Bonds

Chapter 123

Alex’sPOV

Regret gnawed at me, a bitter aftertaste lingering in my mouth as Adrian’s words echoed in my head. I should have paid more attention, should have heeded the not so veiled threat hanging heavy in his final words. Instead, I’d brushed it off, convinced that whatever he had planned, I could handle it.

Money, influence, power – I had it all in excess. Surely, I could weather whatever storm he intended to unleash. But for the first time, the weight of my arrogance pressed down on me, a suffocating realization of my own flaw.

The first blow came swift and unexpected. News of werewolves existence was leaked to the world. The truth became public spectacle, splashed across headlines and dissected on every news channel. Panic rippled through the human population, fear morphing into a primal hatred. Bounties were placed on the heads of any werewolf, turning former neighbors into hunters, friends into potential betrayers. We, the creatures of myth and legend, were suddenly the monsters in their stories.

The world descended into chaos. Werewolves, forced out of the shadows, scrambled to protect themselves. Violence erupted, escalating what was once a silent war into an all–out conflict. My focus narrowed, my priorities shifting. The pack, my responsibility, became my sole concern. Keeping them safe, ensuring their survival now my paramount objective. And her, Amaya, she remained a constant worry in the

back of my mind.

For a week, I managed a risky dance. The initial frenzy hadn’t reached my city yet, offering a temporary reprieve. From the safety of my heavily guarded mansion, I worked tirelessly at damage control.

. Businesses were

network of loyal followers who helped me navigate the cha

7reatened, investments sabotaged. But I had resources, a

was a general in a silent war, fighting an unseen enemy.

Somehow with undeniable evidence, my name the restaurants I owned, everything I’d built over the years,

Then, the walls crumbled. The attack was swift, brutal, and undeniably targeted right made headlines revealing to the public that I was one of them. My companie began to go up in flames.

The message was clear: I was no longer untouchable.

a

was a luxury I couldn’t afford. Anger, a simmering inferno, fueled my every move. But beneath it all, cold, calculating logic took hold. This wasn’t

Adrian.

this cramped safe house, miles away from everything, I was strategizing. This whole situation was a tangled mess,

phone.

He let out a long, annoyed sigh before drawling, “Look,

him to feel the intensity of my stare. “This isn’t the time for jokes, Christian.

you and I aren’t exactly in a relationship,” he replied

sound a low rumble in my

alright, lighten up. It’s not the end of the world… well, wait, maybe it

humor isn’t appreciated right now,” I spat.

Chapter 123

usual sarcastic lilt. “Things are bad, Alex. Really bad. Your headquarters in the city took another hit. I

human and werewolf, to ensure her safety, “What happened to her?”

company when another attack went down,” he explained. “Her best friend’s husband –

a hand through my hair,

now, at least from what I

knotting

in my gut.

reported her walking

searching for Adrian. That bastard

to pay for

working on

response. “You’re public enemy number one, Alex.

used the monster in you to kill. I know whatever I say won’t stop you from going after her, but for the love of all that’s holy,

staring at the phone in my hand. Public replaced by a suffocating

number one. The once familiar

was alone, vulnerable, and the knot of worry tightening in my stomach threatened to

another second.

of the safe house, I sprinted towards the car, ignoring the protests of the guard stationed outside. The engine roared to life

bustling streets, had become a stranger. Smoke billowed from gaping holes in buildings, the acrid smell stinging my nostrils. Debris littered the streets, twisted metal skeletons of cars the remnants