“What is happening here?” Maya entered the room, hearing loud bickering voices.
“You hear me, lady? Just get your niece some manners. If this continues, I am not going to be the person you can blame for whatever her so-called words lead to,” Priyank’s eyes blazed as he walked out of the room after issuing the threat.
He knew staying longer would only worsen the situation. She would keep talking, and he would get more worked up.
“Priya, why are you crying? What just happened here?!” Maya gasped, looking at Priya who was clearly upset, tears staining her cheeks, looking like a mess.
“Nothing.” Priya closed her eyes, squeezing out more tears, feeling bad and angry.
One thing she couldn’t deny was that now she couldn’t run away from him anymore. Before, she had some hope, now she had none.
Because he was her mate, now she needed him, not the other way around-it was quite disturbing to be true. She didn’t want him; he scared her and made her feel disgusted.
Why did it feel like everyone was being forced on her-this whole werewolf, mate, Priyank, this pack, everything.
“If it was nothing, then he wouldn’t be reacting this way at all, Priya. You know that, right? You can talk to me,” Maya sat beside Priya, wanting to console her but not knowing how.
“What can I say, Maya? I don’t know how to accept everything. My life, my present, my future-everything is at stake, and I’m not coping. It’s making me want to die. I don’t want to live anymore,” Priya opened her eyes and looked at Maya with so much pain.
“Don’t talk like this, Priya. It took me 18 years to find you. I left my own mate, my pack, everything, so I could find you. Humans fall in love, but you know mates are bonded by the Moon Goddess, and that’s way purer than any love can be. Everyone sacrificed something to find you. How can you even say this?” Maya gently grabbed Priya’s shoulder, trying to give her support.
Priya felt bad knowing she couldn’t blame anyone. It was her destiny, and she couldn’t fight it off. Or maybe she did want to fight it-that’s why she was trying so hard to be okay.
“We understand you can’t just accept this in a blink, but whether you want it or not, your destiny was written the day you were born. Now you have to slowly prepare yourself,” Maya stated. She wanted to talk to Jackson about who would take over the pack, but she didn’t have time. She had come here after a nurse told her that there were loud voices coming from Priya’s room.
She was scared about what Priyank might do with her-he was a dangerous man.
“What do you want me to do? I’m just weak. I don’t even have a wolf. People think I’m dumb. All I’ve ever known in my whole life is how to study. I don’t know what to do to make you understand,” Priya answered, her hands shaking, unsure how to make herself understood.
What was she supposed to do? They thought they had just told her, and suddenly she was supposed to be all, ‘Oh, I’m so powerful,’ which she wasn’t.
She was just a human. She couldn’t just do everything. She couldn’t even save herself from Priyank. Now this whole wolf thing was forcing her more into him, which made her feel worse.
Maya took a deep breath, trying to calm herself before responding. “Priya, you’re not weak. You’re strong in your own way. And having a wolf or not doesn’t define your worth. You’re intelligent, and you have the capacity to learn and adapt.”
Priya wiped her tears, feeling a glimmer of hope in Maya’s words. “But what do I do now? I feel trapped. I don’t want this life.”
“I know it’s overwhelming, but we’ll figure it out together,” Maya assured her. “Let’s start by talking things through. You don’t have to face this alone.”
Priya nodded, feeling a bit more reassured. “Okay.”
Maya smiled softly. “Good. We’ll take it step by step. First, we need to address your safety. I’m here to protect you, and we’ll make sure Priyank doesn’t harm you.”
Priya hesitated, her fear evident. “What if I can’t do this? What if I’m not strong enough?”
“You’re stronger than you think,” Maya said firmly. “And we won’t let anyone force you into something you don’t want. I promise.”
Priya nodded again, taking a shaky breath. “Thank you, Maya.”
Maya hugged her gently. “You’re welcome, Priya. You are like a daughter to me. You’re the last piece my sister left in this world. I cherish you more than I can cherish anyone. You mean as much to me as Rish and Levi.”
Priya hugged Maya more tightly, feeling close to someone she could truly trust. She had been angry at Maya before, but now, hearing everything, she knew she couldn’t be angry.
“Maya sacrificed a lot of things she can’t even count on, and she can’t even pull it out. Knowing it’s not Maya to blame, no one can be blamed. It’s life, and the choices are not always what we want.”
“Priya, you know, my sister never wanted to be the queen either,” Maya said, breaking the hug.
“Why?” Priya’s eyes sparkled as she wiped her tears away. She wanted to hear about her dead parents.
She wanted to feel close to them.
Maya took a moment, gathering her thoughts. “My sister, your mother, she loved freedom. She didn’t want the responsibilities that came with being queen. She wanted a simple life, to be with her family, to grow up in peace. But fate had other plans for her.”
Priya nodded, understanding her mother’s desires better now. “I wish I had known her.”
Maya smiled sadly. “She was a wonderful person, just like you, Priya.”
Priya’s heart swelled with emotion at Maya’s words. “You don’t even know me.”
Maya hugged her again. “Without knowing you, I do know one thing-you are the most innocent person I’ve ever known. Just like my sister. She was like a free spirit before she mated with your father. She tried to reject him so many times because he was the heir of the pack, which would make her his queen and give her responsibilities. But your father was persistent. She had to accept everything and led the pack to the best of her ability.”