Chapter 42 - Time To Think

>>Maya

I watched Ruda place his things on the table and move around the room.

“You want something to eat?” He asked.

“No” I said while I sat on his bed. He paused as he looked at me, then turned his head towards the cabinets.

“I’m guessing you ate everything in there.” He was so unamused that I couldn’t help but grin. He sighed and took out some notes from his bag, “We have an assignment due next week.”

I took the notes but kept my eyes on him while he pretended to ignore my gaze.

“Don’t you have anything to tell me?” I asked.

“I don’t think so.” He didn’t even look at me as he took his seat on his study chair, “Do you want to hear something?”

I bit my lower lip in frustration. Knowing Ruda he’ll never tell me anything unless I say it myself! He’s doing this to piss me off! This brat!

“You went to visit your brother today. Anything happened?”

“Hmmm?” He rested his palm under his chin, “No, nothing happened.” He smirked at me and I lost it .I picked up the pillow on his bed and threw it at him. He laughed as he blocked it.

“Tell me what happened!”

“I’m telling you nothing happened!” He grinned, “We just had some nice brotherly bonding.” He seemed very satisfied and I didn’t like that. So I picked up the other pillow on the bed and stood up.

“You know what I’m asking but you keep avoiding it.” I approached him, “You asked for this!” I smacked him with the pillow again and again.

“Hey!” He tried defending himself while he picked up the other pillow, “This means war!” He smacked me back and this buffoon forgot how strong he was and his hit sent me flying back to the bed.

“Ruda!!!!” I screamed as I hit the bed, part of my head hit the wall.

“Sorry!!!” He came running to me, “I’m so sorry!!” He rubbed the back of my head, “Are you okay.”

“I wanna stab you.”

“Okay here.” He fished out a knife from his pocket and handed it to me. I took the knife and stabbed his gut.

“What the fuck!” I took the knife out, “It’s fake.”

“Wow. I’m hurt!” He backed off, “You’d actually stab me?”

“You deserve to die.” I said in a grim tone.

“...” He made a funny face at me and I slapped his arm as I laughed.

I took a deep breath after I was done and sat down on his bed against the wall with my knees next to my chest, “But seriously Ruda, “I looked at him, “How is he?”

“If you’re so worried. Why did you leave?” He picked up the pillows, “You even sent me there.”

“I just want some time to think.” I sighed, “I don’t think I’d be able to think rationally if I stay with him.”

He sighed and thought about it, then walked to the bed.

“I promised you didn’t I?” He came and sat down next to me, “That I’d tell you everything once Yohan tells you his part.” I nodded, “Well,” He breathed deeply, “I guess it’s time for a long explanation.”

He gulped, then took a deep breath then told me all about his world, Yohan’s case, his mother, little bit what he knew about Quincy and magic and how our worlds are only a bit different. About how werewolves don’t interact with the magic realm since none of them live there.

How mates work and how it’s a very powerful bond, much like destiny.

***

“Was he hurt because I left him?” I asked him

“Any wolf would be if they’re mate did that. Werewolves mate for life, so don’t worry about ever losing him. It may not seem that strong to you since you’re human but for wolves it’s an unbreakable bond. So strong, that if a wolf is rejected, it can leave them heart broken for life.”

“That strong?”

“Yep.”

“What if the mate dies?”

“Well, losing someone like that is painful but wolves can cope with that as long as they loved each other. Rejection is what hurts us the most.”

“Must be rough since you can’t love again.”

“Yea…” He sighed, “So now you know how it is. Are you still confused?”

“There are some other factors that I can’t come to terms with.”

“Is it about seeing my mom there on ‘that’ day?” I flinched at his question, then looked down in grief.

“Yea.”

“Even though she’s my mother. You came to me because you trusted me right? Yohan isn’t even related to her.”

“...” He was right. I left without thinking much but then I realized I had no idea where to go. In the end all I could think of was Ruda, who was also a wolf but he was my friend too and had done nothing to ever harm me, after knowing about the situation he still treats me the same but still, I needed time for Yohan because with him is a lifetime commitment. I sighed. But if I think about it, he’s been so caring and sweet towards me. He cared about the small things and made time out of his busy schedule for me. It would have been perfect if he wasn’t a wolf.

“Maya.” Ruda called, “You can’t hate the whole species because of what some people do right?” His words snapped at something in my mind and I looked at him, “Maybe you’re thinking differently at it since the incident involved wolves, but what if they were normal humans?” There was a new sensation opening in my mind, “Would you hate the whole human race for that?” My heart skipped a beat at his words.

He was right.

I can’t hate them all for that.

I looked down in shame as I realized how stupidly I was thinking.

“I’m sorry…” But I wonder if that can be applied to family? I just hope I’m actually wrong about what I saw that day. I said I saw it clearly but maybe I was wrong, maybe it was someone else. Maybe, it was just a passerby...

“He’s waiting for you.” Ruda said, “Patiently, because he doesn’t want to force you, Because he’s putting you above himself.”

“...” Yohan’s such a sweet person.

“Think about it yourself. Did he ever make you feel bad or forced anywhere?”

“No…”

“You’re ‘that’ precious to him.”

I’m that precious to him…

I smiled as a warm feeling bubbled inside me.

For a moment there was silence when suddenly Ruda remembered something.

“There is one thing though. Winter is coming, We’re close to November.” He suddenly talked about the season

“Yea…”

He looked at me with a bit of a worried face, “There’s one problem I think you should know.”

“What?” I looked at him confused and as he looked back at me he had trouble saying it, “What is it? Say it.”

“It’s mating season…”

I looked at him with a bewildered expression, “Okay….?”

He pouted his lips as he began to think, “...” It felt like there was something more he had to tell me.

“So?”

He took a deep breath and decided to say it in one go, “You know werewolves are -um-like-animals too…”I blinked at him several times in confusion but he continued, “Any werewolf over the age of 24 goes through rut and heat too. The females have heat cycles and the males go through rut! I mean, the unmated ones do. If you’re mated it works differently but if you’re unmated over the age of 24 you get these mating cycles to cope up with the absence of mate and wolves spend that time with a sex partner.” He gulped, “It’s important to do that…” He looked away.

I wondered why he was telling me that all of the sudden, “You’re twenty one right?” I asked as I tilted my face slightly.

“But Yohan’s 26 and unmated.”

“....” His words suddenly made sense.

“....”

“....”

“.....”