Bonds

Chapter 102 -Maya's POV-

Blood.

Blood was everywhere. It smeared across the concrete floor, staining my feet, clinging to my skin in a cold, metallic sheen. The metallic tang filled my nose, a sickening counterpoint to the adrenaline that still buzzed in my veins.

Alex had pulled me out, his grip on my arm bruisingly tight. The building shuddered around us, the air thick with dust and the ominous groan of buckling beams. Through the haze, I glimpsed Ivan, his face etched with a mixture of relief and fury. His words tumbled over each other, a frantic explanation of how he'd found Natalia and Sarah. How he had gotten them out.

So many people had died, caught in the crossfire of a war Alex had instigated. And I, consumed by my own emotional turmoil, had barely given them a thought even though I forced myself to believe I did.

As soon as Ivan had gotten me clear, Alex had vanished. No surprise there. He was probably back at his mansion, basking in the aftermath of his victory. Whatever he had said was simply a game. I didn't waste any energy on wondering about my father's fate. Daniel Stone, with his bottomless well of self- absorption, wouldn't be caught dead sacrificing himself for anyone but himself.

"Are you okay?" Ivan's voice broke through my spiraling thoughts. I was wrapped in a blanket, the world around me a blur as I shivered uncontrollably.

"Natalia and Sarah got out before things got too messy," he continued. “Natalia said she tried to find you, and apparently, you vanished the moment you shifted." He said it with a forced lightness, but I could hear the unspoken question hanging in the air.

My wolf After four agonizing years, she was back. Not completely gone, I knew that now, but dormant, a flicker buried deep within me. A small, defiant smile tugged at the corner of my lips.

My wolf was back, a part of me I'd feared was lost forever.

"Amaya?" Ivan's voice, laced with concern, yanked me back to the present. I realized I hadn't answered him. "Yes," I stammered, forcing the words past the lump in my throat. "Yes, I'm fine."

He wasn't convinced and I knew what he must be thinking. That would explain the storm brewing in his eyes. I opened my mouth, ready to offer some lame explanation, but he cut me off with a strained smile.

"I'm glad you are," he said, his voice tight.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

Silence descended upon the room, thick and suffocating. The only sound was the frantic hammering of my heart against my ribs.

"Miranda?" I blurted out suddenly. The question hung in the air, unexpected even to me.

"I saw her leaving just before he gave the order," He replied. "She must have known what he was planning. In her usual Miranda way, she'll be fine."

I nodded, but the weight of his words settled heavily on my chest. He stood up abruptly. "Get some rest," he sighed, his voice clipped. "I need some fresh air."

He turned to leave, but I called out to him, my voice choked with guilt. "I'm sorry." Chapter 102

He stopped, his shoulders rigid. He turned slowly, his eyes filled with a hurt that mirrored the ache in my own heart. "I don't understand you, Amaya. You just ran into the middle of that battle. Why? For him? For your father? Because both of them have proven time and again that they don't care about you. I thought we were past this, Amaya, I thought we were better. I thought you had let him go."

His voice rose with each word, and i flinched under the weight of his anger. But I knew I deserved it. He was right. While he'd been there for me, picking up the pieces after Alex shattered my heart, I'd run blindly back into the fire the moment Alex reappeared.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, the words a hollow echo in the vast emptiness of the room.

"You're always sorry, Amaya," he snapped, his voice laced with frustration. "How do you think that makes me feel? I do everything to show you that I care, that I'm the only one who will ever truly be there for you," He continued, his voice dropping to a low growl. "But at the first sign of trouble, you show me that Alex will always have a place in your heart, a place I can never reach. How am I supposed to compete with a ghost, Amaya? A ghost you keep clinging to even though he threw you away like yesterday's trash?"

His words were harsh, each one a searing indictment of my actions. Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision. Shame burned in my gut, a white-hot inferno that threatened to consume me whole.

"I know," I croaked, my voice barely a whisper. "I know you're right. I shouldn't have run right into the middle of it. I should have trusted you, let you protect me."

A flicker of something akin to pain crossed Ivan's face, momentarily replacing the anger. He took a deep breath, his shoulders slumping slightly.

"It's not about protecting you, Amaya," he sighed, his voice softer now. "It's about you seeing me. Seeing what I can offer you. A love that's fierce and true, a loyalty that will never waver."

He reached out, his hand hovering hesitantly over mine. I didn't move away, a tiny spark of hope flickering to life amidst the ashes of my guilt.

"But how can I expect you to see that," he continued, his voice laced with a bitter truth, "when you're too busy chasing shadows?"

His hand withdrew, leaving a cold emptiness in its wake. The weight of his words settled heavily upon me, a crushing realization of the depth of my betrayal. I had taken Ivan's love for granted, his unwavering support a constant I had failed to appreciate.

Silence stretched between us, thick with unspoken emotions. I longed to bridge the chasm that had opened between us, to somehow express the remorse churning within me. But the words seemed to get stuck in my throat, choked by the weight of my actions.

Finally, unable to bear the silence any longer, I spoke, my voice thick with emotion. "Ivan, I..."

"Just get some rest," he interrupted gently, his gaze flickering away from mine.

"We can talk about this later. Right now, you need to heal."

He turned and walked towards the door, his steps heavy with unspoken disappointment. As he reached for the knob, he paused for a moment, his back to me...

"And Amaya," he whispered, his voice barely a murmur, "think about what you truly want. Because chasing after something that can never be will only leave you forever lost."

With that, he left the room, the click of the door shutting behind him echoing in the stark silence. I was alone with my thoughts, the enormity of my choices crashing down upon me like a tidal wave.

Tears streamed down my face, unchecked and unforgiving. I had hurt the one person who had always been there for me, the one person who loved me unconditionally.

IVIUNI, 24 JUI Chapter 102

How could I have been so stupid?

As the weight of my actions pressed down on me, a new fear began to gnaw at the edges of my consciousness.

In my blind pursuit of Alex, had I pushed Ivan away for good?

I sat there for a while just letting time pass and then with a sigh, I wrapped the blanket tighter around me and went out to check on the twins. They would be asleep by Xow. When i O entered their room, Nate and Ivy were cuddled together, arms and legs tangled in a mess of peaceful slumber. The sight brought a small smile to my face. I watched them for a little while, wondering how things could have been so different, but I stopped myself before I could complete the thought.

With another sigh, I turned away, shutting the door behind me and ngw going back to the room which! shared with Ivan The space felt colder and emptier without him. I climbed into the empty bed and pulled the covers over myself, seeking solace in the familiar warmth.

The world seemed to fade away I sharp click sliced through the silence, making me jolt upright. My heart hammered in my chest as my eyes darted towards the source of the sound.

$ surrendered to the exhaustion, my body craving sleep more than anything else.

Just as I drifted off, a

There, in the corner of the room, sat Ivan's computer. It was odd. He usually shut it down completely. A sliver of light m

emanated from the screen, pulsing faintly in the darkness. Curiosity, tinged with a sliver of apprehension, battled with the powerful grip of sleep. With a groan,! pushed myself up on one elbow, squinting towards the machine.

The faint light resolved itself into a moving image. My breath caught in my throat.

The video playing on the screen wasn't some random internet clip, or a movie left paused.

It was me from a few minutes ago.

In the twins' room.

Watching them.