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

no ‘what ifs,” Ivan cut me off gently. “We need to focus on stopping this before it gets any worse. And the only way

against my ribs. “Alex? But… nobody’s seen him since

his mansion,” He stated with a conviction that surprised me. “Miranda wouldn’t tell me,

out to Miranda, but in her usual annoying

Chapter 77

I

should go together,” I blurted out, the words tumbling out before I could stop

This is between Alex

inside. “Safe? How can you say that when this whole war

opposite sides of this. He might… he might not react

his face, a fleeting glimpse of something I couldn’t quite decipher. Then, just as quickly,

of calm.

置

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

but 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 facing off, fueled by years of animosity. The thought of what Alex might do to Ivan, fueled by anger and

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

crackled with unspoken tension, a silent battle of wills. Finally, with

his voice defeated. “But you stay out

a tidal wave of emotion that threatened to pull me under. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, staying on the sidelines while a potential confrontation unfolded. But the thought of Ivan facing

silence. The weight of the situation pressed down on us,suffocating

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

one of them spoke, “Mr Thorne is

was a flicker of surprise in his gaze

narrowed, “We are not leaving until

spoke this time, “Mr

“This is a matter of life

he said, his voice dripping with condescension, “you don’t get to decide what’s important here.