Bonds

Chapter 129

-Maya’s POV-

The name hung in the air, a single word echoing in the cavernous room. My mind struggled to grasp the situation, the utter absurdity of it all. This couldn’t be happening. Surely, Ivan was here to rescue me. He wouldn’t be a part of this nightmare.

An eternity seemed to pass before I found my voice again. “Ivan” I croaked, the name barely a whisper on my lips.

He tilted his head, studying me for a moment, a furrow appearing in his brow as if he were deep in thought. Then, he took a step closer, his expression unreadable.

“I don’t think you realize it, Amaya,” he spat, his voice flat and emotionless. “Just how…unlikeable you truly are.”

My mouth gaped open and closed like a landed fish. Words wouldn’t come. He continued, his gaze distant, as if he was looking through me, past me. It was like he couldn’t see me, like I was invisible, a mere inconvenience in his grand design.

The man I’d spent months with, the one who stood by my side, whispered promises of love, marked me was he a stranger all along? As if reading my thoughts, he closed the distance between us. Panic surged through me, but I was frozen, unable to even flinch.

His hands brushed against my skin, sending a jolt through me. This time, the touch felt foreign, cold and calculating. His fingers lingered on the spot where the mark he had given me once resided. A cruel smile played on his lips.

“It’s gone,” he laughed mockingly. “Your wolf returned and cleared it off, she really is a bitch just like you. Speaking of which, you are probably wondering why you can grasp her. There is enough wolfsbane in your system to kill a small pup but don’t worry, it won’t do much damage–yet.”

The world seemed to tilt on its axis. I forced myself to believe this wasn’t real, a twisted hallucination brought on by the trauma. The man I’d trusted with my life, the one who held my heart, couldn’t be turning against me like this. His gaze held nothing but contempt, a stark contrast to the love I’d seen reflected there for so long.

“Ivan,” I managed, my voice trembling. “What is happening? Why are you doing this?”

He threw his head back and laughed, but it was a hollow sound devoid of humor. “Why am I doing this?” He scoffed. “You truly are stupid, Amaya. Naive, emotional, and yes, stupid. Always whining about everything, acting like the world is against you when you’re the cause of all your problems.”

stung, each one a shard of truth piercing my carefully constructed reality. “It starts with

fresh start. This couldn’t be him. But it was. I’d been so blinded by my own feelings, that I’d failed to see the truth and then the thought

he corrected, a sly grin spreading across his

–

stomach, a cold dread that coiled around my insides. The pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place. That’s why he’d left just before everything went to hell. The expedited paperwork, the

my cheeks, that

you know how difficult it’s been putting up with you for these past months? You’re irritating, annoying, and

Chapter 129

my face. He moved away from me, pulling a chair from a shadowy corner and plopping down

I am doing all of this,” he finished, a mocking lilt in his voice. “Because you deserve to know, right?” He punctuated his words with

jaw clenched so tightly I feared my teeth might shatter. All I could manage was a strangled whimper, the weight of his betrayal crushing me into my

in the blanks in your head. Considering you’ve proven yourself

the moment, leaning forward with a

“a young kid with everything going for him. A loving family, a beautiful little sister – his world was perfect. He thought nothing bad could

lost in a memory. A flicker of something dark crossed his features, a fleeting glimpse of

“it was all gone. Everything he held dear, ripped away in a

a terrified little sister

my spine. The casual way he spoke of his tragedy sent

chilling composure, “grew up consumed by hate. It festered within him, a poisonous venom that twisted his thoughts and fueled his

leaned forward, his eyes boring into mine. “He took his anger out on everyone around him, lashing out with a cruelty that mirrored the pain he felt inside. This cycle of violence continued until he turned eighteen. That’s when it happened. His wolf, the embodiment of his primal instincts, finally

understanding pierced through and the dread

into his voice. “Exhilarating, even. But the raw power of the wolf was