Bonds

Chapter 145 -Maya's POV- Alex had droppedback at the safe house after his mysterious phone call. I kneew we still had a lot to talk about and there was still the matter of my father's situation, something I had to passively mention to Alex for my mother's sake. But I knew deep down he wouldn't be interested in helping, not after everything that had happened. The girls and Christian were constantly coming and going and when I entered, the girls were all in the living room Riley, Natalia, and Sarah. Christian was nowhere to be seen, probably busy helping Alex with whatever crisis had unfolded and since I couldn' heat the twins, I knew they were asleep.

Sarah spotted the ring the moment I walked in. "Well, well, well," she drawled, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Someone's been busy. Nice rock." Her comment instantly grabbed Natalia and Riley's attention. I groaned, shooting Sarah a playful glare. Natalia grabbedimmediately and plantedfirmly on a chair. "I leave you for a minute and you cback with a ring. Start talking." "Hold on," Riley added, already on her way to the kitchen. "Bottles and glasses first.” I gave her a look, but she just rolled her eyes. "Look, I'm a mafia princess who ran away from an arranged marriage to beca bartender, and I still have baggage with my father even though we've put that aside for now. We're drinking." "Hear, hear!" Sarah chimed in, raising an invisible glass. Natalia's laughter echoed through the room.

It took only a moment for Riley to return, a tray laden with glasses and three different bottles. Looking ahead, I knew it was going to be a long night. But as I settled into the chair with their expectant faces staring at me, a sense of belonging washed over me. These were my people, the ones who understood, the ones who had my back.

"Alright," Natalia prompted, "we're getting old, and those bundles of chaos can wake up any minute." I chuckled. "Okay, so... Alex proposed again, and I said yes again. Yes, I know I'm technically still married to Ivan," saying his nsent a shiver down my spine, "and yes, I know Alex has made a lot of mistakes. But even after everything..." I trailed off, my voice catching slightly. "Even after everything, I still want him. So yeah, I said yes." Natalia smiled at me, “I am really happy for you, Amaya, we all are." The other hummed in agreement and then she raised her glass. "To the crazy chaotic love!" she declared. "To fucked-up love," Riley added with a sly grin.

We all clinked glasses, then everyone turned their attention back to Riley. She shot us all a questioning look. "Why are you all staring atlike that?" "Well," Natalia began, “with all the chaos around, we only really know the surface of what happened with you running away and... well, dating Christian." Riley sighed, pouring herself another drink. "Yeah, that's going to need a whole lot more than this." She sighed again, swirling the amber liquid in her glass before taking a long sip. "In the world I grew up in arranged marriages were as common as the blood spilled on the streets. I didn't like it, but there wasn't anything I could do about it. I knew it would be my fate someday, a fate bothand my sister dreaded. We used to count down the days until adulthood, each one a tick closer to a future we didn't want." A pained expression flickered across her face, a momentary glimpse into the life she'd left behind. Natalia reached out, squeezing Riley's hand in a silent gesture of understanding. Riley offered a grateful smile before continuing.

"Then it finally happened. Dad announced he'd arranged my marriage, and even though I knew it was coming, it still hitlike a ton of bricks when he toldwho he'd picked, I felt like the world had stopped spinning." She paused, taking another drink, her eyes distant. Sarah leaned forward, her earlier teasing replaced by a concerned frown.

"If the devil walked this earth, he'd be the closest thing to it," Riley continued, her voice dropping to a barely audible whisper. “There was no way I could marry that monster." A tense silence filled the room, broken only by the clinking of ice against glass. Even the ever-bubbly Sarah seemed subdued by the raw emotion emanating from Riley.

"A month before the wedding," Riley continued, a hint of defiance creeping back into her voice, "I met Christian. One thing led to another, and... well, let's just say it was exhilarating. We only saw each other for two weeks, but he felt like everything my body had ever craved." She looked around the room, her gaze meeting each of ours in turn. "Twas running out," she explained. "I knew I had to run. There was another thing, too. The monster I was supposed to marry only wanted someone untouched. If he ever found out..." She trailed off, the unspoken threat hanging heavy in the air.

"So I disappeared." she finished a touch of prid lips pursed in a contemplative line.

"I started a new life here," Riley said, gesturing around the room. "Got a job, kept my head down. Never looked back. Her gaze met mine, a flicker of warmth replacing the earlier darkness. “Then I met you, Amaya. And discovered there was a whole world out there, werewolves and all. Scared the crap out of me, to be honest, but I'm really glad you walked into that bar." A genuine smile broke across her face, a stark contrast to the turmoil she'd just described. She raised her glass in a toast. "Here's to new beginnings and finding your people." We clinked glasses, the sound echoing in the comfortable silence.

"So, how did you end up back with Christian?" I asked, the question hanging in the air.

A wishful smile touched her lips. "He gavethis phone when we first met, said his life wasn't always sque

clean, that sometimes he got tangled up with dangerous people. It was not new to me, it kind of added to the thrill. The phone was untraceable, a way for us to have a secret connection. It was the only reminder I had of him when I left so I kept. Every text, all the things he promised to do the tojust before we saw each other again were there, I didn't want to let it go and once every week, I would turn it on and there was always a text. He was trying to findbut I never texted back. Then, one night, I was feeling high, feeling lost. Needed skind of closure, I guess. So I sent a text. Needed to move on, you know? Then fate happened two months later. I was walking hfrom work one day and a car splashed dirty water all overthen didn't stop to apologize. I hailed a cab, furious, and followed the car, ready to give the jerk a piece of my mind. Imagine my shock when Christian stepped out."

She blushed a deep crimson, a stark contrast to her usually pale skin. "Well, the rest is history. Except...

There's still a lot to deal with. Pright ve have stood up to my father and made him help but I know there'll be hell to pay when this all blows over." Her eyes hardened, a steely glint replacing the vulnerability from moments before. "But nothing will ever makeleave Christian." A heavy silence descended upo the room, thick with the weight of Riley's story. Sarah reached for another glass, her earlier teasing demeanor replaced with a quiet contemplation.

"What about your sister?" I finally asked, voicing the question that hung heavy in the air.

Riley's gaze flickered away, a flicker of guilt clouding her eyes. “My father's making her take my place," she whispered, "He's locked her down, made sure she can't escape. I sealed her fate, and I'm not sure I can ever forgive myself for that." The weight of her words settled heavily on us all. The carefree atmosphere of the evening had vanished, replaced by a somber understanding of the burdens Riley carried.

I scooted closer to her, my heart aching for her. Without a word, I reached out and wrap Colands around hers, offering a silent comfort. Sarah and Natalia, sensing the shift in the atmosphere, followed suit. The four of us sat there, a huddle of women, seeking strength in each other's presence. ..We didn't need words. The unspoken understanding, the shared determination to face whatever cnext, hung heavy in the air.

This quiet moment of solidarity was a brief respite before the storm that had been brewing over us finally exploded.