Bound To The Broken Alpha (Amy and Daniel) novel Chapter 119

Chapter 119 Under Our Nose

AMY

H

Finished

The road to the northern ridge was long and quiet, Daniel drove while I stared out the window, the trees passing like slow–moving shadows. We didn’t talk much, there wasn’t anything left to say until we saw it for ourselves.

The GPS led us off the main road and onto a dirt path that twisted through the woods. It felt oddly familiar, though I couldn’t remember ever being there before.

Maybe it was because this was the same area I’d been told my mother had died or maybe something inside me already knew it wasn’t true.

When we finally stopped, the lake stretched out in front of us – wide, calm, and silent. The water caught the light in soft ripples. For a moment, I just stood there, my hand on the car door, trying to breathe through the feeling that something was waiting.

Daniel came around to my side. “You okay?”

I nodded, though my voice felt stuck somewhere in my chest. “It looks the same as the photo.”

He looked around, scanning the tree line. “There’s a cottage not far from here,” he said, pointing toward a narrow trail. “Let’s check it out.”

We followed the path quietly, the crunch of leaves underfoot the only sound. As we got closer, the smell of smoke and damp wood hit the air. It was faint, but recent. Whoever had been there hadn’t left long ago.

The cottage was small, built from dark stone with ivy crawling up the sides. The windows were dusty but not broken, and there were footprints near the door. One looked small and the other one larger.

I crouched down, tracing the outline with my fingers. “Someone’s been here within a day or two.”

Daniel looked uneasy. “Let’s go in. Stay behind me.”

He pushed the door open carefully. It creaked, but the hinges still held strong. Inside, the air was heavy with the scent of old books and herbs. A thin layer of dust covered most surfaces, except for one table, it was clean, recently wiped. On it sat a lamp, a folded blanket, and an old photo frame facedown.

I reached for it slowly and turned it over. The moment I saw the face in the photograph, the room seemed to tilt.

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Chapter 119 Under Our Nose

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白 It was a woman with calm eyes, her posture was straight. Older, maybe in her forties. But her face… her face really looked like mine.

I stared for a long moment, not even realizing Daniel had come to stand beside me.

“That’s her,” I said quietly. My voice sounded smaller than I intended. “That’s thesame woman I think is my mother.”

He took the frame from my hands and studied it closely. “There’s no date,” he murmured. “But this looks recent. The paper hasn’t even turn yellow.”

I looked around again – at the half–burnt candles, the folded blanket, the faint scent of tea in the air. She had been here. Not long ago.

Daniel crouched near the fireplace, touching the ash. “It’s still warm.”

“She was here today,” I said, barely above a whisper. “Maybe even this morning.”

Before either of us could say anything else, a faint sound echoed from outside, footsteps crunching over dry leaves.

Daniel’s head snapped toward the window. “Someone’s coming.”

He pulled me behind the large wooden cabinet near the door. We crouched down, keeping low as the front door creaked open.

—

A man stepped in, tall, dressed in dark clothing. He moved with silence the kind of stillness that came from years of hiding.

He scanned the room briefly, then spoke into a small radio clipped to his belt. “The place is clear,” he said into the comm. “She’s not here today.”

My pulse kicked hard against my ribs. “She’s not here today.” That meant she came often.

He moved toward the table, glancing at the photo I had just set back down. He hesitated, frowning, then adjusted its position slightly, like he’d done it before. Then he turned and walked back out, closing the door behind him.

Daniel waited a few seconds before standing. His expression was dark. “That was one of Elias’s men,” he said quietly. “I’ve seen him before, he used to handle security for the council.”

I stood slowly, trying to steady myself. “Then Elias knows. He’s known she’s alive all this time.”

He nodded grimly. “And he’s keeping her hidden. The question is, why?”

I looked around again at the signs of life scattered around the cottage. The blanket folded with care. The teacup washed and left to dry. The photograph that someone had clearly touched

ביולי

9:17 Fri, Jan 2

Chapter 119 Under Our Nose

many times.

“She’s been living here,” I said softly. “Right under our noses. All this time.”

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