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?

I grumbled, the words tumbling

creasing slightly. “I did check, sir,” she said carefully. “But the interior designer

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 would

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

Chapter 44

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into a faint smile, a small victory in the 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

dismissing her with a wave

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

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

mood for him. With a deep breath, I answered the

he replied, his tone cool and detached. “Just giving you

heads–up about what?” My gut clenched, a premonition of

hint of amusement creeping into his voice.

slammed into me like a physical blow. I shot up from my chair, knocking it over in the process. “What? How is he getting out?” My voice rose an octave, laced with disbelief and a fury

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

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

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

I roared, my frustration boiling

unspoken tension. Finally, Christian spoke, his voice laced with a dangerous edge. “Neither am

received, loud and clear,” I spat

I bellowed, every word laced, “I pay

removed for 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

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

Fri, 21

Chapter 44