Bonds

Chapter 44

-Alex’s POV-

I slumped back in my chair, the weight of the morning’s news settling heavily on my shoulders. Miranda, with her usual brand of twisted amusement, had informed me of the merger between Amaya’s and Ivan’s packs. Individually, each pack hold considerable power, but combined, they were a force to be reckoned with. A grudging part of me acknowledged the strategic brilliance of the move, but the thought of their combined strength sent a jolt of irritation through me.

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What bothered me most was how smoothly things seemed to be progressing between them. My wolf growled in frustration, a primal echo of the anger simmering beneath the surface.

‘She doesn’t matter anymore, I repeated to myself, a mantra I’d been chanting for weeks now. Amaya had hurt me, betrayed me, and I wouldn’t allow myself to be consumed by these lingering feelings.

Just then, the soft tap–tap–tap of heels on the hardwood floor broke through my reverie. “Sir?” My head snapped up to meet the concerned gaze of Ruth, my ever–patient personal assistant.

“What?” I barked, the harshness of my tone surprising even me. Truth be told, I’d been on edge all morning, and Amaya’s name hanging in the air hadn’t helped matters.

Why did she have to come back and disrupt everything?

Ruth flinched slightly. She was a master at navigating my moods, but even her calm demeanor seemed to falter under my glare. “I was just reminding you about your appointment at two o’clock, sir,” she said softly.

Appointment? My brow furrowed in irritation. What appointment could possibly be important enough to tear me away turmoil brewing within me?

“Appointment with who?” I asked, forcing myself to sound somewhat professional.

“The interior designer, sir,” She replied.

from the

The reminder sent another wave of annoyance crashing through me. The whole redesign project felt trivial compared to the sanity struggle brewing in my head.

Couldn’t it wait?

the words tumbling

her brow creasing slightly. “I did check, sir,” she said carefully. “But the interior designer said she wouldn’t be available any

available?‘ The implication that the designer, whoever she was, had the audacity to dictate my schedule was infuriating. Yet, a part of me knew she was right. Putting off the renovations any longer

I ran a hand through my hair. “Fine,” I muttered, the anger still

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face of my obvious frustration. “Of course, sir,” she said, her voice regaining its usual calm efficiency. “Is there anything else I

unable to muster the energy for any further conversation. The weight of the day, the simmering anger, and the unwelcome resurgence of Amaya in my life, all pressed down on me, leaving me feeling drained and out

her with a wave of my hand. “Just

Dealing with the interior designer could wait. Right now, I needed a way to quell the relentless anger

the morning crawled by in a blur of paperwork and forced cheer. Just as I was about to call it a day and drown my frustrations in a stiff drink, my phone buzzed on the desk. A glance at the screen revealed a

Today of all days, I was not in the mood for him. With a deep breath, I answered the call. “Christian,” I growled, the remnants of my earlier

his tone cool and detached. “Just

what?” My gut clenched, a premonition of bad news sending

hint of amusement creeping into

“What? How is he getting out?” My voice rose an

of exasperation. “By stepping out of jail, Alex. Seems

my teeth together, the sound grating in my ear. “This can’t be happening,” I snarled. “I thought… I thought we had him locked up for

sympathy. “Look, I just wanted to let you know. Not exactly breaking news,

roared, my frustration boiling over. “I’m not in the

dangerous edge. “Neither am

spat back, my anger mirroring

I bellowed, every word laced,

crackled with disbelief. “Alex, I did what you asked me to. Daniel Stone was a thorn at your side. I had him removed for you. He was investigated, his company fell and he went to jail. All of that, I did,” He ground out, “The courts

can do, Christian,” I shot back, fueled by

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Chapter 44