Bonds of the Alpha Billionaire (Maya and Alex)

Chapter 42

-Maya's POV-

My head snapped towards Ivan, surprise coursing through me. His declaration hung in the air, a bombshell that left the room stunned. A low murmur erupted among the pack members, a mixture of confusion and curiosity.

Petrov, his face contorted in disbelief, sputtered, "What are you talking about, Ivan? You can't just waltz in and declare yourself Alpha. There are rules, traditions..."

"Traditions? Yes, there are traditions, Petrov. And one of those traditions is respecting the wishes of the Alpha, especially when those wishes are documented and signed." With a flourish, he reached into his inner jacket pocket and produced a sheaf of papers.

"These," he declared, holding the papers up, "are the official merger agreements between the Crescent Pack and the SilverCrest Pack, signed by none other than Daniel Stone."

A collective gasp arose from the assembled wolves. Petrov lunged forward, his eyes wide with a mixture of disbelief and dawning dread. "Let me see those!"

Ivan held the documents just out of reach, a steely glint in his eyes. "Not so fast, Petrov. There's more." He flipped through the

pages,

his gaze

fixed on a specific section. "Here it is," he announced, his voice resonating with quiet authority. "The agreement clearly states that in the event of Daniel's incapacitation, the Alpha position of the Crescent Pack would be assumed by me, Ivan, until such time as Daniel is able to resume his duties."

"But...but Daniel never mentioned this," Petrov stammered.

"Perhaps," Ivan countered, his tone laced with a hint of amusement, "because he didn't think it would happen this soon. But as these documents clearly state, the groundwork for this merger has been in progress for quite some time. Daniel simply wanted to ensure the future of both our packs."

Petrov shook his head, a desperate edge creeping into his voice. "This can't be right. There must be some mistake. This is all a setup, some elaborate scheme you and Maya cooked up to steal the Alpha position."

A wave of anger surged through me, but before I could voice my outrage, Ivan cut in, his voice hardening. "Why would she want to steal a position that is already hers?" Petrov hesitated, his bluster fading further. He darted a nervous glance towards me, his eyes flickering with a flicker of guilt that quickly morphed back into defiance. "Regardless of that," he argued, grasping at straws, "these documents could be forgeries. We need to verify their authenticity before we blindly accept them."

A smirk played on Ivan's lips. "Of course, due diligence is important. But fear not. I've already taken the liberty of having these documents verified by a third party, a completely neutral source outside both our packs. Here's the confirmation."

held its breath as Petrov hesitantly picked it up and scan the contents. His face drained of all color as

still question the legitimacy of

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Chapter 42

the will

back in his chair, defeated. The fight had seeped out of him, replaced by a dull resignation. "I...I suppose not,"

of Daniel Stone, the Crescent

descended upon the room, broken only by

seemed like the type to just relinquish his power, no matter what the circumstances. Yes, I had known about the merger - that was the whole reason

the pack members. My own expression, however, must have remained a mask, for I barely registered the expectant stares that followed his declaration. My mind was locked in a battle with itself, trying to reconcile the Ivan I thought I was getting to know with the man who

cut through the fog in my head, his tone gentle as he addressed me with

blinked, momentarily brought back to the present moment.

crossed his face, then a hint of amusement crept into his eyes. "You're

words swam before my eyes, a dizzying concoction of emotions threatening to boil over. I forced myself to nod, the

my tongue. My stomach churned with a cocktail of confusion, betrayal, and a flicker of something else... was it fear? Without

the midst of the emotional chaos swirling inside me. The car ride was a tense affair, punctuated only by the rhythmic hum of the engine and the occasional rustle of leaves as we drove

longer, he broke the silence, his voice laced with a hint of caution,

wasn't a matter of being "upset." It was a full-blown maelstrom

let out a sigh, the sound heavy with resignation. "Alright, I understand.

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intended. "Sorry doesn't even begin to cover it, Ivan. You completely blindsided me in there. How could

flinched slightly at the harshness in my tone, but his gaze remained steady. "I... I didn't expect Petrov to react the way he did. Honestly, I had no plans for it to go down

I repeated, incredulous. "It looked like you thought about the whole thing ahead. Documents and all, and

always going to happen.

the whole co-Alpha thing with you. I didn'en working on it for months. But