“Jackson, we need to talk. Why didn’t you say anything about this whole situation? Not when you called her for help at the hospital, nor when we discussed going to her,” Maya spoke sternly as she entered the room with him after dealing with everything.
Jackson’s face crunched in disgust upon hearing Maya’s words, as if he had seen something weird. “Is that even important? She’s a witch; helping people is her job. Why should I care? You’re making it sound like a big deal, but it’s not.”
Seeing how nonchalantly Jackson was reacting, Maya was dumbfounded. “That’s not what I mean, Jackson. You know exactly what I’m trying to say here.”
“I don’t know exactly, and you can stop talking in puzzles. It’s totally fine if you talk normally.”
“Okay then,” Maya groaned. “She’s your second chance mate. Why are you so casual about it? And at the same time, you don’t seem normal.”
“Did you skip the part where she mentioned how she rejected me, and on my part, I accepted it? Besides, it’s been 18 years. Why would I let a pest affect me? I do look normal, though. It’s your eyes that are perceiving things differently,” Jackson answered.
He knows this is new information for Maya to process, but for him, it’s pretty normal, and he can understand. When you experience something like that, it affects you deeply.
He still remembers when he lost his one and only wife, his mate, and how much he was in love with her. For at least a year or two, he didn’t even feel any mate bond with Lima.
He was in so much grief and mourning over everything while handling his responsibilities, as he was not retired at that time.
He was the Beta, and the King and Queen were also dead, so he had to be responsible for many things.
Then, when he felt the pull, he was shocked that the Moon Goddess first took his mate away and then handed him over to a second chance mate, who is a witch.
At that point, he wasn’t thinking of rejecting her, and he was surprised that Lima didn’t even once talk or say anything about it.
He thought maybe because she understood his pain and tried not to put pressure on him by telling him this.
But it was very different when he tried to talk with her. She upfront rejected him, without hearing him or trying to communicate.
Of course, he hated witches, but that didn’t mean he was hating her. At the same time, he wasn’t thinking of accepting her, either. Still, her rejection was beyond that.
If Maya had asked these things at that time, he might have felt something, but now, after so many years, he doesn’t feel icked seeing her, but not something too much either. It’s quite under control.
The only thing he has for her now is ignorance. He wanted to ignore her like a plague.
“Jackson, listen to me carefully,” Maya said, her voice firm but gentle. “I understand this is a complicated situation, and I can see how it might be difficult for you to process. But the fact remains that Lima is your second chance mate, whether you choose to accept her or not. Ignoring her existence won’t make things better.”
“She rejected first, and I don’t even wanted to accept her as my mate for sure.”
She paused, letting her words sink in. “I’m not trying to pressure you into anything, but I do think you owe it to yourself to at least try to understand what this means. You’ve been through so much pain and loss, and the Moon Goddess has given you an opportunity for happiness again.”
Jackson remained silent, his brows furrowed as he contemplated Maya’s words.
“I know you have your reasons for disliking witches,” Maya continued, “but Lima is different. She’s your mate, Jackson. That has to mean something, doesn’t it?”
A heavy sigh escaped Jackson’s lips. “It’s not that simple, Maya. You don’t understand what it was like when my first mate died. The grief, the anguish it nearly destroyed me. And then, just when I was starting to piece myself back together, the Moon Goddess threw this at me. How am I supposed to trust in that after everything?”
Maya reached out, placing her hand on his arm. “I can’t pretend to know what you’ve been through, but I do know that holding onto pain and resentment won’t heal those wounds. Maybe Lima is the balm your soul needs, even if you can’t see it right now.”
Jackson shook his head, his expression weary. “I don’t know, Maya. I just don’t know.”
“Promise me you’ll at least think about it,” Maya implored. “Don’t shut yourself off from this chance before you’ve even given it a fair consideration.”
With a reluctant nod, Jackson agreed. “Alright. I’ll think about it.”
Maya smiled, squeezing his arm reassuringly. “That’s all I ask.”
“But it’s too late, don’t you think? It’s been so many years, and now you want me to consider this?” Jackson let out a bitter laugh.
“I wasn’t here for those 18 years, that’s why it took so long. Otherwise, I would have given you the same suggestion before trust the process, trust the Moon Goddess. She may throw us into situations we don’t want in the moment, but ultimately, they are for our benefit.” Maya sighed. “And why do you hate witches so much? I’ve never asked you this before.”
Jackson’s expression turned pissed. “Because my mother was one, and she cheated on my dad. So, somehow, I have this resentment towards witches, thinking they don’t take the mate bond seriously. And seeing Lima, I can tell she doesn’t care either.”
He still remembered the pain he felt when the rejection happened out of the blue. But Lima stood still, without a care, as if it didn’t affect her at all. Perhaps witches had a different concept of mates than wolves, but seeing her so casual about it replayed the hurt he saw in his father’s eyes when his mother cheated on him, again and again.
It was as if his past had become intertwined with his present, and he harboured resentment towards it. Perhaps, if given the chance, he wanted to be the first one to reject her, rather than have her do it to him again.