Bonds

Chapter 103

-Alex’s POV-

Blaming it all on my wolf, on the heightened emotions that had turned my insides into a churning mess, didn’t make the sting of my words to Amaya any less sharp. The moment I walked away from her, the emptiness that had been a dull ache moments ago roared back to life, a gaping hole in my chest.

Watching Ivan appear at her side, his arm wrapped protectively around her as he steered her away, solidified the reality in my gut. She was gone. I had chased shadows, fueled by a desperate need to feel something, anything, other than the chilling indifference that had settled over me. And now, with my declaration of war hanging heavy in the air, there was no turning back. We had been fighting before, yes, but this was different. This was a line that had been crossed, a bridge that had been burned.

Picking up the glass of amber liquid in my hand, I took a long, slow drink, the liquor burning a familiar path down my throat. My gaze drifted out the window, unseeing. The image that burned behind my eyelids was far more vivid – the dead wolves sprawled across the cold concrete floor, their fur matted with blood. The metallic tang of blood filled my nostrils, a phantom sensation that refused to fade.

Yet, amidst the carnage, there was no flicker of satisfaction. Daniel was still alive. He was out there, breathing, plotting his next move, while loyal wolves, wolves lay lifeless on the floor. The thought scraped against my already raw nerves.

“That was a very considerate move, declaring war when I was still in the room, fiancé.” Miranda’s voice, dripping with disdain, sliced through

the silence of the room.

I didn’t bother turning to face her. Dealing with her right now was the last thing I needed. “Not now, Miranda,” I growled, the words rough in my throat.

But she was never one to back down from a fight. It simply wasn’t in her nature. “You could have at least told me you were planning on giving that order,” she countered, her voice laced with a sharp edge. “I could have been prepared.”

Anger flared within me, hot and sudden. Turning towards her, I met her gaze head–on, my jaw clenched tight. “I saw you leave before it even started,” I snapped. “Don’t add to this, Miranda. I’m not in the mood for your games.”

She rolled her eyes dismissively, but instead of pushing the issue, she simply settled into the chair across from me. “Well at least pour me a

drink.

I walked towards the bar, and the only sound in the room was the clinking of ice against glass as

face. Then, as quickly as it appeared, it vanished, replaced by a mask of indifference. She settled back in the chair, the

there for what felt like hours, both of us staring out the window at the world outside. The first fat raindrops began to splatter against the glass, quickly escalating into a heavy downpour. The rhythmic drumming of the rain on the roof filled the room, a monotonous counterpoint to

a fragment from

finger upwards. “Where does the rain come from?” I asked, my voice filled with childish wonder. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips, despite the dark circles that shadowed her eyes. “Where do you think it comes from?” she

Chapter 103

sky?” I offered,

a genuine laugh escaped her lips, the sound warm and comforting. She knelt down to my eye level, her smile reaching all the way to the crinkles around her eyes. “Rain isn’t someone crying, silly,” she explained patiently.

furrowed in concentration. “The sun and the ocean?” I repeated, trying to wrap my head around this new information. “But the sun is way up in the sky, and the ocean is all the way over there,” I protested, gesturing vaguely

to carry on the gentle breeze. “That’s true,” she admitted, “but they’re still friends, you

sparked. “So the water

away for the water to reach him, so it gets a little frustrated. It keeps

eyes widened. “Like me trying to jump and touch the

her smile widening. “But all those tiny drops of water jumping together, they make a big difference. They rise

I interrupted, my eyes

cotton candy,” she agreed. “But these clouds are full of all that water that jumped up from the

leaned in closer, captivated

hold it all in anymore,” she explained. “So the water starts to spill back down to the earth, and that’s when it

head bobbed up and down in understanding. “So the rain

“Not exactly crying” she corrected. “The ocean isn’t sad, it’s happy to share its water with the earth. The rain helps the plants grow tall and strong, and it gives the animals something to drink. It’s like a big

in comfortable silence for a moment, listening to the pitter–patter of the rain on the leaves around us. The gentle breeze ruffled my hair, carrying the sweet scent of wet earth. As the rain picked up its pace, drumming a steady rhythm on the roof

bench and into her lap, burying my face in the crook of her neck. Her arms wrapped around me instinctively, holding me tight. The rain was coming down harder now, soaking through my clothes and turning my hair into plastered strands. But