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.”

no option to say no

her features. The light in her eyes seemed to dim slightly. “Alex, I already said

of his name, but I forced it 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

I messed up,” I confessed, my voice filled with regret. “And I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you. You wouldn’t be dealing with getting out of a marriage if I hadn’t been such a coward. I am so sorry, Amaya, but I want to make things right because I love you. I didn’t know I could ever know what it

the spell. We both looked up at the contrail streaking across the night sky before her gaze dropped back down. Her eyes darted around the clearing, 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,

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 just…”

ground with a joyful laugh. She buried her head in my chest, her body trembling slightly. “Yes!” she cried out,

Everything in my life suddenly felt right, like all the pieces had finally

a contented sigh escaping her lips.

finally lifted her head, her glistening with a mixture of joy and lingering worry. Without another word, she leaned in and crashed her

eyes

hands instinctively wrapped around her waist, pulling her impossibly closer. I deepened

escaped my lips. With everything happening, with the war and the uncertainty surrounding her legal

the screen. “We have a problem,” his voice

it now?” I asked, already feeling the weight of responsibility settle

everything that’s happened, your companies have mostly taken a physical hit,” Christian explained quickly. “But I just got a call. The situation just got a whole lot more complicated, more indepth

“I’ll handle this one. Thanks for the heads–up,

Chapter 144

Amaya my hand. She took it immediately, her brow

me wished I could just whisk her away from

me for a moment, a flicker of doubt dancing in her eyes. It was clear she wasn’t entirely convinced, but she didn’t argue. Following me out of the clearing, the fairy lights cast long shadows as we walked back towards my car. The romantic interlude felt like a distant memory now, replaced by the harsh reality