Chained to the Enemy Alpha -
Chapter 70: The Beast Within
Chapter 70: Chapter 70: The Beast Within
“Hurry!” Ezra barked at his men, his face tense with urgency. “We’re running out of time!”
The air in the cave was tense. Lily watched as the pack warriors struggled to secure the silver chains around Zayn. Shadows danced against the rough stone walls, cast by the torches that lit the cave with an eerie orange glow.
Outside, the full moon hung in the center of the night sky.
A bone-chilling roar erupted from Zayn’s throat as he doubled over, his body contorting unnaturally.
“Fuck!” Zayn cursed as his knees hit the ground. The transformation had begun earlier than anticipated. Lily’s heart hammered against her ribs as she watched in horror, backed against the cave wall.
“Restrain him now!” Ezra shouted, lunging forward with a length of silver-infused chain.
The pack warriors moved in unison, but they were no match for Zayn in his crazed state. With one swipe, three warriors flew across the cave, crashing hard against the stone walls.
Lily pressed herself against the cold stone wall, unable to tear her eyes away as Zayn’s transformation accelerated. His spine elongated with sickening cracks. His shoulders broadened, muscles rippling beneath his skin as it darkened to a shadowy gray. His face contorted, jaw extending into a partial muzzle while his teeth sharpened.
Seconds later, he was barely recognizable. He was neither man nor wolf, a beast that stood on powerful hind legs, with claws that could shred through flesh like butter. But most terrifying were his eyes. Blood red and glowing with feral rage.
A splitting headache suddenly tore through Lily’s skull. She clutched her head as the pain paralyzed her. Voices flooded her mind.
KILL... HURT... PAIN...
No! Control... must control...
The conflicting thoughts crashed through her consciousness like violent waves. But the voice was familiar. It was Zayn. These were his thoughts. She was hearing his internal battle as his human side fought for dominance over his wolf.
Through tear-filled eyes, she watched as more brave warriors risked their lives to approach Zayn, only to be tossed aside like ragdolls. Blood spattered against the stone floor. Growls and screams echoed throughout the cave.
Ezra darted forward, moving with the speed and precision of a born Beta. He managed to loop a chain around one of Zayn’s wrists before being kicked squarely in the chest. The force sent him skidding across the ground, his face contorted in pain.
“We can’t contain him!” one warrior shouted, backing away as Zayn snapped his jaws at anyone who dared approach.
Lily pushed herself to her feet, ignoring the pounding in her head. She knew what she had to do. She had a purpose to serve. Zayn wanted her to be here for a reason.
When all else failed, she was the only one he could count on.
She staggered toward Ezra, who was struggling to stand. When he saw her approaching, his eyes widened.
“Get back!” he ordered, wiping blood from his mouth. “It’s not safe!”
Lily, still wincing from the splitting headaches, persisted. She reached for the notebook Zayn had given her. Her hands trembled as she scribbled her idea and showed it to him.
‘Let me help. I’ll distract him while you chain him.’
Ezra shook his head vehemently. “Absolutely not. He’ll tear you apart.”
Lily wrote again, more urgently this time.
‘He won’t hurt me. I trust Zayn.’
“No, this.... This is suicide,” Ezra argued, but his eyes darted to his fallen packmates.
They were running out of options.
Lily pursed her lips. She wasn’t giving up. She scribbled again.
‘My life isn’t worth anything but theirs do.’ She pointed at the fallen pack warriors were struggling to stand.
Though they were wounded, they still wanted to help.
How could Ezra watch on as his fellow comrades risked their lives when a better solution was available before them?
‘Let me help.’ Lily gently tapped on those words she had written in her notebook with a solemn expression.
Ezra clenched his jaw. What other choice did he have?
“Fine, what do you need?” He asked.
Lily pointed to the dagger on his belt. He furrowed his brows, unsure what she needed it for, but wasn’t about to argue. Ezra passed her a small silver dagger from his belt. She took it gratefully and immediately dragged the blade across her palm. Blood seeped from the fresh wound that formed, rich and red.
Zayn snapped his head around in Lily’s direction, nostrils flaring. A low growl rumbled from his chest as he inhaled her scent, now intensified by the fresh blood. Lily’s heartbeat thundered in her ears, but she held her ground, palm outstretched.
In her mind, Zayn’s thoughts began to change, his voice growing stronger, clearer.
Lily... mate... MINE...
His eyes flickered, the red giving way to shimmering gold for brief moments before returning to crimson. The battle for control was evident in every muscle of his powerful body.
“Now!” Ezra whispered to the warriors still able to fight. “Get ready with the chains!”
Lily took a step forward, then another. Zayn’s gaze never left her, tracking her every movement like a predator. When she was just a few inches away, she stopped, holding his stare.
In a blur of movement that stole her breath, Zayn pounced. Lily heard shouts of alarm from behind her but remained perfectly still as Zayn’s massive form knocked her to the ground. His claws dug into the stone floor on either side of her head, caging her beneath him.
Her heart pounded in her chest, but her gaze remained locked on his.
Time stood still. She stared up at his wild eyes, refusing to show fear. Then, she felt it—the mate mark on her neck pulsed with sudden heat, sending waves of warmth through her body.
Zayn lowered his face to her neck, inhaling deeply at the mark he’d left on her skin. A rumbling sound, almost like a purr, vibrated from his chest.
“Now!” Ezra shouted.
The warriors moved with newfound courage, throwing chains around Zayn’s distracted form. For a moment, they seemed to have the upper hand as the silver chains tightened around his limbs.
Zayn roared in fury, thrashing against his restraints as they pulled him off Lily. She scrambled backward, watching as he fought the chains with terrifying strength.
The chains began to snap, link by link. The warriors backed away, eyes wide with fear. But before they could flee, Zayn’s voice, rough and strained but unmistakably human, cut through the chaos.
“LEAVE US!” he commanded, the Alpha authority in his tone unmistakable. “ALL OF YOU, OUT!”
Ezra wanted to get Lily out of there, too. But he couldn’t do anything but obey. The pack warriors began retreating toward the cave entrance too, obeying their Alpha’s command.
Lily remained where she was, frozen not by fear but by fascination. Unlike the others, she felt no compulsion to leave. The mate bond had shielded her from his command.
Zayn approached her carefully once more, his movements no longer erratic. Though still in his half-shifted form, his eyes had cleared to their natural gold. He stopped before her, towering over her smaller frame.
‘Don’t worry,’ his voice echoed clearly in her mind, startling her. ‘Thanks to you, I am in control. Tell them not to worry. I will return. I just need to clear my mind.’
Before she could respond, he turned and left the cave, disappearing into the shadows of the moonlit forest.
“After him!” Ezra called, starting forward. “We can’t let him—”
Lily ran out of the cave, grabbing Ezra’s arm. She shook her head vehemently.
“You don’t know what he can do. He could-”
Lily furiously scribbled in her notebook, and the blood from the wound on her palm stained the paper she showed him.
‘Trust Zayn. He is in control.’
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