Bonds

Chapter 163

Maya’s POV-

The world seemed to slow down. It was like a movie, except I was right in the middle of it, not watching from a comfy couch. The rain was coming down hard, and the sirens were a high–pitched whine that cut through the air. People were shouting and running around, but it was all a blur. All I could see was the man in front of me.

“Mass murder?” I asked, my voice small and shaky. My mind couldn’t process what he was saying. I looked at Ivan, lying still on the ground. My hand reached to Alex, like I was trying to hold onto something real in this crazy situation. He squeezed my hand tight, but I could see the confusion

in his eyes.

“This is a mistake,” I whispered, hoping against hope. “There’s been a misunderstanding.” Sᴇaʀch Thᴇ (ꜰind)ɴʘvel.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

The man in the black suit ignored me, starting to say those words that everyone knows from TV shows: “You have the right to remain silent…”

Then everything happened fast. One minute, it felt like we had won. The next, they were taking Alex away from me. I screamed and shouted, trying to tell them they were wrong. I didn’t care that I was only wearing a jacket someone had put on me or that I was covered in blood. I just wanted them to stop. I kept thinking, “Mass murder? How?”

The days after that were a blur. I couldn’t remember everything that happened. Slowly, I started to understand what Ivan had meant and wht he was so happy. We hadn’t won. Ivan was sick. He had been killing people for years, making videos of it all. And in the end, he had set Alex up to take the blame. Over a thousand people. Ivan had killed them all, and now Alex was going to prison for life.

I felt a cold feeling inside, like someone had twisted a knife in my chest. I looked at the papers in front of me. Six months. One hundred and eighty–two days. Four thousand three hundred and eighty hours. That’s how long Alex had been locked up. I tried everything. I used all our resurces, I begged Riley’s dad to help, use his mafia connections one last time but nothing worked.

powerful, but he wasn’t above

knew this and had used it against us.

I needed to quiet it. I had to focus. I closed the papers, the weight of

voice broke through my concentration. I turned to find him standing in the doorway, his expression a mix of

on me. This wasn’t just any speech. It was a chance to change everything, to stop the endless cycle of violence. For

humans and werewolves. This city was my home, filled with love, pain, and heartbreak. It was where I wanted my children to grow up, to be who they were without fear. I wouldn’t let it be destroyed. And I wasn’t alone. Riley, Natalia, and Sarah had been

had failed in this battle over and over

it

all

to actually sit side by

a heavy responsibility, but I was

of pride and fear. I took a deep breath, my gaze sweeping across the crowd.

began, “Thank you, everyone, for being here. I truly appreciate your presence.” I met Natalia’s gaze, seeking her support. She nodded, her eyes filled with

I declared, my voice growing stronger facing the humans, “We are like you. We feel pain, we experience loss. When we are hurt, it hurts. And yes, it’s frightening. The truth is,

and loss. I know my words might not change the world’s perception of us, but this is my city, my home. I refuse to live in fear. So, I stand before you, humans, asking for your acceptance. See us not as the creatures of

into an eternity. Then, I turned my attention to the werewolves. “We are born with the wolf within us. It’s a part of who we are, an extension of ourselves. But we are not monsters, The blood flow is enough. If the humans can accept us here, we will live in peace, as one. No more hunting on either

pride and understanding so I continued, “With that said, I am dissolving all packs. I announced, the words hanging heavy in the

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Chapter 163

waited for it to subside. “We cannot claim unity with humans while remaining divided among ourselves. No more. From now on, we stand united against

it turned into a thunderous applause. Sarah and

high, I stepped down from the podium and into my mother’s embrace. The warmth of her arms enveloped me, a comforting shield against the storm of

Her grip tightened around me, grounding me in the moment. When she finally released me, I turned to

us a while