Bonds

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?”

his bluster fading further. He darted a nervous glance towards me, his eyes flickering with a flicker of guilt that quickly

he argued, grasping at straws, “these documents could be forgeries. We need to verify their

But fear not. I’ve already taken the liberty of having these documents verified by a third party, a completely neutral source outside

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

still question the legitimacy

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Chapter 42

accept the

fight had seeped out of him,

and the wishes of Daniel Stone, the Crescent Pack and the SilverCrest Pack are now merged into one. And as the designated leader

upon the room, broken only by

the merger – that was the whole reason behind my father’s marriage proposal with Ivan. But the way Ivan had just blindsided me, turning the tide of the entire power struggle in his favor while seemingly tipping the scales in mine moments before…it left me feeling

final pronouncement, his gaze swept across the room, taking in the stunned faces of 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

through the fog in my head, his tone gentle as he addressed me with a smile. “We did

back to the present

a hint of amusement crept into his eyes. “You’re supposed to

dizzying concoction of emotions threatening to boil over. I forced myself to nod, the gesture stiff and mechanical. “Yes,” I managed, “Ivan and I will lead the pack together.

a cocktail of confusion, betrayal, and a flicker of something else… was it fear?

the midst of the emotional chaos swirling inside me. The car ride was a tense affair, punctuated

voice laced with a hint of caution, shattering the suffocating quiet. “You are upset

It wasn’t a matter of being “upset.” It was a full–blown maelstrom of emotions threatening to

resignation.

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Chapter 42

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voice sharper than I intended. “Sorry doesn’t even begin to cover it, Ivan. You completely