sealing my fate with the word, the very essence of my freedom slipping through my fingers like grains of sand. Relief washes over his features, yet the sorrow in his eyes reflects my own.

As I leave the room, each step feels heavier than the last, my mind reeling from the enormity of the decision before me. I am to be bartered away, my happiness is a currency for peace, and to ensure I don’t lose my mother’s pack or see my father behind bars.

Yet, it has me curious about what my father did, that he believes Zayn would kill me for revenge. That revelation now has me questioning whether Zayn knows and whether this was his plan all along to divide us and watch our pack crumble to expose the truth.

Despite the turmoil within me, I know my duty—to protect my pack, to honor my family, to be the leader I was raised to be, even if it means standing beside Boyd instead of Zayn.

I never thought I would spend my birthday picking out a wedding dress so I could marry someone I can’t stand. All for an unwanted marriage agreement because my father is being blackmailed.

As I stand in the wedding dress shop, I’m overwhelmed.

Linda offered to come with me, though I think more out of ensuring I pick a dress and not run off.

I refused. This was hard enough without her flaunting it in my face.

The only plus side of today is that sometime tonight, I will get my wolf, and maybe I won’t feel so lonely in this decision.

The chiffon of the wedding gown whispers against my skin like a lover’s secret, and I spin slowly in front of the mirror, watching the fabric billow around me. Nightshade City buzzes just beyond the boutique’s windows, alive with a heartbeat that seems to mock my own erratic pulse.

“Stunning,” Sarah, the assistant coos, clasping her hands together as if in prayer. “You look like an absolute vision, Cleo.”

“Thank you,” I murmur, the words feeling hollow. The reflection staring back at me is a carefully constructed facade – blonde hair cascading in soft waves. My green eyes should sparkle with joy, instead flicker with uncertainty, all hidden beneath layers of white, a symbol of freedom now ensnared.

“Are you okay, honey?” Sarah asks, tilting her head, her brow furrowed in concern.

I smile tightly and nod, trying to convince both the assistant and myself I am fine. The truth is, I am far from it. My heart is heavy and the thought of spending the rest of my life with a man I don’t love makes me nauseous.

My teeth bite into my lip. “Just… overwhelmed.”

The truth is more complicated, tangled like the intricate lace on the bodice of this dress. It’s supposed to be the happiest day of a person’s life. How can it be, when every choice feels like a betrayal?

“Would you like to try another one?” Her voice cuts through my reverie, and I nod, desperate for distraction.

“You’ll love this one, though it may need some adjustments.”

I feel like an outsider observing my life unfold. Sarah leads me back to the dressing room where another dress is waiting for its final alterations.

“It’s going to be perfect,” she assures me with a smile.

No matter how many times I hear those words, they do little to ease the knot in my stomach. I stand there in my ill-fitting dress, surrounded by people who are planning a wedding that means nothing to me. I wonder how different things would be if I had just stood up to my father.

It’s too late for regrets now. The deal has been made, and backing out would only bring more disgrace upon our family name – something my father cannot afford.

I retreat to the changing room, the silkiness of the gown I slip off feels like an unearned caress. I’m playing dress-up, pretending to be a blushing bride when I’m anything but. Shadowcrest Pack—my pack—would never understand.

“Beautiful dresses can’t mask ugly truths,” I whisper to my reflection, watching as another version of myself emerges in a dress with more beading, more promise.

“Everything okay in there, Cleo?” The assistant’s voice is muffled through the curtain.

“Almost ready!” I call back, my voice steady despite the storm raging within.

I step out once more, presenting myself for inspection. The new dress hugs my curves. I think of Boyd, the man I’m bound to marry, and then, unbidden, Zayn’s image flashes in my mind.

“Your father will love this one,” Sarah assures me, oblivious to the war waging within me.

“Perhaps,” I say, my thoughts spiraling.

“Let’s go with this one,” I decide, surprising even myself. “It’s perfect.”

“Excellent choice,” she beams, not noticing the way my hands tremble as I move to sign the check when she stops me. “No, Alpha Dane is covering it,” she assures me, and I chew my lip.

I’m stuck in the boutique for hours while she fixes the measurements of the dress, but going home without it isn’t an option since Alpha Dane is speeding the wedding up to this weekend.

He wants a prompt wedding now that I’ve agreed so I can’t try to back out, leaving me little hope of my father finding me a way out of this mess.

When I do leave, though, I can’t bring myself to head straight home.

Instead, I weave through the thrumming city streets, my freshly acquired wedding dress, a silken promise of a future I’m not sure I want.

The cacophony of honking cars and chattering pedestrians is a welcome distraction until I barge into someone by accident.

“What do you think you’re doing?” a voice growls from behind.

My heart stutters to a stop as I whirl around. The world narrows to those silver eyes, burning into me with an intensity that leaves me breathless. Zayn.

“Zayn,” I gasp.