Bonds

Maya’s POV- 

The world seemed to slow down. It was like a movie, except I was right in the middle of it, not watching from a comfy couch. The rain was coming down hard, and the sirens were a high–pitched whine that cut through the air. People were shouting and running around, but it was all a blur. All I could see was the man in front of me. 

“Mass murder?” I asked, my voice small and shaky. My mind couldn’t process what he was saying. I looked at Ivan, lying still on the ground. My hand reached to Alex, like I was trying to hold onto something real in this crazy situation. He squeezed my hand tight, but I could see the confusion 

in his eyes. 

“This is a mistake,” I whispered, hoping against hope. “There’s been a misunderstanding.” 

The man in the black suit ignored me, starting to say those words that everyone knows from TV shows: “You have the right to remain silent…” 

Then everything happened fast. One minute, it felt like we had won. The next, they were taking Alex away from me. I screamed and shouted, trying to tell them they were wrong. I didn’t care that I was only wearing a jacket someone had put on me or that I was covered in blood. I just wanted them to stop. I kept thinking, “Mass murder? How?” 

The days after that were a blur. I couldn’t remember everything that happened. Slowly, I started to understand what Ivan had meant and wht he was so happy. We hadn’t won. Ivan was sick. He had been killing people for years, making videos of it all. And in the end, he had set Alex up to take the blame. Over a thousand people. Ivan had killed them all, and now Alex was going to prison for life. 

I felt a cold feeling inside, like someone had twisted a knife in my chest. I looked at the papers in front of me. Six months. One hundred and eighty–two days. Four thousand three hundred and eighty hours. That’s how long Alex had been locked up. I tried everything. I used all our resurces, I begged Riley’s dad to help, use his mafia connections one last time but nothing worked. 

Alex was powerful, but he wasn’t above the law. 

Ivan knew this and had used it against us. 

I closed my eyes, taking a deep, calming breath. My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, and I needed to quiet it. I had to focus. I closed the papers, the weight of their contents pressing down on my shoulders. 

“They are all waiting for you to give your speech,” My father’s voice broke through my concentration. I turned to find him standing in the doorway, his expression a mix of concern and determination. I nodded slowly, my throat feeling tight. 

As I followed him out of the room, the weight of the moment settled on me. This wasn’t just any speech. It was a chance to change everything, to stop the endless cycle of violence. For months, I had been consumed by the fight to free Alex. Failure after failure had chipped away at my resolve, but the city was drowning in chaos. I couldn’t stand by and watch it happen. 

So, I had made a decision. A crazy, impossible decision. To end the war between humans and werewolves. This city was my home, filled with love, pain, and heartbreak. It was where I wanted my children to grow up, to be who they were without fear. I wouldn’t let it be destroyed. And I wasn’t alone. Riley, Natalia, and Sarah had been my rocks, my unwavering 

I had failed in this battle over and over gain until eventuall 

it 

all 

to this. Getting both sides to actually sit side by side after months. 

As I stepped onto the podium, I saw my girls in the crowd, their eyes filled with pride and hope. It was a heavy responsibility, but I was ready. The crowd before me was a sea of faces, both human and werewolf, their eyes filled with anticipation and uncertainty, 

My father stood beside my mother and I hadn’t brought the twins in case things turned bloody. Their eyes held a mixture of pride and fear. I took a deep breath, my gaze sweeping across the crowd. This was it. The moment of truth. 

My voice trembled slightly as I began, “Thank you, everyone, for being here. I truly appreciate your presence.” I met Natalia’s gaze, seeking her support. She nodded, her eyes filled with encouragement. I took a deep breath, steadying my voice. 

“Countless stories have been woven about werewolves, painting us as monstrous creatures. But that’s not who we are,” I declared, my voice growing stronger facing the humans, “We are like you. We feel pain, we experience loss. When we are hurt, it hurts. And yes, it’s frightening. The truth is, we are a different kind, but that doesn’t make us monsters. We only become monsters when driven to the edge. We yearn for love, just like you,” 

A wave of emotions washed over me as I continued, “There has been too much pain, chaos, and loss. I know my words might not change the world’s perception of us, but this is my city, my home. I refuse to live in fear. So, I stand before you, humans, asking for your acceptance. See us not as the creatures of horror, but as beings striving for survival and happiness.” 

