Bonds

Chapter 19

Maya’s POV-

The door creaked open under the weight of my apprehension. My father sat in his usual armchair, a snifter of brandy swirling in his hand. The fire crackled, casting long, dancing shadows on the walls, but it offered little warmth to the icy knot of fear tightening in my gut.

His gaze snapped towards me the moment I entered. The scowl etched on his face deepened, carving lines of disapproval even deeper into his weathered features.

“There you are,” he rumbled, his voice laced with a dangerous edge,. “About time. I’ve been waiting.”

“I can explain,” Irushed out, the words tumbling from my lips before he could scream at me. Giving him a chance to speak first was a losing strategy, I knew. “It happened so last, and before I knew it, the words were coming out of my mouth.”

The frown on his face deepened, a storm cloud gathering above his narrowed eyes. “What are you going on about now?”

I took a moment to stare at him. He was… calm. Completely uncharacteristically calm. If the news had reached him, he would be exploding in my face by now, Instead, he remained seated, his features locked in a mask of restrained rage which was usual for him.

I would never understand why he was always so angry.

e you talking about, Amaya?”

“What are you

“Nothing.” I recovered quickly, forcing a smile, “It was nothing. Why did you ask me to come here?”

He held my gaze, his eyes boring into mine. We both knew I was lying but instead of pushing it, as was his usual tactic, he simply said, “Do you have the documents signed already?”

The question caught me off guard. “You just gave them to me yesterday, father, I reminded him. “I had an interview today. So no.”

“Interview for what?” he asked, a flicker of curiosity momentarily replacing the storm in his eyes.

“A job,” was all I said, yet again, he didn’t push it. My mind raced, wondering what was going on. This uncharacteristic calmness, this lack of his usual interrogatory barrage- it was unnerving.

“Ivan called,” he continued, his voice flat. I froze for a split second, a flicker of panic shooting through me. “Why did he? Did something happen?” “No,” he said, seemingly dismissing the question with a wave of his hand. “He wants you to move in with him. I already sent your things to his place.”

that statement infuriated me- the casualness of his tone, the audacity of making decisions about my life without consulting me. kept my voice calm, forcing it to remain level. At least it was better than dealing with the aftermath of him finding

all?” I asked, managing

gaze flickering

But I

bowed my head in a gesture of respect, a formality ingrained in me since childhood. He was my Alpha, after

focused elsewhere. I turned and left the room, the

like a slap, a welcome change from the suffocating atmosphere within. I had a lot of questions swimming through my

20

Chapter 19

Why the sudden calmness?

hadn’t he pressed me

Did he know?

familiar comfort in the unfamiliar disquiet. The screen flickered to life, revealing a list of contacts. His name was at the very top. No matter how much I tried. I could never bring myself to delete it. Despite everything, my finger hovered over it for a moment too

ringing and I wondered if he still used the number. Just as I was about to give up, the ringing stopped. He had picked up. Silence. Neither of us

breath hitched in my throat, a cold jolt running through me. Before I

button.

phone sank back into my hand, feeling oddly heavy. I let out a shaky breath, blinking rapidly as tears

had I

couldn’t just let him

we first met

Natalia managed to convince me with her usual Natalia rant. My gaze drifted across the room, scanning the faces lost in the

find a

And then…

Everything stopped.

breath hitched in my throat as my eyes locked onto him. Across the crowded room, time seemed to bend around us.

sound that wasn’t mine.

that left no room for doubt. But the moment was shattered before it could fully bloom. Natalia tugged me

– it all evaporated as quickly as it appeared. Gone. Leaving behind a tremor that shook me to my core, a brand seared into

away towards the pulsating mass of dancers. I stumbled forward, my mind reeling, my senses overwhelmed. I pushed her hand away, a desperate

out, “But I need to use the bathroom,

clinging to my skin. I needed space, needed to understand what the heck just happened. Reaching the bathroom, I stumbled inside, slamming the door shut behind me with a loud bang. I leaned against the cool tile wall, letting out a shaky breath. My wolf whined within me, a low, mournful

subtle yet undeniable. My breath caught in gay throat, my eyes darting around the small space. He