Bonds

-Maya's POV-

Saturday

Seventy-two hours.

Three excruciating days had crawled by since the earth had split open beneath my feet. Three days since the man I was supposed to call Dad. the one who should have been my protector, my safe harbor, had looked at me with such raw, naked hatred that the air itself seemed to crackle with hostility.

The vibrant chaos of the park swirled around me, a meaningless blur of sound and movement. Laughter, shouts of encouragement, the rhythmic thud of feet pounding the dirt-it all blended into a monotonous symphony of noise that did nothing to penetrate the thick fog clouding my mind.

Natalia sat beside me talking endlessly and outlining potential solutions to the text message problem.

"We could try a signal blocker. It wouldn't be foolproof, but it might buy us some time to track down the source."

My gaze remained fixed on a distant point on the horizon, a point that stretched into an endless void mirroring the hollowness within me. My chest felt heavy, and everything just felt so wrong.

"Or I've been doing some reading. We could use a counter-trace program. It's a little risky, but if we're careful..."

Her voice trailed off, and I finally tore my eyes away from the empty horizon. She was staring at me with a worried frown etched on her face.

"Amaya," her voice was gentle. "Are you even listening to me?"

A flicker of pain crossed Natalia's face for a fleeting moment before she recomposed herself. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Talk about it?

How could I possibly talk about it?

How could I put into words the searing pain of rejection that had branded itself onto my very soul? How could I explain the suffocating emptiness that had replaced the fragile hope I had clung to for so long? That someday we could get past whatever it was my father felt for me. He hated me. My own father simply hated me.

The very thought of talking felt like ripping open a fresh wound, exposing the raw, bleeding mess underneath. So, I remained silent, my gaze returning to the park ground, Across the field, a blur of black hair and bright blue eyes darted between swings, his laughter echoing through the air as he chased after Ivy. Her dark brown curls bounced with every step, her giggles filling the air.

Normally, the sight of them playing together would bring a smile to my face, a much-needed dose of joy in the often harsh world we lived in. But today, even their playful energy couldn't break through the shroud of despair that enveloped me. Their laughter sounded distant, muffled by the storm raging inside me.

A loud squeal broke me out of my reverie. Naty, panting and grinning from ear to ear, stood in front of me, his chest puffed out with pride as he wrapped his hand around his sister, Ivy, her cheeks flushed from exertion tried to get out of his hold but she didn't stop giggling.

"Gotcha!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with childish triumph.

I forced a smile, the movement unfamiliar on my lips. "Good job, Nate," I croaked, my voice hoarse from disuse.

He beamed, his pride evident in his wide grin. Before I could say anything else, Ivy managed to shove him off her and leaned towards me, pulling me with her tiny hands, "Come on, Mommy. Let's play."

I smiled down at her, "Mommy is really tired. But if you give her a minute, she will join you soon."

"Yay!" They both exclaimed at the same time.

Natalia watched the exchange, her eyes filled with a knowing sadness. She understood, of course she did. She had been my rock, my confidante, the one person who truly knew the depths of my pain.

Ivy and Nate, easily distracted, turned their attention back to the park and darted back towards the other children. Their laughter became clearer as they joined the pack of kids in a game of tag.

"I don't know what to say to make you feel better," Natalia finally sighed, her voice laced with helplessness. "I just don't."

Her words were a gentle nudge, pulling me out of my self-imposed isolation. I turned to her, my vision blurry with unshed tears, "There is nothing to say."

The lump in my throat made speaking a physical effort. "I have a father, and... and he hates me. There is just nothing."

Her jaw clenched tight, "Look, I know this hurts, Amaya. It hurts like hell. But you can't let his words define you."

She reached out and squeezed my hand, "I know what it's like to be hurt by the people you care about. And trust me, letting them win, letting their words define you, that only hurts you in the long run."

"But how do I just... turn it off?"

She took a deep breath, her eyes searching mine. "You don't turn it off. You feel it. You acknowledge it. But you don't let it define you. You are Amaya Stone, Maya freaking Stone. You are strong, you are brave, and you are worthy of love, no matter what your father says and"

Her voice trailed off abruptly, her gaze snapping towards the edge of the park. Her eyes widened in alarm, and a flicker of cold fear washed over her face. She didn't speak, but the sudden shift in her demeanor sent a jolt of nervous energy through me.

"Natalia? What's wrong?"

Following her gaze, I scanned the area, searching for whatever had caused her sudden alarm. But I saw nothing out of the ordinary, just the usual hustle and bustle of the park.

Without answering my question, she scrambled to her feet, her movements quick and purposeful. "We need to get the twins and go." The confusion that had clouded my mind moments ago began to clear, replaced by a growing sense of dread. "Why?"

"There's no time to explain," Natalia snapped, already starting to gather our things scattered around the bench. "We need to get the twins and go. Now!"

"But what about -"I began to protest, but Natalia cut me off again.

"Ivy! Nate! Come here, honeybuns!" she called out in a bright, cheerful voice that contrasted sharply with the tension that now vibrated around her.

The twins, still happily engrossed in their game of tag with a couple of other children, didn't hear her at first.

"Natalia, wait!" I pleaded, my voice laced with panic. "What's going on? Why are we leaving?"

She ignored me, her voice rising in volume as she called out for the twins again. "Ivyl Natel It's time to go home now!"

Finally, the twins spotted Natalia and reluctantly started making their way towards us. Nate tried to bargain for a few more minutes of playtime.

"But Mommy, we were just going to play one more round!" he whined, dragging his feet in the dirt.

"Yeah, can't we stay a little longer?" Ivy chimed in, her bottom lip trembling slightly.

Natalia knelt down in front of them before I could even reply, a forced smile plastered on her face om berface "Remember what I told you about those special cookies? We wouldn't want them all gone before we get home, would we?"

"Cookies!" both twins exclaimed in unison, their disappointment forgotten in the face of sugary treats.

"That's right!" Natalia said, a relieved smile flickering across her lips for a fleeting moment. "So, come on, let's go get those cookies before they disappear!"

She scooped Ivy up in her arms and started walking towards the parking lot at a brisk pace, Nate stift pouting slightly, followed behind, his eyes darting back and forth between the park and the promise of cookies.

I remained rooted to the spot, a cold dread settling in my stomach. Natalia's behavior was unlike her. The urgency in her voice, the way she'd scanned the park... something was wrong.

Very wrong. "Natalia, wait!" I called out, my voice sharp with sudden panic. "What's going on?

Where are we going?

Natalia didn't break stride. She just tossed a single word over her shoulder.

"Trouble."

Before I could react further, she reached the car, fumbled with the keys for a moment, and then Bundled Ve the twins into the back seat. Buckling them in with practiced efficiency, she slammed the door shut and sprinted towards the driver's side.

I tried to scan the park for any sign of what might have caused Natalia's sudden change of heart and then my wolf felt the shift in energy.

Suddenly, his voice sliced through the air, "Amaya?" It was far off but I still heard it because I was permanently attuned to him but then why didn't I feel him before?

Natalia didn't wait another second, she zoomed off.

If there was an award for the world's greatest best friend, she would have won it at this very moment because when I turned around, his blue eyes settled on my face and I let out a deep breath.

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