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.

flitting between me and the two women. “I told you there was a woman

woman. But with everything that had happened, it had become a distant echo

gnawing at me. “What about

father. She came here, trying to

found her,” I stated flatly, the pieces of the puzzle failing to click into place. “What does that

Chapter 130

to Riley before

boyfriend is…” She hesitated, glancing at Christian, “him.

gaze snapped to Christian. So that’s why he looked so uneasy. He sold me out for a woman?

cut through my rising anger. “This isn’t the time for whatever tantrum you are

The image of her running to Ivan flashed in my head and a bitter taste filled my mouth. “Why does that matter to me? If she’s

as I began to turn away, Natalia’s hand shot out, her grip surprisingly strong. “Don’t

ready to retort, but she cut me off with a sharp bark. “I’m doing the talking now, Alex, and you’re going to listen,” she snapped, “You and Amaya have been 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

with unshed tears. I tried to interrupt again, but

just talk to her, find out the truth. All this

mess, she continued, her voice cracking with emotion. “I want you with Amaya. I don’t want you Amaya and 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 on between the two of you. Because,” she choked on a sob, her voice thick with emotion, “if something happens to her, if I don’t get the chance to tell her that I love her too, that I’m sorry for

down her face as her voice trailed off, her words catching in her throat. She drew in

your resources, your pack, anything you

within me, urging me to take

slumped slightly, her eyes losing their fire. She scanned my face, searching for something, but it seemed she found nothing. A defeated

did I even bother?” she muttered, her voice devoid of its earlier ferocity. “You’re a waste of

sharp jab that

happens to her, or the twins…” Natalia’s voice hitched, 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 now,

growled, her voice low and dangerous, “you will regret