Bonds

Chapter 129 -Maya's POV- The nhung in the air, a single word echoing in the cavernous room. My mind struggled to grasp the situation, the utter absurdity of it all. This couldn't be happening. Surely, Ivan was here to rescue me. He wouldn't be a part of this nightmare.

An eternity seemed to pass before I found my voice again. "Ivan" I croaked, the nbarely a whisper on my lips.

He tilted his head, studyingfor a moment, a furrow appearing in his brow as if he were deep in thought. Then, he took a step closer, his expression unreadable.

"I don't think you realize it, Amaya," he spat, his voice flat and emotionless. “Just how...unlikeable you truly are." My mouth gaped open and closed like a landed fish. Words wouldn't come. He continued, his gaze distant, as if he was looking through me, past me. It was like he couldn't see me, like I was invisible, a mere inconvenience in his grand design.

The man I'd spent months with, the one who stood by my side, whispered promises of love, markedwas he a stranger all along? As if reading my thoughts, he closed the distance between us. Panic surged through me, but I was frozen, unable to even flinch.

His hands brushed against my skin, sending a jolt through me. This time, the touch felt foreign, cold and calculating. His fingers lingered on the spot where the mark he had givenonce resided. A cruel smile played on his lips.

"It's gone," he laughed mockingly. "Your wolf returned and cleared it off, she really is a bitch just like you. Speaking of which, you are probably wondering why you can grasp her. There is enough wolfsbane in your system to kill a small pup but don't worry, it won't do much damage-yet." The world seemed to tilt on its axis. I forced myself to believe this wasn't real, a twisted hallucination brought on by the trauma. The man I'd trusted with my life, the one who held my heart, couldn't be turning againstlike this. His gaze held nothing but contempt, a stark contrast to the love I'd seen reflected there for so long.

"Ivan," I managed, my voice trembling. “What is happening? Why are you doing this?" He threw his head back and laughed, but it was a hollow sound devoid of humor. "Why am I doing this?" He scoffed. "You truly are stupid, Amaya. Naive, emotional, and yes, stupid. Always whining about everything, acting like the world is against you when you're the cause of all your problems." His words stung, each one a shard of truth piercing my carefully constructed reality. “It starts with your whole world revolving around him," he continued, his voice laced with disdain.

I stared at him, a kaleidoscope of emotions swirling within me. This was the sman who heldjust before leaving for the airport, the one who hugged Ivy and whispered promises of a fresh start. This couldn't be him. But it was. I'd been so blinded by my own feelings, that I'd failed to see the truth and then the thought of Ivy snappedout of the shock momentarily, "Where are my children? What have you done to them?" A cruel gleam flickered in his eyes. "You mean my children," he corrected, a sly grin spreading across his face. "I am their father now, after all." A pit formed in my stomach, a cold dread that coiled around my insides. The pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place. That's why he'd left just before everything went to hell. The expedited paperwork, the unnatural speed of it all it had all been a meticulously planned facade. But how long had he been planning this? And for what purpose? Tears welled up in my eyes, spilling down my cheeks, that was all I could do- cry.

"There you go, crying again,” he mocked. "Do you know how difficult it's been putting up with you for these past months? You're irritating, annoying, and worst of all, a lying little bitch." Chapter 129 Each word felt like a physical slap across my face. He moved away from me, pulling a chair from a shadowy corner and plopping down with a sigh. Across the room, Adrian watched with morbid fascination, like a child waiting for a particularly gruesbedtstory.

Ivan's cold, empty voice snappedback to the present. “I think I'll humor you a little," he drawled, a cruel glint in his eyes. "Tell you why I am doing all of this," he finished, a mocking lilt in his voice. "Because you deserve to know, right?" He punctuated his words with a sarcastic laugh. "Just like you deserve to have it all - me, Alex." My jaw clenched so tightly I feared my teeth might shatter. All I could manage was a strangled whimper, the weight of his betrayal crushinginto my seat.

He leaned back in his chair, "Since we have stime, letfill in the blanks in your head. Considering you've proven yourself remarkably lacking in the brains department, I think you'll find it quite enlightening." He paused, his gaze flickering to Adrian, who seemed to relish the moment, leaning forward with a predatory grin. Then, his attention snapped back to me, his voice taking on a chillingly casual tone.

"There was a boy," he began, his voice a low murmur, "a young kid with everything going for him. A loving family, a beautiful little sister - his world was perfect. He thought nothing bad could ever touch him." He stopped for a moment, his eyes distant, as if lost in a memory. A flicker of something dark crossed his features, a fleeting glimpse of the monster beneath the mask.

"Then, in one single moment,” he continued, "it was all gone. Everything he held dear, ripped away in a heartbeat." He took a deep breath, the sound ragged and uneven. “All that was left was a terrified little sister and a heart brimming with a hatred so profound it choked the air from his lungs." A shiver ran down my spine. The casual way he spoke of his tragedy sent a wave of unease washing over me. "This boy," Ivan continued, his voice regaining its chilling composure, "grew up consumed by hate. It festered within him, a poisonous venom that twisted his thoughts and fueled his nightmares." He leaned forward, his eyes boring into mine. "He took his anger out on everyone around him, lashing out with a cruelty that mirrored the pain he felt inside. This cycle of violence continued until he turned eighteen. That's when it happened. His wolf, the embodiment of his primal instincts, finally broke through." A sliver of understanding pierced through and the dread kept building up.

"It was powerful," he admitted, a hint of awe creeping into his voice. "Exhilarating, even. But the raw power of the wolf was overwhelming. He lost control, his rage consuming him and he took a life.” I gulped, trying to find a way to shrink back from his intense gaze but I was trapped.

"Something shifted within him in that moment" Ivan continued, "He didn't feel remorse, not a single shred. Instead, a dark thrill coursed through him. He liked the feeling. He craved it." He fixedwith a cold, calculating stare. "And then realized that he wanted them to feel it too. Those who had inflicted pain upon him. He wanted them to taste the bitterness of his own despair." He sat straighter in his chair, “He started digging," he murmured his voice gaining a manic edge. “And then he found a name. A single name. Damon Thorne."

The nechoed in the cavernous room, a chilling portent of the darkness to come. My entire body went cold. Loould still feel the tears running down my cheeks, not for him, not for the horrors he had endured, but for my children, for what this monster sitting in front ofmust have done to them. I wasn't even crying for myself. Somehow, someway, I deserved this. Before Alex, I used to be my own person. I had strength, a sharp mind, and the will to fight for what I believed in. But somewhere along the way, I'd let love - or what I 16:12 Tue, Jul 9 Chapter 129 thought was love-blind me, I'd becnaive, foolish, easily manipulated.

Ivan wasn't wrong. Looking back. I saw the signs, the inconsistencies, the moments when his actions didn't autions didn't quite match his words. All those quite nights spent confiding in him, pouring out my fears and vulnerabilities, felt like a grotesque betrayal. I'd handed him the very weapon he'd used to bringto my knees. A sudden click-clack of heels cut through the tense silence. I whipped my head around to see Miranda emerge from the shadows. Unlike all the other times where her face was filled with mischief, she was looking attoo- blankly.

"I believe you know my sister," Ivan announced, his voice dripping with mockery. He turned to her, then back to me, crossing his legs in a slow, deliberate gesture. His eyes held mine, the unspoken threat clear: the nightmare was just beginning. "Now," he drawled, a cruel smile playing on his lips, "where were we?"