All Chapters of Bonded to the Bastard: My Rejection, His Obsession: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

Alanza’s POV"Why are you staring at your plate like it’s a death sentence?"The voice belongs to Alpha Reynaldo. It is heavy, gravelly, and vibrates against the mahogany table. I don't look up. Instead, I focus on the steam rising from the expensive takeout my brother Pascual brought home. My mother is hovering nearby, her movements frantic and apologetic as she serves the man who rules our lives. She keeps murmuring excuses about the meal, but Reynaldo isn't listening to her.He is looking at me.I can feel the weight of my father and brother’s anger from across the room. They are silent, radiating a heat that has nothing to do with the food. I refuse to give them the satisfaction of a glance. My appetite is already gone.Reynaldo is a wall of a man. Even sitting down, he looms over the rest of us. He is all thick muscle and rigid discipline, his brown hair cut with military precision. He looks like a man who has never tripped o

Alanza’s POV"Why are you looking at me like I’m a ghost?"My voice cracked as I backed away from the door. My brother, Pascual, didn't answer right away. He just stood there, his shadow stretching across the floor of my old room. He looked older, harder, and way more dangerous than the boy I used to follow around.I couldn't stop my hands from shaking, so I tucked them behind my back. My mind was spinning with everything I had just figured out. Alpha Reynaldo was desperate. His own sons were dead. One died years ago in a fight with rogues, and the others never even made it to birth. That was why Pascual was here. He was the backup plan, the strong warrior brought in to lead because the Alpha’s bloodline had dried up.But everyone knew Reynaldo wasn't giving up. He had lovers all over the pack, trying to father a new heir. If he succeeded, Pascual would be tossed aside like trash.I felt a wave of nausea hit me. Reynaldo knew I wa

Alanza’s POV"The grease won't come off if the water is lukewarm," my mother snaps, tossing another heavy ceramic plate into the basin.I don't look up. I just twist the faucet until the spray turns to steam, the heat biting into my skin. The pain is a distraction. If I focus on the sting in my palms, I don't have to think about the panic clawing at my throat. I am a ghost in this kitchen, a servant in my own skin, washing away the remnants of a meal I wasn't invited to enjoy.Beyond the swinging door, the heavy rumble of male voices vibrates through the floorboards. My father and Pascual are in the study. They aren't trying to be quiet. They don't think I matter enough to hide from."Three more last night," Pascual says. I can hear the floorboards groan as he paces. "If we don't catch the rogues at the treeline, they’ll start marking the inner perimeter.""Control your temper," my father says. His voice is a low, steady grind, like sto

Alanza’s POV"Pick up, pick up, pick up," I whispered, my thumb hovering over the redial button.The kitchen tile felt like ice against my bare feet. Every time the line clicked and went to voicemail, my heart took another frantic lap around my ribs. I glanced toward the living room. Jimena was sprawled on the sofa, staring at the ceiling with an expression of pure boredom. She was the only reason I had a phone in my hand at all. We weren't friends, not by a long shot. I still halfway expected her to lung for my throat the moment I closed my eyes, but for now, our interests aligned. She didn't want me carrying an Alpha's heir any more than I wanted to be a broodmare.As long as Alpha Reynaldo believed I might already be carrying Leyton’s pup, he wouldn't touch me. He didn't want a rival's bloodline in his house. He looked at me like a math problem, not a person. There was no heat in his eyes, only the cold hum of a calculator. If he could, he would p

Alanza’s POV"You aren’t seeing the full picture yet, Alanza," Pascual said. He didn't look away. Instead, he started tapping his index finger against the wood of the table.Tap.Tap.Tap.The sound echoed in the quiet room, grating on my nerves. I pulled my chair back an inch. "Why do I need to see it?"He didn't stop the tapping. His lips pulled back into a thin, cold line that wasn't quite a smile. "Because this pack is ready to drop you the second you stop being a tool. Alpha Reynaldo isn't looking for a daughter. He’s looking for a prisoner. If you stay here, he’ll lock you in a cage of misery and use you to get whatever he wants.""I’m aware," I snapped. My hands were shaking, so I tucked them under my thighs. "That’s why I want out. You’re the one who dragged me back here in the first place, remember? You aren't telling me anything new."Pascual stopped tapping. He gave me a slow