Page 73 of Chained By the Alpha (Claimed Duet #1)

· Zayn ·

I pull up to the gates of Alpha Joseph’s territory, unable to focus on a conversation with Vance until this is settled.

The guards stiffen at the sound, their posture betraying them, ready for a fight they hope to avoid when they recognize my car.

They know who I am, what I’m capable of, and the power that thrums within me, knowing they are no match.

“Open the gate,” I tell them, and they glance at each other.

“We can’t do that, you’re not permitted here,” Beta Mitchel says, and I roll my eyes, climbing out the car, they instantly back up.

One guard hesitates, his eyes darting to his companion in uncertainty. Impatience flares hot in my veins. I don’t have time to watch them piss their pants while they debate letting me in or not.

Without waiting another second, I walk over and snatch the gate controller from the nearest guard’s hand.

His fingers barely brush against mine, as he reaches for it.

A quick press of the button, and the gates groan open like the maw of some rusty old beast. With a flick of my wrist, I toss the controller back to the guard who gapes at me then at his Beta looking for direction.

I raise an eyebrow at the Beta daring him to stop me.

His eyes glaze over, and I know he is mindlinking Joseph.

I can feel their eyes on me as I slide back into the driver’s seat, my movements deliberate and full of purpose. As I drive through the gates, I sense Zarek, pacing restlessly beneath my skin, eager for confrontation, ready to protect what’s ours.

Gravel crunches under the tires as I bring my car to a halt in front of the packhouse. The moment is charged, the stillness before a storm. I’m out of the car in an instant, my senses heightened, every muscle coiled and ready.

Before I can even slam the door shut, Alpha Joseph erupts from the entrance like a force of nature, his powerful frame radiating fury. “You’ve got some balls, waltzing into my pack unannounced,” he roars, closing the distance between us with purposeful strides.

I stand my ground, feeling Zarek stir beneath my skin, eager for a confrontation. “Not your lands. They belong to my mate, not you. And I will prove it. But for now, I’m here to collect her things,” I counter, my voice steady, laced with a dangerous edge.

His nostrils flare, and his eyes are ablaze with anger, the air thick with the promise of aggression. He’s inches from me now, close enough I can see the veins throbbing at his temples, showing his barely restrained wrath.

My proximity draws out a deep, guttural growl from his chest, and I can almost taste the bitterness of his defeat.

“Why are you here, if you’re looking for Cleo she is—”

“At my place,” I answer, shoving past him and his shocked face. I walk up the few steps into the house, letting myself in. He doesn’t stop me, though I can tell he wants to. The reminder of our last run in and how he had his ass handed to him must still be fresh on his mind.

“Your arrogance will be your downfall, Zayn,” he hisses, trailing after me as I head toward the staircase.

“Arrogance is thinking you can keep me from what’s mine,” I shoot back over my shoulder.

“Where’s your proof, then? Show me this so-called claim you have!” Joseph bellows, a desperate edge creeping into his voice. “I want to speak to my daughter!”

“She has a phone, call her and confirm it,” I tell him.

My boots thud against the polished floor, each step an echo in the vast foyer. Alpha Joseph’s veins bulge with fury, his aura darkening the air around us. “You can’t just walk into my house,” he snarls as I make a beeline for the staircase.

“Where is my daughter? Did you kidnap her again?” His accusation bites at my heels, but it’s nothing compared to the fire inside me.

“Kidnap?” I spin around, facing him halfway up the stairs. My eyes narrow, drilling into his. His words are like spurs digging into my side, igniting an anger that roils beneath my skin.

Zarek stirs, ready to pounce at any provocation. I clench my fists, feeling my nails dig into my palms while my heart beats a wild rhythm, eager for the clash.

“Let’s get one thing straight, Joseph,” I growl, the words laced with venom. “I don’t need to take anyone by force. Cleo is mine, and she came to me willingly. I’ve never forced your daughter into anything. Unlike you, I actually give a shit about her.”

His eyes flash, a father’s concern mingling with his rage. I see through it—all of it. It’s control he fears losing, power slipping from his grasp like grains of sand. He’s desperate, cornered, and dangerous. But so am I.

“You think you’re worthy of her?” he challenges, chest heaving with every heavy breath.

“More than you ever were,” I shoot back, each word a hammer strike to his ego.

“Watch yourself,” he warns, a low threat that vibrates through the space between us.

“Or what?” I take a step down, closing the distance, our faces inches apart. “Because you’ll lose more than just your pride today if you test me.” He knows he’s outmatched, still his stubbornness roots him in place.

