Bonds

83:51

-Alex's POY-

A guttural curse echoed through the speakers, followed by the sickening thud of something heavy hitting the wall. I almost laughed, leaning back in my chair as I watched the live feed from one of the hidden cameras Christian had planted in Daniel Stone's office.Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

Daniel himsell was a whirlwind of barely contained fury. His face, usually a mask of practiced composure, was contorted with rage, Veins bulged in his neck, and his perfectly styled hair was coming undone, strands sticking to his forehead like sweat dampened flags of surrender. The multi-million dollar mahogany desk that served as the centerpiece of his office looked like it had been ravaged by a toddler having a tantrum. Papers were scattered everywhere, some crumpled into unrecognizable balls, others fluttering to the floor. An expensive glass pen, the kind I would never stoop to using, lay I

shattered on the white marble floor.

A twisted part of me enjoyed the spectacle a little more than I cared to admit. It was a petty pleasure, a childish delight in seeing the man who had being a thorn to my family brought so low. Even before I discovered Amaya was my mate, he had hated my father, my pack, something that transcended to me and I never know why. Somehow, he always came up on top.

But that was then, and this was now. Christian, with his ruthless efficiency and disturbing lack of moral compass, had turned the tables. He'd exposed Daniel's dirty dealings, leaked damaging information to the press, and launched a hostile takeover of Stone Industries, all with surgical precision. The company was hemorrhaging money, its stock price plummeting faster than a stone dropped down a well. Daniel's carefully constructed empire was crumbling around him, and the look on his face was priceless.

And this was just the beginning.

"Fix it!" he roared, his voice strained with impotent fury. "I don't care how you do it, just fix it!" He spun around, his gaze landing on the two cowering figures huddled in the corner of the office. They were both senior executives, men who usually carried themselves with an air of self-importance. Now, they looked like frightened rabbits caught in the headlights.

"We're... we're working on it, Mr. Stone," one of them stammered, "But the market is in freefall, and there's only so much we can do."

Daniel threw his hands up in the air, a gesture of utter exasperation. There's always something you can do!" he bellowed. "That's what I pay you for! Think, d am n it, think! Come up with a plan, any plan!"

He paced the room like a caged animal, his movements jerky and erratic. I should feel bad for doing this to her father. He might be an e b ut he was still her father, still, I found myself unconsciously leaning closer to the screen, my gaze glued to the unfolding drama.

Despite the satisfaction of seeing Daniel squirm, a part of me couldn't help but feel a pang of... something. Regret? Sympathy? it was hard to say. The man had caused me so much pain, and yet, watching him crumble filled me with a sense of emptiness rather than joy. Perhaps it was the knowledge that revenge, however sweet it tasted in the moment, wouldn't erase the past.

With a sigh, I pushed myself back from the desk, the screen flickering back to the stock market ticker displayed on the opposite wall. The numbers were scrolling by at an alarming rate, each red digit a testament to Daniel's crumbling empire. A small, almost inaudible voice in the back of my head pointed out that this destruction had come at a cost. The collateral damage - the jobs lost, the livelihoods threatened-weighed heavily on me but I shrugged it off.

Amaya's face flashed in my mind. I had texted her an address after I ended the call. I had waited but she didn't show u to talk to her about but in that moment, I just really missed her.

My thoughts were interrupted by a sharp ping from my phone. It was a text. From Miranda.

A low growl rumbled deep within me. Just what I needed. I stared at the message e with irritation.

up. I didn't even know what I wanted

"Meet me at The Rusty Compass. Now. It's urgent"

I cursed under my breath. I knew Miranda. "Urgent meant some convoluted scheme designed to irritate me further, to poke and p rod at the raw wounds

12:02 Thu, 20 Jun 00

she seemed so adept at finding.

But ignoring her wasn't an option. She had a knack for creating chaos, and 1 couldn't stay put. With a sigh of resignation, I grabbed my keys and headed for the door.

The Rusty Compass wasn't exactly my kind of place. Tucked away in a forgotten corner of the city, the bar reeked of cheap beer and stale cigarettes. The neon sign outside flickered erratically, casting a sickly green glow over the chipped paint and peeling vinyl siding.

The moment I stepped through the door, the smell of stale beer and desperation hit me like a physical blow. The air was thick with smoke and the low hum of drunken conversation. Dimly lit corners offered dubious privacy, and the only light source for the makeshift dance floor in the center was a disco ball covered in a layer of dust that danced erratically above swaying bodies.

My wolf let out a deep, guttural growl, a primal sound that resonated through my bones. It wasn't a sound of aggression, but of recognition. My gaze snapped towards the source of the growl, cutting through the haze of smoke and dim light.

There, in a booth tucked into the back comer, stood Amaya. Her back was to me, but the stiff set of her shoulders and the way her jaw was clenched tight spoke volumes. Miranda was standing right in front of her. Her face was illuminated by the flickering flame of a lighter as she leaned across the table. Even from this distance, I could see the malicious glint in her eyes as she spoke, her voice a low murmur that didn't reach my ears.

Amaya's hand twitched, her fingers curling into a fist. I could almost feel the tension radiating off her, the barely controlled fury simmering beneath the surface. Another growl erupted from within me, this time a possessive snarl fueled by a primal urge to protect her.

Before I could even think twice, I was striding across the bar, the worn wooden floorboards creaking in protest under my weight. Heads turned as! moved, a hush falling over the room for a brief moment before the murmur of conversation resumed. Amaya didn't even turn around at first, her focus honed solely on Miranda. Then, as if sensing my presence, she lifted her head, her eyes widening in surprise as she met mine.

The look in her eyes was a complex mix of emotions- anger and a flicker of something else I couldn't quite decipher. But it was the fury simmering beneath the surface that mirrored my own that truly caught me off guard.

Miranda, oblivious to the silent exchange between Amaya and me, finally noticed my approach. A smug smile spread across her face, the corners of her lips curling up in a malicious smirk.

"Well, well, well Look who decided to finally join the party."

The air ca cld with tension. My arrival had thrown a wrench into whatever twisted game Miranda was playing, Amaya's gaze flickered between me and Miranda, the emotions swirling within her a storm waiting to break. She opened her mouth to speak, but before any words could escape, Miranda cut her

off.

"Darling." Miranda purred, "Isn't this a lovely surprise? Alex, how nice of you to finally grace us with your presence."

She gestured towards the empty space beside Amaya, a clear invitation I knew was laced with a hidden barb, "Why don't you join us? We were just catching up, weren't we, Amaya?"

ring as she took a deep breath but her entire focus was on me, "What are you doing here?"

Amaya's jaw clenched tight, her nostrils flaring

Before I could even formulate a response, Miranda swooped in, "Darling," she drawled, her eyes m gleaming with malicious amusement, "I was just reminiscing here with Amaya, you know how she was a thing of your past and how she means nothing to you because those were your exact words right? She is nothing"

The effect was instantaneous. The fury that had simmered beneath the surface of Amaya's expression erupted into a violent storm. With a snarl that ripped through the bar, she launched herself across the table at Miranda.

Her attack was swift and brutal. Claws extended, she tackled Miranda, sending them both crashing to the

ΟΠ

floor. A scream tore from Miranda's throat as Amaya rained down blows with a ferocity that took me aback. Reacting purely on instinct, I lunged forward, grabbing Amaya around the waist and hauling her back from the struggling mass on the floor.

"Amaya! Step it!" Froared. She thrashed against me, "Let go of me you fuking as s h ol e!" she snarled, "I said let gol"

My wolf lunged to the surface at that moment, "I said stop it, Silver."