Bonds

Chapter Five ~Maya's POV~ The voices floated all aroundas I stirred back into consciousness. Every bone in my body hurt and I sensed my wolf stirring within, an instinctive response to the chaos around, ready to defend. Swiftly, I pushed her back knowing I needed my human side taking charge in this moment of disarray.

Gentle hands reached out, pullingfrom the cloud of confusion. Struggling to stand, I grappled with pain coursing through every bone. Through the fog in my mind, I met Ivan's concerned gaze.

"Are you okay?" His voice echoed through the haze.

Battling dizziness, I nodded, allowing him to guideto a nearby chair. "What happened?" I managed to utter. "An explosion," Ivan explained, "Someone planted a bomb to stop the wedding." "Who would want to stop the wedding?" My wolf stirred, giving a possible answer to the question but I refused to believe that Alex had anything to do with it.

I had seen it— the look on his face. There was nothing but hate. Alex wouldn't be interested in stoppingfrom getting married unless it wasn't to stop the wedding and this was him showing that he meant the statement against my father, "Maya, did you just hear me?" "I'm sorry.. I was just.. Why would someone plant a bomb?" "That's not important right now. I think we need to get you to a hospital." "No. I'm fine," Realization dawned on me, glancing around, "My father, my parents, where are they?" "I saw Daniel and your mother after the explosion," Ivan reassured me, "He was trying to get her away from harm's way. They are okay." A bitter taste lingered in the air, the realization hittinghard.

Of course, he didn't clooking for me.

"I didn't finish saying my vows. We aren't married yet," I uttered, still trying to process everything happening.

A smirk danced on his lips, attempting to inject a sliver of humor into the grim scene. "Wow. If I had known it would take an explosion to get you to admit you want to marry me, then I would have planted the bomb myself." Despite the wreckage and the chaos, a laugh bubbled up from somewhere deep within me.

“I should probably go find my parents,” I murmured, acknowledging the unspoken responsibility even though they hadn't clooking for me. "I guess I will see you later." "We will talk about completing the wedding later." Nodding, I turned to leave but before I could take another step, he pulledback, a sudden and unexpected force. Without givinga chance to prepare, his lips crashed against mine.

A gasp escaped my lips giving him the opportunity to deepen the kiss. His hands wrapped around my waist, pullingcloser and my hands instinctively went to his hair.

I felt the kiss everywhere- from the strand of my hair to the tip of my toe, yet something felt different.

He doesn't kiss like Alex, a small voice whispered, snappingback to reality.

Finally, he pulled away, smiling down at me, "I didn't want to leave this hall without knowing what those beautiful lips taste like." A blush rose to my cheeks as he bent down, his lips brushing against my ear, "You taste even better than I imagined." With one final smile that I knew without a doubt dropped panties everywhere he went, he turned around, leavingstanding there smiling like a fool.

"Amaya, why are you standing there like you have nothing better to do with your legs?" my father's voice cut through the post-explosion haze.

Turning, I was met with his unmistakable death glare. "I was just about to cfind you." "It looked like you were standing there, staring into space like an idiot," he remarked, his tone as stern as ever.

I sighed, attempting to defend myself, "Father, there was an explosion. Am I not allowed to take a moment to collect my thoughts?" His eyes narrowed even more, a silent warning. "Are you talking back to me?" "No, I wasn't... I was just-” "I do not have tto waste, child. Where is Ivan?" "He left, probably to do sdamage control after he cto findwhen the bomb went off." I emphasized the last part, hoping to make my point, but of course, he remained unfazed.

"Your mother and I want to leave, and if you choose to stop standing around like an idiot, I would like to get moving," he declared, his impatience evident.

I hurriedly nodded, not daring to provoke him further. "Yes, Father, let's go." As we navigated through the remnants of the once festive venue, my mind buzzed with a mixture of emotions and questions. The shock of the explosion still echoed in my ears, making it hard to focus on anything else.

"Amaya," my mother's voice called out as we approached her. She looked frazzled but unharmed. Relief somewhat washed over me. "Are you okay, dear?" "I'm fine, Mom," I replied, “What happened? Why would someone do this?" I just stared at her wondering. My mother and I had always had an awkward relationship. She was just a trophy wife that did whatever my father said.

AnytI stared into her eyes, there was only loss and emptiness. Never a look that depicted love.

Just like my father, I knew she didn't love me.

He interrupted what felt like a forced moment, his tone clipped, "We can discuss that later. Right now, we need to leave. The situation is too chaotic." He led us outside, away from the chaos, where emergency personnel were already arriving.

As we reached the parking area, my father directed us towards the car. "Amaya, we'll need to have a talk about what happened. And your decisions." My decisions? What had I even done? I clenched my jaw, bracing myself for what I knew would be a lecture. “Yes, Father." The drive back hwas uncomfortably silent. My mind raced with thoughts of the interrupted wedding, the mysterious explosion, and Ivan's seemingly calculated exit. I stole glances at my mother, who appeared lost in her own thoughts.

Once home, my father ushered us into the living room. "Sit down. We need to address what happened." I took a seat, exchanging a glance with my mother. The air in the room was thick with tension. "What did I do, Father?" I ventured cautiously.

He sighed, running a hand through his graying hair. "Firstly, are you hurt? Did Ivan ensure your safety or did he run like a coward? I need to know the type of man he is in this kind of situation." Trust that Daniel Stone was only thinking about himself yet again.

"I'm physically fine, Father," I reassured him with a tight smile, "Ivan got tojust in tafter the explosion." He nodded, his eyes calculating. "Good. Now, about the wedding. Why didn't you finish your vows?" Did he really just askthat? I hesitated, choosing my words carefully. "Father, with all due respect, the explosion was a bit more pressing than vows at that moment." His expression hardened. "Amaya, this alliance is crucial for our pack. Your decisions could have consequences beyond what you realize."

"What do you mean by my decision? I haven't done anything wrong. The only thing I've done is what you m asked of me. Getting married to a ΕΠ man that I do not know. I didn't cause the explosion, Father. And I certainly didn't ask for it," I retorted, frustration creeping into my voice. "Don't you dare raise your voice at me," he growled, his eyes darkening, "You're lucky I chose to give you the tof day after the disgrace you brought to my pack." "Father I-"

"Shut up and do not speak again unless I give you permission to. If you had just said your vows in tm before the explosion then I wouldn't need to waste my valuable tpreparing for another wedding." He snapped. "Daniel, maybe you should-" My mother tried to input but he cut her short, "Did I say you can say anything?" "I apologize." She said quickly, bowing her head.

"Don't you have anything to say for yourself?" He sneered, refocusing on me. My wolf growled wanting nothing more than to claw out his face and I wished that I still had it in me.

That I could reflect the fire still burning inbut unlike her, I couldn't get back on my feet to stand up to him. Alex broke something inthat I would never get back so I pushed her to retreat.

"Father, I apologize," I uttered, my head bowed. It wasn't an apology for any wrongdoing on my part, but rather a submission to his dominance.

"You didn't do anything and you know it." Natalia's voice echoed in my mind.

"We have to finish the ceremony, so there will be another wedding," he declared, revealing His plans for a smaller, more exclusive event with only the most significant wolves in attendance. I nodded silently, my thoughts a jumble of resignation and futility. There was nothing left to say.

His phone rang, a brief respite from the tension. As he attended to the call, I felt a fleeting sense of relief.

The call ended abruptly. "They found remnants of the bomb," he declared, the intensity of his gaze fixed on me. Deep down, I sensed he blamed me, even though I bore no responsibility.

His eyes bore into mine, accusing. "It had the markings of that bastard's pack."