Bonds

Chapter 144

-Alex’s POV-

It had only taken meeting them, Ivy and Nate, to know that truly I had made the biggest mistake of my life when I kicked Amaya out. The guilt gnawed at me constantly, and I knew I would spend the rest of my life apologizing for it and there was still Ivan out there, a constant threat. It had taken that kiss, that spark of reconnection with Maya, to jolt me into action. And people were already on it, moving fast. It sure had its advantages being a billionaire alpha sometimes.

What confused me though, was why Ivan hadn’t gone after my father. Damon Thorne was clearly the start of his madness, the reason for the whole war. But just in case, I still had men positioned around the facility, keeping a watchful eye in case Ivan decided to finally stop playing his twisted games. Right now, though, I had something more important to do.

I stepped out from the shadows, the fairy lights casting a warm glow on the clearing. Amaya’s green eyes, sparkling with surprise, flew “Alex, what is all this?” she asked, her voice laced with bewilderment.

to mine.

I closed the distance between us, my heart pounding in my chest. “Amaya,” I began, my voice thick with emotion, “I

Her gaze flickered to the sign, then back to me. “There’s no question mark,” she pointed out, a hint of amusement dancing in her

“Exactly,” I replied, a grin spreading across my face. “So you don’t have the option to say

want you to marry me.”

eyes.

no.”

“There’s no option to

a mixture of relief and frustration. She stepped back from me then, a shadow of worry crossing her features. The light in her eyes seemed to dim slightly. “Alex, I already said yes,” she reminded me gently. “It didn’t end well the first time, and technically, by all laws, even though I’m trying to get out of

down. She continued, her voice filled with concern, “Then there’s the whole thing with your wolf, we don’t even know what happened to him. And the war is still going on, and Ivan is still out there. There are just so many things, Alex, that make this

a marriage if I hadn’t been

taking in every detail. It had taken me all day to pull this together, to make it perfect. I didn’t want anyone’s help, I wanted it to be just us, a private moment between Amaya and me. Finally, her eyes landed on the sign again, a soft smile

help but grin. Then, with a deep breath, I sank down on one knee, pulling out the ring that had been burning a hole in my pocket. I watched, my heart overflowing with a mix of hope and nervousness, as a tear slid down her cheek. “Amaya,” I began, my voice thick with emotion, “I am so sorry for everything I did. I am sorry for not trusting you, for pushing you away. If you will

the sentence. In a flash of movement, she was on me, tackling me to the ground with a joyful laugh. She buried her head in

wave of relief washed over me. I laughed, the sound echoing through the clearing. Everything in my life suddenly felt right, like all the pieces had finally fallen

contented

happiness woven from laughter, tears, and unspoken promises. She finally lifted her head, her glistening with a mixture of

eyes

a surge of emotions that chased away any lingering doubts. My hands instinctively wrapped around her waist, pulling her impossibly closer. I

for this evening, chose that exact moment to erupt with its insistent ringtone. A groan escaped my lips. With everything happening, with the war and the uncertainty surrounding her legal situation, I knew I

on the screen. “We have a problem,” his voice cut straight to the point.

the weight of responsibility settle

a physical hit,” Christian explained quickly. “But I just got a call. The situation

voice hardening. “I’ll handle this one.

Chapter 144

call, I took a deep breath and stood up, offering Amaya my hand. She took

onto my face. “Nothing I can’t handle,” I reassured her, even though a part of me wished I could just whisk her away from all the chaos and hide her in this perfect little clearing

wasn’t entirely convinced, but she didn’t argue. Following me out of the clearing, the fairy lights cast long shadows