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?”

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

documents could be forgeries. We need to verify their authenticity before we blindly

taken the liberty of having these documents verified by a third party, a

one thinner, and tossed it onto the table in front of Petrov. The room held its breath as Petrov hesitantly picked it up and scan the contents. His

dangerous, “do you still question the legitimacy of these

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Chapter 42

the

had seeped out of him, replaced by a

triumphant glint lit up Ivan’s eyes. He swept his gaze across the room, taking in the stunned faces of the pack members. “Then,“” he boomed, his voice filling the room, “let me reiterate. As per the official agreements and the wishes of Daniel Stone, the Crescent Pack and the SilverCrest Pack are now merged into one. And as the designated leader of the SilverCrest Pack, I, Ivan, will stand beside Maya, the

stunned silence descended upon the room, broken only by the

known about the merger – that was the whole reason behind my father’s marriage proposal

have remained a mask, for I barely registered the expectant stares that followed his declaration. My mind was locked in a battle with itself, trying to

head, his tone gentle as he

back to the

flicker of surprise crossed his face, then a hint of amusement crept into his eyes. “You’re supposed

emotions threatening to boil over. I forced myself to nod, the gesture stiff and mechanical. “Yes,” I managed,

hollow on my tongue. My stomach churned with a cocktail of confusion, betrayal, and a flicker of something else… was it

reached his car, and I climbed in without a word, the leather seat offering a small comfort in the midst of the emotional chaos swirling inside me. The car ride was a tense affair, punctuated only by the rhythmic hum of the engine and the occasional rustle of leaves

hold back any longer, he broke the silence,his voice laced with a hint of caution, shattering the suffocating quiet. “You

remained silent, refusing to acknowledge his question. It wasn’t a matter of being “upset.” It was a full–blown

with resignation. “Alright, I understand. I’m sorry, Amaya. I

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intended. “Sorry doesn’t even begin to cover it, Ivan. You completely blindsided me in there. How could