Bonds

Chapter 144 -Alex's POV- It had only taken meeting them, Ivy and Nate, to know that truly I had made the biggest mistake of my life when I kicked Amaya out. The guilt gnawed atconstantly, and I knew I would spend the rest of my life apologizing for it and there was still Ivan out there, a constant threat. It had taken that kiss, that spark of reconnection with Maya, to joltinto action. And people were already on it, moving fast. It sure had its advantages being a billionaire alpha sometimes.

What confusedthough, was why Ivan hadn't gone after my father. Damon Thorne was clearly the start of his madness, the reason for the whole war. But just in case, I still had men positioned around the facility, keeping a watchful eye in case Ivan decided to finally stop playing his twisted games. Right now, though, I had something more important to do.

I stepped out from the shadows, the fairy lights casting a warm glow on the clearing. Amaya's green eyes, sparkling with surprise, flew "Alex, what is all this?" she asked, her voice laced with bewilderment.

to mine.

I closed the distance between us, my heart pounding in my chest. "Amaya," I began, my voice thick with emotion, "I Her gaze flickered to the sign, then back to me. “There's no question mark,” she pointed out, a hint of amusement dancing in her "Exactly," I replied, a grin spreading across my face. "So you don't have the option to say want you to marry me." eyes.

no." She playfully rolled her eyes. "There's no option to say no because there's no question asked, Alex." I let out a sigh, a mixture of relief and frustration. She stepped back fromthen, a shadow of worry crossing her features. The light in her eyes seemed to dim slightly. “Alex, I already said yes," she remindedgently. "It didn't end well the first time, and technically, by all laws, even though I'm trying to get out of it, I'm still married to Ivan." Irritation flared in my gut at the mention of his name, but I forced it down. She continued, her voice filled with concern, "Then there's the whole thing with your wolf, we don't even know what happened to him. And the war is still going on, and Ivan is still out there. There are just so many things, Alex, that make this feel...” I didn't let her finish. "I know I messed up," I confessed, my voice filled with regret. "And I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you. You wouldn't be dealing with getting out of a marriage if I hadn't been such a coward. I am so sorry, Amaya, but I want to make things right because I love you. I didn't know I could ever know what it felt like but you changed that so please let me." An airplane roared overhead, momentarily breaking the spell. We both looked up at the contrail streaking across the night sky before her gaze dropped back down. Her eyes darted around the clearing, taking in every detail. It had takenall day to pull this together, to make it perfect. I didn't want anyone's help, I wanted it to be just us, a private moment between Amaya and me. Finally, her eyes landed on the sign again, a soft smile gracing her lips. "You still didn't ask the question, Alex," she pointed out.

I couldn't help but grin. Then, with a deep breath, I sank down on one knee, pulling out the ring that had been burning a hole in my pocket. I watched, my heart overflowing with a mix of hope and nervousness, as a tear slid down her cheek. "Amaya," I began, my voice thick with emotion, "I am so sorry for everything I did. I am sorry for not trusting you, for pushing you away. If you will just..." I didn't get to finish the sentence. In a flash of movement, she was on me, tacklingto the ground with a joyful laugh. She buried her head in my chest, her body trembling slightly. "Yes!" she cried out, her voice muffled against my shirt.

A wave of relief washed over me. I laughed, the sound echoing through the clearing. Everything in my life suddenly felt right, like all the pieces had finally fallen into place. "I still didn't ask," I teased, pulling her closer.

"I know," she whispered, a contented sigh escaping her lips.

We stayed there for a moment, a cocoon of happiness woven from laughter, tears, and unspoken promises. She finally lifted her head, her glistening with a mixture of joy and lingering worry. Without another word, she leaned in and crashed her lips against mine.

eyes The kiss was electric, a surge of emotions that chased away any lingering doubts. My hands instinctively wrapped around her waist, pulling her impossibly closer. I deepened the kiss as her hands drifted down, finding my belt before hesitating.

Just like that, the moment was shattered. My phone, which I had purposely silenced for this evening, chose that exact moment to erupt with its insistent ringtone. A groan escaped my lips. With everything happening, with the war and the uncertainty surrounding her legal situation, I knew I couldn't afford to miss any calls. Thankfully, she understood. She pushed herself offreluctantly, her eyes searching mine for reassurance.

I picked up the call, seeing Christian's nflash on the screen. "We have a problem," his voice cut straight to the point. Another groan rumbled out of me.

"What is it now?" I asked, already feeling the weight of responsibility settle back on my shoulders.

"Even with everything that's happened, your companies have mostly taken a physical hit," Christian explained quickly. "But I just got a call. The situation just got a whole lot more complicated, more indepth and apparently, Adrian is the nbehind it. I was going to- "Don't worry about it," I interrupted, my voice hardening. “I'll handle this one. Thanks for the heads-up, Christian." Chapter 144 Ending the call, I took a deep breath and stood up, offering Amaya my hand. She took it immediately, her brow furrowed with concern. "Is something wrong?" I forced a small smile onto my face. "Nothing I can't handle,” I reassured her, even though a part ofwished I could just whisk her away from all the chaos and hide her in this perfect little clearing forever. "Let's go." She studiedfor a moment, a flicker of doubt dancing in her eyes. It was clear she wasn't entirely convinced, but she didn't argue. Followingout of the clearing, the fairy lights cast long shadows as we walked back towards my car. The romantic interlude felt like a distant memory now, replaced by the harsh reality of the situation.

As we walked, I couldn't help but steal glances at her. Her face was a mask of worry, and a pang of guilt stabbed at my heart. I had just proposed, declared my love and desire to spend the rest of my life with her, and now I was dragging her back into the mess.

"Amaya," I began, hating the seriousness that crept into my voice. "Listen, I-" "Alex," she interruptedgently, squeezing my hand. "Whatever it is, we'll face it together. Just promiseone thing." I stopped walking, turning to face her completely. The moonlight illuminated her face, highlighting the worry etched into her features "Anything," I replied, my voice thick with emotion.

"Don't shutout again," she pleaded, "No matter what happens, no matter how bad things get, promiseyou'll talk to me, trust me." I reached out and cupped her face in my hands, my thumb brushing away a stray tear that traced a path down her cheek. "I promise. No more secrets, no more lies. Just us, facing whatever comes our way, together." A flicker of hope sparked in her eyes, and she leaned into my touch. In that moment, under the watchful gaze of the moon, everything else seemed to fade away. The war, the threats, the uncertainty - none of it mattered as long as I had her.

"One more thing, Silver," She murmured, a shy blush creeping up her cheeks, "I like it when you callSilver."

My heart skipped a beat. Pulling her even closer, I closed the distance between our lips. This time, the kiss O was different. It was a low, lingering exploration, filled with unspoken promises and a lifetof love waiting to be unraveled. As I finally pulled away, my voice dropped to a husky whisper, "You are my only Silver."

The endearment hung in the air, a silent vow between us. Taking her hand in mine, I continued walking. ine / Never again did I want to imagine life without her by my side. Yet, even as I held her close, a dark thought flickered through my mind – Adrian.

I'd had enough. While guilt still gnawed atfor past mistakes, I knew I could never forgive myself for what i did. I didn't expect him to either but his recent actions crossed a line.

It was tto end this, once and for all.

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