Bonds

Chapter 77

-Maya’s POV-

I had let myself slip into normalcy. No other text had followed so I pushed it to one corner as Natalia suggested. I tried as painful as it was to move on from the fact that my father hated me. I let the images slide away from my king. I didn’t do it so if Alex was a fodi for believing it then so be it. Things were good with Ivan. I buried myself in work focusing on heading the project. It wasn’t easy but avoiding him became a special talent.

That fragile peace had shattered in a matter of seconds. My father had bombed Alex’s pack house, essentially declaring war. It had been

downhill ever since.

I watched anxiously as Ivan paced back and forth, phone pressed firmly to his ear. He kept running a hand through his hair, frustration etched on his face. He’d confronted my father, but all he had received in return was a shrug and a dismissal. Things were not good. Not good at all.

The different packs had coexisted peacefully amongst humans for years. Sure, there was an underlying rivalry simmering between Alex and my father, but it had never escalated to full–blown war. Not since I was born, at least. This was bad. Very bad. Humans would inevitably get caught in the crossfire, and the chances of their secret being exposed were higher than ever.

Ivan finally ended the call, and I rushed to his side. “What happened?” I asked, concern lacing my voice.

He’d been tirelessly trying to manage the fallout. The war wasn’t something he wanted, especially considering the way my father had strong armed things with the merger. This meant Ivan was dragged into the mess, whether he liked it or not.

He let out a heavy sigh. “No one’s seen Alex since the bombing, and there have already been attacks. Two wolves are dead.”

Like I said, this was not good.

“What do we do?” I pressed, “We can’t risk the entire world finding out. If this continues, it won’t be stopped. People would not understand. They will hunt us. See us as monsters.

“Okay, okay,” Ivan soothed, his voice a gentle counterpoint to the storm brewing inside me. “Let’s take a deep breath, We can handle this.”

“Humans won’t find out,” He continued, his voice firm yet reassuring. “These things happen under the radar. We’ve been living amongst them for centuries, haven’t we?”

His logic was sound, but logic did little to quell the rising panic. Images of news reports, panicked crowds, and government conspiracies flashed through my mind.

if…?” My voice trailed off, the question hanging heavy in the

“We need to focus on stopping this before it gets any worse. And the

nobody’s seen him since the

most likely at his mansion,” He stated with a conviction that surprised me. “Miranda wouldn’t tell me, but it’s the most logical

explained that he’d already tried reaching out to Miranda, but in her

Chapter 77

I

the

“Absolutely not. This is between Alex and me.

surprised me, a flicker of warmth battling with the frustration bubbling inside. “Safe? How can you say that when this whole war is

are on opposite sides of this. He might… he might not react well to seeing you right

look crossed his face, a fleeting glimpse of something I couldn’t quite decipher.

of calm.

置

continued, his voice regaining its even tone, “you’ll be more helpful here. You need to watch the twins now more

the idea of letting him go alone gnawed at me. My father and Alex had a long and complicated history, a rivalry that predated even my birth. I couldn’t shake the image of them

with you. You’re not going to see Alex by yourself. Not after everything

unspoken tension, a silent battle of wills. Finally, with a sigh that seemed to carry the

voice defeated. “But you stay out of it. If things get heated, I’ll

on the sidelines while a potential confrontation unfolded. But the thought of Ivan facing Alex alone was simply too terrifying. We were in this together, and whatever the outcome, we’d face it as

to Alex’s mansion was filled with an uncomfortable silence. The weight of the situation pressed down on us,suffocating any attempts at casual conversation. Every passing

of Alex’s estate loomed into view. I felt a pang of nostalgia. I hadn’t seen this place since he threw me out. This has been my home for three whole years and now it just felt so distant. Ivan pulled up to the security checkpoint, his knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel. Two burly guards emerged from

spoke, “Mr Thorne

surprise in his

narrowed, “We are not

second guard spoke this time, “Mr Thorne is

up inside me. “This is a matter of life and death. We need

he said, his voice dripping with condescension, “you don’t get to decide what’s important here. Now, unless you want to be escorted off the property violently, I