Chapter 131

The world spun around me sickening spree of blurry colors and muffled sounds despite the dizzying sensation, my feet remained rooted to the strange paralysis gripping my body. Natalia’s words echoed in my head, a relentless mantra that drilled into my skull. Children. I had children.

one Twins The hit me with the force of a sledgehammer, stealing the air from my lungs. My legs buckled beneath me, the sudden weakness 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.

.

needed air. My lungs felt like they constricting, each desperate gasp shallow imitation 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 now, laced with concern. “Are you okay?”

Finally, my eyelids fluttered open, the world coming back into focus with agonizing slowness. Natalia’s swam into view, etched with a mix of 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 , maybe sorrow.

“Did you know I wasn’t even sure if it was me who spoke, the words seeming to detach themselves from my body and float into the air of their own .

Christian sighed, “Not before today. Riley called me an hour ago, said Amaya 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 , my body moving on autopilot. Behind me, I heard Christian murmur, “Give him a moment.” The sound faded I stumbled blindly towards one of the empty rooms, the walls closing in like a suffocating .

A moment. It wasn’t a moment I needed. It was a lifetime lifetime to come to terms with the colossal mess I’d created. A lifetime to 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 silent. Uncharacteristically quiet, as stunned into submission by the bombshell revelation.

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

of loss of

future stolen before it could What had I done?

A memory, long buried in the my mind, surfaced with a jolt, cruel of the knife. I was standing in the garden irritation twisting my , glared at the climbing plants that to disrupt the manicured perfection of the landscape.

“Boo startled me from behind, and I whirled around, annoyance simmering in my was Amaya, her playful smile doing little to soothe my ruffled “

that supposed to me unimpressed by her prank.

rolled with a playful exasperation always managed to disarm me a little. “You so grouchy,” she , stepping and molding body against mine The touch like a balm, momentarily calming the raging within my wolf.

only together for two months, had this profound on me.

“How ”

“Boring,” she replied with shrug “Why you glaring at “They be ” I grumbled everything She let tinkling , “

called ivy explained stepping and brushing her fingers against the “That’s what they .”

continued, “I think should them. The here for them they’ve fought so hard survive. I like that Their Cunn “

be ,” I countered, my voice still laced with annoyance. “The gardener is taking them off tomorrow.”

smile slightly flicker of disappointment in her eyes “Fine,” she conceded. “Do what you want. But you know,” she added, a mischievous glint returning to her , “if I ever have a girl, I’d name her 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 through me that 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 already falling in love with her.

The slid down my face. I couldn’t remember the last time I 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 about me if 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,” I commanded, my voice leaving no room for argument. “My mate 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 time in our dealings, seemed speechless.

“You regard me your second in command?” he finally stammered, disbelief coloring his voice.

“Give the order ” 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 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 stopped me in my tracks. I turned back to Christian’s girlfriend standing there, her eyes filled with a newfound determination.

“I know you don’t know me,” she began, “but Amaya my friend, and I want to help. I ran away from Italy because my father wanted me to marry some guy he picked out for me. But with everyone being so brave ” she added a hint of creeping into her voice, “I think it’s time I stood up to him. He can help.”

I stared 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 players was crucial.Victor Moretti any man in