Bonds

Chapter Five

~Maya’s POV~

The voices floated all around me as I stirred back into consciousness. Every bone in my body hurt and I sensed my wolf stirring within, an instinctive response to the chaos around, ready to defend. Swiftly, I pushed her back knowing I needed my human side taking charge in this moment of disarray.

Gentle hands reached out, pulling me from the cloud of confusion. Struggling to stand, I grappled with pain coursing through every bone. Through the fog in my mind, I met Ivan’s concerned gaze.

“Are you okay?” His voice echoed through the haze.

Battling dizziness, I nodded, allowing him to guide me to a nearby chair. “What happened?” I managed to utter.

“An explosion,” Ivan explained, “Someone planted a bomb to stop the wedding.”

“Who would want to stop the wedding?”

My wolf stirred, giving a possible answer to the question but I refused to believe that Alex had anything to do with it.

I had seen it— the look on his face. There was nothing but hate. Alex wouldn’t be interested in stopping me from getting married unless it wasn’t to stop the wedding and this was him showing that he meant the statement against my father,

“Maya, did you just hear me?”

“I’m sorry.. I was just.. Why would someone plant a bomb?”

“That’s not important right now. I think we need to get you to a hospital.”

“No. I’m fine,” Realization dawned on me, glancing around, “My father, my parents, where are they?”

“I saw Daniel and your mother after the explosion,” Ivan reassured me, “He was trying to get her away from harm’s way. They are okay.”

A bitter taste lingered in the air, the realization hitting me hard.

Of course, he didn’t come looking for me.

“I didn’t finish saying my vows. We aren’t married yet,” I uttered, still trying to process everything happening.

of humor into the grim scene. “Wow. If I had known it would take an explosion to get you to admit you

laugh bubbled up from somewhere deep within

I murmured, acknowledging the unspoken responsibility even though they hadn’t come looking for me. “I guess I

will talk about completing the

before I could take another step, he pulled me back, a sudden and unexpected force. Without giving me a

opportunity to deepen the kiss. His hands wrapped around my

strand of my hair to the tip of my

kiss like Alex, a small voice whispered, snapping me back

at me, “I didn’t want to leave this hall without knowing what those beautiful lips taste like.” A blush rose to my cheeks as

final smile that I knew without a doubt dropped panties everywhere he went, he turned around, leaving

you have nothing better to do with your legs?”

his unmistakable death glare. “I was just about to

you were standing there, staring into space like an idiot,” he remarked, his tone as

“Father, there was an explosion. Am I

a silent warning.

I wasn’t…

time to waste, child.

after he came to find me when the bomb went

you choose to stop standing around like an idiot, I would

daring to provoke him further. “Yes, Father, let’s

emotions and questions. The shock of the explosion still echoed in my ears, making

my mother’s voice called out as we approached her. She looked frazzled but unharmed. Relief somewhat washed

I replied, “What happened?

mother and I had always had an awkward relationship. She was just a trophy

was only loss and emptiness.

I knew

his tone clipped, “We can discuss that later. Right now, we need to leave. The situation

outside, away from the chaos, where emergency personnel

my father directed us towards the car. “Amaya, we’ll need to have a talk about what happened.

What had I

for what I

mind raced with thoughts of the interrupted wedding, the mysterious explosion, and Ivan’s seemingly calculated exit.

home, my father ushered us into the living room. “Sit down. We

glance with my mother. The air in the room was thick with

do, Father?” I

sighed, running a hand through his graying hair. “Firstly, are you hurt? Did Ivan ensure your safety or did he run like a coward? I need to know the type

was only thinking