Chapter Twenty Seven - Lost - Damian's POV

She laughs. 'So you can reject someone." How she came to that conclusion baffles me. I just explained how it works and that rejecting it means death, yet she finds it funny. She must really think she can defy fate. 'I think you misunderstood everything," I whisper. 'No, I didn't. You said we might die," she says, her voice growing louder. 'It's not for certain." My jaw clenches. 'I corrected myself and said we will die. How in the world have you come to this conclusion? Do you wish to find an early grave?" She shakes her head in disbelief as she crosses her arms over her chest. 'You might, but I won't. I'm human." I reach out before she can move away, gripping her shoulders firmly in my grasp as I try to make her understand. Her skin radiates warmth through her t-shirt beneath my touch. 'You will die, Maya. You are fated to be with me, which means if I die so do you. Get that through your head before you say or do something stupid." Tears well in her eyes, shimmering with a mixture of anger and fear as she meets my gaze. For a moment, it seems like I have gotten through to her, but then she shakes her head again more fiercely this time. 'No, it can't be true." 'You go through more emotions than I have ever seen anyone go through. Do you know that?" I ask, feeling a little defeated. 'I'm trying to be honest with you and now you don't take me seriously. Do I need to shift back to my wolf's form and show you again? Does fear make you understand?" 'You aren't choosing this for me," she admits coldly as her entire body stiffens beneath my grasp. 'And you think I chose this?" I counter. 'You think I want to be tied to someone who won't even look at me without fear or anger? Someone who thinks this is all a joke?" She flinches at my words and though it makes me feel guilty, I know it's important that she understands. 'Fate doesn't care what we want. The prophecy doesn't care about what we want. It doesn't ask us. It just expects us to follow it or die. And now you have one simple choice to make." She glances down at my chest, her arms tightening around herself as she begins pulling herself away from me. 'No, it's not that simple." 'Either you are going to choose me and we will fight this together or we're going to die, Maya. Your choice," I admit dryly. Her brows furrow as she processes my words. 'Prophecy? What about a prophecy?" 'What?" I ask, feigning innocence. 'You mentioned a prophecy." She takes a step back and almost falls on the bed. 'You've mentioned it twice now." I hesitate. That was a slip of words that I hadn't meant to make. 'It's nothing," I say quickly. 'Just a figure of speech." She doesn't look convinced, but doesn't say anything else about it. For several long seconds, there is only silence between us before she finally turns away from me. 'I think you need to go." 'Tomorrow, you're going to meet the pack. I think it's time since you already know." She whirls on her heels to face me. 'But I haven't chosen anything." 'Maya," I whisper, my tone softer now. 'Are you really going to choose to die?" She blinks a few times in disbelief, as if my words have caught her completely off guard. I wait for a solid minute as silence stretches between us once more. Could she really decide that? I thought she'd want to live. 'It's okay to be overwhelmed, but my secret is out. You know about wolf shifters, which is the hardest part of all this. Tomorrow, you will meet the pack and begin learning our ways." Maya shakes her head, not willing to accept what I've said. I watch as her hands ball into fists. 'No." 'It's this or death." 'You will find a way for me to go home. This isn't happening and I'm not becoming your mate," she says, raising her hand to point her finger between the two of us. 'I won't do this." I almost want to laugh at her little defiant display. 'As I've said a few minutes ago. You go through a lot of emotions in a short span of time. Tomorrow will be brighter and you'll probably feel different once you have thought everything over. So, please take this time to think things through. I will let you rest now." Turning, I walk toward the busted door and pause when I get closer. A ragged sigh escapes me as I realize someone will have to come fix it and it may be better if I moved her room. I glance back over my shoulder to check on her. She is still standing in the same spot I left her, unmoving, as if she's afraid to even take a breath. I turn around and step through the doorway. Without turning around, I figure I better warn her. 'Someone will be here to move you to another room." I hear her start to fight back against my demand, but there is no point. I'm already down the hallway, heading straight for my room. My room is only a few doors down, so I reach it quickly. I throw open the door and get inside before anyone can see me, but it's too late. Simon is waiting for me and sitting on one of the chairs near the fireplace. 'So, you are naked." 'Yes, and what is your point?" 'Did something happen?" He asks as his gaze roams over me. 'No, nothing happened," I say in one quick breath. 'Not what you are thinking." He nods and looks up at my face as a mischievous grin spreads across his face. 'Then what happened? I know something did."