Page 70 of Chained By the Alpha (Claimed Duet #1)

We were silent the entire ride, the tension between us palpable, neither of us daring to break it.

The large iron gates of the packhouse loom in front of us as Zayn drives up the long driveway and kills the engine.

He turns to face me. The tension between us has reached a boiling point, and I can feel his gaze burning into my skin.

He reluctantly hops out of the car, and I follow quickly as he comes around to my side of the car.

“Cleo,” he says. I peer up at him, and he leans closer, his breath tickling my skin. “Tonight changed things.”

I swallow hard, my heart hammering in my chest as I meet his intense gaze. I know exactly what he means. Our run earlier had sparked something between us, something that can’t be denied.

“I know,” I breathe out, my body tingling with anticipation.

Zayn’s hand cups my cheek, his thumb stroking my cheekbone in a feather-light caress. “I’m never letting you go,” he growls softly, his eyes holding mine captive. “Do you understand?”

I nod, unable to speak as he leans in even closer, our faces mere centimeters apart. Our lips are so close I can feel his warm breath on my skin.

Before I can process what is happening, Zayn’s lips crash onto mine in a fiery kiss. It’s like all the pent-up desire and tension between us explode at once.

His lips move against mine with an urgency that matches my own. Every touch of his lips sets off sparks throughout my body, making me shiver.

I wrap one arm around his neck and pull him closer, deepening the kiss even further. His other hand grips my waist tightly, as if afraid to let me go. Eventually, he pulls away, gripping my chin and tilting my face up to his. He watches me carefully for a second. “Do you, though?” he asks.

“I understand,” I whisper back, my pulse racing wildly under his intense gaze. Yet, I still see no way out of this marriage.

He leans in closer, so close I could feel his hot breath against my skin, and whispers, “Good. As for Boyd and Alpha Dane, I will handle that.” I shake my head, not wanting to talk about my impending wedding.

“No, Zayn, I can’t let you do that,” I protest, my voice weak against the need coursing through my veins.

He stares down darkly at me. “It’s no longer your choice, Cleo.” His voice brooks no argument.

“We will cross that bridge when we get to it,” I say, giving him a weak smile. With that, he leans down and crushes his lips to mine.

My protests melt away as the fire between us ignites once more, our kisses heated and desperate, like we’d been apart for years instead of just days. The kiss is allconsuming, as he leaves no doubt in my mind that I am his and his alone.

He pushes me against the now-closed car door, his body pinning me against it, his hands on either side of my hips, caging me in. “I want you,” he growls against my lips.

“Mine,” Zarek growls, pressing forward again, the primal possessiveness in his tone, makes me shiver with desire as Zayn grips my hips harder. I wrap my legs around his waist. He chuckles against my lips.

“Damn right, you’re mine,” he growls, picking me up in one swift motion and carrying me toward the packhouse.

His hands are firm against my thighs, his silver eyes blazing.

The warmth between us is intoxicating. Our chests heave from the adrenaline, our breaths coming out ragged and desperate.

I can feel Zarek beneath his skin and Luna beneath mine, all of us on the brink of something explosive.

We burst through the front doors, Zayn barely getting them open before we’re inside. He doesn’t bother with the lights, keeping the room ensconced in darkness, lit only by a sliver of moonlight filtering through the window.

He carries me upstairs to his room, kicking open the door with his foot.

He sets me down but doesn’t let go of my waist as he crushes his mouth against mine again.

His kisses are wild and demanding, and I respond eagerly, lost in him.

I run my fingers through his hair as I press my body against his.

He growls and lifts me up again so I am wrapped around him.

He breaks our kiss just long enough to whisper fiercely in my ear, “I mean it, Cleo. You’re mine, always.” There’s a raw intensity in his voice. It’s possessive and protective and a thousand things more.

Before I can respond, he’s laying me down on his bed. His gaze is intense as he takes a moment to gaze at me lying beneath him. He hovers above me for a moment before leaning down to claim my lips again.

The world outside ceases to exist. All that matters is Zayn and the warmth of his body against mine, his breath mingling with mine, his skin on my skin.

All the conflicts and doubts no longer matter.

Whether it’s Alpha Dane or Boyd or even my own father…

everything fades away in the face of this consuming desire.

For now, I am Cleo—Zayn’s Cleo—and that’s all that matters. I trust him when he says he will handle everything else.

“God, Cleo,” he groans, his voice ragged with the strain of his desire. “I’ve wanted you like this since the moment I laid eyes on you.”

His hand goes to the hem of my shirt, fingers teasing the bare skin beneath it as he tugs it off. His eyes rove hungrily over my bare torso and he leans down.

His lips trail down my neck, nipping and sucking on the sensitive skin. I moan in response, my fingers digging into his shoulders as he trails kisses down my chest. When his mouth closes over one of my breasts, I arch my back, reveling in the sensation.

He gazes up at me with dark eyes as he continues to lavish attention on my other breast. “You’re so beautiful, Cleo,” he murmurs against my skin. “I’ve wanted you for so long.”

He leans down to press a kiss against the inside of my knee before trailing his lips up toward my inner thigh. I gasp as he reaches the apex of my legs and runs his tongue along my folds.

Every touch from him sends jolts of electricity through me and I can feel myself getting wetter by the second. When he finally flicks his tongue over that sensitive spot between my legs, pleasure shoots through me like lightning.

“Oh God,” I moan, gripping onto the sheets beneath me as Zayn continues to work his magic. He knows exactly where to touch me, how to make me writhe and squirm beneath him when he stops, moving back up my body, his hesitation making me growl at him.