Bonds

Chapter 131 -Alex's POV- The world spun around me, a sickening spree of blurry colors and muffled sounds. Yet, despite the dizzying sensation, my feet remained rooted to the spot, a strange paralysis gripping my body. Natalia's words echoed in my head, a relentless mantra that drilled into my skull. Children. I had children. Not one. Two. Twins.

The revelation hitwith the force of a sledgehammer, stealing the air from my lungs. My legs buckled beneath me, the sudden weakness a stark contrast to the turmoil raging within. Children. My own flesh and blood, walking, breathing proof of a life I'd discarded.

"Alex?" A distant voice pierced through the haze that registered somewhere in the back of my mind. Christian. He was calling my name. Air. I needed air. My lungs felt like they were constricting, each desperate gasp a shallow imitation of a proper breath.

My hand grasped at the empty space around me, a futile attempt to steady myself in this storm of emotions. "Alex," Christian called again, his voice closer now, laced with concern. "Are you okay?" Finally, my eyelids fluttered open, the world coming back into focus with agonizing slowness. Natalia's face swam into view, etched with a mix of tear stains and raw anger. Beside her stood Riley, her gaze filled with a pity that felt like a punch to the gut. And then there was Christian, his expression mirroring Riley's, but tinged with a hint of something else - maybe regret, maybe sorrow.

"Did you know?" I wasn't even sure if it waswho spoke, the words seeming to detach themselves from my body and float into the air of their own accord.

Christian sighed, "Not before today. Riley calledan hour ago, said Amaya was missing and Natalia needed to get a hold of you. That's all I knew." Another deep breath hitched in my throat, a struggle to fill my burning lungs.

"Where are you going?" Natalia asked but I was already turning away, my body moving on autopilot. Behind me, I heard Christian murmur, “Give him a moment." The sound faded as I stumbled blindly towards one of the empty rooms, the walls closing in like a suffocating cage.

A moment. It wasn't a moment I needed. It was a lifetime. A lifetto cto terms with the colossal mess I'd created. A lifetto grapple with the knowledge that I'd thrown away my own children, my own flesh and blood, all because I couldn't bring myself to fully trust someone.

My legs finally gave way, and I crumpled to the floor. My wolf was silent. Uncharacteristically quiet, as if stunned into submission by the bombshell revelation.

Twins.

pups.

A single tear escaped the corner of my eye, tracing a warm path down my cheek. It was a tear even begin. A future with Amaya, with our children.

of regret, of loss, of a future stolen before it could What had I done? A memory, long buried in the recesses of my mind, surfaced with a jolt, a cruel twist of the knife. I was standing in the garden, irritation twisting my features, as I glared at the climbing plants that dared to disrupt the manicured perfection of the landscape.

"Boo!" A voice startledfrom behind, and I whirled around, annoyance simmering in my eyes. It was Amaya, her playful smile doing little to soothe my ruffled feathers.

"Was that supposed to scare me?” I scoffed, unimpressed by her attempt at a prank.

She rolled her eyes with a playful exasperation that always managed to disarma little. "You are so grouchy," she teased, stepping closer and instinctively molding her body against mine. The touch was like a balm, momentarily calming the storm raging within my wolf.

We'd only been together for two months, yet her presence already had this profound effect on me.

"How was class?" I asked, the question an attempt to shift the focus, to escape the strange vulnerability her closeness evoked.

