“You didn’t just break my trust, you broke me whole, Maya. What are you expecting from me now? To forgive you? To forget this? Really, you think it’s easy to do so?” Elk’s eyes flared up, his wolf on edge.
“I know I was wrong. I know you can’t forgive or forget, but the reason was clear. I couldn’t take you with me because the pack needed you as a healer. I couldn’t be selfish enough to take you away,” Maya said as tears started falling. She gripped the edge of the sofa, trying not to break down completely.
The hatred she saw in Elk’s eyes was something she couldn’t unsee. Maybe she could hear him not forgiving her, because it was justified, but him looking at her like this was something she couldn’t take at all.
“Maya, have you ever thought about considering my feelings on this? How could you make a decision for me? Don’t you think you should have asked me? I understand your leaving, but not telling me and leaving me behind is something I don’t understand at all,” Elk said, his jaw tightening. He looked like he wanted to tear everything apart.
His wolf was on edge, ready to take over and crush it all.
“I’m sorry… please,” Maya begged, not knowing what more she could do.
It was exactly what she didn’t want to face his hatred, his wolf pinning her down without touching her. She could feel his wolf’s presence, and it was clearly dominating her.
His wolf didn’t even have to do much. His presence alone was enough to dominate her due to how they had mated and she was marked.
“I don’t want your apology, Maya. This will not help in any way. You can apologise all you want, but necessarily, it’s not something I have to accept.”
Maya felt a pit forming in her stomach as Elk’s words cut through her. She had never seen him this enraged before. His wolf’s dominance was suffocating her, making it hard for her to breathe.
“I… I didn’t mean to hurt you,” she choked out between sobs.”I just want to Protect you and everyone.”
Elk let out a mirthless laugh. “Protecting me? By lying and abandoning me? You made me feel worthless, like my opinion didn’t matter to you at all.”
His fists clenched at his sides, and Maya could see his nails digging into his palms, drawing blood. She flinched, scared that his wolf would fully emerge and attack her.
“Elk, please…” she begged again. “I’m so sorry. I never wanted this. I love you.”
For a moment, his face softened the tiniest bit at her words. Then his expression hardened once more into a mask of rage and hurt.
“Love shouldn’t be based on deception,” he spat. “I need… I need some space. To think.”
He turned and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Maya was left alone, crumpled on the sofa as heart-wrenching sobs wracked her body. She had no idea if Elk would ever be able to forgive her betrayal.
The deafening silence after Elk’s departure felt like a crushing weight on Maya’s shoulders. She sat motionless on the sofa, her mind racing as she replayed their confrontation over and over.
Had she ruined everything? The hurt and anger in Elk’s eyes haunted her. She had never seen him so unravelled before. Their connection as mates was deep and primal, which made his rage all the more devastating.
Maya startled as a loud crash came from another room – no doubt Elk venting his fury. She squeezed her eyes shut, tears still streaming down her face. What could she possibly do to make this right?
Drawing a shaky breath, Maya steeled herself and stood up. She had to try, no matter how badly Elk’s words had stung. Losing him wasn’t an option. He was her entire world.
With leaden steps, Maya made her way down the hallway towards the source of the commotion. Elk’s wolf energy crackled like a storm in the air. She hesitated outside the doorway, bracing herself.
“Elk?” she called out tremulously. “Please… we need to talk about this. I can’t lose you.”
More crashing sounds answered her. Maya clenched her fists, gathering her courage, and pushed open the door.
The room was in shambles, furniture overturned and belongings strewn about. In the centre stood Elk, chest heaving, eyes blazing yellow. For a moment, Maya’s instincts screamed at her to flee from the feral dominance rolling off him in waves.
“Get out,” he snarled, baring elongated fangs.
Maya stood her ground, though her body trembled. “No. I made a horrible mistake, but don’t do this.”
The tense situation was disrupted as Jackson, Levi, Rish, Priyank, and Priya came running toward the sounds of crashing, alerted by the commotion.
They took in the scene before them with shock – Elk standing amidst the destruction of the room, furniture overturned and belongings strewn about as if a tornado had torn through. Maya was frozen in the doorway, trembling but defiant.
“What the hell are you doing, Elk?” Jackson demanded, stepping forward cautiously.
Elk’s blazing yellow eyes snapped toward the newcomers, his lips curled back in a feral snarl. The waves of rage and hurt pouring off him made the others instinctively want to retreat.
“Calm down, please,” Maya begged Elk again, relief coursing through her that at least he hadn’t left the house entirely, even if he was venting his fury by destroying their belongings.
Priyank and Levi exchanged a worried glance. Priya moved to Maya’s side, placing a supportive hand on her arm.
Rish cautiously stepped forward. “Easy, dad,” he said in a low, soothing tone, keeping his posture non-threatening. “Whatever happens, we can work through this. But you need to get control of your wolf before someone gets hurt.”
The gravelled words seemed to reach Elk through the haze of his anger. His body gave a violent shudder, and he squeezed his eyes shut, visibly struggling to leash his inner beast.
“Rish is right, Elk. You can’t do this; it’s going to harm you too. Please calm your wolf. Even your daughter is scared, and Rish, your son, is frightened. Are you really going to let this happen? Think twice, Elk. It’s been 18 years since you last saw your kids. This is not the image you want to leave them with.”