Bound To The Broken Alpha (Amy and Daniel) novel Chapter 120

Chapter 120 You Need A Break

AMY’S POV

B

Finished

The morning started like any other morning with files, phone calls, the steady rhythm of responsibility but something in the air felt different.

Maybe it was me. Maybe it was the way Daniel had been watching me lately, as if he could see the exhaustion I kept pretending wasn’t there.

By noon, my head was pounding. I was halfway through another report when his voice cut through the silence.

“Enough,” he said simply.

I looked up from my desk. “Excuse me?”

He leaned against the doorway, sleeves rolled, that quiet authority in his tone that left no room for argument. “You’re done for the day, Amy. Pack a bag.”

“For what?”

“A break,” he said. “With me.”

I frowned. “You have meetings, a call scheduled for -” he didn’t allow me to complete my statement before he interrupted me with a hand raised.

“I cancelled them.” He stepped closer, his expression softening. “You haven’t taken a real breath in weeks. So we’re leaving and it’s just for one night.”

I opened my mouth to protest but stopped when I saw the faint tiredness around his eyes. He looked as worn out as I felt. Maybe we really do need this afterall.

“Where are we going?” I let the tiredness I’ve been holding at bay in my voice.

He smiled just slightly. “You’ll see.”

The drive out of the city was quiet at first, it was a little bit awkward as it was just the hum of the engine, the whisper of wind through the trees we drove by and the distant sound of rain threatening the horizon. I watched the skyline fade behind us and tried to shake off the tightness in

my chest.

But it wasn’t that easy.

He didn’t take any of the familiar roads. No Carter–owned property, no guarded gates. It was just us and the winding country paths lined with pine and stone.

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9:17 Fri, Jan 2

Chapter 120 You Need A Break

Finished:

For once, it felt like he’d left his Alpha title behind. Like we left the heavy weight of responsibility behind to be our true self.

After a while, he reached for the console and turned on the radio. A slow instrumental played, it was soothing and something old, probably from his father’s collection.

“You hate silence that much?” I teased.

He glanced at me, the corner of his mouth lifting. “Only when it’s heavy.”

I looked back out the window. “Sometimes silence is the only thing that makes sense.”

He didn’t answer. But when he reached across the seat to take my hand, I didn’t pull away and for the rest of the ride the air between us was warm and comfortable.

The resort sat by a lake tucked between tall evergreens. It wasn’t grand or flashy, it’s more of a handful of wooden cabins, the air rich with the scent of wet earth and cedar. Daniel parked near the water and cut the engine.

“Owned by a friend,” he said. “No one knows we’re here.” It was as if he knew the question at the top of my tongue. I smiled softly before I stepped out of the car, letting the cool breeze brush against my skin.

The lake shimmered softly, reflecting clouds that looked close enough to touch. For the first time in weeks, I felt something unclench inside me. I felt human and less of the robotic version of me that’s asked up each day.

We spent the afternoon walking along the shoreline, our hands brushing occasionally but never quite holding. When the sun began to dip, Daniel led me to a small wooden deck set for two. Dinner was a simple grilled fish – that Daniel had caught earlier while I was appreciating our new environment — vintage wine, and silence that didn’t need to be filled.

Halfway through, he said, almost to himself, “I booked this place months ago.”

I looked up. “Before… all this?” My face wore the confusion reeling through me.

He nodded. “I didn’t know what for at the time. Maybe I just wanted a place that didn’t remind me of what I’d lost.” His gaze flicked to me, steady and unguarded. “Now I know it was meant for this.”

“For what?”

“For us,” he said quietly. “Not the arrangement and this is not about our family’s legacy or our position in the pack. But just for us.” His eyes met mine and in his eyes I saw more than any words of his could comprehend

DIA

9:17 Fri, Jan 2

Chapter 120 You Need A Break

6949

Finished

The sound of water lapping against the deck filled the silence that followed. I didn’t know what to say. Part of me wanted to run because that kind of honesty felt dangerous. But another part of me wanted to stay forever…. I chose the later.

“You don’t have to say anything,” he added softly. “I just needed you to know.”

He poured me another glass of wine and lifted his own. “To second chances.”

I met his gaze and raised mine too. “To finally taking a breath.”

The glasses clinked and right in that moment everything was warm, simple and real.

Later that night, the air turned colder, and we moved inside the cabin. A fire burned low in the hearth. I sat on the edge of the bed, running my fingers through my hair, trying not to think too hard about what that dinner and profound statement had meant.

When he came up behind me, I smelled his delicious fragrance before I saw his reflection filling the mirror, the tired eyes and the careful hands of a man who is trying his best to be the better version of himself.

“You’re always thinking,” he murmured. “Even now.”

“Occupational habit.”

He smiled faintly. “Then let me help you stop.”

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