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.

trailed off, the question hanging heavy

‘what ifs,” Ivan cut me off gently. “We need to focus on stopping this before

against my ribs. “Alex? But… nobody’s seen him since the bombing. He could

stated with a conviction that surprised

he’d already tried reaching out to Miranda, but in her usual annoying manner, she’d been dismissive,

Chapter 77

I

should go together,” I blurted out, the words

“Absolutely not. This is between Alex and me. You stay

warmth battling with the frustration bubbling inside. “Safe? How can you say that when this whole war

Ivan pleaded, his voice laced with exasperation. “Alex and I are on opposite sides of

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

of calm.

置

regaining its even tone, “you’ll be more helpful here. You

a rivalry that predated even my birth. I couldn’t shake the image of them facing off, fueled by years of

not

me, his jaw clenched. The air crackled with unspoken tension, a silent battle of wills. Finally, with a sigh that seemed to carry the weight of the world, he

you stay out of it.

on the sidelines while a potential confrontation unfolded.

on us,suffocating any attempts at casual conversation. Every passing building, every familiar street

me out. This has been my home for three whole years and now it just felt so distant.

spoke, “Mr Thorne

went to me and there was a flicker of surprise in his gaze before he masked it turning back to Ivan,

are not

this time, “Mr Thorne is

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

guard’s eyes narrowed. “Listen, lady,” he said, his voice dripping with condescension, “you don’t get to decide what’s important