Bonds

Chapter 134

-Maya’s POV-

Burials have always been my least favorite thing. The finality of it all, the cold, hard truth that slams into you with the thud of dirt against the coffin

the person you love is gone, and there’s nothing, absolutely nothing, you can do to bring them back.

I blinked back tears, determined not to give those gathered men the satisfaction of seeing me unravel. Powerful men, men I’d only ever seen on television screens, stood a few feet away, their faces grim masks as the coffin was lowered into the ground.

Not one of them looked remorseful. In fact, there was something almost…celebratory in the eyes of one man I caught staring a little too long. A flicker of satisfaction that sent a fresh wave of nausea churning in my stomach.

That’s why they were here, it dawned on me. To bask in the fact that Alex Thorne was officially dead. To see it with their own eyes, to etch the image of his lifeless body into their memories.

The sound of shouts drew my attention to the far end of the cemetery, where the humans were being held back by Riley’s father’s men. I knew as soon as we left, once these burly guards dispersed, they’d break through the flimsy barrier and scrawl hateful messages across Alex’s grave.

Here I was, friends with a Mafia princess, and completely clueless about the whole thing. At least her father had been a goddess–sent, utilizing his muscle to keep the human protestors at bay. This war had become a twisted global spectacle, each side vying for dominance in the battle between humans and werewolves.

Another tear escaped, tracing a cold path down my cheek as I continued to stare at the freshly turned earth. Someone was speaking, offering words of solace or comfort, but my mind was a blank canvas, incapable of registering the sounds around me.

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My thoughts, without my permission, drifted to Ivan. The pain of his betrayal was a knife deep in my heart. I hadn’t seen it coming. I’d entrusted him with everything my secrets, my body, my very soul. But maybe, a tiny voice whispered in the back of my head, maybe I deserved it.

–

He’d stabbed me right through the heart, figuratively and perhaps literally, and with my children gone, vanished without a trace just like Miranda had, he was still twisting the knife. Riley’s father at her request was pulling out all the stops to find them, but the only shred of hope I clung to was a mother’s instinct, a primal belief that somehow, for now at least,they were safe.

A hand touched mine, warm and comforting. I turned to see Riley, offering a sad smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.”We’re going to find them,” she whispered, her voice firm but laced with a tremor of uncertainty. “Everything will be fine.”

believe her. I wished

with. Then, in a blur

• me.

tide of happy moments with Alex. His playful smile, the warmth of his touch, the corners whenever I managed to make him laugh which was

the

his way

eyes

crinkled at

to my knees, the cold, hard ground a stark contrast to the burning ache in my heart. My body wracked with sobs, each one a guttural cry of despair and grief. I screamed until

meaning. I could have been there for minutes, hours, or even days. All I knew was the pain, the crushing weight of

I slumped back onto my heels, tears streaming down my face then a hand, warm and comforting, wrapped itself around my back, pulling me closer into a familiar embrace. I turned my head slowly, vision still blurred by the relentless flow of tears. Natalia’s face swam into view, etched with raw grief,

been no time, no space for conversation when the world had tilted on its axis, plunging me into this abyss of despair. Natalia had kept a respectful distance, a silent acknowledgment of the raw wound I carried. Riley had filled me in on what happened. Natalia, it turned out, had been the one to tell Alex I had gone

even mad. All I felt

of silence, broken only by the ragged gasps of our shared grief, she finally spoke. Her voice was a broken whisper, “I am so sorry for all the things

happening to me. I’ve been

caught

up in-”

words catching in To you, to everyone around me. So lost

here, Amaya. And I’m so sorry for making you one. I

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2:52 PM

Chapter 134

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a sob, tears streaming down her face. “If they hadn’t found you, if that was how we left things, I would…” The words trailed off, replaced by a shuddering breath. “I would never have

washing over me. I wrapped my arms around her back, I’m so sorry for being so selfish,” I choked out. “For always putting him

firm yet gentle, pierced the thick fog of