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.”

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

held me just before leaving for the airport, the one who hugged Ivy and whispered promises of a fresh start. This couldn’t be him. But it was. I’d been so blinded by my own feelings, that I’d

children,” he corrected, a sly grin spreading across his face. “I

–

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 unnatural speed of it all it had all been a meticulously planned facade. But how long had

up in my eyes, spilling down my cheeks, that was all

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

Chapter 129

pulling a chair from a shadowy corner and plopping down with a sigh. Across the room, Adrian watched with

glint in his eyes. “Tell you why I am doing all of this,” he finished, a mocking lilt

shatter. All I could manage was

leaned back in his chair, “Since we have some time, let me fill in the blanks in your head. Considering you’ve proven yourself remarkably lacking in

with a predatory grin. Then, his attention snapped back

kid with everything going for him. A loving family, a beautiful little sister – his

a memory. A flicker of something dark

single moment,” he continued, “it was all gone. Everything he held dear,

a terrified little sister and a heart brimming with a hatred so profound it choked

spine. The casual way he spoke of his tragedy

regaining its chilling composure, “grew up consumed by hate. It festered within him, a poisonous venom that

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

of understanding pierced through and the dread kept

was powerful,” he admitted, a hint of awe creeping into his voice. “Exhilarating, even. But the raw power of the wolf was