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.”

him, incredulous. Collateral damage? As if the death of a child was a mere statistic in his quest for power. “How can

a cruel edge creeping in. “Besides, Stone wasn’t blameless either. He retaliated, striking at our pack with equal ferocity. It was a war, a game of dominance, and someone

loses.”

life lost, a life needlessly taken in the crossfire of his ambition. He was responsible for her brother’s death, a brother she never got to know. Did she know? This was why Daniel Stone hated me so much. If Amaya had known why did she

voice, “the

10:28 Sat, 22 Jun

Chapter 84

and she turned

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killed her brother,” I whispered, the words catching in my throat. “And from what you’re saying. I must have been around three years

our packs, the unspoken hatred simmering beneath the surface – it all stemmed from this single, horrific event. My entire life had been shaped by a war that wasn’t mine, a rivalry fueled by

father’s insatiable greed.

me, his face devoid of any emotion. “So what? It is a harsh

my voice firm despite the tremor running through me. “You don’t get it, do you? This isn’t a game.

coughed out, his voice laced with a weary resignation that seemed at odds with his earlier arrogance. “Every victory

hung in

the decisions life or death. But for him, it seemed, that responsibility had morphed into a justification

a child?” I pressed, “How can

fixed on a point on the sterile white wall. Finally, he spoke,

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

as I acknowledged the inherent dangers, a line had been crossed that I couldn’t ignore. The death of a child, regardless of the perpetrator, was a tragedy that couldn’t be justified by power struggles or the weight

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

his cloudy eyes. “It wasn’t flimsy, Alex! It was about control, about securing a future for our pack. Don’t be naive.

this the fear of death talking, or a genuine belief in his

voice steady. “You built your empire on bloodshed, and now it’s crumbling around you. Look at yourself, a shell of the man you once were. Was it all worth

defiance drained from his face, replaced by a profound weariness,