Bonds

Chapter One

~Four years ago~

~Maya’s POV~

It rained on the day I died.

People die in different ways, mine was one of the most painful kinds. My heart was ripped out and shredded into a million pieces right in front of me.

“Alex, please don’t do this to me,” I begged running after him, “Please I am begging you. I have nowhere to go.”

He turned to me, his blue eyes now as cold as ice stared at me. Gone was the warmth that made me feel safe whenever he held me to his chest, whispering just how much he loved me.

“Alex,” I whispered his name again.

“You are starting to irritate me. Do not make me throw you out, Maya.”

Maya.

The sound of my name on his lips was another painful stab to my heart. He hadn’t called me by my real name in the three years we had been married.

My begging was getting me nowhere I realized. Standing to my feet, I wiped the tears from my cheeks.

“You are really going to do this to me after everything we have been through together? After everything I gave up just to be with you?”

He didn’t say anything. He simply stared through me like I didn’t exist. Like I was nothing.

I stared at him. He looked the same. The same man I had fallen in love with. The same man I had turned my back on my entire pack for just to be with yet he was so different.

There had been so much whispers after the announcement of our engagement but the center of it all was that I was a gold digging stripper that had dug her claws into one of the most eligible billionaires in the city but neither Alex nor I had cared.

He kissed me two months after that and claimed me as his.

“You and I against the world silver.. Always and forever,” he had whispered just before he entered me for the first time.

We had both made sacrifices for love and I was not going to let him destroy it.

“You cannot just discard me like I am nothing to you,” I said finally, hoping to get a reaction from him but there was nothing.

“Do you have nothing else to say?”

Silence hung between us, almost suffocating me then finally he walked towards the table, grabbing a brown envelope and in that cold and detached voice, “My signature is already on it. Sign it and don’t let me see you ever again.”

“We can fix whatever is wrong. Tell me what happened. You can’t just leave then return only to tell me you are ending our marriage and then throw divorce papers in my face. Please let me fix it. Whatever it is.” I tried to step forward but halted in my step when I saw the flash of black in his eyes.

the surface reminded me of the most

said that because the next words that came out from his mouth ripped

Stone and from this

painful, it had me falling back on my knees gasping for air. I had heard stories of rejection but none of them prepared me

recoiled howling in pain as I struggled to see through

out

strong hands pick me from the

gasped out,

see her again.” Those were the last words that echoed

That night… It rained.

night.. I

***************

time for you to come back home. I have

father’s hard tone sounded through the phone again, “Amaya did you hear

father

saw Daniel Stones’ name on my phone. My father hardly ever

place? Who is he?” I managed to get out after a

be your concern. I will send a car to fetch you before the week runs out. Be prepared and

me. Like a common

Am

ending the call and I let

marriage to a man that I did not know but there was no fire left in me. It had

were Ivy and Nathan. I knew my father wouldn’t approve of me

up solutions in my brain, I quickly scrolled through the limited

the phone with an energy that could light up the whole city. “Amaya! I miss you so, so much! Oh my goodness, are you at my doorstep right now? Please

down my ever-excited best friend, “Could you maybe give me a

right, right, right! I’m so sorry. You know how I am—I just can’t help it. I get all hyper

interjected again, gently teasing

I’m all ears now. You

Her words always poured out like an overflowing river, bubbling over with enthusiasm. It felt like she could fill an empty room with her energy,

out a long, deep sigh, picturing Natalia’s face in my mind. I knew her

the phone, laced with worry

father,” I began, hesitating as I felt the weight of his demand settling

between her breaths seemingly long. Her silence spoke volumes before she finally broke it, her

my father’s call still echoing in my mind, the words sinking into my heart like heavy stones. “Make

my name like

had honed this psychic connection from the very first day

line. “After everything I did… I

retorted, her voice a mix of frustration and empathy. “Your parents left you to raise the twins all by

actions, but Natalia cut in, her words gentle yet firm, “You did it for love. You loved him, Amaya. Don’t let anyone ever fault you for

to say his name for a new wave of pain to wash through

yes,” I whispered, the weight of my decision heavy in my chest. “He

but it sounded

laughed if the situation

bother you if I had

dying to see you for ages. It’s been over a year and I really want to hug you and you don’t even have to stress about Nate. You know how much he loves you. Sometimes, I’m convinced it’s even more than he loves me, which is