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 out before I could

sir,” she said carefully. “But the interior designer said she wouldn’t be

tinderbox. “Wouldn’t be available?‘ The implication that the designer, whoever she was, had the audacity to dictate my schedule

I ran a hand through my hair. “Fine,” I muttered, the anger still clinging to my voice. “Tell her I’ll

Chapter 44

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a faint smile, a small victory in the face of my obvious frustration. “Of course, sir,” she said,

conversation. The weight of the day, the simmering anger, and the unwelcome resurgence

that’s all, Ruth,” I mumbled, dismissing her with a wave of my hand. “Just let me know

the storm raging within me. Dealing with the interior designer could wait. Right now, I needed a way to quell the relentless anger that threatened to

was about to call it a day and drown my frustrations in a stiff

shot through me. 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 frustration coloring

his tone cool and

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

a hint of amusement creeping into his

a physical blow. I shot up from my chair, knocking it over in the process. “What? How is he getting out?” My

of exasperation. “By stepping out of jail, Alex. Seems his lawyers managed to find some technicality, some loophole in the charges. He’s

grating in my ear. “This can’t be happening,” I snarled. “I thought… I

wanted to let you know. Not exactly breaking news, but figured you should

need your damn breadcrumbs, Christian,” I roared, my frustration

tense silence followed, heavy with unspoken tension. Finally, Christian spoke, his voice laced with a dangerous edge. “Neither am 1, Alex. I

spat back, my anger mirroring his

He damn near destroyed everything I built!” I bellowed, every word laced,

him?” Christian’s voice 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

you can do, Christian,” I shot back, fueled by a potent amount of anger, “That’s why you are you.

Fri, 21

Chapter 44