“Go ahead, Alpha. Make your move.”

He doesn’t move. Instead, he swallows hard, the sound loud in the tense silence. At that moment, I know I have him. Not just because I’m stronger, but because I know nothing he says will convince her to go back to him now.

With a smirk, I turn away from Joseph, climbing the stairs two at a time, the battle lines drawn. This house may hold memories for Cleo, yet it’s no longer her home. Her future lies elsewhere, with me, far from her father’s tyranny.

We reach the top of the stairs, and I pause for a moment, letting my gaze sweep over him as I try to figure out which one is her room. In this charged silence, the raw power of my Alpha presence fills the space, a reminder of the beast within that’s ready to bare its teeth.

“Her room. Now,” I demand.

Joseph’s jaw clenches, his eyes narrowing into slits. “That one.” He points to the last door in the hall, and I move toward it while he pulls his phone from his pocket.

I enter Cleo’s room. Her scent envelops me, a mixture of jasmine and something uniquely her, intoxicatingly sweet, making my mouth water.

I begin to gather her things, each item a piece of the life she’s leaving behind— and the life we’re about to build together. Joseph paces behind me, his phone to his ear as he waits for her to answer. She does and he places the phone on loudspeaker.

“Hey, Dad,” she answers, and I smirk hearing her voice.

“Where are you? Why is Zayn saying you’re at his place? What about Boyd!” he demands, not even bothering to say hello, and I growl at his tone.

We both wait for her answer. She is quiet for a second.

“Because I am, Dad,” she finally says, her voice echoing in the silent room.

The phone slips from Joseph’s hand, landing on the carpet with a muted thud. His face pales, the lines of his face seeming sharper in his shock. The world seems to hold its breath.

A moment of heavy silence follows that announcement. You could hear a pin drop. Then Joseph fumbles for the phone again, scrambling to pick it up from where it lies forgotten on the floor.

“Boyd… You are supposed to marry—” he stammers into the phone.

“He isn’t my mate, Dad,” Cleo responds firmly. “Zayn is.”

There’s a finality in her tone that has Joseph reeling back as if slapped. He looks at me then, betrayal etched across his features. But there is also a grudging acceptance there; an understanding that there is no denying a mate bond.

“Cleo,” Joseph starts again and she cuts him off this time.

“I love you, Dad,” she says, and I can almost see her there with us in that room, standing her ground just like I was doing. “But I’m not rejecting my mate. You promised me if he was my mate, you’d find a way out of that deal with Dane, he is my mate.”

Her words hang in the air. “Dad?” she asks when he says nothing. He looks on the verge of having a panic attack.

“I’m here, I’m trying to process what you’re saying,” he mumbles, falling heavily onto the edge of the bed.

I continue packing, listening as he tells her he has to go. Tossing her belongings into a duffel bag with more force than necessary, unable to shake off the bitter taste of victory. There is no triumph in tearing a father from his daughter, even if it means claiming what’s rightfully mine.

Joseph ends the call without saying another word.

I zip up the bag, feeling the weight of it as I toss it on the bed beside him.

“Can you think of anything else she needs from here?” My voice slices through the tension as I pivot to face Joseph. He’s still perched on the edge of the bed staring at the phone in his hand, his worry carving deep lines into his weathered face.

He looks at me, and for a moment, I see the years of worry, the weight of an Alpha pressing down on him. I know this must be hard losing a daughter and a pack to his rival. That sympathy evaporates when I remember the pain he’s inflicted on her—the woman who owns my soul.

Joseph swallows, his eyes flicking to me then away from mine, a silent admission he cannot win now with a mate bond involved.

When he doesn’t answer I move to grab the bag to leave when Joseph’s eyes harden, the blue of them like chips of ice.

“You can’t have her,” he mutters defiantly, clinging to his crumbling authority.

A dark chuckle escapes me, rumbling through the tension-thick room. “Not for you to decide,” I shoot back, my voice laced with contempt. Zarek bristles beneath my skin, but I keep him in check—for now.

“Either you tell me what Dane has over you and let me help you, or…” I let the words hang, a silent ultimatum that vibrates through the air between us.

Joseph’s jaw clenches, and he looks away, the internal battle clear on his face. I’m not here for his inner turmoil, I’m here for her. The thought of Cleo waiting for me only makes me want to leave more.

“Dane knows things; things that could destroy this pack,” he spits out, the word heavy with defeat.