Maya’s eyes glistened with unshed tears as Jackson’s words hit home. He was right – in her haste and fear, she had been selfish and short-sighted. Her mate had needed her presence, her support just as much as the pack needed his healing abilities.
“You’re right, Jackson. I acted rashly without considering his feelings or giving him a choice in the matter,” she admitted thickly. “I robbed him of that choice when I should have included him, after everything we’d been through together.”
Regret weighed heavily on her shoulders, years of pent-up guilt bubbling to the surface. She had convinced herself she was protecting everyone by leaving, but in doing so, she had caused immeasurable pain.
‘I have to make this right, somehow,’ Maya said resolutely, steeling herself.
“Let me call him. Do you want to talk to him?” Jackson questioned, pulling out the phone.
Maya’s eyes widened in shock when he suddenly proposed this idea. “It will be better if you talk on a call because I know for sure Lucas might have informed him of your presence, and who knows what effect it might have, so before meeting, talk on a call,” Jackson’s eyes twitched as he suggested.
Maya fidgeted her fingers, feeling stressed over it. “Okay, call him.”
Jackson pulled out his phone and dialed the number, then handed the phone to Maya. “I’m going. You should talk to him alone.”
Before Maya could stop him, Jackson walked out.
The grip on the phone tightened as Maya’s heart raced a thousand times faster than it was beating.
Tring! Tring! Ring!
The phone rang in the silence, alarming her senses, as her palms became sweaty, and her knuckles turned white from how tightly she held the phone.
“Jackson,” Maya jolted back when she heard her mate’s voice, her head screaming with the possibility of how she wanted to end the call.
“It’s me, Elk,” she slowly muttered her husband’s name.
“Maya?”
Hearing her name from her mate’s, her husband’s mouth after 18 years, tears welled in her eyes.
There was a prolonged silence on the other end of the line. Maya could hear his shaky breaths, as if he was trying to process that this was really happening after all these years.
“Maya… is it really you?” His voice cracked with emotion.
“Yes, it’s me,” she replied, her own voice trembling. “I… I’m so sorry, Elk. For everything.”
The dam broke and Maya’s tears flowed freely down her cheeks. All the words she had rehearsed, all the explanations she had prepared, fled her mind. She was laying bare her soul to this man she had loved and left.
“Where are you? Why now after all this time?” Elk’s questions came rapidly.
Maya took a steadying breath. “I’m with Jackson. We’re… we’re in the house where my sister lived before…..” Her voice trailed off, unable to voice her deepest fear.
There was a pause, then Elk spoke with more composure. “You’re worried this is the end, aren’t you? That’s why you’re reaching out now.”
It wasn’t a question, more a sombre realisation. Maya couldn’t find the words to respond, her throat constricted by the weight of her regret.
“Maya, you made a choice back then, misguided as it was. But I’m still here. And… and I think we both have more to say to each other, face to face this time,” Elk said, an undercurrent of resolute determination in his tone.
Hope began to flutter in Maya’s chest. “You mean you’ll… you’ll see me?”
“Yes. I am coming. We can talk, really talk, and figure this out.” His words were tender, yet insistent. “It’s long overdue.”
Tears of a different kind slid down Maya’s cheeks as she whispered, “Thank you. Thank you, Elk. I’ll be waiting.”
Maya ended the call, her hands shaking slightly as she clutched the phone. A myriad of emotions swirled within her – relief, and a fragile yet profound sense of hope. After nearly two decades, she would finally come face-to-face with her mate again.
She wasn’t naive enough to think this reunion would be easy or that all would be forgiven with just a few words. But Elk’s willingness to meet, to try to understand, meant everything. It was a chance, perhaps her last chance, to make amends and find some semblance of peace after years of regret.
The sound of approaching footsteps made her look up. Jackson stood in the doorway, concern etched on his face as he studied her expression.
“You okay? How did it go?” he asked quietly.
Maya took a deep breath and slowly released it. “He’s coming… Elk is coming here… We’re going to talk, really talk through everything.”
Jackson’s eyes widened slightly, then he gave a slow nod of understanding. “That’s a huge step. Are you ready for that?”
“I have to be,” Maya replied, her voice strengthening with renewed determination. “I’ve run from this for far too long. It’s time I faced the consequences of my actions, no matter how painful.”
She met Jackson’s gaze directly. “Thank you… for giving me this push. I didn’t realise how much I needed it until now.”
Jackson shook his head. “You would have faced it eventually, when you were truly ready. I just helped move things along.”
Silence fell between them, laden with the weight of the impending reunion. So much hung in the balance – the truth, forgiveness, a chance at healing or total severance.
“No matter what happens,” Jackson said finally, “I’m here for you, Maya. We all are.”
His quiet loyalty was a balm on Maya’s turbulent emotions. She managed a small smile and a nod of gratitude, her heart steadying.
Whatever came next, she would not have to face it alone. And maybe, just maybe, she could find her way back from the unforgiving path she had walked for so long.
She knew from the start how wrong it was to choose things that might hurt her mate, but in the end, it’s done, and she can’t regret it for her whole life. Now, it’s like she can’t change it, even if she sheds tears or bleeds to death.
“Levi and Rish should know about this too, Maya. Their father is coming, so it’s better that they settle well. It will be hard for them too, more than you. It’s going to be difficult for them.”