Bonds

Chapter 118

-Maya’s POV-

The slam of the front door echoed through the empty house, a punctuation mark to the whirlwind of emotions I was feeling. The nerve of them

both

gut.

–

Alex waltzing in like he owned the place, and Ivan letting him. I fumed all the way down the sidewalk, my anger a hot coal burning in my

Reaching the house, I practically threw myself through the doorway, collapsing onto the couch with a sigh that could have rivaled a hurricane. My phone, nestled on the coffee table, buzzed once, the tiny notification light blinking accusingly. Figures. Just what I needed – Ivan checking in to see if I was okay. Another sigh escaped my lips, this one tinged with irritation.

They could all go to hell. This was going to be a me–day. A day of escape. Ivy and Nate were safely with Ms. Rodriguez’s for the afternoon at the park, leaving me with a glorious expanse of empty time. No work, no mind–numbing worry about the vanished mark, and definitely no Alex to disrupt my carefully constructed peace.

Today, I was taking back control. Today, I was going to be a woman with needs and desires that extended far beyond the tangled mess that was my relationship with werewolves and supernatural drama. It was a day for self–care, a day to recharge the emotional batteries that had been steadily draining ever since this whole madness started.

With a renewed sense of purpose, I pushed myself off the couch and padded towards the kitchen. Wine. That was what I needed. A nice, deep glass of something red and robust, something that would help me unwind and forget the world outside these walls for a while.

pulling out a bottle that looked promising. After a brief struggle with the stubborn cork, I poured myself a generous glass, the deep crimson liquid swirling in the light. Sinking back onto the couch, I curled up with the

of emotions washed over me, strong enough to halt my nostalgic journey. It was a photo of Natalia and me, but it wasn’t the image itself

the vividness of a recent event. The insistent drumming of the professor’s voice faded into the background, replaced by Natalia’s hushed whisper

the storm of emotions brewing within me. “We’ll figure things out after class. Maybe we could go see him

I could stop them. “We are not going anywhere near

he

protectiveness. “For the last time,” she hissed, “screw Daniel Stone. He’s

mate is Alex freaking Thorne,” I whispered back, the weight of the name

obstacles, but it will work out in the end. It will only work out, though, if you put in some effort to fight for it. I know

my gaze drifting away from her and towards the professor, his words turning into a meaningless drone. All I could think about was the jolt of electricity that coursed through me the moment Alex touched me in the bathroom stall. My wolf had been a whirlwind of emotions, a primal urge pushing me towards him. But even then,

father’s biggest enemy. It was a story written for tragedy, doomed before its first

back to reality. Class was over. Natalia nudged me, her expression a

you coming?”

head, the words catching in my throat. “I need some time

left the classroom. The hollow echo of the closing door was the final punctuation mark on the scene, leaving me alone with

pricked at my eyes. Was I really going to let fear dictate my life! Was

of Alex’s touch, the way my wolf responded to

But the image of

for us to be with him, even if it meant defying everything I thought I knew. But how? In the deafening silence of the classroom, the answer

silence. I snapped my eyes open to see Natalia standing next to me again, a mischievous grin plastered on her

a mixture of surprise and irritation