Bonds

Chapter 124 -Maya's POV- Tbled together. How long had I sat there, a statue carved from regret, the accusations echoing in my ears? Long enough for the world to dim, the last embers of the burning buildings painting the sky a bloody red. Long enough for the initial shock to morph into a dull ache that throbbed with the guilt of a thousand sins.

If I were a character in a book, everyone would hate me. And they'd be right. What was wrong with me? Truly, what was the flaw in my core that madesuch a destroyer of everything I ched? With a monumental effort, I dragged myself out of th of the haze. My legs protested with each step. The twins. I needed to see them, to hold them close, they were all I had left. Natalia hated me, Nate was, I didn't allow myself complete the thought. Ivan was nowhere to be found and Alex? The world aroundblurred, the screams and shouts muted by the deafening roar of my own misery. My walk was a daze, fueled by a primal instinct to reach my children. Streets that were once familiar becunrecognizable, the chaos a constant thrumming under my skin. Then, a flicker of movement in the distance caught my eye. A tall figure emerged from the shadows, solidifying into Ivan.

He called my name, a single word that pierced through the fog clouding my mind. For a heart-stopping moment, everything froze. The weight of everything - Nate, Natalia's fury, the city burning - ccrashing down on me, a physical force that knocked the breath from my lungs.

And then, I was running. Running towards him, towards the only semblance of comfort I could find in this maelstrom of destruction. Tears, scalding and hot, streamed down my face as I collided with him, burying my face in his chest. A sob tore through me, a raw expression of the guilt and pain that threatened to consme whole.

He didn't try to stop me. He didn't utter a single word of condemnation or comfort. He simply heldclose, a silent anchor in the storm, as I let the tears flow freely, cleansing my soul or at least attempting to.

We clung to each other for a long, silent moment. The world continued to erupt around us, the distant screams and flickering fires a constant reminder of the chaos that had becmy life. Finally, Ivan spoke, his voice a low murmur close to my ear.

"Let's get you home," he whispered, his words laced with a quiet concern that sent a fresh wave of tears prickling at my eyes.

Home. The word felt foreign on my tongue, a concept that seemed to have vanished amidst the wreckage of my world. A million questions swirled in my head, a storm of confusion threatening to pullunder.

Where had he been? Why had he disappeared when I needed him most? What happened between us? And most importantly, what the hell was going to happen to the world? But the words wouldn't form. All I could manage was a croaked, one-syllable response. "No," I rasped, my voice thick with emotion.

His brow furrowed in confusion. "You don't want to go back home?" "No," I repeated, shaking my head with a force that sent a jolt of pain through my throbbing skull. "The twins. I need to see them. My parents' house. I... I want to go to my parents' house." My voice cracked, barely a whisper on the wind. Exhaustion gnawed at the edges of my consciousness, a physical weight draggingdown.

Ivan's surprise was genuine, a flicker of something akin to understanding crossing his features. I understood his surprise. I honestly still didn't understand why my father address to take in the twins.

Chapter 124 "Alright, let's go to your father's house then," he conceded, his voice calm and steady. He guidedtowards his car, a ghost of myself shuffling along beside him. The world swam before my eyes, the destruction arounda surreal landscape of smoke and shattered dreams.

Inside the car, the silence stretched between us, a heavy weight pressing down on the confined space. My gaze drifted out the window, taking in the apocalyptic scenes we passed. Once-familiar buildings were reduced to smoldering husks, streets choked with debris and the remnants of scattered lives.

A fresh wave of guilt washed over me, an unwelccompanion in my misery. I needed to injured, perhaps even... I choked back a sob, the to the hospital would be foolish. Natalia's an Nate. The thought of my best friend lying thought too in the spainful to contemplate. But of my own despair, I knew going a ne raw but this second rejection, felt like the final facing her wrath, The silence began to stretch, a suffocating weight the and unanswered questions. Ivan broke it eventually, his "Amaya, I'm so sorry I left," he said, the words heavy regret.

He a side of Tind a only | before, and the memory still left apologize to Natalia, even if it meant sn't a hostile silence, but a heavy one, thick with unspoken words sigh hed the xhaustion I felt in my own bones.

looked drained, the on his face etched deeper than I remembered.

I didn't respond immediately. For a moment, his words hung in the air, a puzzle with missing pieces. There had been nothing wrong between us, or so I thought. Sure, Alex had been trying to insert himself into our relationship, but I'd pushed him away, choosing Ivan every time.

So just why? "Why did you?" I finally managed, my voice hoarse.

He sighed again, a long, shuddering breath. "Honestly, there's no excuse for what I did. There's nothing I can a long moment, his gaze fixed on the road ahead. Then, he continued.

say to justify it." He fell silent for

"The day I disappeared, that was the day my parents were killed. Every year, Miranda and I take a trip together, just to... to be somewhere quiet. To remember them. I know Miranda can be a pain, but tho trip, it's the one twe both just ctogether. And then, when all this chaos started with the werewolves being exposed, I just... I wanted to cback right away. But I don't know, Amaya, I was scared. Scared of everything. I knew I should have told you, but the thought of coming back and facing you... after everything... I just... I messed up. I messed up big tby not talking to you." His words washed over me, each sentence a blow that leftreeling. A part ofwanted to force myself to understand, to accept his explanation. But the raw truth was... everything was just so messed up. His reason, while tragic, didn't erase the pain of being abandoned when I needed him most.

And then, there was the blackmail hanging heavy over my head, a constant reminder of my own secrets. Who was I to judge him for keeping something hidden, when I was burdened with my own web of lies? Silence settled back between us that seemed to muffle the sounds of the outside world. Ivan continued driving, his jaw clenched tight, his focus solely on the road ahead then I broke the oppressive silence.

"I wish you would have told me,” I whispered, my words thick with a mixture of sadness and om understanding. I would have understood. You shouldn't have had to go through that alone.” I reached out, tentatively placing my hand on his leg, squeezing gently. "And... I'm so sorry you have to deal with that memory for the rest of your life."

But as the words left my lips, Natalia's voice echoed in my head, sharp and accusing. "You are a selfish bitch, her fury sentya The memory of a jolt through me, a prickling shmakingrecoil. Hurriedly, I snatched my hand away from Ivan, a feeling of self-disgust washing over me. Was his skin burning me? Or was it the heat of my own guilt? He didn't say anything, his face etched with a mixture of sadness and confusion. The silence returned, a heavy weight that pressed down on the car as we continued our journey. Each mile marker we passed felt like a lifetime, the weight of the world pressing down on my already burdened shoulders.

16.25 Chapter 124 We finally pulled up to the imposing gates of my father's estate. Shock joltedback to reality. Men, large and intimidating, were scattered around the perimeter, their presence a stark contrast to the usual manicured gardens. I would have thought about how giant my fahter's ego ing in his fortress if the men being out there weren't protecting my children too. was because probably sitting like a king Ivan lowered the car window, addressing the guards in a calm, authoritative voice. "We need to get inside." One of the guards, a man with a thick beard and a permanent scowl, turned his gaze to me. His eyes narrowed, and his irritation was evident. "Alpha Stone has given specific orders," he growled. "His daughter is not to be allowed entry into the compound."