Bonds

Chapter 18 -Maya's POV- The silence after the bikers stumbled out was like a physical thing, thick and suffocating. My heart hammered, the adrenaline slowly fading away, leaving behind a cold dread. The primal satisfaction of defending the bar, fueled by my wolf, warted with a creeping foar.

"I, uh...." I stammered, my mouth suddenly dry. I took a tentative step towards Riley, then another, needing to explain, needing something. But before could get close, she recoiled, her hand shooting up to wardofl.

Her eyes, wide and fearful, flicked fromto the retreating figures of the bikers, then back to me. I glanced around and relief washed overmomentarily at least the others hadn't seen my wolf lunge to the surface.

But the relief was short-lived, replaced by a sinking feeling in my gut as I met Riley's gaze again.

"Riley, please."Twhispered, my voice barely above a croak. "We need to talk, but not here, I promise I won't hurt you," Her lips moved silently for a moment, her expression a mask of confusion and dawning horror. Then, in a voice barely audible, she rasped, "The back." She spun on her heel and headed towards a swinging door at the rear of the bar. I followed her quietly, the weight of her unspoken questions hanging heavy in the air.

The backroom was small dominated by a battered metal counter and stacks of empty crates. Riley moved straight for the counter, her back to me, her hands gripping the worn wood as if seeking solace in its solidity. Honestly, I couldn't blher.

The silence stretched again, broken only by the ragged breaths escaping my own lungs.

Then cthe question, the one I'd dreaded, "What... what are you? How did you... Your eyes. What are you?" There were a million ways I could answer. I could lie, tell her she'd imagined the whole thing, the adrenaline messing with her mind. But the thought of it left a bitter taste in my mouth. The past four years had been a living hell, broken by someone else's actions and I wouldn't subject anyone else to that.

I knew how this story ended. The suspicion, the doubt, the slow erosion of sanity as she tried to convince herself it wasn't real. It would break her differently, not like I was.

Taking a deep breath, I braced myself. "I'm a werewolf," I said, the words tumbling out in a rush.

The silence that followed was deafening. She stared at me, her face'a canvas of disbelief. "A werewolf? But... they don't exist." Then, a sudden, unexpected sound filled the air-laughter, Sharp, disbelieving laughter that echoed strangely in the small room. A hysterical edge crept into it, and for a horrifying moment, I thought she was going to crack.

"Alright," she gasped, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand. “Where are the cameras? Because I'm definitely being punked right now." Her voice trailed off, and she looked around the room frantically, searching for shidden device, ssign that this was all an elaborate joke.

My heart sank, I hadn't expected laughter, but the terror in her eyes was worse. "Riley," I said gently, reaching out a hand towards her, but she flinched away.

"You're serious?" she whispered.

I nodded slowly, the weight of her fear pressing down on me.

"Holy shit! Holy shit!" she scrambled backwards, her voice rising in panic. "How are you...? How are werewolves real? Werewolves only exist in stories and this is definitely not one!" Chapter 19 "Riley, please, calm down," I pleaded. "I won't hurt you I promise" But the words seemed to have the opposite effect, fueling her panic "How can you promise that?" she shrieked, her voice cracking with fear. “You're a monster! A creature out of nightmarest" 84% לוי "No, Riley, please," I pleaded, my voice dropping to a low, soothing murmur. Every instinct inscreamed to hug her, to offer physical comfort, but! knew it would only terrify her further. “I understand why you're scared. Believe me, I do." She took a shuddering breath, her eyes wide and frantic. "You... you can turn into a wolf?" "Yes. But that doesn't mean I'm a monster. Look at me." I gestured to myself, hoping the normalcy of my human form would offer sreassurance. “I'm Amaya. The sAmaya who you just poured a drink and listened to vent about her day. The wolf is a part of me, yes, but it doesn't define me? Tears continued to stream down her face, carving clean tracks through the grof the bar. "But... but how? Why? And how did you..." she trailed off, her voice thick with confusion.

"It's a long story. And right now, I think it's more important that you calm down. Can you take a deep breath with me?" She hesitated for a moment, her eyes darting nervously betweenand the doorway. Finally, with a shaky hand, she wiped her tears away and took a deep, ragged breath, I followed suit, the slow rise and fall of my chest mirroring hers.

"See? You're alright. And I'm alright. We can talk about this, but first, you need to breathe." Another shaky breath escaped her lips, followed by a long, shuddering sigh. The raw fear in her eyes began to subside, replaced by a cautious curiosity.

"Alright," she mumbled, her voice barely audible. "But where do we even begin?" My phone vibrated in my pocket, shattering the fragile calm that had begun to settle. I pulled it out, my heart sinking as I saw the message. It wasn't a call, but a single, curt text from my father: "Chome." I glanced back at Riley, her fear slowly giving way to a hesitant curiosity. This wasn't how I'd planned this conversation. This wasn't the time, not with her eyes still wide and her voice shaky. But there was no choice.

"I'm so sorry, but I have to go. Something just cup, something I can't ignore." Her brow furrowed, "Is everything okay?" "...I'll explain later. There's a lot to unpack, about me, about what just happened. But right now, I have to deal with this other thing." Panic flickered across her face. "Wait, you're not leaving, are you? Not after all this?"

"No, no," I assured her, reaching out a hand, then quickly retracting it when I "I'll cback m saw her flinch. "I'll promise. But need you to understand, what I told you... it's a secret. A big one. Humans aren't supposed to know about us."

The gravity of my words hung heavy in the air. Riley's eyes darted around ve the room as if searching for hidden cameras, for any sign that this wasn't real. But slowly, a flicker of understanding replaced the initial fear. "A secret. Like a... werewolf secret?"

"Yes," I confirmed, relief washing overat her tentative acceptance.

om "There's a whole side to this world you don't know about, different factions, different rules. But I can't explain it all right now." "Okay," she nodded slowly, "But you'll cback and tell me?" "I promise. This isn't over. But please, Riley, I'm begging you, don't tell anyone what you've learned, Not a single soul." 12:01 Thu, 20 Jun..

Chapter 18 84% i in danger," the mumbled, the fear returning, but a different kind this time, She met niy gaze, her eyes searching mine. "... I wouldn't want to put you i edged with concern.

"Thank you," i breathed, a wave of gratitude washing over me. Then, with a firial squeeze of her hand, I turned and hurried out of the backroom.

Daniel was always angry, at what? I have never discovered but I was always at the receiving end of his anger. Most times, it was unprecedented. Not this time.

I knew, without a doubt, that this time, there would be hell to pay.

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