Bonds

-Maya's POV-

"You like it when I f**k you don't you? Say it Silver. Tell me how much you want it."

I tried to stop the moan but it escaped my lips when his lips latched onto one of my nipples. "Say it, Silver."

"I love it." I gasped out.

"Love what?" He flicked his tongue on the nipple eliciting another gasp, "When you f**k me."

He wrapped his hands around my neck, not tight enough to cut off my airflow but hard enough to make me focus solely on him.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

"Alex, please"

The words were cut short when he slammed into me hard.

I gasped, jolting awake. It was just a dream. A dream.

Why then did it feel so real?"

I let out a low curse when I felt the wetness between my legs. Really? What was this obsession I had with him?As if it wasn't enough that he was screwing with my reality, now he had managed to work his way into my dreams. Throwing off the blankets, I made my way my room. The room Ivan had given me. I would admit it was hard adjusting while trying to explain to the twins that we would be staying with a man now. A stranger who they did not know.

out The light in their room glowed faintly just the way Ivy liked it. She had always been afraid of the dark, unlike Nate who seemed to like it but like the protector he had always been, he adjusted his preferences so his little sister wouldn't have to hide in fear. Peeping in a little, they were fast asleep. I had placed them in their respective beds but now Nate had his hands wrapped around his little sister.

Her protector. Just like I thought he was to me.

"Can't sleep?" Ivan's voice cut in.

I closed the door and shot it gently before turning to him. He had a tired smile on his face, something I knew was mirrored on my face. I hadn't been having any sleep at all of late. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that I have still not been able to see my father, to hear his own explanation of things.

I hoped with everything I had that it wasn't true but then again, he was Daniel Stone. He had been the villain in my story for the longest time, he was to say he wasn't the villain in real life? Then again, maybe my lack of sleep has something to do with the fact that Natalia's words hadn't stopped playing in my head.

"Adrian is getting out."

There was a time when it had been the four of us. That cliche tale of the best friends getting together but for Natalia, it had always been Nathan, no matter how hard she tried to fight it. Things had gotten completed after that's another tale on its own.

"Come on, I want to show you something His voice snapped me back to reality and a guilty smile graced my face, "I am sorry. I just have a lot going on in my head."

"I understand. I would be scared if you didn't."

He stretched his hand towards me and I took it without a second thought. Whether I liked it or not, this man had managed to gain my trust, not only that was slowly creeping into my heart. That scared me more than I cared to admit.

What happens when he decides that I am too much of a burden? When he gets tired of my never ending drama? With everything that has been going on, we haven't had time to sit down and have the hard conversations. Like when he said after all this was over, he was going to claim me or the fact that I was still bearing my father's name.

Even though he hadn't said it, his eyes conveyed the message. I was both relieved and apprehensive about it.

"Where are you taking me?" I broke the silence between us.

"Somewhere I go when I need to be at peace. You look like you could use to a dose of it."

I sighed, "I crave it more than anything."

He led me to an open field. Ivan basically lived in a mansion. He was a multimillionaire but he had always come across as subtle to me. His house had been unexpected. Land stretched far across the field. It was one of those nights, not too warm, not too cold. Just breezy.

"What are we doing out here?"

Letting go of my hand, he kicked off his shoes and walked barefoot deeper into the field. The moon cast long shadows, turning the tall grass into a rippling sea of silver. He unbuttoned his shirt with a slow, deliberate movement, the crisp cotton falling away to reveal the broad expanse of his chest, the moonlight highlighting the well-defined muscles beneath. My breath caught in my throat, a warmth spreading through me despite the cool night air.

Sensing my gaze, he turned back with a knowing smile playing on his lips. "Like what you see?" he teased.

Embarrassment flooded my cheeks. This man was my husband, and yet, seeing him like this- so raw, so powerful-stirred a response within me that felt both unfamiliar and thrilling. Quickly, I looked away, remembering something important, "I can't shift," I whispered, staring down at my clenched fist.

Surprise flickered across his face, quickly replaced by concern. He crossed the distance between us in a few long strides, his hand reaching out to cup my chin, gently forcing me to meet his gaze. "What do you mean you can't shift?" he asked, his voice laced with worry. "Are you injured?"

I shook my head, the weight of the confession making my voice heavy. "No, it's not that. It's..." I hesitated, struggling to find the right words. "Ever since Alex... well, after things ended between us, I haven't been able to shift fully."

He frowned, his brow furrowing in concentration. "You haven't been able to shift at all?"

"No," I admitted, the truth a bitter pill to swallow. "I can feel it, Ivan. I can feel my wolf rising to the surface, especially when I'm stressed or angry. But it's like there's a wall there, holding her back. I try, I truly do, but I can't seem to break through."

610

He took a deep breath, his expression thoughtful. "Maya," he began, his voice patient, "sometimes emotional trauma can manifest in physical ways. Maybe this is your body's way of coping with what happened with Alex."

"Maybe," I conceded, a flicker of doubt creeping into my voice. But a part of me rebelled against the idea.

Ivan cupped my face in his hands, his touch warm and soothing. "The mind works in mysterious ways," he said gently. "It's possible the stress of everything that has happened."

His words held a ring of truth, but a stubborn part of me refused to accept it entirely. "Even if that's true,"

Le I argued hy voice firm, "it doesn't change the fact that I can't shift. It's a fundamental part of who I am, of who we are. What if I'm broken?"

"You're not broken, Maya. You're just... blocked. Think about it. You can still feel your wolf, right? She's still there, a part of you. Maybe it's not about forcing your way through, but about finding a way to heal, to let go of the emotional baggage that's holding you back."

"But how?" I asked, a flicker of desperation in my voice. "How do I just let go of something that feels so raw?"

Instead of an answer, he pulled me into a tight embrace, his strong arms a haven of comfort. "One step at a time," he murmured into my hair. "We'll figure this out together. You're not alone in this. I'm here for you, every step of the way." His words washed over me, offering a much-needed anchor in the swirling sea of uncertainty. Just as I felt a sliver of hope bloom, he pulled away abruptly. Startled, I blinked at him, a question hanging in the air. "What's wrong?"

Instead of answering, a slow smile spread across his face. It wasn't his usual charming grin, this in, this one held an undercorrent of something else entirely. A primal glint flickered in his eyes. Before I could voice my unease, a series of deep pops and cracks echoed through the night.

Within seconds, a brown wolf stood before me, its powerful muscles rippling with each breath. He was simply beautiful but his eyes were the most enchanting pair I had ever seen. They glowed with an intensity that sent a thrill through me. His wolf tilted its head, a low growl rumbling deep in its throat. Then, in a flash of telepathic communication that seemed to by pass my ears and land directly in my mind, a single word echoed - "Run."

Without a single conscious thought, my feet were pounding against the earth.

The wind whipped past my ears, tearing at my clothes, but I didn't dare slow down and in those few seconds before his wolf would catch me because I knew I could outrun it.

I felt it... A taste of a new life, a taste of freedom.

S