All Chapters of Bonded to the Bastard: My Rejection, His Obsession: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Alanza Verity’s POV“Come out with me tonight.”Lucia’s head popped into my view. I was wiping down the espresso machine, breathing in the steam and stale coffee scent. This job wasn’t a life goal, but it was a quiet escape. And I had Lucia. She was my one friend, the one person who made me think about a future away from the Crystal Lake Pack.“Can’t. Dad wants me home as soon as I can.”The grimace twisting her face made a little warmth flutter in my chest. At least someone got it. She didn’t know the whole truth—that I was a wolf shifter defect—but she saw the control.My dad, the pack Beta, was an expert at short, demanding texts. I only had this job because he got tired of me being home, I was sure. Every cent not spent on gas went toward the thousand dollars I owed him for my beat-up old Taurus. The car was a sputtering mess, one pothole away from death, but it was mine. That tiny bit of freedom was everything.Anything was better than being home.“You should just move out. We ca

Alanza’s POV“Get off me.”The words were a dry hiss against the heavy air. I slammed back against the kitchen wall. Teo Montero’s hand tightened around my throat, lifting me onto my toes. My groceries tumbled to the hardwood floor. Apples rolled, thudding dull echoes in the silent house. They’d be bruised. That was the stupid thing my brain focused on.Teo grinned, a sickening twist of his lips. “I hear you’ve been playing princess, thinking you’re being sent off to find some fool to take you as a mate.” His breath was hot and reeked of something metallic and fishy. I tried to turn my face away from it.His free hand cracked against my cheek, snapping my head back. “What makes you think you’re good enough for the gala, huh?” He growled each word, pouring out all my worst thoughts. “You think you can ever escape our pack? Do you actually believe anyone would want you? A wolfless freak like you? You’d be rejected in a heartbeat.”My heart hammered against my ribs. A frantic, trapped rh

Alanza’s POV“You couldn’t have at least tried to do something with your hair?”The dress felt like silk against my skin, expensive and soft. I twisted a little in front of the full-length mirror. The skirt swirled around my legs. A small, buried part of me was happy. That part remembered being a little girl, wishing my dresses could spin like a princess’s. The adult me just felt like a fraud.I touched my hair. I had thought the simple style was fine. Jimena had forced me into a salon chair this morning. But Mom’s face showed I was wrong. Her disappointment was as polished and sharp as her silver jewelry.“I thought it was fine,” I mumbled. Shame heated my cheeks.Jimena rolled her eyes. “Of course you did. Come on. A quick French twist is all we have time for.”She grabbed my arm and dragged me to the vanity. I stumbled into the chair. Mom followed, her lips pressed into a thin, tight line.“Sit up straight,” Mom snapped. Her hands clamped down on my shoulders, forcing my back strai

Luciano’s POVGala (III)"Where do you think you're going, little wolf?"My wolf howled in triumph. I kept to the shadows of the garden, stalking the little blonde. She was focused on her phone, oblivious. The screen's glow lit her face, casting a soft light on her features. I saw the reflection in her glasses. It was a shame the color blocked her eyes.I drew closer. A whiff of her scent hit the breeze: honey and vanilla, with something else. Something primal. My wolf practically salivated, urging me to claim her. She wasn't my mate; my wolf would know the first time. But she was special. Definitely special.She tapped her phone with urgency. A rideshare app. Was she leaving?A surge of possessiveness hit me. Like hell I'd let her slip away now.I moved fast. I covered the distance in a few strides. She didn't have time to react. I yanked her arm and spun her. She slammed against my chest. My arm wrapped around her waist. My hand settled just above her hips, stroking the dip before t

Luciano’s POV“You think I don’t know what you did?”Alanza’s small shape vanished into the shadows of the nearby trees. Spring was trying to burst them open, but the darkness was already winning. The full moon, high and cool, felt like a spotlight on my failure.Alanza Verity. Beta Verity’s youngest. A secret until tonight.A deep growl tore out of my chest. I punched the tree trunk beside me. Pain shot up my arm, a welcome burn. Blood beaded on my knuckles from the tough bark. It felt right, needed.I snatched my phone from my back pocket and redialed Karlos. I tried not to blame him for the rage eating me alive. If he had just texted, just called, just warned me that Alanza Verity was a tiny blonde in a black dress and glasses, I wouldn't have gone so far. I wouldn't have walked straight into the trap.“Alanza Verity is handled. She’s gone,” I bit out. My voice was tight and rough. “Watch the others. See if they try to pull another move.”I ended the call before Karlos could speak.