The crowd was silent, their faces a canvas of emotions. I waited, the silence stretching into an eternity. Then, I turned my attention to the werewolves. “We are born with the wolf within us. It’s a part of who we are, an extension of ourselves. But we are not monsters, The blood flow is enough. If the humans can accept us here, we will live in peace, as one. No more hunting on either side? 

I took a moment of catch my breath, I turned to my father who nodded in agreement, his eyes filled with pride and understanding so I continued, “With that said, I am dissolving all packs. I announced, the words hanging heavy in the air. 

1/2 

8:48 AM ! 

Uproar erupted from the crowd, but I waited for it to subside. “We cannot claim unity with humans while remaining divided among ourselves. No more. From now on, we stand united against any outside threat. We live as one, werewolves and humans, in peace.” 

The crowd fell silent once more, the tension thick in the air. Then, a single clap broke the silence, followed by another, and another until it turned into a thunderous applause. Sarah and Riley were the first to cheer, their faces beaming with pride. Natalia’s eyes were filled with tears as she mouthed, “I’m so proud of you.” 

I wiped away a tear and took a deep breath. With my head held high, I stepped down from the podium and into my mother’s embrace. The warmth of her arms enveloped me, a comforting shield against the storm of emotions that threatened to overwhelm. A sense of accomplishment and hope for the future surged through me, but I knew the road ahead would be long and not without dificulties. 

“I am so proud of you, honey,” my mother whispered, her voice filled with love and admiration. Her grip tightened around me, grounding me in the moment. When she finally released me, I turned to face my father. Our eyes met, and an awkward silence filled the space between us. 

It had taken us a while to reach this point. 

My father’s descent from his high horse had been the first step. He had actually come to help on the day of the battle and as gone as far as using his resources to try and free him. It was a stark contrast to the man I had once known. Then, there was the day I had asked my mother to visit Jeremiah’s grave, the brother I never had the chance to know. To my surprise, my father had shown up, a look of unexpected emotion on his face. He placed the flowers he had brought on Jeremiah’s grave and sat beside me. 

In that quiet moment, he spoke not to me, but to Jeremiah. For the first time, I heard the raw pain and vulnerability in my father’s voice. I realized the depth of his sorrow, the extent to which Damon Thorne’s actions had shattered him. It was in that moment that I saw the man beneath the hardened exterior, a man broken by grief. I wondered if he would ever truly recover from Jeremiah’s death. 

Unable to bear the weight of the moment, I stood up to leave. But my father’s voice stopped me. “Please don’t leave,” he whispered, his eyes filled with a desperation I had never seen in him before. 

And so, I stayed. The words poured out of me, a torrent of emotions I had kept bottled up for years. I told him how much his absence had hurt me, how I had longed for a father’s love. For the first time in my life, we touched, not in anger or violence, but in a tender embrace. As he wept, I held him, letting his pain wash over me telling me just how sorry he was for being a terrible father, for being cruel, for saying that he hated me. Our tears mingled on my brother’s grave, a poignant testament to the complexities of our relationship and the long road to healing that lay ahead. 

Things between us changed slowly after that. The weekly dinners I initiated, bringing along the twins, were tentative steps towards something more. The awkwardness was still palpable, a constant reminder of the chasm that had existed between us. Yet, there was a growing sense of familiarity, of comfort. 

When I announced my decision to dissolve the packs as a cornerstone for peace, his unwavering support caught me off guard. He was ready to relinquish his title as Alpha, to rebuild from the ashes of what remained. In that moment, I saw a glimmer of the man he could be. 

We stood facing each other, a silent understanding passing between us. I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could utter a word, he pulled me into a tight embrace. The warmth of his body against mine was both unexpected and comforting. Then, he said words I never thought I would hear from Daniel Stone, “I am so proud of you, Amaya.” 

A profound sense of healing washed over me. A part of my heart that had felt empty for years began to fill. The void that had once consumed me was slowly diminishing. And as it filled, I realized there was only one person who could truly complete it. 

Today, we had won a significant battle. Tomorrow, I would fight the biggest one yet. 

And when I emerged victorious, I would bring the love of my life home. 

2/2 Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g