Bonds

Chapter 78

-Maya's POV-

Adrenaline surged through my veins, overriding any rational thought. Before I could even register what I was doing, I was stepping in front of Ivan, placing myself directly between him and the snarling black mass that was Alex's wolf.

It felt instinctive, a primal urge to shield Ivan from whatever danger Alex posed. But my actions only seemed to make things worse. The wolf's growl intensified, a deep, guttural sound that sent shivers down my spine. It was a sound that spoke of pure, unbridled rage, and it was directed solely at me.

Panic clawed at my throat.

Would he attack me?

Ivan reacted quickly, grabbing my hand and pulling me back behind him. He raised his own hand in a placating gesture, his voice calm yet firm. "Alex, we're not here to fight. We just want to talk."

The wolf didn't respond, only continued its menacing growl. It circled us slowly, its eyes glowing a fiery red in the darkness. The tension in the air was thick enough to choke on.

Just then, Miranda let out a huff of exasperation. "Oh for crying out loud," she drawled, her voice dripping with annoyance, "just shift back already. Your wolf is terrifying everyone."

A beat of silence followed. Then, with a sound like thunder, bones cracked and shifted within the massive form. A moment later, Alex stood before us in all his glory, his face etched with fury.

Heat flooded my cheeks as I averted my gaze. The sight of him, so raw and exposed, was flustering. But a flicker of movement caught my eye. I stole a glance at Ivan, only to find his jaw clenched tight, his eyes narrowed in what looked like... jealousy and anger?

The awkward silence stretched on, broken only by the guards' coughs and nervous shuffling as they handed him clothes.

Finally Miranda spoke up again, "Well, it's a bit chilly out here, wouldn't you say? Shouldn't we all head inside?"

Her attempt at lightening the mood fell flat. Everyone, it seemed, was focused on Alex's simmering rage. After what felt like an eternity, Alex spoke. His voice was a low growl, colder than the winter wind itself, "What do you want?"

Ivan let out a heavy sigh. "There doesn't n't have to b to be a war. We can resolve this."

Alex's eyes flashed with an anger so intense it took my breath away. "There doesn't have to be a war?" he roared. He took a menacing step forward, towering over Ivan. "I lost wolves, Ivan! Pack members lost their families! And you think there doesn't have to be a war?"

"When I'm done with Daniel Stone," Alex continued, his voice cold and devoid of any warmth, "he'll wish he was never even born."

A cold dread washed over me. The sheer hatred radiating from Alex was palpable. "There won't just be a war," Alex snarled, his words laced with a horrifying certainty. "There will be a f*cking massacre when I'm done."

He didn't seem to care about the consequences, about the potential loss of innocent lives - human for vengeance so deep, so all-encompassing, that it eclipsed everything else.

in or werewolf. He was consumed by a thirst Ivan's voice was surprisingly steady considering the threat hanging in the air, "look, we can understand your anger. What Daniel did was

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unprecedented. But a war... this isn't the answer. Think about the consequences. Think about the lives that will be lost, both human and werewoll."

Alex scoffed, a harsh, humorless sound. "Consequences? Lives lost? Do you think my wolves didn't have lives? Do you think they didn't have families? They're gone, ripped away. And you expect me to sit idly by while he walks free? He will answer in blood."

"No. I don't expect that. But there are other ways. It's already brewing. More wolves are dying. Unleashing a war... that will only lead to more bloodshed, mere pain. It will solve nothing."

The scoff that left Alex's lips was scary then he let out a humorless laugh. "No. I have given him a free pass for way too long. This ends now. One way or another, this ends."

"And what about the humans?" I finally spoke up, my voice barely a whisper. "If this war spills over, they'll find out. They'll find out about us, about everything. It will be chaos."

Alex turned his head slightly, his gaze flickering to me for a brief moment before darting away. His eyes were cold, devoid of any warmth or recognition. It was as if I were a stranger, a face in the crowd. The rejection stung, a sharp pain that went far deeper than the potential exposure of our secret.

"Let them find out. Let the world burn. Maybe then, just maybe, something will finally change."

A wave of despair washed over me. It was like talking to a brick wall. Alex was consumed by his rage, his desire for vengeance. Logic, reason, the potential consequences - none of it seemed to matter to him anymore.

"That's not the answer, Alex," Ivan cut in, his voice laced with a hint of desperation. "Think about your pack. Think about what they would want. They wouldn't want this bloodshed, this chaos."

"Don't tell me what my pack wants!" Alex roared, his voice raw with emotion. "I have lost wolves and many lost families. They want blood. They crave it and I will give it to them."

A tense silence followed. Miranda, who had been unusually quiet throughout the entire exchange, finally cleared her throat.

"Look," her voice was laced with a weariness that belied her usual cunning demeanor, "can we all just take a step back for a second? Maybe a good night's sleep will help everyone clear their heads."

Alex ignored her completely. His gaze remained fixed on Ivan, his eyes burning with an icy fury.

"Maybe, his voice low and dangerous, "you shouldn't have merged with a bastard in the first place, Ivan. Maybe then, your pack wouldn't be on the wrong side of this war."

rin The words were like a punch to the gut. The anger in Alex's voice wasn't just directed at my father; it was directed at Ivan, at me, at our entire pack. It was a clear message: we were the enemy now, simply by association.

For a moment, it felt like we were on the precipice of another confrontation. But then, with a defeated sigh, Ivan raised his hands in a placating gesture. "We didn't come here to fight. We came here to talk, to try and find a peaceful solution. But if you're not willing to listen..."

He trailed off, leaving the sentence unfinished/We stood there for a beat longer, the weight of the situation hanging heavy in the air.

I stood there, staring at Alex, and suddenly it felt like everything that had happened in the past few months didn't matter. He had reverted back to his default setting, the cold, heartless version of himself I remembered from when he threw me out. L

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I glanced at Ivan, then shaking my head with a defeated sigh, I sighed, "Let's just go. There's no point in being here anymore. He's not going to change his mind, It's not worth it."

My words seemed to have the opposite effect of what I intended.

I Alex's entire body tensed, and his gaze narrowed on me but I met his gaze head-on this time. We all just stood there. It like an eternity before Ivan finally reacted, stepping forward and pulling me towards him.

The movement seemed to aggravate Alex further. His jaw clenched, and a growl rumbled deep in his chest.

Ivan pulled me towards the car, "Let's go."

I broke the staring battle then pushed my body to move, following Ivan's lead to the car, then as if Ivaro m remembered, he turned back, "Whatever happens between the packs, it has nothing to do with the business deal. My company shouldn't be dragged into this."

Alex didn't even blink. His eyes were fixed on me, his face an emotionless mask.

It was as if Ivan's words hadn't penetrated at all.

Miranda snapped out whatever spirit of goodness might have come upon her and then waved us off with mock cheer, "Well it was really nice seeing you."

We both ignored her but just as I was about to step into the car, Alex called my name. The sound of my namel coming from his lips stopped my every movement, making me freeze. The air around me seemed to crackle with electricity, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on

end.

Slowly, I turned to face him. His expression was unreadable, a cold mask that gave away nothing of his thoughts.

"What?" I managed to choke out.

He stared at me for a long, tense moment, his cold eyes boring into mine. "I have let it go many times because of you. But he has gone too far this time."

A pause followed before ice cut in for his final words, "Say your goodbyes, Amaya, because you won't have

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