Bonds

Chapter 10

My world narrowed to the unwelcome sight of Alex’s cold state and Miranda’s glittering eyes, their silhouettes framed by the warm glow of the restaurant. “Fancy seeing you here,” Miranda purred, sashaying towards our table with an air of malicious triumph. I blinked, the blood in my veins. suddenly icy. Of all the restaurants in the city, they had to choose this onb7

Ivan felt the shift in the atmosphere, his gaze following mine. His frown mirrored my own, a deep furrow creasing his forehead, “Miranda,” he acknowledged curtly, his voice clipped. I wasn’t sure who he disliked, his sister or Alex.

Miranda, oblivious to the tension she’d created, breezed closer, her voice dripping with sweetness. “Amaya, how lovely to finally meet you! The wedding chaos and pre–dinner frenzy kept us from properly connecting” She extended a manicured hand towards me, eyes glinting with a veiled challenge. “Miranda McCall, Ivan’s charming little sister, And this,” she announced with a theatrical flourish, “is Alex, my fiancé but I am sure you need no introduction.” The way she drew out “fiance” felt like a deliberate barb which was weird because she couldn’t possibly know about my marriage to him.

My father had made sure to bury every connection we ever had, so I was but a shadow in Alex’s life.

A once before.

I forced a smile, plastering it onto my face like a poorly–fitting mask. Straightening my spine, I met her gaze with a chin held high. “It’s lovely to meet you both,” I said, my voice calm despite the storm raging within. “Why don’t you join us?”

My invitation hung in the air, heavy with unspoken tension. Alex remained silent, his unreadable eyes fixed on me. Ivan frowned, a furrow creasing his brow, but stayed quiet.

Miranda’s smile widened, a predatory gleam flashing in her eyes. “Oh, wouldn’t want to intrude on your cozy little date night,” she drawled, dragging out the last word with exaggerated emphasis. “Besides, Alex and I would have made reservations elsewhere if we had known.”

The lie was transparent but none of us said anything

“Nonsense,” Ivan countered finally speaking, his voice low and firm. “There’s plenty of space. Pull up a chair.”

Alex stepped forward, his face unreadable, an impassive mask, “We will go somewhere else,” he said, his voice a rough scrape.

I met his gaze, a silent challenge sparking between us. The past, with its tangled threads of love and betrayal, hung heavy in the air. But this wasn’t then. This was now, and I was no longer the fragile girl he’d left behind.

“It’s fine,” I said, my voice steady despite the tremor in my heart. “The more the merrier, right?”

replaced by a flash of annoyance. She shot me a glare, venom masked by

about what you think of married life. Must be quite different from your

refusing to give her the

voice neutral. “But Ivan and

shot me a grateful glance, a silent reassurance

I didn’t quite understand.

peppered me with thinly veiled insults, each one met with a calm, measured response. Alex remained mostly

to bait me, it wouldn’t work. My wolf stirred feeling Alex’s presence but at the

Chapter 10

:85%會

that brought a smile to

under the table in a silent gesture of support. The touch was electric, sending a jolt of nervous energy through me yet I

wasn’t he saying

bear the suffocating atmosphere any longer. “Excuse me,” I announced,

rose immediately, his worried gaze locked on mine. “I’ll come with

can handle a little stroll on her own. Don’t want to interrupt your

goad me. Turning to ivan, I met his gaze. “I’ll be back

I stepped out into the cool night air. The star–strewn sky felt like a balm on my soul, the crisp air cleansing the acrid

venom from my

breath, I closed my eyes, letting

end, I realized. This was just the beginning of

my feet refused to budge. Whatever Ivan’s silent game with Miranda was, i didn’t want to be part of it. The

me like a glittering jewel box, momentarily distracting me from the turmoil within. Taking a deep breath,

it seemed, had a twisted sense of humor. Because silhouetted against the pale light at the rooftop’s edge stood Alex.

but I held it down, refusing to let him dictate my rhythm. His back was to me, but the tension radiating from him was impossible to ignore..

I asked, my voice

his shoulders clenched subtly. “The same thing you are doing,”

ago, the day he walked away, leaving me a shattered shell of the woman

at the mating mark burning on my shoulder, a constant reminder of our broken bond. At