"Boring," she replied with a dismissive shrug. "Why were you glaring at the plants?" "They shouldn't be here," I grumbled, my irritation returning. "They're wrapping themselves around everything." She let out a tinkling laugh, "They're called ivy plants, Alex," she explained, stepping closer and brushing her fingers against the leaves. "That's what they do." She continued, "I think you should leave them. The weather here isn't perfect for them, but they've fought so hard to survive. I like that. Their resilience." 1/3 ☐ Cunn "They can be resilient elsewhere," I countered, my voice still laced with annoyance. "The gardener is taking them off tomorrow." Her smile faltered slightly, a flicker of disappointment in her eyes. "Fine," she conceded. "Do what you want. But you know," she added, a mischievous glint returning to her gaze, "if I ever have a girl, I'd nher Ivy." She turned back to the plants, her voice soft and wistful. "Like them, she'd never let the hard things in life stop her." Then, she turned back to me, her smile blooming brighter than ever. The sight of it sent a warmth throughthat had nothing to do with the summer sun. In that moment, staring at her luminous face, it didn't matter that we were bound by the primal instinct of the mate bond.

I wanted her because I was already falling in love with her.

The tears slid down my face. I couldn't remember the last tI cried. Maybe I couldn't even remember what it felt like to cry at all.

Amaya and I were parents. The enormity of that revelation crashed down on me, a tidal wave of emotions threatening to drown me. The rest of Natalia's words, previously lost in the haze of shock, suddenly echoed in my ears with terrifying clarity.

Amaya was missing.

The twins, my children, were in danger.

My wolf surged within me, a primal growl erupting from deep within my gut. What the hell was I doing sitting here wallowing in self-pity? Every wasted second brought Amaya and the pups closer to whatever threat loomed.

With a surge of adrenaline, I pushed myself to my feet, the world tilting slightly as my body re-adjusted to the vertical position. The air crackled with a strange energy, the undeniable presence of my wolf pushing closer to the surface. We needed to find her. Find them.

I roughly swiped the tears from my face, a surge of anger replacing the despair. I was done with this self-pitying bullshit. It wouldn't bring Amaya back, it wouldn't protect the twins.

Stepping back out into the room, I found the three of them still there. Natalia paced the floor like a caged animal, her face etched with a desperate worry that mirrored my own. She opened her mouth to speak, but I cut her off, my voice clipped and devoid of emotion.

"Christian, call the damn contacts again." He hesitated for a moment and I narrowed my eyes, hardening my gaze, "Tell them they will understand the true meaning of the rumors aboutif they don't cooperate." A flicker of something akin to fear crossed Christian's face, but he nodded curtly, already dialing a number on his phone. I grabbed my own phone. Vargas picked up on the first ring, his voice booming with assumed authority.

"Alex," he greeted, a hint of surprise lacing his tone. "To what do I owe the pleasure

"Cut the crap, Vargas," I snapped, cutting him off before he could finish his self-important speech. "I know you're at the pack house, and I'm in no mood to play your little games. I don't like you, and that's never going to change. But you're the closest thing I have to a second in command right now, and I need you to listen carefully."

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to focus on the task at hand. "I need every single wolf in the pack scouring the city commanded, my voice leaving no room for argument. "My mate is missing. Tell them all. Tell them Amaya Stone is missing, and I need my mate found. Now." There was a stunned silence on the other end of the line. Vargas, for the first tin our dealings, seemed speechless.

"You regardas your second in command?" he finally stammered, disbelief coloring his voice.

"Give the order, Vargas," I growled, my patience wearing thin. "That's all that matters right now." I slammed the phone shut, the finality of the click echoing in the tense silence of the room. Without another word, I turned and headed for the door, my body already itching to shift, to run, to do anything to find Amaya and the children.

"Excuse me, Alex?" A hesitant voice stoppedin my tracks. I turned back to see Christian's girlfriend standing there, her eyes filled with a newfound determination.

"I know you don't know me," she began, "but Amaya is my friend, and I want to help. I ran away from Italy because my father wantedto marry sguy he picked out for me. But with everyone being so brave," she added, a hint of defiance creeping into her voice, "I think it's tI stood up to him. He can help." I stared at her blankly, trying to process her words. Then, as if realizing the significance of her statement, she looked at Christian, then back at me.

"My father is Victor Moretti." My eyes shot up in surprise. In the world I navigated, staying informed about the power players was crucial. Victor Moretti wasn't just any man in