Bonds

Chapter 110

-Alex’s POV-

My father’s voice rasped, pulling me out of the black hole of anger I’d been sinking into. He started talking, his voice weak and shaky, but the words were clear. “The man I sent… the one who brought your mother…” he trailed off, his chest heaving with each ragged breath.

“He left her at the study door,” he began, his voice regaining a semblance of its former strength. “She knocked, like she always did, even though everyone knew it was her I’d called for.”

His voice rasped on, each word a shard of ice scraping against my already raw nerves. As the words flowed out of his mouth, I wasn’t just hearing them, I was seeing them. It was like a horrifying movie playing out behind my closed eyelids, a movie I desperately wished I could

shut off.

I pictured her then, my mother, standing outside that imposing metal door, her hand raised in a hesitant knock. She always did things properly, even when dealing with a man who rarely deserved such courtesy. The memory sent a fresh wave of pain crashing over me, a bittersweet mix of love and frustration that threatened to drown me.

His gruff voice sounded from behind the door, “Come in.”

The door creaked open, and I could practically see her step cautiously inside, her back straight despite the tremor in her hands. The study, usually a bastion of cold formality, seemed to shrink under the weight of her presence. My father, a tyrant in his own right, sat behind his massive desk, a scowl permanently etched on his face. He didn’t even bother to look up as she entered, his gaze fixed on some document as

if her arrival was an unwelcome interruption.

“You sent for me,” her voice, usually strong and confident, sounded small and fragile in the cavernous room. The air hung heavy, thick with the unspoken tension that had become a constant companion in our household.

After a beat that stretched into an eternity, he lifted his head, his dark eyes meeting hers for a fleeting moment before flicking back down to the paper. “I’m sending Alex away.”

The words hit her like a physical blow. Her eyes widened in disbelief, her mouth agape as if to speak, but no sound emerged. It was as if someone had punched the air from her lungs. “What do you mean you are sending him away?” she finally managed, her voice a mere whisper. “You can’t.”

He slammed the document shut with a finality that made her flinch, the sharp crack echoing through the room. Now, he did look at her, his gaze cold and devoid of any warmth. “I can’t?” he echoed, his voice a low growl.

steady considering the tremor in her hands. “I am just

from his chair, his imposing figure casting a dark shadow over her. The room felt like it was shrinking, the walls closing in as his anger filled the space. “You see, that is

just beneath the surface. “Alex is my legacy,” he continued, his voice rising with each word. “He is to become

he is

knew Damon Thorne had a way of twisting reality

Chapter 110

wouldn’t be silenced. “Please, Damon,” she pleaded, her voice cracking with emotion. “Please don’t take him away

voice. My father, however, remained unmoved. He steepled his fingers,his gaze fixed on some invisible point on the wall behind her. “It

pictured memory. It was as if he were discussing the weather, not the future of his own son. My mother, however, wasn’t ready to give up. Tears streamed down her face, carving glistening tracks through the caked–on makeup he always forced her to wear. “Decided by whom, Damon? By you? By some pack council I wasn’t even

isn’t about the pack council. This is about Alex’s future. He needs to

but her eyes held a steely glint. “Equipped? I’m his mother I’ve raised him

a sly smirk playing on his lips. “You’ve raised him to be soft. To

out of her. “But

members who can guide him. He’ll learn everything he needs to know.” He waved his hand dismissively, a gesture that spoke more than any words. “This conversation is over.

dismissal that sent a wave of fury crashing over me. Here I was, an adult man, yet his words still had the power to wound me, to make me feel like a helpless child once again. But my mother wasn’t done

me, Damon? Don’t I get a say

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a lot of work

for her reply, his broad shoulders brushing past her as he strode towards the door. The click of the door opening echoed through the room, punctuating the thick silence that had descended. My mother remained rooted to the spot, her body trembling, tears carving a silent

jolted awake from a nightmare, she straightened, her voice raspy but firm. “I want a divorce, Damon. I don’t want to be married

you anymore.”

back around, his eyes narrowing into slits releasing the door knob. “What did you

a spark of defiance igniting in her own eyes. “You heard

that had been simmering beneath the surface of his anger erupted in a volcanic explosion. In a heartbeat, he was on her, his hands wrapping around her throat with a vice–like grip. Her gasp for air was cut short, her

him away from me?” he snarled, his voice laced

I… can’t breathe,” she choked out, clawing at his hands