MAEVE'S POV
[THE PRESENT]
After I objected to Ivan's union with Serena, time seemed to come to a halt as my destined mate and I faced off.
He looked different from the last time I saw him, yet somehow, exactly the same. It was like getting behind the wheel after years of not driving.
Familiar, yet strangely foreign.
I stood below the makeshift altar at Ash Creek, my gaze locked onto his.
His cheekbones were sharper. His jawline more chiseled. There were new lines around his mouth, but they didn't take away from his good looks.
If anything, they made him even more devastatingly attractive.
I tried not to stare. Tried not to notice the broadness of his shoulders, the way his biceps strained against his suit. Tried not to acknowledge the dark intensity of his gray eyes.
Tried not to react to the pull of our bond. But my wolf had a mind of her own.
For a split second, attraction sizzled in the space between us. A natural reaction after being apart for so long.
That's all it was.
A side effect of the Wrath Bond. It didn't mean anything. I didn't love him. I didn't even want him.
I was here to take him down.
And I was not going to let a chiseled jawline, a perfectly groomed stubble, or thick, muscular biceps distract me.
Not this time.
The hall was in chaos. There were flashes of camera lights. Murmurs. Gasps.
Asha squeezed my hand. Reminding me why I was here. I was doing this for him. For the future he deserved. A future where he wouldn't be undermined. Where he wouldn't be ridiculed for being different.
I knew what it was like to be an outcast. To be beaten down and broken. To be treated as though I was worthless.
And now, with Devon's support, I finally had a chance to change that. To give Asha the legacy he deserved. A throne. A name that carried power.
But first, I had to take Ivan down. And I wasn't going to stop until Lydia and Serena fell with him.
I noticed Ivan watching Asha. His brows furrowed. His jaw ticked. I stepped forward, pulling my son with me.
"I object to this union." I repeated. The words rang loud and clear across the room.
The murmurs grew deafening. Some people stood up, gasping in disbelief. I wasn't done.
"For those who do not know me," I continued, "my name is Maeve. Five years ago, I was married to Ivan Cross. I still share a mating bond with him, and this little boy right here—" I lifted Asha's arm, "is his son and rightful heir."
Silence. Dead silence. Even the air in the hall felt still.
I felt the weight of hundreds of eyes on us. I looked at Ivan. If he was shocked by my sudden return, he looked absolutely floored now.
His mouth was slightly open, his gaze bouncing between me and Asha. He looked lost. Like he was trying to process the impossible.
A guard in a charcoal suit grabbed my arm. I jerked away, fiercely shrugging him off. His gaze met mine, and for a brief moment, I saw the recognition in his eyes.
He knew me. Knew who I had been before.
I ignored him and turned back to the perplexed pair on the altar. This time, I spoke directly to Ivan.
"I request a private audience with you. I'm not leaving until I get it."
The next voice was not Ivan's. It was Serena's.
"You sleazy, lying bitch!" she shrieked.
She gathered the hem of her gown as she stomped down the altar steps, her heels clicking furiously against the floor.
Her face was twisted with rage. In the past, Serena's anger would have made me cower. I would have flinched, fearing her sometimes harsh words, even though she was my best friend.
But now?
Goddess, now, I was amused.
She was so furious that her bridal makeup was close to smudging. And I was all for it.
"How are you even alive?" she demanded, her perfectly manicured finger pointed at me.
Then, as though the thought suddenly hit her, she took a sharp step forward.
"But more importantly—" her voice rose in hysteria "how DARE you come here and ruin my mating ceremony? My wedding!"
She was practically vibrating with rage. And I couldn't help myself. Laughter bubbled from my lips.
It came out in soft, amused chuckles before spilling into a full-blown, unrestrained laugh. My laughter bounced off the walls of the quiet hall.
Serena's face turned even redder.
"You think this is funny?" she snarled, baring her fangs.
I ignored Serena's outburst, wiping an invisible tear from the corner of my eye.
"Of course, I do. Don't you?" I said lightly, tilting my head at her. "Come on, Serena, I can't be the only one who sees the irony in all of this."
Her face darkened.
"So, this is revenge then?" she snapped, gripping her dress with tight fists. "I ruined your life, and now you've come to ruin my wedding by trying to pass your bastard off as Ash Creek's heir?"
She was taunting me, hoping to provoke a reaction by calling Asha a bastard.
Rather than take the bait, I remained completely calm, unfazed, and fucking composed. I smirked in the face of her brewing rage.
"What's the matter, Serena?" I asked smoothly. "Afraid I might be right? That my son's claim is legitimate? That you'll be discarded—sent back to being the insignificant, worthless thing you've always been?"
Her face twisted.
"You're crazy," she hissed, spinning toward Ivan. "Ivan? Honey? Ignore her. Command the priest to proceed with the ceremony. This is nothing more than a ruse—a pathetic distraction."
Her voice rose in indignation. When Ivan failed to acknowledge her, her anger deepened.
"Ivan!" she growled, her voice turning shrill. "Stop looking at her! Can't you see? This is exactly what she wants! To throw us off course! Get a grip already and uphold your commitment to me, dammit!"
She stamped her foot, nearly shrieking in frustration.
But Ivan still didn't respond. His gaze was still locked on me and Asha. As though he didn't know how to look away—even if he wanted to.
I knew why.
The Wrath Bond.
Even after all these years, it still held him captive.
I could feel it too—the tangled web of emotions inside me, my wolf's restless desperation to reach for him, despite the hatred coiling in my chest.
I fought to suppress it. To bury it. To make sure none of it showed on my face. The last thing I wanted was for Ivan Cross to think I desired him.
"This is ridiculous," a sharp voice boomed across the hall.
The murmurs fell silent.
All heads turned toward the sound.
Luna Lydia.
My old friend.