Bonds

Chapter 82

-Alex’s POV-

I stood at the entrance of the facility waiting for them to prepare him to be seen. I knew once I stepped into that room and asked for his help. there would be no going back and as I sat there, replaying the day of the bombing in my head, I knew the decision had already been made.

-Three days earlier-

The news crackled over and over in my head, and I couldn’t stop grinding my teeth in anger. Land claim. My land. The territory that had been in my pack’s possession for generations, the one bordering his damn forest, was now apparently “up for grabs” according to the old bastard.

My fingers tightened around the phone, the plastic digging into my palm. This wasn’t some corporate takeover, some hostile bid I could counter with lawyers and financial maneuvering. This was a primal challenge, a land grab rooted in the oldest werewolf traditions. I’d tried the civilized route, the boardroom battles, but Daniel Stone understood only one language: force.

“Mr. Thorne?” The voice on the other end of the phone, my secretary Ruth’s, cut through the haze of anger clouding my mind. “Are you still

there?”

“I am,” I forced out, my voice tight. “Cancel all my meetings for the rest of the day and tomorrow.”

The silence on the other end stretched for a beat before Ruth spoke again, her voice laced with concern. “Mr. Thorne, are you sure? You have a very important presentation tomorrow with the Miller Group.”

“Cancel it.” I repeated, my tone leaving no room for argument. “Everything. I need to handle something… urgent.”

There was another pause, then a sigh. “Very well, sir, Will you be back in the office today?”

to ignore me after the outburst at the pack and I hadn’t stopped thinking about it. The more I did, the more I forced myself to believe that I had made no mistake because if the truth was that

I won’t be back

my desk, I grabbed my coat. Stepping out of my office, I found myself drawn towards the renovation zone. The entrance was blocked by white sheets, a temporary wall that did little to hide the sounds of hammering and drilling from within. My wolf stirred again, a restless energy

Stone’s land grab hung heavy in the air. No more delays. No more corporate

towards the elevators. The battle was on, and this time, I was not going to

1:|:ངཅན

stale even after the ten–minute drive. Moonlight sliced through the gaps in the old Victorian house’s overgrown hedges, illuminating faces gathered around a crackling fire pit in the backyard. It wasn’t their usual hangout – most nights were spent in their own apartments, plugged into the digital world. But tonight, the vibe was different. No laughter, no takeout boxes

Chapter 82

worried faces flickering in

face–to–face meetings. Something that imitated me more than anything else in the world. Being Alpha wasn’t a job description 1 ever signed up for, but some nights, the responsibility slammed into you harder than a

tonight was one of

be present at the pack house. Some wolves still liked to embrace the old ways, living amongst themselves like a close knitted community while others like the wave of modern world. We were a large pack with over a thousand pack members so I expected them in numbers, I scanned the faces searching for two

myself to focus on the task at hand. “Alright everyone,” I began, my voice cutting through the tense silence. “Thanks for coming here on such short notice.

through the pack, a low growl echoing from the side. I recognized the source – Vargas.. His smug smirk ignited a fresh wave of

continued, my voice rising a notch, “I have news of a different kind. News that should concern us all.” I paused, letting the silence stretch for a beat before dropping the bombshell. “Daniel Stone has laid–claim to

gasp escaped

“is unacceptable. This land has been

rumbled through the pack, a chorus of agreement. Good. The anger was raw, the need to defend what was rightfully theirs burning bright in their eyes. But before the simmering tension could boil over, Vargas voice cut through,

know that he had come to me with the way his eyes danced around. I chose to ignore him. He was seeking a verbal war, one that I wouldn’t give to him. I faced back the Packmembers, “I know I haven’t been the most present Alpha but that is going to

who craved battle glory, pressure was immense. My wolf

of

pl. assess our