Bonds

Chapter 84

Alex’s POV

The sterile smell of disinfectant was a constant assault on my senses, blending with the metallic tang of blood that seemed to linger in the air despite there being no visible wound on my father. His chest rose and fell with each labored breath, his once powerful frame now reduced to a frail shell. Yet, as he spoke of the past, a spark of his former self ignited in his eyes- a chilling mixture of pride and something akin to

amusement.

“We were young and foolish then,” he rasped, “Ambition burned bright in both our bellies, Daniel Stone and I. We craved power, influence, dominance that stretched across both worlds- the human and the werewolf”

A humorless short escaped his lips, a dry rasp that echoed in the sterile silence. “There was a constant struggle, skirmishes along the borders, tests of strength. But there was also a… respect. We understood the boundaries, the lines that shouldn’t be crossed.”

He closed his eyes for a moment, his weathered face etched with a weariness that went beyond illness. When he opened them again, they glinted with a cold, steely resolve.

“Then came the opportunity. A chance to cripple Stone’s hold on a crucial exchange route, a power move that would solidify my position as the alpha with the most influence.”

My throat tightened. This was it, the moment he would explain the attack, the one that had fractured the fragile peace between the packs. But as he spoke, a different picture emerged–one devoid of remorse, painted solely with ruthless ambition.

“The plan was simple,” he continued, his voice gaining a sliver of strength. “A swift raid, a display of force, a message to the other packs. Nothing more.”

A cold dread settled in my stomach. “But it went wrong, didn’t it?”

He gave a curt nod, his expression unreadable. “There was a fight, of course. It was brutal, fangs and claws bared. But then… chaos. A stray bullet, a panicked shift… and then silence.”

The silence in the room felt even heavier now, “Daniel’s son, a young boy barely out of his pup year just like you, he was caught in the crossfire. Dead and…” He trailed off, a flicker of something that might have been regret crossing his face, but it was fleeting.

“The details are unimportant,” he continued, his voice laced with a dismissive arrogance. “Collateral damage is inevitable in any war. You will come to understand.”

incredulous. Collateral damage? As if the death of a child was a mere statistic in his quest for power. “How can you say that?” My

harsh, grating sound. “Sacrifices are made. It’s the price of power.” His voice hardened, a cruel edge creeping in. “Besides, Stone wasn’t blameless either. He retaliated, striking at our pack with equal ferocity. It was

loses.”

young life lost, a life needlessly taken in the crossfire of his ambition. He was responsible for her brother’s death, a brother

his voice, “the Moon Goddess

10:28 Sat, 22 Jun

Chapter 84

turned

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saying. I must have been around three years

unspoken hatred simmering beneath the surface – it all stemmed from this single, horrific event. My entire life had been shaped

father’s insatiable greed.

of any emotion. “So what? It is a harsh world, Alex.

life. “No,” I whispered, my voice firm despite the tremor running through me.

his voice laced with a weary resignation that seemed at odds with

words hung in

leading a pack was immense, the decisions life or death. But for him, it seemed, that responsibility had morphed into a justification for his actions, a shield to

child?” I pressed, “How can you justify taking

gaze fixed on a point on the sterile white wall. Finally, he spoke, his voice laced with a bitterness

hand man, who was like a brother to me died. We all have scars, Alex, both physical and emotional. It’s the price we pay for existing

I couldn’t ignore. The death of a

courting them. You didn’t just walk into a warzone, you orchestrated it! And for what?

flicker of anger sparked in his cloudy eyes. “It wasn’t flimsy, Alex! It was about control, about securing a future for our pack. Don’t be naive. In this world, the weak are

this

built your empire on bloodshed, and now it’s crumbling around you. Look at yourself, a shell

his frail chest rising and falling with each labored breath. The defiance drained from his face, replaced by a profound weariness, a hollowness in his eyes that spoke of