Bonds

Chapter 57

-Alex’s POV-

We locked eyes in the expanse of the hospital parking lot. The air crackled with unspoken hostility then a slow, infuriating smile stretched across his face, a taunt that sent a fresh wave of anger surging through me. My wolf snarled within, itching to rip into the man, Power radiated off him, but I knew mine ran deeper. It didn’t matter how strong he considered himself to be, I would always be stronger.

My fingers itched to wrap around his throat, to snuff out the smug amusement in his eyes. Images of burying his body in some forgotten corner of the city flashed through my mind, a dark solution quickly discarded. This wasn’t the time, not with the antiseptic scent of the hospital clinging to the air, a grim reminder of why I was here in the first place. Besides no matter what, as much as I wanted him dead, she would never forgive me if I was responsible for it.

I quickly

told myself that I didn’t care but that was a lie that had become a constant in my head for the past weeks.

With a deep breath, I forced my feet to move past him. Engaging with him was the last thing I wanted, but he wouldn’t let it go that easily.

“Respect for elders, huh?” he scoffed, his voice dripping with mock sympathy. “Seems your precious father neglected that lesson in his little horror school for raising monsters.”

I stopped dead in my tracks, the muscles in my jaw clenching, Anger, already simmering, threatened to boil over. One wrong word, one wrong

y actions. But a sliver of reason held me back. Amaya. He was her father, and for her sake, I had to move, and I wouldn’t be responsible for my swallow the bile rising in my throat.

He continued, a sly glint in his eyes. “I wish I could have seen the expression on your face when you found out I had been released. I bet that news came as a nasty surprise, didn’t it?” He took a menacing step closer, his voice dropping to a low growl. “You underestimated me, Alex. Prison was a mere inconvenience, a fly swatted away. My company will rise again, stronger than ever. Time heals all wounds, they say, except maybe your little obsession with my daughter.”

His words struck a raw nerve. My entire face hardened into a mask of icy indifference. He saw it, the carefully constructed facade, and a triumphant smirk bloomed on his face.

he’d gotten under my

to as a child, is that it?” I drawled, my voice laced with

from his face, replaced by a flicker of something akin to hurt.

pathetic life. Still pining after Amaya, are we? Stuck watching from the sidelines as she

leaned in further, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, “Tell me, Alex, does it ever gnaw at you? The knowledge that she is gone. even after everything it is all gone. You will never experience the warmth of her touch, the joy of building a life together? Oh wait you already

hand instinctively

A morbid curiosity, perhaps. How far would he go to twist the knife? How low could he sink to provoke a reaction? The challenge, perverse as it was, kept me rooted

Chapter 57

emotion, “your attempts at emotional manipulation are as predictable as they are pathetic. Did you rehearse those lines in the mirror? How long did it take you to come up with those

90%

of surprise crossed his face, quickly replaced by a cold fury. This wasn’t the reaction he’d expected. He’d aimed

working himself into a frenzy, his face flushed with a mixture of anger and something

see the fire burning beneath the surface. But I knew that’s what he wanted, a rise out of me. So instead, I offered a slow, unconcerned blink. “Facade? Please, Daniel, don’t flatter yourself. You’re not that

fury, the vein on his temple pulsing like a live wire. He took a deep breath, trying to

his composure.

spat, his voice tight with contained rage. “You are nothing but a fly buzzing around my head. A minor annoyance soon to be swatted away considering the new

drawled, keeping my voice flat. “Because from where I’m standing, you seem to be the one buzzing around, all worked up

Ivan’s pack joining forces with mine, we’re unstoppable. The strongest, the most united. We control a vast territory, resources

with his company falling apart. And the question still nagged. Why didn’t he go to

closer and I realized he had been speaking, his voice dropping to a low growl. “And that’s just the beginning. We can make life very difficult for you and your pack. We can squeeze you out,

to rip into his smug self–importance. But I held him back with an iron grip. This wasn’t about dominance or territory. This was about Amaya, and I

air, Daniel. Threats and empty promises. You think fear tactics will work on

“Don’t underestimate me! I’m not playing games here. This is about power, about