Bonds

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 p r i c k Daniel Stone. Of all the people that could have fathered her, it just had to be him.”

history. Daniel Stone, the Alpha of the rival Crescent pack, had been a thorn in my side for as long as I could

don’t give a damn about Daniel Stone,” I growled, the words a low rumble in my chest. “She’s mine. And

on, Romeo,” He scoffed. “Don’t get all possessive on me. This isn’t some fairy tale. She’s not a damsel in distress waiting to be swept off her feet by the

of course. From the moment 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 stop it no matter how hard I tried

the plan, then, Casanova?” he continued, his voice laced with a challenge. “Shower her with expensive gifts? Serenade her under her window? Stalk her? Kidnap her? Force her to be with you? Because I don’t think she would go

This wouldn’t be easy. Claiming a mate from

Chapter 37

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pulsed

figured it out yet,” I admitted, frustration gnawing at me. “But one thing’s for

studied me for a long moment, a flicker of concern replacing his earlier amusement. “Just be careful,

his gaze, my own unwavering. “I know the risks,” I said. “But this… this is different. This is my

settling between us. The path ahead wouldn’t be easy, but

he sprang to his feet, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. “Alright, enough brooding,” he declared, clapping me on the back. “Let’s go see what this

reluctant smile tugged at the corner of my lips. “We’re not going anywhere near her, Adrian, When I see her again, I want her to be mine,” I finished, the

bit. A little harmless curiosity wouldn’t hurt, would it? Besides, I wouldn’t mind seeing the woman who’s got you all worked

not harmless curiosity, Adrian,” I countered, my voice firm but laced with a hint of amusement at his usual daredevil tendencies. “This is serious. We don’t want to s p o her or cause an

a national pastime for werewolves, right? We can just observe from afar, gather some intel. No need to get all Alpha

playfully, pushing myself out of the

slinging an arm around my shoulder as we headed towards the door. “Don’t be such a stick in the mud. Besides, you know you’re curious too. What is she

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 for conflict between our packs, had kept me at a distance. But the thought of