“It’s ok,” Maggie chuckled, not missing sight of all the fear written on Katrina’s face. “I would never snitch on one of my own, that’s another reason why I welcomed you in you know, this journey of yours must have been so important for you to risk your life like that, I just couldn’t refuse to help you.”
A sigh of relief, “thank you.”
“Don’t mention it, now let’s start. Is there anything you want to ask me before we start? Think now, because it will take a while for my mind to return to its normal state after the session.”
“Hmmm….” She suddenly remembered something she’d been meaning to ask on the way here, “yes, I do have a question.”
“Go ahead.”
“This doesn’t have to do with what I came here for… but why did you leave?”
It was a totally unrelated question that Maggie didn’t expect, “leave? You mean the silver pack?”
“Yes, the silver pack. Why did you leave the silver territory and come to settle here? In a place where your kind is so despised?”
Sighs, “I left the silver pack, for the same reason you did.”
Katrina shook her head, “I don’t understand.”
“Love, Katrina. Love was the reason I left my home. My mom and dad were separated, mom lived in town while dad had a home in the one of the barracks near the silver border, as he was a soldier. My Jeremy, was a young Turnal soldier, and the Turnal soldiers always had constant run-ins with the silver soldiers at the small neutral land that the two territories shared. The Turnal soldiers also hated the silver soldiers because of so many false rumors about their alpha Damian.”
Katrina nodded her head; she couldn’t agree more about that last part.
“But Jeremy…. He was different, he never supported nor took part in the feuds between the two packs. I knew this because he was supposed to kill me one day when he caught me trespassing on Turnal territory. I was a sucker for adventures, and I’d unknowingly stepped into another pack’s territory without even noticing….”
Sounds like the familiar story of a very foolish person, Katrina thought while smiling at Maggie, pretending to enjoy the conversation.
“But Jeremy and I… we, fell in love,” Maggie spoke as she blushed. “I used to sneak out of the border on regular occasions to visit him, and that’s how we started our relationship. A few years later, mom passed away from an illness, so I had to move in with dad, thereby giving me more opportunities to meet with Jeremy since I was closer.”
“So, what happened next?” Katrina asked like she cared.
“I got pregnant, and I didn’t want dad to find out because he’d attempt to kill my baby. He’d never live with the fact that his only daughter was carrying the child of an enemy. He was a top silver soldier, so he despised the Turnal wolves so much. When I couldn’t hide the pregnancy anymore. I ran away to live with Jeremy, he retired early so we could live together as a family, but then, the most dreaded thing happened….” Tears were now beginning to stream down Maggie’s eyes as she continued narrating the story.
“My Jeremy was killed a few months ago while I was still heavily pregnant, he never met his child, his beautiful daughter Emily that looked just like him.”
That part seemed to touch Katrina somehow, “I’m so sorry,” she muttered. “Did you find out who it was that murdered your lover?”
“I was heavily pregnant then, so no. The only thing I remember that day was he said he was going to the barracks for a final assignment. I heard that there was a small ambush at the border by a small group of rogues that’d sneaked in through the neutral grounds, they didn’t succeed in entering but they killed a lot of soldiers, my Jeremy was one of them…”
“Oh, I’m sorry… Maybe I shouldn’t have asked that question…”
“No, no… no…. it’s good you did. I must admit that finally, it feels good to have a normal conversation after so long of being alone with my baby, this is a not-so-friendly neighborhood and everyone loves to mind their business.”
“I’m glad I had this talk with you Maggie.”
“I’m glad too, and through my story, I hope you’ll realize now that I do understand what you meant when you said your lover was taken from you just like that. The only difference between the both of our stories is that there’s still a chance for you to see him again, unlike in my case where it was death that snatched him away.”
It was a touching moment, and Katrina admitted that she did feel sad for Maggie at some point, but this wasn’t what she came here for. Time has already been far spent; she needs to get what she came here for now.
“I’m sorry to have to change the topic so soon Maggie, but can we start the session now? I think we’ve already spent a lot of time talking.”
“Oh… uh, yeah… sorry if I wasted your time. Let’s begin now.”
**********
“These scars will forever be a reminder that trust is something that should never be given. That day is a day I will never forget, even 20 years after, I still have nightmares about it.”
“Oh, Damian…”
“I didn’t tell you any of this so that you can feel any pity for me Miranda, I don’t know why I told you, but I don’t want things to change between us. I don’t want you to start viewing me as an object of pity.”
She shook her head, “I’d never think of you that way Damian…”
“Really? So, what do you think of me?”
“I view you as an object of strength, someone who was not afraid to stand up against evil, even in his young age. I view you as someone who does not lack the courage to fight, and I respect you so much for that Damian. These scars, they might hold painful memories for you, but its your past. It’s part of you now, and sadly, there’s nothing you can do to change that. The only thing you CAN do something about now is your future, you CAN still shape your future the way you want it to be.”
He nodded, “yes, I am well aware of that Miranda, and I am trying. It’s not so easy to accept it, but I’ll keep trying.”
There was something that Miranda still wanted to ask, something she wasn’t clear about, but she wasn’t sure if this was the right time to bring it up, after he noticed her body language, he asked her, “what is it?”