Bonds of the Alpha Billionaire (Maya and Alex)

Chapter 102 -Maya's POV-

Blood.

Blood was everywhere. It smeared across the concrete floor, staining my feet, clinging to my skin in a cold, metallic sheen. The metallic tang filled my nose, a sickening counterpoint to the adrenaline that still buzzed in my veins.

Alex had pulled me out, his grip on my arm bruisingly tight. The building shuddered around us, the air thick with dust and the ominous groan of buckling beams. Through the haze, I glimpsed Ivan, his face etched with a mixture of relief and fury. His words tumbled over each other, a frantic explanation of how he'd found Natalia and Sarah. How he had gotten them out.

So many people had died, caught in the crossfire of a war Alex had instigated. And I, consumed by my own emotional turmoil, had barely given them a thought even though I forced myself to believe I did. As soon as Ivan had gotten me clear, Alex had vanished. No surprise there. He was probably back at his mansion, basking in the aftermath of his victory. Whatever he had said was simply a game. I didn't waste any energy on wondering about my father's fate. Daniel Stone, with his bottomless well of self-absorption, wouldn't be caught dead sacrificing himself for anyone but himself.

"Are you okay?" Ivan's voice broke through my spiraling thoughts. I was wrapped in a blanket, the world around me a blur as I shivered

uncontrollably.

"Natalia and Sarah got out before things got too messy," he continued. "Natalia said she tried to find you, and apparently, you vanished the moment you shifted." He said it with a forced lightness, but I could hear the unspoken question hanging in the air.

My wolf After four agonizing years, she was back. Not completely gone, I knew that now, but dormant, a flicker buried deep within me. A small, defiant smile tugged at the corner of my lips. My wolf was back, a part of me I'd feared was lost forever.

"Amaya?" Ivan's voice, laced with concern, yanked me back to the present. I realized I hadn't answered him. "Yes," I stammered, forcing the words past the lump in my throat. "Yes, I'm fine."

He wasn't convinced and I knew what he must be thinking. That would explain the storm brewing in his eyes. I opened my mouth, ready to offer some lame explanation, but he cut me off with a strained smile. "I'm glad you are," he said, his voice tight.

Silence descended upon the room, thick and suffocating. The only sound was the frantic hammering of my heart against my ribs.

“Miranda?” I blurted out suddenly. The question hung in the air, unexpected even to me.

"I saw her leaving just before he gave the order," He replied. "She must have known what he was planning. In her usual Miranda way, she'll be fine."

I nodded, but the weight of his words settled heavily on my chest. He stood up abruptly. "Get some rest," he sighed, his voice clipped. "I need some fresh air."

He turned to leave, but I called out to him, my voice choked with guilt. "I'm sorry."

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don't understand you, Amaya. You just ran into the middle of that battle. Why? For him? For your father? Because both of them have proven

deserved it. He was right. While he'd been there for

I whispered, the words a hollow

you think that makes me feel? I do everything to show you that I care, that I'm the only one who will ever truly be there for you," He continued, his voice dropping to a low growl. "But at the first sign of trouble, you

actions. Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision. Shame burned in my gut, a white-hot inferno

barely a whisper. "I know you're right. I shouldn't have run right into

face, momentarily replacing the anger. He took a

slightly.

me. Seeing what I

over mine. I didn't move away, a tiny spark of hope

continued, his voice laced with a bitter truth,

leaving a cold emptiness in its wake. The weight of his words settled heavily upon me, a crushing realization of the depth of my betrayal. I had taken Ivan's

opened between us, to somehow express the remorse churning within me. But the words seemed

any longer, I

some rest," he interrupted gently, his gaze flickering away from mine. "We can talk about

steps heavy with unspoken disappointment. As he reached for the knob,

back

he whispered, his voice barely a murmur, "think about what you truly want. Because chasing after something that can never be will

click of the door shutting behind him echoing in the stark silence. I was alone with my thoughts, the enormity of my choices

person who had always been there for me, the one person who loved

IVIUNI, 24 JUI

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Chapter 102

have

of my actions pressed down on me, a new fear began