Bonds

Chapter 133

-Maya’s POV-

The metallic click of the gun cocking echoed in the cavernous room, sharp and final. My breath hitched, a strangled gasp escaping my lips. Miranda raised the weapon, aiming it directly at my heart. Her face, devoid of any warmth, held a cruel

amusement.

For a terrifying moment, I braced myself for the impact, my mind flashing with images of my children, their faces etched forever in my memory. Then, just as abruptly as she raised it, the gun was lowered. Confusion flooded my system.

“Ivan got to play with you?” Her voice was flat, devoid of any inflection. She took a slow step closer, the smirk on her face widening. “Why can’t I have some fun before you die?”

The gun was tossed carelessly onto a nearby table, the clatter a jarring sound in the tense silence. She continued her approach, circling me like a predator stalking its prey.

My mind raced, desperately searching for an opening. Pleading wouldn’t work, that much was clear. Anger, a simmering ember within me, flared briefly. “I don’t understand,” I spat, my voice hoarse. “What have I ever done to you?”

A snort escaped her lips. She stopped directly in front of me, her gaze raking over me with a disdain that was almost palpable. “What you’ve done?” She threw her head back and laughed, a harsh, humorless sound. “I could never figure out what he saw in you. What they all saw in you. You’re just so…plain.”

The insult washed over me. It was irrelevant, petty even in the face of my impending doom. But somewhere deep within,a flicker of defiance sparked. I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of seeing me crumble. Instead, I focused on the only thing that mattered: my children.

“Miranda, please,” I pleaded, my voice trembling but firm. “I’ll do anything just let my children go. They haven’t done anything wrong.”

My words fell on deaf ears. She rolled her eyes, a theatrical gesture that only served to heighten my desperation. “Don’t you dare play the victim card with me, Amaya.” Her voice took on a sharp edge. “And stop pretending you’re some innocent bystander in all this.”

“If none of this had happened,” she continued, her words dripping with venom, ” If Ivan was truly a good guy that had fallen for you, was this how you would have continuously stabbed him in the back by sneaking around with Alex who is or was my fiancé?”

Her words stung, a kernel of truth lodged within the harsh accusations. Silence filled the room, a heavy weight pressing down on us. Her laughter echoed off the stone walls, “That’s what I thought.”

My gaze darted around the room, searching for an escape, anything.

naive, Amaya,” she continued, her voice laced with disdain. “You think you can reason with me? That I’ll suddenly see the light and become some kind of hero? Don’t be ridiculous” She leaned in closer, her breath hot on my cheek. “We both want you to suffer. He may have started the

were a revelation. She wasn’t some brainwashed follower, blindly loyal to Ivan. She had her own agenda, her own reasons for wanting revenge. A sliver of hope pierced through the despair. If I could appeal to that, maybe there was

out.

ropes that bound me, the coarse fibers digging into my wrists. They were thick, impossible to break with my bare hands. But

was risky, reckless even, but

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Chapter 133

of a loyal mate. But none of that justifies what Ivan is doing. He’s playing a twisted game, using all of us as pawns for his own

be done. Alex’s father destroyed our life, took everything from us. He

you, Miranda?” I pressed, pushing my voice a little further. “Are you content to be his pawn in this game?

doubt crossing her features. I pushed on, gambling on the possibility

continued, my voice gaining a touch of urgency. “Once Alex is gone, once his pack is broken, what happens then? Does Ivan stop? Does he suddenly find peace? Or does he move on to the next target, the next person who wronged him, real or perceived? What if it ends

My heart pounded a frantic rhythm against my ribs, mirroring the relentless rasp of the frayed rope against the metal. Each rasp was a tiny victory, a sliver of hope slowly growing stronger.

the tense silence, sharp and laced with a dangerous edge. “Shut up!” she screamed, the sound echoing off the stone walls of the room.

redoubled my efforts, frantically rubbing the ropes against the metal chair. The fibers were starting to give way, fraying at the edges. Just a little more, I pleaded silently, just a

gun from the table. A cruel smile twisted her lips.“You aren’t even worth the effort,” she spat, aiming the gun

The glint of metal in the dim light,

tiny puff of

A flash of black fur materialized between me and the bullet. My eyes widened in disbelief as the bullet pierced its

rushing over to his

my head. “Don’t move!” she yelled, her voice trembling with a mix

awakened by the threat to her mate, roared to life. Strength I didn’t know I possessed coursed through my veins, pushing aside the weakness of the wolfsbane lingering in

granting me a superhuman strength I had never experienced before. With a single, powerful punch, I

over the terror and desperation that had gripped me moments before. But it was short–lived. My gaze darted

was shallow, raspy