Bonds of the Alpha Billionaire (Maya and Alex)

Chapter 37

~Alex's POV-

-Seven Years Ago-

The amber liquid swirled in my glass, catching the dim bar light. Adrian, sprawled across the booth from me, mirrored my action, his own drink disappearing with a satisfied grunt.

"So, let me get this straight," he drawled, his voice thick with amusement. "Intense, undeniable connection? You felt all that so that meant you finally found the person you were predestined to be with for the rest of your life? Your mate."

I grunted in reply, the news still settling in my gut like a boulder. A mate. The word itself felt old fashioned, a relic from a bygone era. Yet, here I was, a modern man facing a truth as primal as instinct. "And she's a college freshman? Not just that, she is a Stone." Adrian pressed, a sardonic grin twisting his lips.

"Junior," I corrected, forcing down another gulp of whiskey. The burn did little to soothe the disquiet churning inside me. I knew what he was getting at. I was a thirty year old man. Nine years wasn't so much but trust Adrian to point that out.

He threw his head back and roared with laughter, the sound harsh and grating in the smoky bar. "Brilliant! Just brilliant! Your Moon Goddess really has a twisted sense of humor, doesn't she?"

My jaw clenched, a low growl rumbling in my chest. Adrian, with his infuriating brand of gallows humor, was the only person! could have confided in. But even his amusement felt like sandpaper on a raw wound.

"What's so funny?" I snapped, my voice laced with a dangerous edge.

He sobered up instantly, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Whoa there, big guy. No need to get your fur in a twist. It's just... the irony, you know? Amaya Stone, daughter of that self-righteous prick Daniel Stone. Of all the people that could have fathered her, it just had to be him."

had been a thorn in my side for as long as I could remember. The animosity between our packs ran deep, a

damn about Daniel Stone," I growled, the words a low rumble

some fairy tale. She's not a damsel

I'd laid eyes on her across the bar, I'd known she was anything but ordinary. I couldn't stop myself. I was drawn to her and there waas nothing I could do

laced with a challenge. "Shower her with expensive gifts? Serenade her under her window? Stalk her? Kidnap

be easy. Claiming a mate from a rival pack was a delicate dance, fraught with potential

yet," I admitted, frustration gnawing at me. "But one thing's for sure. I won't let some ancient pack rivalry stand in

his earlier amusement. "Just be careful, Alex," he said finally, his voice low and serious. "This could get

know the risks," I said. "But this... this is different. This is my mate.

hung heavy in the air as we finished our drinks, a silent understanding settling between us. The path ahead wouldn't be easy, but the primal pull of the mate

me on the back. "Let's go see what this woman looks like that's managed to

anywhere near her, Adrian, When I

widened. "Come on, Alex," he chuckled. "Loosen up a bit. A little harmless curiosity wouldn't hurt, would it? Besides,

firm but laced with a hint of amusement at his usual daredevil tendencies. "This is serious. We

stalking from a distance is practically a national pastime for

of the booth. "Stalking is

door. "Don't be such a stick in the mud. Besides, you know you're curious too. What is she like? Maybe she'll be out practicing her wolf form

small spark of curiosity flickered within me. The truth was, I hadn't seen her since I left my mark on her in the bar bathroom after the initial shock of discovering our mate bond. The weight of the situation, the potential

on my shoulder, his earlier amusement replaced by a look of genuine concern. "No matter what, Alex," he said, his voice low and serious. "I'll be with you every