Bonds

Chapter 102

-Maya’s POV-

Blood.

Blood was everywhere. It smeared across the concrete floor, staining my feet, clinging to my skin in a cold, metallic sheen. The metallic tang filled my nose, a sickening counterpoint to the adrenaline that still buzzed in my veins.

Alex had pulled me out, his grip on my arm bruisingly tight. The building shuddered around us, the air thick with dust and the ominous groan of buckling beams. Through the haze, I glimpsed Ivan, his face etched with a mixture of relief and fury. His words tumbled over each other, a frantic explanation of how he’d found Natalia and Sarah. How he had gotten them out.

So many people had died, caught in the crossfire of a war Alex had instigated. And I, consumed by my own emotional turmoil, had barely given them a thought even though I forced myself to believe I did.

As soon as Ivan had gotten me clear, Alex had vanished. No surprise there. He was probably back at his mansion, basking in the aftermath of his victory. Whatever he had said was simply a game. I didn’t waste any energy on wondering about my father’s fate. Daniel Stone, with his bottomless well of self–absorption, wouldn’t be caught dead sacrificing himself for anyone but himself.

“Are you okay?” Ivan’s voice broke through my spiraling thoughts. I was wrapped in a blanket, the world around me a blur as I shivered

uncontrollably.

“Natalia and Sarah got out before things got too messy,” he continued. “Natalia said she tried to find you, and apparently, you vanished the moment you shifted.” He said it with a forced lightness, but I could hear the unspoken question hanging in the air.

My wolf After four agonizing years, she was back. Not completely gone, I knew that now, but dormant, a flicker buried deep within me. A small, defiant smile tugged at the corner of my lips.

My wolf was back, a part of me I’d feared was lost forever.

“Amaya?” Ivan’s voice, laced with concern, yanked me back to the present. I realized I hadn’t answered him. “Yes,” I stammered, forcing the words past the lump in my throat. “Yes, I’m fine.”

He wasn’t convinced and I knew what he must be thinking. That would explain the storm brewing in his eyes. I opened my mouth, ready to offer some lame explanation, but he cut me off with a strained smile.

“I’m glad you are,” he said, his voice tight.

suffocating. The only sound was the

blurted out suddenly. The question hung

replied. “She must have known what he was planning. In

He stood up abruptly. “Get some rest,” he sighed, his voice clipped. “I need some

out to him,

Chapter 102

middle of that battle. Why? For him? For your

each word, and i flinched under the weight of his anger. But I knew I deserved it. He was right. While he’d been there for me, picking up the pieces after Alex shattered my heart, I’d run

sorry,” I whispered, the words a hollow echo in the vast emptiness of

He continued, his voice dropping to a low growl. “But at

a searing indictment of my actions. Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision. Shame burned in my gut, a white–hot inferno that threatened to consume

a whisper. “I know you’re right. I shouldn’t have run right into the

to pain crossed Ivan’s face, momentarily replacing the anger. He took a deep breath, his

slightly.

seeing me. Seeing what I can offer

his hand hovering hesitantly over mine. I didn’t move away, a tiny spark of hope flickering to life amidst the ashes of

I expect you to see that,” he continued, his voice laced with a bitter truth, “when you’re too busy

The weight of his words settled heavily upon me, a crushing realization of the depth of my

that had opened between us, to somehow express the remorse churning within me. But the words seemed to get stuck in my throat, choked

the silence any longer, I spoke, my voice thick with

flickering away from mine. “We

with unspoken disappointment. As

back to

barely a murmur, “think about what you truly want. Because chasing after something that can never

stark silence. I was alone with my thoughts, the enormity of my choices crashing down

the one person who had always been there for me, the one person

IVIUNI, 24 JUI