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.

what you can or cannot do,” she said, her voice surprisingly steady considering the tremor in her hands. “I am

The room felt like it was shrinking, the walls closing in as his anger filled the space. “You see, that is the problem,” he spat, his voice laced with venom. “You are the problem. You

surface. “Alex is my legacy,” he continued, his voice rising with each word. “He is to become a powerful wolf, a leader who will be feared by all. You, with your gentle ways

he is to

knew Damon Thorne had a

Chapter 110

story. She knew she was fighting a losing battle, but a mother’s love wouldn’t be silenced. “Please, Damon,” she pleaded, her voice cracking with emotion. “Please don’t take him away from me. He

crackled with the raw vulnerability in her voice. My father, however, remained unmoved. He steepled his fingers,his gaze fixed on some

was just a 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

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

eyes held a steely glint. “Equipped? I’m his mother I’ve raised him for ten years. Who are you to say

“You’ve raised him to be soft. To be naive. He needs discipline, strength.

shoulders slumped, the fight slowly draining out of her. “But he’s just a child,

learn everything he needs to know.” He waved his hand dismissively, a gesture that spoke more than any

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

me, Damon? Don’t I

if you’ll

the door. The click of the door opening echoed through the room,

from a nightmare, she straightened, her voice raspy but firm. “I want a divorce, Damon. I

you anymore.”

head whipped back around, his eyes narrowing into slits releasing the door knob. “What did you just say?” he demanded, his voice dangerously

heard me,” she repeated, her voice unwavering. “I want to leave, and I’m

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

away from

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