Bonded to the Bastard: My Rejection, His Obsession의 모든 챕터: 챕터 181 - 챕터 190

Alanza’s POV"Do you understand that you cannot leave this room for any reason?" Karlos asked, his voice dropping to a low, hard edge.I didn't argue. I didn't roll my eyes or complain about the heavy security. I simply looked at the Alpha Lodge, a place that had felt like a prison only days ago, and nodded. The air was thick with the scent of pine and the fading, bitter stench of the funeral pyres we had left behind.Back at the clearing, Alpha Reynaldo used to love the sound of his own voice. When he held rites in Crystal Lake, he spent hours preaching, especially when he buried his sons. He used words like weapons. Here, Luciano was different. He didn't say a single word. He just stood there with his arms locked across his chest, his eyes fixed on the flames as they ate through the wood and the heavy white sheets.The crowd of people thinned out as they shifted. One by one, the mourners dropped to four legs, their clothes left in small piles as t

Alanza’s POV"Any updates on the vampire?" I asked.The taller guard leaned against the doorframe. He had cold eyes and shoulders that blocked out most of the hallway light. He looked at me like I was something he had stepped in on the sidewalk."Why do you even care?" he snapped.His voice was like a physical slap. I felt the heat climb up my neck and sting my cheeks. I looked down at my hands, feeling small in the center of the room. "I just do not want anyone to get hurt tonight," I said. My voice sounded thin, even to me.The second shifter, a shorter man with a scar under his eye, grabbed his partner’s arm. He gave a sharp, silent shake of his head. They both turned their backs on me. The dismissal felt like a wall of ice.I looked over at Sombra. She was curled in a square of moonlight on the rug, her tail tucked over her nose. Usually, she had something biting to say when people treated us like this. She usually told me to

Alanza’s POV"So, five miles around the training track is exactly twenty laps?" I asked.I kept my voice low, but the question had been stinging the back of my brain ever since the guard mentioned the distance. The man I called Muddy-Blue Eyes turned away from the window. He didn't look like he respected me much, but he kept his tone professional."I beg your pardon?" He blinked, his brow furrowing into deep lines. "Yes. Twenty laps. That is the standard."I shook my head, my frown deepening. "Not twelve?""No. It is twenty. It takes four laps to make a single mile."I felt a chill that had nothing to do with the air conditioning. My memory of basic training was vivid, mostly because of the agonizing pain. "London told us to run five miles every single morning. He always insisted it was twelve laps."Muddy-Blue Eyes looked genuinely stunned. His eyes widened, and he shared a quick, confused glance with his partner. "Beta-Mentor

Alanza’s POV"You still haven't learned to keep your guard up, even in a locked room," London said, his voice like gravel grinding together.I sat on the edge of the mattress, my legs dangling. The silence in the room was heavy. Beside me, Sombra was a physical weight against my thigh. She looked like she was sleeping, her eyes pressed shut, but I felt the tension humming through her fur. She was fighting her own battles in the dark corners of our shared mind, wrestling with shadows I couldn't see.The two guards by the door stiffened simultaneously. Sombra’s ears twitching was the only warning before her head snapped up. She fixed her gaze on the wood paneling of the door.Someone is coming, she pulsed into my mind.The guards relaxed a second later, their eyes glazing over as they received a telepathic link from whoever was in the hallway. Sombra didn't settle, though. She sniffed the air, her tail giving a single, hesitant thump.

Alanza’s POV"I am willing to give up my own life to save Lucia, but I cannot hand over the entire pack to do it," I said, the weight of the confession making my posture crumble. "I have no idea how to balance those two things."The truth felt like lead in my chest. London didn't look at me with pity. He simply gave a slow, knowing nod."That burden is called responsibility," he said. "It will always act as a leash on your heart. It is a vital lesson for a leader."I stared at my lap, my voice thick with regret. "I just wish I hadn't learned it while people were dying.""Sit up," London barked. The sudden sharpness of his voice acted like a physical strike. "Pull your shoulders back. Pitying yourself is a waste of time, and it helps absolutely no one."I flinched and immediately straightened my spine. My body moved to obey the old wolf before my mind could even process the command. Years of training under a man like him clearly left a