Bound To The Broken Alpha (Amy and Daniel) novel Chapter 443

Chapter 443 Blowing Back

CLARA

Mark noticed before I was ready for him to.

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Finished

That was the problem. Not that he was angry, or suspicious, or pacing the living room like he owned the air in it. The problem was that he was finally paying attention, and attention was dangerous.

He was standing near the window when I came in, arms crossed, jaw tight. He didn’t greet me. He didn’t ask where I’d been. That silence told me everything.

“You’re late,” he said finally.

“I told you I had errands,” I replied, setting my bag down slowly. I kept my tone calm. Normal. Like this was just another evening.

“You said you were meeting a friend.” His eyes stayed on me now. “You didn’t say you’d disappear for hours.”

I shrugged lightly. “Things took longer than I planned.”

“That’s been happening a lot,” he said. “You are taking longer than planned. You step out to take calls. You lock your phone.”

I turned to face him fully. “I’m allowed privacy, Mark.”

He let out a short laugh, but there was no humor in it. “Privacy isn’t the same as secrecy.”

I didn’t answer right away. Silence can be useful if you let the other person fill it with their own fears. Mark did exactly that.

“Are you in trouble?” he asked. “Because if you are, you can tell me.”

“I’m not in trouble.”

“Then why do you act like you are?”

I walked past him into the kitchen, forcing him to follow if he wanted to keep talking. I needed movement. Stillness made people think too hard.

“I’ve been under pressure,” I said. “You know that.”

“Everyone’s under pressure,” he snapped. “Amy’s missing. Daniel’s unraveling. The pack is tense. That doesn’t explain you sneaking around like you’re hiding something.”

I opened the fridge, pretending to look for water. My hands were steady. My heart was not.

“I’m not hiding anything,” I said.

Mark leaned against the counter. “Then explain this.”

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Chapter 443 Blowing Back

Finisher

He held up his phone. My phone. Or rather, a photo of my phone, taken earlier that day when I’d left it charging in the living room.

“You changed your password,” he said. “You used to tell me when you did that.”

I closed the fridge and faced him again. “I didn’t know I needed permission.”

“You didn’t,” he said. “But it’s another change.”

I exhaled slowly, letting some frustration show. Not too much. Enough to look real.

“You’re watching me now?” I asked. “Taking pictures of my things?”

“I wasn’t watching,” he said. “I noticed.”

“That’s watching.”

“No,” he said. “Watching is what people do when they expect to find something. I wasn’t expecting anything until you gave me reasons.”

There it was. The word reasons. He thought he was being logical.

“I’ve been trying to help,” I said quietly. “I’ve been trying to hold things together.”

“How?” he asked. “By lying to me?”

“I’m not lying.”

“Then tell me where you go.”

I hesitated on purpose. Just a second too long. Enough to trigger his fear, but not enough to confirm it.

“I can’t,” I said.

His shoulders stiffened. “You can’t, or you won’t?”

“It’s not about you,” I said. “It’s about timing.”

“Timing for what?” he demanded. “Because from where I’m standing, it looks like you’re involved in things you don’t want me to know about.”

I stepped closer to him. Not invading his space, just enough to soften the moment.

“I didn’t think you’d turn into this,” I said.

“This?” he repeated.

“Someone who assumes the worst,” I said. “I thought you trusted me.”

“I did,” he said. “I do. That’s why this feels wrong.”

I reached out and touched his arm. He didn’t pull away, but he didn’t relax either.

1975

Chapter 443 Blowing Back

Finished

“You know I’ve been watched since everything that happened,” I said. “You know people don’t look at me kindly.”

“That’s exactly why I’m worried,” he said. “Because if you’re mixed up in something, you won’t survive another scandal.”

“I’m not mixed up,” I said. “I’m careful.”

“Careful looks a lot like sneaky,” he said.

I let my hand fall away and crossed my arms instead, mirroring his posture.

“So what is this?” I asked. “An interrogation?”

“No,” he said. “It’s me asking my partner if she’s okay.”

“I am.”

“Then why do you keep leaving at odd hours?”

“I need space,” I said. “This house is suffocating lately.”

He looked genuinely hurt at that. Good. Hurt was easier to manage than anger.

“I thought we were building something,” he said.

“We are,” I said quickly. “But building doesn’t mean reporting every step.”

“Not every step,” he said. “Just the ones that look like exits.”

I met his gaze and softened my voice. “I’m not leaving you.”

“Then stop acting like you already have.”

I stepped closer again, lowering my voice. “You’re scared because things are unstable,” I said. “You’re projecting that onto me.”

His brow furrowed. “That’s not fair.”

“Neither is accusing me of hiding crimes,” I replied.

“I didn’t say crimes.”

“You’re thinking about it.”

He looked away.

I pressed gently. “If I wanted to hurt you, I wouldn’t still be here,” I said. “I wouldn’t argue with you. I’d just disappear.”

“That’s what scares me,” he said quietly. “That you could.”

I nodded slowly, as if considering his words. “I won’t,” I said. “But I need you to trust that some things I do

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3:31 pm

Chapter 443 Blowing Back

are for survival.”

“Whose?” he asked.

“Mine,” I said. “And maybe yours.”

That caught his attention.

“What does that mean?”

“It means I’m trying to stay ahead of what’s coming,” I said. “You don’t want to be dragged into that.”

He studied my face, searching for cracks. I gave him none.

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