Bonds

Chapter 29

-Alex’s POV-

Let out an irritated sigh before moving towards Miranda. Amaya was already gone, whisked away by Natalia who looked like she was about to erupt Eke a volcano, Miranda was still sprawled on the floor, clutching her face and letting out a string of very undignified s o b s. The bartender woman who had been at Amaya’s side, was staring wide-eyed at the scene.

“Please sir,” she squeaked, “You two need to leave. Now.”

I shot her a glare that instantly clamped her mouth shut. She took a nervous step back, her eyes darting between me and the whimpering mess on the floor. Reaching down, I grabbed Miranda’s arm, intending to help her up.

“Don’t touch me!” she shrieked, slapping my hand away with surprising force. The entire bar had fallen silent, everyone’s attention focused on the unfolding drama. The air c**d with tension, thick with the scent of stale beer and the uncomfortable silence that followed Miranda’s outburst. It was starting to grate on my nerves.

“Enough of this,” 1 growled, my voice low and dangerous. “Get up right now. You’re making a scene and starting to irritate me. A lot.”

My words seemed to have the desired effect. Miranda, perhaps sensing the shift in atmosphere, finally stopped her sobbing fit. Sniffling back tears, she scrambled to her feet, grabbing her purse with one hand and wiping at her red-rimmed eyes with the other. Without a word, she stalked towards the exit, her shoulders hunched as if trying to shrink away from the curious stares of the patrons.

I followed close behind, casting a final look around the bar. Every head was still turned, eyes wide with a mixture of fear and morbid curiosity. With a m**l groan, I sent a quick text message to Christian, outlining the situation and asking him to deal with any potential fallout. There would definitely be questions in the morning, and Christian, with his talent for smooth-talking and discreet intimidation, was the best person to handle them.

Stepping out into the cool night air, I closed the door to the bar behind me with a heavy thud. The street was quiet, a stark contrast to the chaos I had just left behind. Taking a deep breath, I let out a long sigh, the tension slowly draining from my shoulders. This whole night had been a mess, from the surprise encounter with Amaya to the brawl with Miranda. I just wanted to go home, crawl into bed, and forget the entire evening ever happened.

But she would not let me. As if she suddenly felt my presence, she stopped walking, turning around to face me, “This is all your fault, you know,” she hissed.

I grunted noncommittally, focusing on the flickering streetlight overhead.

She continued, her voice rising with each word, “You just stood there like a statue while that… that she-wolf attacked me!”

“You weren’t exactly playing saint, Miranda,” I finally interjected, my voice flat and devoid of any emotion. It felt easier that way, a shield against the chaos of the night.

“A saint?” she scoffed, throwing her hands up in the air. “She’s the one who lunged at me like a rabid dog! All because of some s**d remark I made. And you just watched!”

“You were provoking her,” I pointed out, my tone even, almost bored. The truth was, the whole fight had happened so fast it was a blur. But I wasn’t about to admit that to her.

“Oh, so now I’m the bad guy?” she shrieked, “You k

know what? Maybe you were happy to see Amaya humiliate me like that. Maybe that’s why you didn’t

try to

flicker of annoyance crossing my features despite my

she threw her hands up in the air, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Is that what you call it? Come on,

know what your problem is, Miranda,” I said, my voice tight. “But something definitely is wrong with you. You asked me to come here, Why were you even herd in the first place? Were

her? Don’t be ridiculous, had no idea the would be here. It’s a small city and I came here to

All I wanted was to get away from the

I

following anyone.

I challenged,

you have a thing for Amaya still. No matter how much

for her. I told you before, she is a thing of

“oh,

your face! You were practically glowing when you saw her. Still hopelessly

your heart.”

I snapped. “And you have no

hung up on her. And no matter what you do, she’s never going to take

words hit a nerve, a raw vulnerability I desperately tried to keep hidden. Silence stretched between us, thick and suffocating Miranda seemed to take

what we can’t have. Maybe that’s why we work so well together. We understand each

of something more than sympathy. My gut clenched, a primal instinct warning me to take a step back. But before

to pull away,

me for a while. Forget about Amaya. Forget about everything else. Just us,

for a moment, I faltered. The loneliness that had been gnawing

Amaya’s face flashed in my mind. “Miranda, stop it,” I growled, pushing her away. She stumbled back, a look of shock and hurt on her face. “You haven’t f**d me since she came back into the picture. I know you, Alex. I know

was flat,

face hardened, the vulnerability replaced by a cold anger that mirrored my own. “Fine,” she spat.

a surge of anger rise within me, hot and primal. “Shut up, Miranda!” I roared, my voice laced with a

then squared her shoulders, defiance flickering in her eyes. “What will you do if I

tension. In that moment, the world around us seemed to fade away. The anger that had been simmering beneath the surface for the entire night boiled over. My vision narrowed, focusing solely

through me. It was a hunger, a need to overpower, to silence. Before I could even process what was happening, my body moved on its

grabbing her upper arms. Her gasp of surprise was cut short as I pulled her roughly against me The heat of her body sent a jolt through me, but it was quickly overshadowed by the burning intensity of

chest. My voice wasn’t mine anymore, it was

Her bravado seemed to falter under the intensity of my gaze. For a terrifying moment, I just held her there, the primal urge to dominate warring with a sliver of reason clinging to the edges of my mind. Her scent, a mix of perfume and sonsething distinctly hers, filled my senses, igniting a

hunger inorphed into something more… urgent. Without any conscious