Chapter 153

+5 POV-

Amaya The sound of my name snapped me out of my thoughts. I hadn’t realized I pacing again. I should stop. I should calm down. But my mind was whirlwind and fear.

shouldn’t have left him back there. I should have stood my ground, told him I staying. Maybe if I had, things would be different. I wanted everything to be simple. Girl meets boy, they fall in love get married, and live happily ever after.But my life was anything but simple.

mate with trust , a father who was more like a villain than a parent, a dead brother I never got to know a fake lover turned twisted enemy, and now witches. How much more could I handle? I wanted to scream. I wanted to run. But I couldn’t. Not with the twins here. Everything just a lot. Too much.

“Amaya!” Natalia’s sharper this time completely pulling me back to reality. I turned to face her. “What?” I managed to say, my voice sounding strained even to my own ears.

been calling your name for the past five minutes,” she said, her eyebrows drawn together in concern. “You need to stop pacing. Your energy is affecting the twins

glanced at the twins. Nate sitting quietly, his face turned towards me. Ivy was also quiet her eyes fixed on me. I could understand Nate’s quiet. There times he simply went quiet but never Ivy. Whatever happened between her and Alex’s aunt had something extra to it and I didn’t like it one bit..

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled, feeling a pang of guilt. “I just…” I trailed off, not knowing how to explain the chaos inside my head.

“I know,” Natalia sighed softly. “We’re all worried. With Ivan looming over us and Alex gone, things crazy. But for the sake of the twins, you need to calm down.”

I nodded, trying to take deep breaths. I needed to focus on the present. I needed to be strong for the twins.

“She’s been awfully quiet since we got back,” Natalia continued a, referring to Ivy.

“I know,” I replied. “Something happened between her and that witch. Or should I say, Alex’s aunt.”

Natalia’s eyes widened. “Wait, what?”

I hadn’t had chance to fill Natalia in on everything that had happened. The car ride back had been filled with tense silence everyone tried to what we had seen.

, if she’s Alex’s aunt, how is she a witch? And most importantly, you don’t think Ivy is one, right?” Natalia asked, her voice filled with disbelief.

I shook my head. “No . I don’t think Ivy is involved in any of this I about to explain more when Riley entered the room. My heart sank I looked at her.

Christian heard from Alex asked, my voice barely a whisper.

didn’t need to answer expression said it all. No. Two and he still wasn’t back. What happening to him?

The weight of world seemed to press down on me I stood in the living room.

understanding met mine as I nodded towards the twins, a silent plea for a moment of solitude. She offered reassuring smile in return and then retreated to the sanctuary of the bathroom.

The harsh slap of water against my was jarring reminder of reality, but it did little to clear the fog clouding my mind. Desperation gnawed at me as I searched for a semblance of calm in the chaos then shrill ring my phone the quiet sending a jolt adrenaline through my system.

My heart pounded in my as I fumbled for the , my fingers trembling. I looked at the ID. An unknown number.

“Alex?” I breathed into the phone. The silence followed agonizing. When the finally responded, my sank like a stone.

“No , me, mother’s voice echoed through the . A wave disappointment washed over me the fleeting hope with a sense of dread.

Oh Mum. It’s you.”

our history try not to let that tone hurt she replied, her voice laced amusement.

“I’m really sorry audible the pounding my . “

just have a on I’m about Alex 153 It took me a second to collect myself You told me once he wasn’t always like this. Do you think he’ll ever go back to being happy?”

A long . I could hear her sigh through the phone sound filled with weariness and resignation. “I really don’t know,Amaya.”

The silence that followed was with unspoken words. I felt a lump forming in my throat, “Is that really why you’re calling? To see if I passed on request “

He asked me to call three ago. I’m calling now because I want to check on my daughter,” she replied, her voice softening. Her words were like warm blanket on cold day, offering a brief respite from the storm raging within me.

“Thank you, Mum.

this,” I whispered softly, my voice filled with gratitude.

“I’m really sorry about everything, Amaya. I wish I could do something to help. When this is all over, I hope we can both start over.”

Me too ” I whispered, clinging to the glimmer of hope she had offered.

was about to end the call when she hesitated. “I know I’m the last person you want to talk to about this, but I hope Alex is okay.”

I let out a shaky sigh. “Me too, and-”

My sentence cut short by the sound of Ivy’s voice. “Mom?” Her small voice echoed through the bathroom, pulling me from the conversation. “I’ll have call you back,” I told my mother quickly, my voice filled with urgency.

“Okay. Be careful, Amaya. I don’t know what it is, but something bad coming. I feel it in my bones. Just be careful, please.

Her voice was laced with a sense of foreboding. A chill ran down my spine as I listened to her words.

“I will, Mum. I will call you later,” I replied, trying to sound reassuring.

The call ended, leaving a heavy silence in its wake. I knelt down in front of Ivy, her small figure looking lost and vulnerable. “Hey, honey, what’s wrong?

She touched her forehead, her eyes closed. “Not good,” she mumbled. I placed my hand on her forehead, feeling slight warmth. “Does your head hurt?

She nodded slowly, her eyes still closed.

Okay let’s get you to bed. Maybe you just need some rest.

you’re not feeling better, we’ll have it checked out, okay?”

She shook her head stubbornly. “No doctor,” she replied, her voice firm for the first time.

I chuckled softly, trying to lighten the mood. “No doctor,” I repeated, my voice filled with forced cheerfulness.

I took her hand, her small fingers cold and clammy. As we walked to her room, she looked up at me with wide, frightened eyes. “Is the blue ?”

My heart ached as I looked into her frightened eyes.

Yes, honey, the blue–eyed man okay. He’s just trying to get his superpowers back so he can save us when the bad people come.

She squeezed my hand tightly, her grip a silent plea for reassurance. As I tucked her into bed, I kissed her forehead whispering words My legs moved without conscious thought as I made my way to the living room. A cold dread settled in the pit of my stomach. If was feeling unwell, there was a high would be too. The twins an uncanny connection, a bond that went beyond blood.

The moment I stepped into the living room, the tension was palpable.

atmosphere was heavy, thick with unspoken words. Christian, , and were huddled together while Nate curled up on the his small body looking more vulnerable in sleep.

“I think we should tell her Christian’s voice through the silence, his words carrying a weight of finality.

My heart skipped a beat Tell me what Three of eyes turned to me, their a mixture of and something darker.

“Tell me what?”

rising slightly.

Riley was , trembling slightly. “The men Alex put watch his father are all dead.

clean but Damon Thorne touched.

“So Ivan sending warning?”

shook her head, her face pale. “No, Amaya. He sent a declaration.” She turned to Christian, who held out his phone. A wave of nausea washed over me I looked at the screen. A macabre scene unfolded before my eyes: bodies arranged in a grotesque circle. It was clear that Ivan no longer for . But it was what was written in the center of the circle that sent a shockwave through me.

Alex’s name, written boldly in blood.

Natalia was right. This wasn’t a warning. It was a declaration of war. Ivan wanted blood. Alex’s blood. But that wasn’t all.

Christian’s voice broke through my shock. “He sent a message and a location. He said he was done playing around. Three generations to make up for his pain. He wants Alex to bring not just his father there, but Nate too.”

3/3 GIFT