Bonds

-Maya's POV-

I had let myself slip into normalcy. No other text had followed so I pushed it to one corner as Natalia suggested. I tried as painful as it was to move on from the fact that my father hated me. I let the images slide away from my king. I didn't do it so if Alex was a fodi for believing it then so be it. Things were good with Ivan. I buried myself in work focusing on heading the project. It wasn't easy but avoiding him became a special talent.

That fragile peace had shattered in a matter of seconds. My father had bombed Alex's pack house, essentially declaring war. It had been downhill ever since.

I watched anxiously as Ivan paced back and forth, phone pressed firmly to his ear. He kept running a hand through his hair, frustration etched on his face. He'd confronted my father, but all he had received in return was a shrug and a dismissal. Things were not good. Not good at all.

The different packs had coexisted peacefully amongst humans for years. Sure, there was an underlying rivalry simmering between Alex and my father, but it had never escalated to full-blown war. Not since I was born, at least. This was bad. Very bad. Humans would inevitably get caught in the crossfire, and the chances of their secret being exposed were higher than ever.

Ivan finally ended the call, and I rushed to his side. "What happened?" I asked, concern lacing my voice.

He'd been tirelessly trying to manage the fallout. The war wasn't something he wanted, especially considering the way my father had strong armed things with the merger. This meant Ivan was dragged into the mess, whether he liked it or not.

He let out a heavy sigh. "No one's seen Alex since the bombing, and there have already been attacks. Two wolves are dead."

Like I said, this was not good.

"What do we do?" I pressed, "We can't risk the entire world finding out. If this continues, it won't be stopped. People would not understand. They will hunt us. See us as monsters.

"Okay, okay," Ivan soothed, his voice a gentle counterpoint to the storm brewing inside me. "Let's take a deep breath, We can handle this."

"Humans won't find out," He continued, his voice firm yet reassuring. "These things happen under the radar. We've been living amongst them for centuries, haven't we?"

His logic was sound, but logic did little to quell the rising panic. Images of news reports, panicked crowds, and government conspiracies flashed through my mind.

"But what if...?" My voice trailed off, the question hanging heavy in the air.Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

"There are no 'what ifs," Ivan cut me off gently. "We need to focus on stopping this before it gets any worse. And the only way to do that is to talk to Alex."

My heart hammered against my ribs. "Alex? But... nobody's seen him since the bombing. He could be anywhere."

"He's most likely at his mansion," He stated with a conviction that surprised me. "Miranda wouldn't tell me, but it's the most logical place."

I He explained that he'd already tried reaching out to Miranda, but in her usual annoying manner, she'd been dismissive, offering no information about Alex's whereabouts.

"We should go together," I blurted out, the words tumbling out before I could stop them.

Ivan's face hardened. "Absolutely not. This is between Alex and me. You stay here, safe."

The possessiveness in his voice surprised me, a flicker of warmth battling with the frustration bubbling inside. "Safe? How can you say that when this whole war is happening because of my father? I'm not staying behind while you walk into a potential warzonel"

"Amaya, be reasonable," Ivan pleaded, his voice laced with exasperation. "Alex and I are on opposite sides of this. He might... he might not react well to seeing you right now."

A dark look crossed his face, a fleeting glimpse of something I couldn't quite decipher. Then, just as quickly, it was gone, replaced by a mask of calm.

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"Besides," he continued, his voice regaining its even tone, "you'll be more helpful here. You need to watch the twins now more than ever."

His words held some truth, but the idea of letting him go alone gnawed at me. My father and Alex had a long and complicated history, a rivalry that predated even my birth. I couldn't shake the image of them facing off, fueled by years of animosity. The thought of what Alex might do to Ivan, fueled by anger and betrayal, sent chills down my spine.

"No," I said, my voice firm. "I'm coming with you. You're not going to see Alex by yourself. Not after everything that's happened."

Ivan stared at me, his jaw clenched. The air crackled with unspoken tension, a silent battle of wills. Finally, with a sigh that seemed to carry the weight of the world, he relented.

"Fine," he conceded, his voice defeated. "But you stay out of it. If things get heated, I'll handle it."

Relief washed over me, a tidal wave of emotion that threatened to pull me under. I knew it wouldn't be easy, staying on the sidelines while a potential confrontation unfolded. But the thought of Ivan facing Alex alone was simply too terrifying. We were in this together, and whatever the outcome, we'd face it as a team.

The drive to Alex's mansion was filled with an uncomfortable silence. The weight of the situation pressed down on us,suffocating any attempts at casual conversation. Every passing building, every familiar street corner, seemed to hold the potential for danger.

Finally, the imposing gates of Alex's estate loomed into view. I felt a pang of nostalgia. I hadn't seen this place since he threw me out. This has been my home for three whole years and now it just felt so distant. Ivan pulled up to the security checkpoint, his knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel. Two burly guards emerged from the booth, their faces unreadable in the dim glow of the approaching headlights.

The scarier one of them spoke, "Mr Thorne is not taking visitors."

His eyes went to me and there was a flicker of surprise in his gaze before he masked it turning back to Ivan, "Leave."

Ivan's eyes narrowed, "We are not leaving until we talk to Alex."

The second guard spoke this time, "Mr Thorne is unavailable."

Frustration bubbled up inside me. "This is a matter of life and death. We need to see him."

The guard's eyes narrowed. "Listen, lady," he said, his voice dripping with condescension, "you don't get to decide what's important here. Now, unless you want to be escorted off the property violently, I suggest you turn around and leave."

Anger flared in my chest, hot and primal But before I could retort, Ivan placed a calming hand on my arm.

10:27 Sat, 22 Jun vo Chapter 77

"Look," he said, his voice calm but firm, "we understand that Mr Thorne isn't in the best mood right now. But this is extremely important, it concerns the safety of both our packs."

Ivan unbuckled his seatbelt with a sigh, his shoulders slumped in defeat. He pushed open the car door and stepped out, his height making him tower over the two burly guards who approached the vehicle. I followed suit Just as the scarier-looking guard opened his mouth, a voice sliced through the air, cutting him off mid-sentence. "Oh for crying out loud, can we all just drop the tough guy act?"

We whipped our heads around to see Miranda sauntering towards us, her usual mischievous glint in hereye's amplified by the fact that she was clad only in a bathrobe.

Miranda, with the grace of a cat, walked right up to us, completely ignoring the guards. "Brother," she addressed ivan, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "what a pleasant surprise. Didn't expect to see you here tonight."

Ivan shot her a withering look, but she simply brushed it off, turning her attention to me with a wide smile. "And isn't this my favorite sister-

in-law?"

My wolf bristled at the mocking tone, a growl forming deep in my throat. Before I could react, however, Miranda pivoted back to the guards, her voice hardening.

"Let them in," she commanded.

"But Mr. Thome-" one of the guards stammered, his voice barely a whisper.

Miranda's eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint replacing the amusement that had been there moments ago. "I said let them in," she repeated, her voice low and powerful. For the first time, I felt her wolf. The aura was filled with raw power that felt both disarming and terrifying. But as quickly as it appeared, it vanished.

"I'd like to see how this little reunion plays out and-" she murmured, a sly smile playing on her lips.

Her words were cut short by a sudden, earth-shattering growl that ripped through the air. We turned at the same time to see a powerful black wolf. Alex's wolf because my wolf was already pushing me to him, growling viciously in our direction or more specifically at Ivan and he looked like he was seconds away from tearing him into pieces.