Bonds

Chapter 130

-Alex’s POV-

“Fuck!” I roared, flinging the glass across the room. It exploded in a shower of glittering shards against the far wall, but the satisfying crash did nothing to quell the anger raging inside me.

Spinning around, I glared at Christian, who was hunched over his phone, his brow furrowed in concentration. “That’s the third dead end in two days!” I growled, my voice laced with raw frustration. “You’re starting to get on my damn nerves. You said you knew where he was!”

Christian flinched, his head snapping up from the phone. He met my gaze with a flicker of unease, the same uneasy look that had been plastered on his face ever since he’d arrived. There was none of his usual dry humor, none of the playful jabs I’d come to expect. His discomfort was palpable, but right now, his emotional state was the least of my concerns.

He scratched his head absently, his eyes darting from his phone to me and back again. “Look, I’m doing the best I can,” he muttered defensively. “These people who used to jump when you barked an order? Yeah, they’re not exactly returning my calls with all this chaos happening.”

I narrowed my eyes at him, but before I could unleash another verbal tirade, he buried his face back in his phone, his fingers flying across the screen. A low growl rumbled in my chest. “Who the fuck are you texting that’s more important than this situation?” I demanded, my voice taut with barely contained rage.

He opened his mouth to speak, but his phone buzzed again, illuminating the screen with a notification. He glanced at the door, then back at me, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. “Don’t kill me for this,” he mumbled, his voice laced with a hint of apprehension.

The door creaked open, and my wolf instantly perked up, ears swiveling towards the sound. Two women walked into the room – Natalia, her face etched with worry, and another woman I didn’t recognize.

“Christian.” I growled.

For the first time since I had known him, he looked apologetic, his eyes filled with a mixture of guilt and something else I couldn’t quite decipher. The unfamiliar woman stepped forward, and Christian’s gaze softened noticeably. He reached out and gently wrapped his hand around hers.

What the hell was going on here?

My gaze darted to Natalia, who stood rigidly by the door, her eyes locked on mine. They were filled with a storm of emotions worry, anger, a flicker of something that looked suspiciously like betrayal.

“What is going on?” I demanded, my voice cutting through the tense silence that had settled over the room.

you there was

recalled him mentioning a woman. But with

growled, frustration gnawing at me. “What

leave Italy, disappear even, because of her father. She came here, trying to stay under the radar.” He took a deep breath, his eyes locking with mine for a fleeting moment. “This is Riley,” he said,

pieces of the puzzle failing to click into place. “What

Chapter 130

a moment, his eyes flicking to Riley before meeting mine again. “She’s friends

turns out her boyfriend is…” She hesitated, glancing at Christian, “him. And he has connections

looked so uneasy. He

time for whatever tantrum you are about to throw. Amaya is

of her running to Ivan flashed in my head and a bitter taste filled my mouth. “Why does that matter

hand shot out, her grip surprisingly strong. “Don’t

doing this stupid dance around each other for months, this back- and–forth drama that’s affected everyone around you. My husband got shot, damn near died because she ran headfirst into danger looking for you! So don’t

eyes blazing with unshed tears. I tried to interrupt again, but her glare intensified, silencing me before I could get

her, find out the truth. All this drama could have been avoided if you’d just used your words instead of kicking

then she goes. I want you Alex. I don’t want you Alex. It is affecting all of our lives and it is driving me insane so what you are going to do is go out there and go find her and then sort out this fucked up shit you two have going

her voice trailed off, her words catching in her throat. She drew in a shaky breath, wiping her tears away with the back of her

resources, your pack, anything you can

the raw emotion in her voice leaving me speechless. My mind reeled, trying to process everything that had just happened. My wolf surged within

She scanned my face, searching for something,

muttered, her voice devoid of its earlier ferocity. “You’re a

words stung, a sharp jab that ripped

her words catching in her throat. She squeezed her eyes shut for a brief moment, then opened them again, her gaze locking with mine. There was a steely glint in her eyes

she growled, her voice low and dangerous, “you will regret this for the