Bonds

Chapter 42

-Maya's POV-

My head snapped towards Ivan, surprise coursing through me. His declaration hung in the air, a bombshell that left the room stunned. A low murmur erupted among the pack members, a mixture of confusion and curiosity.

Petrov, his face contorted in disbelief, sputtered, "What are you talking about, Ivan? You can't just waltz in and declare yourself Alpha. There are rules, traditions..."

"Traditions? Yes, there are traditions, Petrov. And one of those traditions is respecting the wishes of the Alpha, especially when those wishes are documented and signed." With a flourish, he reached into his inner jacket pocket and produced a sheaf of papers.

"These," he declared, holding the papers up, "are the official merger agreements between the Crescent Pack and the SilverCrest Pack, signed by none other than Daniel Stone."

A collective gasp arose from the assembled wolves. Petrov lunged forward, his eyes wide with a mixture of disbelief and dawning dread. "Let me see those!"

Ivan held the documents just out of reach, a steely glint in his eyes. "Not so fast, Petrov. There's more." He flipped through the pages, his gaze fixed on a specific section. "Here it is," he announced, his voice resonating with quiet authority. "The agreement clearly states that in the event of Daniel's incapacitation, the Alpha position of the Crescent Pack would be assumed by me, Ivan, until such time as Daniel is able to resume his duties."

"But...but Daniel never mentioned this," Petrov stammered.

"Perhaps," Ivan countered, his tone laced with a hint of amusement, "because he didn't think it would happen this soon. But as these documents clearly state, the groundwork for this merger has been in progress for quite some time. Daniel simply wanted to ensure the future of both our packs."

Petrov shook his head, a desperate edge creeping into his voice. "This can't be right. There must be some mistake. This is all a setup, some elaborate scheme you and Maya cooked up to steal the Alpha position."

A wave of anger surged through me, but before I could voice my outrage, Ivan cut in, his voice hardening. "Why would she want to steal a position that is already hers?"

Petrov hesitated, his bluster fading further. He darted a nervous glance towards me, his eyes flickering with a flicker of guilt that quickly morphed back into defiance.

"Regardless of that," he argued, grasping at straws, "these documents could be forgeries. We need to verify their authenticity before we blindly accept them."

A smirk played on Ivan's lips. "Of course, due diligence is important. But fear not. I've already taken the liberty of having these documents verified by a third party, a completely neutral source outside both our packs. Here's the confirmation."

He produced another document, this one thinner, and tossed it onto the table in front of Petrov. The room held its breath as Petrov hesitantly picked it up and scan the contents. His face drained of all color as he finished reading.

"So," Ivan continued, his voice low and dangerous, "do you still question the legitimacy of these documents? Or are you finally

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Chapter 42

ready to accept the will of your Alpha?"

Petrov slumped back in his chair, defeated. The fight had seeped out of him, replaced by a dull resignation. "I...I suppose not," he mumbled.

A triumphant glint lit up Ivan's eyes. He swept his gaze across the room, taking in the stunned faces of the pack members. "Then," he boomed, his voice filling the room, "let me reiterate. As per the official agreements and the wishes of Daniel Stone, the Crescent Pack and the SilverCrest Pack are now merged into one. And as the designated leader of the SilverCrest Pack, I, Ivan, will stand beside Maya, the rightful heir of the Crescent Pack, as co-Alpha of this newly formed pack."

A stunned silence descended upon the room, broken only by the soft rustle of movement.

I had watched the exchange in silence, my mind flying everywhere. My father seemed like the type to just relinquish his power, no matter what the circumstances. Yes, I had known about the merger - that was the whole reason behind my father's marriage proposal with Ivan. But the way Ivan had just blindsided me, turning the tide of the entire power struggle in his favor while seemingly tipping the scales in mine moments before... it left me feeling utterly disoriented.

