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.

sound was the

I blurted out suddenly. The question hung in

gave the order,” He replied. “She must have known what he was

on my chest. He stood up abruptly. “Get

out to him, my

Chapter 102

He turned slowly, his eyes filled with a hurt that mirrored the ache in my own heart. “I don’t understand you, Amaya. You just ran into the middle of that battle. Why? For him? For your father? Because both of them

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 blindly back into the fire the

whispered, the words a hollow echo in the vast

sorry, Amaya,” he snapped, his voice laced with frustration. “How do you think that makes me feel? I do everything to show you that I care, that I’m the only one who will ever truly be there for you,” He continued, his voice dropping to a low growl. “But at the first sign of trouble, you show me that Alex will always have a place in your heart, a place I can never reach. How am I supposed to compete with a ghost, Amaya? A ghost you keep clinging to even though he

words were harsh, each one a searing indictment of my actions. Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my

I croaked, my voice barely a whisper. “I know you’re right. I shouldn’t have run right into the middle of it.

something akin to pain crossed Ivan’s face, momentarily replacing the anger. He

slightly.

you seeing me. Seeing what I can offer you. A love that’s fierce

away, a tiny spark

to see that,” he continued, his voice

his words settled heavily upon me, a crushing realization of the depth of my betrayal. I had taken Ivan’s love for granted, his

unspoken emotions. I longed to bridge the chasm that had opened between us, to somehow express the remorse churning within me. But the words seemed to

silence any longer, I spoke, my

from mine. “We can talk about

towards the door, his steps heavy with unspoken disappointment. As he reached for the knob,

his back to

truly want. Because

the room, the click of the door shutting behind him echoing in the stark silence. I was alone with my thoughts, the enormity of my choices crashing down upon me like a tidal

down my face, unchecked and unforgiving. I had hurt the one person who had

IVIUNI, 24 JUI