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.

gaze flitting between me and the two women. “I told you there was a woman I met when we were in Italy, right? The

memory sparked in my mind. Vaguely, I recalled him mentioning a woman. But with everything that had happened, it had become a

I growled, frustration gnawing at

Christian admitted, his voice laced with a newfound seriousness. “She had to leave Italy, disappear even, because of her father. She came here, trying to stay under the

of the puzzle failing to click into place. “What does that have to do with me,

Chapter 130

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

called me. I contacted Riley, and it turns out her boyfriend is…” She hesitated, glancing at Christian, “him. And he has connections to you, that’s how

that’s why he looked so uneasy.

my rising anger. “This isn’t the time for whatever tantrum

her running to Ivan flashed in my head and a bitter taste

turn away, Natalia’s hand shot out, her grip surprisingly strong. “Don’t you even dare, Alex,” she

gaped open, 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 for you! So don’t you dare stand here shrugging it off like she doesn’t

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

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

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

in her throat. She drew in a shaky breath, wiping her

“use your resources, your pack, anything

wolf surged within

losing their fire. She scanned my face, searching for something, but it seemed she found

her voice devoid of its earlier ferocity. “You’re a waste of time, Alex. A waste

jab that ripped through

voice hitched, her words catching in her throat. She squeezed her eyes shut for a brief moment, then opened them again, her

growled, her voice low and dangerous,