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?

words tumbling out

did check, sir,” she said carefully. “But the

audacity to dictate my schedule was infuriating. Yet, a part of me knew she was right. Putting off the renovations any longer would only

“Fine,” I muttered, the anger still clinging

Chapter 44

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of my obvious frustration. “Of course, sir,” she said, her voice regaining its usual calm efficiency. “Is there anything else I can get for you before your

shook my head, 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 of

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

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

forced cheer. Just as I was about to call it a day and drown my frustrations

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

replied, his tone cool and detached.

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

hint of amusement

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

amusement morphed into a sigh of exasperation. “By stepping out of jail, Alex. Seems his lawyers managed to find some technicality, some

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

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

breadcrumbs, Christian,” I roared, my frustration boiling over. “I’m not in the mood for

with unspoken tension. Finally, Christian spoke, his voice laced with a dangerous edge. “Neither am 1, Alex. I just called to deliver a message, not to be your personal

loud and clear,” I spat back, my anger mirroring his

damn near destroyed everything I built!” I bellowed, every word laced, “I pay you

you. He was investigated, his company fell and he went to jail. All of that, I did,” He ground out, “The courts made their decision. There’s

do, Christian,” I shot back, fueled by a potent amount

Fri, 21 Jun

Chapter 44