Bonds

-Maya’s POV- 

Everything was set in motion, every piece carefully placed on the chessboard. Just like Alex predicted, Christian hadn’t been able to track the source of the message. There were no other options – it was for me to meet with Ivan. 

Alex had meticulously planned every detail, leaving no room for error. He’d be my constant shadow, ensuring Ivan believed I was truly alone. Now I stood in front of the mirror, dressed up. It was almost time. 

“The hair suits you,” Alex’s voice sounded from behind me, his words barely audible over the nervous fluttering in my stomach. I didn’t tear my gaze away from the reflection in the mirror, but I could feel him enter the small bathroom. 

Silence stretched, thick and heavy, before I finally muttered a quiet, “Thank you.” 

Taking a deep breath, I turned away from the mirror, ready to face whatever awaited me. But he reached out a hand, gently stopping me in my tracks. 

“Amaya,” he whispered. 

A jolt of deja vu slammed into me. This, this very moment, mirrored our first encounter. I looked up, meeting his blue eyes – eyes that had always held a power over me, a power that always managed to disarm me. The intensity of his gaze was too much, and I quickly looked away. 

I tried to step past him again, but his hand shot out, gripping my arm lightly. “Amaya, please.” 

Frustration bubbled up inside me, threatening to spill over. “What do you want me to say, Alex? You’re making me sound like a broken record repeating the same lines over and over. I don’t know how you think things can just magically be okay between us. Believe me, I want it to be okay. I’ve wanted it to be the moment I stepped back into your life a decision fueled by the need to stop lying to myself. But it’s not easy, Alex. Not by a 

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long shot. And right now, this…. this isn’t the time for this conversation.” 

We stood there, locked in an unspoken battle of wills. The silence stretched for what felt like an eternity before he finally stepped back, his shoulders slumping slightly in defeat. 

“Once you have them,” he started, “are you going to take them and leave?” 

The question hung in the air, heavy with unspoken emotions. It took me a moment to process his words, to truly understand what he was asking. “I don’t know,” I admitted honestly, the answer a tangled mess of emotions swirling within me. “Honestly, I don’t know yet. After everything that’s happened, maybe… maybe leaving would be the best thing for all of us.” 

His eyes flashed, a flicker of raw pain briefly crossing his features before he quickly masked it with a curt nod. “If that’s what you want,” he said, his voice flat and emotionless, “then so be it.” 

A surge of conflicting emotions hit me as Alex turned away. Before he could disappear down the hallway, I blurted out the question that had been gnawing at me. “Are you going to try to take them away from me?” 

He stopped, slowly turning back to face me. A sad smile tugged at the corner of his lips, a contrast to the turmoil in his eyes. “I’m done hurting you. All I want is for us to be okay, for things to be… normal. I want to get to know my children, but you raised them on your own, you picked up the pieces after all the mistakes I made. This is your call. You do what you think is best for them, for you.” 

Just then, Christian’s voice cut through the tense air, his tone clipped and urgent. “The car is ready,” he announced, the unspoken message clear: it was time to go. Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.

I nodded, my throat constricting with a mix of emotions. Stealing one last glance at Alex, his face etched with a mixture of sadness and determination, I followed Christian out the door. 

The drive to the location Ivan had sent was a blur. Every twist and turn sent my heart hammering against my ribs. Unlike the dank, claustrophobic tunnels where I’d been held captive before, this place felt different. The air was clean, devoid of the stale, musty smell that had clung to me for days. Yet, a different kind of dread settled in my stomach – a sterile, clinical feeling that sent shivers down my spine. 

As I stepped into the expansive room, my breath caught in my throat. My heart went into overdrive. There, in a designated play area filled with brightly colored toys, were my children. 

Without a second thought, all my carefully constructed walls crumbled. A strangled cry escaped my lips as I sprinted towards them, my legs propelled by a desperate need to hold them close, to feel them safe in my arms. 

Reaching them, I scooped them both into a crushing hug, tears streaming down my face in a torrent of relief. “Mommy’s here,” I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. “Mommy’s here, and you’re okay.” 

Holding them tightly, I pulled back slightly, my gaze scanning their faces for any sign of harm. Little Ivy, ever the chatterbox, was already pointing at a brightly colored teddy bear. “Look, Mommy! Teddy goes roar!” she exclaimed, her bright eyes sparkling with innocent joy. 

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It took a moment for my racing heart to slow down enough to register Nate’s words. “Mommy,” he mumbled, his voice thick with a mix of sleepiness and relief, “I missed you.” 

A fresh wave of tears welled up in my eyes. Relief washed over me, tinged with a deep ache of guilt for the fear and uncertainty they must have endured. “We need to get out of here,” I whispered, my voice firm despite the tremor running through me. 

Just as I started to formulate a plan, a voice sliced through the air, cold and calculating. I looked up, my blood running cold. Adrian stood at the doorway, a cruel smile playing on his lips. 

“You didn’t think it would be that easy, did you?” he drawled, his voice laced with a sickening amusement. 

Instinctively, I pulled my children closer, glaring daggers at him. “Where’s Ivan?” I demanded, my voice surprisingly steady despite the fear gnawing at me. 

“Busy dealing with more important matters,” he replied nonchalantly. His gaze flickered to the twins. 

“I have to give it to you, Amaya,” he continued, his tone almost grudgingly complimentary. “You raised them well. They’ve been very well behaved. Go on then, he gestured towards the door, a mocking smile plastered on his face, “take them.” 

My mind raced, desperately searching for a way out. They wouldn’t let me leave that easily. “What kind of game are you playing?” I spat, my voice tight with suspicion. “Why isn’t Ivan here?” 

Adrian scoffed, his irritation evident in the roll of his eyes and the sneer that twisted his lips.”You know everything doesn’t always have to be unnecessarily difficult. Ivan got what he wanted. One Thorne is gone, Damon is next and Ivan’s not a monster. He wouldn’t hurt children. So, be on your way.” 

There was no point waiting to find out if he was lying or not. With a burst of adrenaline, I grabbed both their wrists, “Let’s go!” I yelled, pulling them towards the exit. 

But just as I envisioned a narrow window of escape opening before me, Adrian’s voice cut through the air, sharp and chilling. 

“Oh, I almost forgot,” he drawled, “Ivan left a little parting gift for you.” He gestured towards a wooden box sitting by the door that I hadn’t noticed. 

My blood ran cold. My gaze darted towards the box, then back to Adrian’s smug face. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small note, his fingers toying with it for a moment before tossing it towards me. 

My hands were shaking as I caught the note, my eyes scanning the words scrawled across the paper. “I know he’s alive,” it read, the letters uneven and menacing. “Don’t worry, he’ll follow right after you three.“” 

A cold dread settled over me. The note slipped from my grasp, fluttering to the floor like a dying bird. Then I heard it growing louder with each passing second. My eyes widened in horror as realization dawned. 

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a faint ticking sound, 

A bomb. 

Adrian slammed the door shut behind him, a cruel laugh echoing in the room. The ticking became a deafening roar in my ears. Panic threatened to consume me, but my wolf took control immediately, lunging to the surface. 

Every fiber of my being screamed at me to run, but escape was no longer an option. All I could do was hope that my wolf was fast enough. Fast enough to save us from the fiery inferno about to engulf the room. In a blur of motion, I wrapped myself around the twins, creating a living shield. 

Then, the world exploded in a blinding flash of light as the bomb went off. 

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