As Ivan delivered his final pronouncement, his gaze swept across the room, taking in the stunned faces of the pack members. My own expression, however, must have remained a mask, for I barely registered the expectant stares that followed his declaration. My mind was locked in a battle with itself, trying to reconcile the Ivan I thought I was getting to know with the man who had just orchestrated this elaborate power play.

"Amaya," Ivan's voice finally cut through the fog in my head, his tone gentle as he addressed me with a smile. "We did it."

I blinked, momentarily brought back to the present moment. "What?"

A flicker of surprise crossed his face, then a hint of amusement crept into his eyes. "You're supposed to acknowledge what I just said, Co-Alpha," he teased softly.

"Co-Alpha?" I repeated. My mind raced. Co-Alpha. Merger. All these words swam before my eyes, a dizzying concoction of emotions threatening to boil over. I forced myself to nod, the gesture stiff and mechanical. "Yes," I managed, "Ivan and I will lead the pack together. We are one now."

The words felt hollow on my tongue. My stomach churned with a cocktail of confusion, betrayal, and a flicker of something else... was it fear? Without another word, I turned on my heel and marched out of the room, leaving behind the stunned silence and Ivan's surprised gaze.

He followed close behind, a heavy silence settling between us as we walked outside. We reached his car, and I climbed in without a word, the leather seat offering a small comfort in the midst of the emotional chaos swirling inside me. The car ride was a tense affair, punctuated only by the rhythmic hum of the engine and the occasional rustle of leaves as we drove through the woods. Every fiber of my being bristled with unspoken anger.

Finally, unable to hold back any longer, he broke the silence, his voice laced with a hint of caution, shattering the suffocating quiet. "You are upset with me, I remained silent, refusing to acknowledge his question. It wasn't a matter of being "upset." It was a full-blown maelstrom of emotions threatening to erupt. He let out a sigh, the sound heavy with resignation. "Alright, I understand. I'm sorry, Amaya. I truly am."

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"Sorry?" I finally snapped, my voice sharper than I intended. "Sorry doesn't even begin to cover it, Ivan. You completely blindsided me in there. How could you do that?"

He flinched slightly at the harshness in my tone, but his gaze remained steady. "I... I didn't expect Petrov to react the way he did. Honestly, I had no plans for it to go down that way."

"No plans?" I repeated, incredulous. "It looked like you thought about the whole thing ahead. Documents and all, and you're telling me you had no plans?"

"The merger was always going to happen. Daniel approach the whole co-Alpha thing with you. I didn'en working on it for months. But I admit, I wasn't sure how to to think I was trying to overstep or take away your authority."

I scoffed. "Well, you did a fantastic job of achieving exactly that, didn't you?"

He winced. "I understand why you're upset, Amaya. I should have talked to you about it beforehand. Explained the whole plan but things got s heated with Retrov, Xyjust...reacted. Look, I know this is a lot to take in all at once. Co-leading the pack, merging with another pack, it's a big change. But trust me, Amaya, this is the best thing for the pack. It will strengthen us, give us a better chance against anyone who dared question us."

"Maybe," I conceded grudgingly, the anger simmering down to a low hum. "But you could have included me in the conversation, Ivan. Made me feel like a partner in this, not just a figurehead you pull out when it suits you."

His shoulders slumped. "I know. I just.. Well reacted and I'm really sorry. I thought it would be a good thing."

A part of me understood his reasoning. The merger would undoubtedly bring challenges, and having an experienced leader like Ivan on board could be beneficial. Still, the sting of his unilateral decision lingered.

"Maybe," I said finally, a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of my lips. "Maybe you have @point. But next time, Ivan," I leaned forward, fixing him with a playful glare, "try including me in the grand plan. It might save you a future headache."

A genuine smile broke across his face, erasing the tension that had been hanging heavy between us. "Deal," he chuckled, the sound warm and genuine.

Despite the forced lightness of the moment, a pit of unease settled in my stomach. The smile axmask avasi wore felt brittle, I donned to hide the lingering apprehension, a nagging voice at the back of my mind kept whispering a question:

Had I just made a big mistake?

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