“Why did you come here? Isn’t what you did 18 years ago enough?” Jackson narrowed his eyes as he asked.
Maya didn’t like the way he was talking to her. They used to be friends, and now he was behaving like an enemy.
“I am here because I am part of this pack too,” Maya retorted, sitting on the chair.
“Not after what happened. You already left years ago. You think you can just come and claim to be part of this pack whenever you want,” Jackson groaned, his voice dripping with anger.
“Drop it, Jackson. We both know you can’t be angry with me. I am the only friend you ever had,” Maya chuckled, pointing at him.
“That’s not how you should behave when you left this friend years ago. It’s not how you thought when you left me, did you once think that?” Jackson, all pissed, sat on his chair.
“I am not here to fight. We both know I had to leave because I can’t just sit around and wait,” Maya squinted her eyes.
She knows his anger is somehow justified too.
Because he was not happy about when she decided to leave – but that time the situation was different, so she did what was best.
Now the situation is different, and she is doing what suits her more.
“You can do it living in pack too, but you decided to leave like a cat,” Jackson stated.
“Anyone will let me live peacefully? You think that would be happening?” Maya retorted.
Jackson sighed, knowing Maya is right, but only he knows how much he was so mad with all 18 years she left this pack behind and never tried to contact anyone.
As Beta he was not able to do anything, but as a friend he regretted every bit of it.
How much he wanted to make everyone aware that it’s not Maya’s mistake, it was meant to happen and they lost everything in the attack, it was security things too.
If as a Beta he would be putting more security, so maybe things might be turned better, so he partly blamed himself too, which he can’t do anything about.
He was so happy when Maya’s voice he heard on call, that’s why without wasting time he came here. Of course, he won’t show her that he is happy. He wanted to be angry and throw tantrums, no matter how much he aged. Maya is still his friend who he used to be goofy with.
After she left, he just never been the same. He became serious with life; he had to be because of how much things changed after that attack.
As king and queen died, he was the one who needed to handle it all, make sure everything was back to normal. It took years; the pain is still inside everyone’s hearts due to how many people lost lives in that attack, but it’s been way better than how it was before.
“If your thoughts stop running wild, how about coming back to the talk I am here for,” Maya spoke, seeing Jackson lost in his thoughts.
He is still the same Jackson as he was 18 years ago, maybe now a bit aged like her and a little annoyingly mature.
Jackson finally shook himself out of his reverie, focusing on Maya again.
He looked at Maya, the years etched on her face, a testament to the time that had passed since they last saw each other. Yet, beneath the surface, he could still see the same fire.
“You’re right, Maya. I’m sorry,” Jackson said, his voice softer now, the anger dissipating. “It’s just hard to forget all those years you were gone.”
Maya nodded understandingly. “I know, Jackson. But believe me, leaving wasn’t easy for me either.”
“I came back because I realised I can’t keep running from my past,” Maya continued, her voice tinged with emotion. “This pack… it’s where I belong, despite everything.”
Jackson nodded, a sense of relief washing over him. For years, he had carried the weight of their fractured friendship, wondering if he would ever see Maya again.
“Well, I’m glad you’re back,” Jackson said, a genuine smile forming on his lips. “I have missed you.”
Maya returned the smile, feeling a sense of warmth flood her heart.
“So what do you want to talk about?” Jackson asked.
“I wanted to talk about something big: I found the royal heir, our Queen, the one and only child of our late Alpha King and Queen,” Maya dropped a bombshell.
“What?” Jackson gasped, shocked by the news. He had been trying his best to find the heir but had been unsuccessful.
Hearing this news literally shook him to his core.
“Yes,” Maya explained everything about Priya, from how she found her to Priya’s escape from her own marriage and her life in an orphanage where she was treated like a daughter.
Maya shared every detail, from minor to the major, about Priya’s mental state and the sense of being cursed that prevented her wolf from emerging, despite evidence that she did have a wolf, evident in her swift recovery from wounds.
Jackson sat in stunned silence, trying to piece it all together.
As Maya finished recounting the details, she watched Jackson closely, waiting for his reaction.
After a moment, Jackson shook his head, disbelief written all over his face. “I can’t believe it,” he murmured.
Maya nodded solemnly. “It’s incredible, isn’t it? But now that we know, we have to act quickly. Priya needs our help, and she’s the key to restoring the balance in our pack.”
Jackson’s expression hardened, determination shining in his eyes. “You’re right. We can’t waste any more time. Priya needs to be brought back, and we need to ensure she’s ready to take her place as our rightful Queen.”
Maya smiled, relieved to see Jackson’s resolve. “I knew I could count on you, Jackson.”
“But it will be tough, it’s not going to be easy.”
“Why?” Maya’s forehead wrinkled in confusion. Of course, it will be tough for Priya to control her power and break through the curse she has, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.
“Someone else is now king, and I don’t know how he will react to all of this. Priya isn’t even strong enough to fight for her place.”