-Alex’s POV-


    Adrian sauntered into the private ro with an air of misced


    confidence. He pulled out a chair with a flourish,pletely ignoring the tension crackling in the air, and poured himself a generous amount of amber liq


    As he took a swig, I watched him. He wasn’t the Adrian I knew. The prison visitation has made it clear but seeing him out here only confirmed it. The eas


    “Well, well,” he drawled, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “Let’s not let my little arrival disrupt the party. We’ll go on. The three of us used to be


    Christian, ever the picture of stoicism, simply leaned back in his chair, the familiar bored expression back in ce. “Adrian,” he began, his voice dry and


    for you.”


    Adrian scoffed, a harsh, grating sound. “Worked up? You locked me up for four damn years, Alex, and you helped him do it!”


    Afrian’s eyes shed with anger as he narrowed Christian with a re, “Worked up? He threw me in jail and you helped him.”


    “And the reason you followed us all the way to Italy is because?” I countered, my voice as dry and emotionless as Christian’s.


    His eyes, those cold, calcting eyes, narrowed in on me. “I’ve been quite busy since I got out, Alex,” he drawled, taking another leisurely


    sip of his drink. “You know, catching up with old friends. And wouldn’t you know it, I ran into someone quite familiar. Amaya.”


    The name hit me like a physical blow. My wolf surged within me, a primal growl threatening to erupt from my throat. Every fiber of my being screamed at


    He continued, his voiceced with a sickening sweetness. “She’s looking even more beautiful, radiant even.” He stared at me, a smirk ying on his lips


    But I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. He wanted a fight, a confrontation, but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. No matter how much his words twisted


    knife in my gut, I would remain silent.


    I focused on my breathing, slow and measured, trying to calm the raging storm


    within. The silence stretched, thick and suffocating, Christian watched the exchange with a hawk–


    like intensity, his hand hovering near his phone, no doubt ready to call for security if things got out of


    hand.


    Adrian’s eyes lingered on me, searching for a crack in myposure, but I refused to give him the satisfaction. He swirled the remaining liquid in his


    “I almost didn’t recognize her but you could never miss her scent. It’s one of a kind,” he continued, her name rolling off his tongue like a taunt. He drew o


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    My wolf growled, straining against its restraints as I fought to keep my anger in check. I could feel its power coursing through my veins, urging me tosh


    His eyes flicked to Ivan’s picture on the table, and a smirk


    spread across his face. “I see you’re still hung up in her. Stalking the person who she wants to be with. A man close to perfection as I heard.


    Something you will never be.”


    I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms as I struggled to maintain control. My wolf was snarling, its fury boiling over.


    Christian’s eyes met mine, a warning glinting in their depths. He knew I was on the edge, knew that one wrong move could send me over


    the precipice. “Shut up, Adrian,” he said, his voice low and even, a calm in the storm.


    But Adrian justughed, a cold, mocking sound. “Oh,e on, Christian. Don’t be such a spoilsport. Alex here needs to face reality. He’s still stuck in the


    “Shut up about it, Adrian,” I growled, my voice low and menacing, a warning sign that I was on the edge.


    Christian’s hand closed around my arm, a gentle restrain and Adrian just kept going, his words like a steady drumbeat. “Amaya, Amaya, Amaya. You can


    The sentence was unfinished, cut short by the raw fury that exploded within me. It was the final push, the spark that ignited the tinderbox of


    my emotions


    In a heartbeat, the fragile control I held shattered. My wolf surged forward, a primal force seizing the reins. My vision dimmed at the edges, the


    world narrowing to a single point of focus – Adrian’s smug face.


    My body moved on autopilot, fueled by instinct and rage. One moment I was sitting across from Adrian, the next I was a blur of motion. I was across the


    He hit the


    floor with a grunt, his carefully constructed facade crumbling. His eyes widened in surprise, momentarily unguarded before a flicker of something dark ig


    within them. A twisted smile stretched across his face, a chilling contrast to the fear that had momentarily flickered there.


    I didn’t waste time with words. My hands transformed into ws, honed instincts taking over. I lunged for his throat. My ws sank into his flesh, and a h


    my hands.


    But Adrian wasn’t done yet. He struggled against my hold. Despite the pain, a manicugh escaped his lips. “Finally decided to show your true colors?” h


    The sound of hisughter, the


    sight of his blood, it only fueled my rage further. I tightened my grip, the muscles in my arms screaming in protest. A part of me, a rational sliver fighting t


    Adrian’s mocking voice echoed in my ears. Everything – the hurt, the frustration, the simmering anger – it all boiled over in that moment.


    Just as I was about to squeeze my grip one final time, a voice cut through the haze. Christian’s voice, calm butced with a steely urgency, sliced throug


    look.”


    His words were a bucket of cold water thrown ver my burning rage. Slowly, the red haze began to recede, reced by a chilling realization of what I alm


    continued.


    I stared at him, my chest heaving with ragged breaths. The primal hunger within me slowly subsided, reced by a cold, simmering fury. Picking up my p


    10:23 Sat, 22 Jun Wed 04


    The night air pped me in the face, a wee shock to the system.


    My enemies were growing in number and I would deal with them, one by one, starting with the one who dared to touch a nerve so raw, the one who held


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