✓ | PRIMAL, jacob black ²

chapter forty

CHAPTER FORTY

"Ahu Mala," Aniya said slowly, her voice barely above a whisper as she tried to grasp the weight of the moment. The older woman, her eyes filled with wisdom and years of experience, clasped her hands and looked at Aniya with a soft, knowing expression.

"Yes, that is me," Ahu Mala replied with a gentle nod. "It's nice, finally, being able to hear my name again."

Aniya shifted uncomfortably at the mention of the name, knowing how, over the years, she had only been referred to as "The Third Wife." It was a title she had come to accept, but hearing her real name again struck something deep within her.

"It's okay," Ahu Mala continued, her voice soothing, as if understanding Aniya's inner conflict. "It was my choice. It was the only way for the young ones to grow. If they knew my name, I feared they wouldn't be able to grow stronger."

"Just by a name?" Aniya tilted her head in confusion, questioning how something as simple as a name could affect the growth of others.

Ahu Mala nodded, her gaze unwavering. "Yes, names have power. You see, they can either bind or free us. They carry weight and meaning, and sometimes, it's better for others to grow without knowing the full truth." She reached out and gently clasped Aniya's hand, her fingers warm against her own. "I was scared for a moment, Aniya Majorie," she said softly. "If that boy hadn't gotten through, you would have been lost forever."

"Jacob?" Aniya whispered, her breath catching as the woman before she nodded solemnly.

"Yes," Ahu Mala answered, her voice steady. "It seems your bond with Jacob Black has finally connected. But unless you make the right choice, that bond may not last. It's fragile, and only you can decide if it will stay."

"Bond?" Aniya echoed, trying to understand the magnitude of what Ahu Mala was saying.

"You know about the bonds your friends share, don't you?" Ahu Mala asked gently, her eyes searching Aniya's face for understanding. "The soulmates you all talk about?"

"Yeah," Aniya answered, the weight of the word settling in her chest. She had heard the term used before, but now it felt different—heavier.

"Well, that's what we call 'imprinting,'" Ahu Mala explained, her tone almost wistful. "But that's not what I need to explain. What you and Jacob share... is stronger."

"How is it stronger?" Aniya asked, her voice thick with uncertainty. "He and I aren't even friends." The words were like a knife in her chest, sharp and painful.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" Ahu Mala's voice was soft, understanding. Aniya exhaled, the pain in her chest now more tangible than ever.

"That's because you both care for each other," Ahu Mala continued, her voice gentle but firm. "Despite the feud between you, no matter how much you try to deny it, the bond between you two is undeniable. Nothing can destroy what has already existed. You may not want to accept it, but it's already too late. You both yearn for each other."

Aniya's breath caught in her throat. "I'm not sure about that," she said, her voice shaky. But Ahu Mala's knowing laugh echoed through the space between them.

"That dream you had," Ahu Mala said softly, her gaze softening as if recalling something distant. "It was a glimpse into the desires buried deep within both of you. It's what you both truly want."

"A world without the supernatural?" Aniya asked, confusion still clouding her mind.

Ahu Mala sighed, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "No, Aniya. A world where you and Jacob are together. Maybe the dream with the Cullens was a vision of what could be—what you both might want. But the truth I speak of, what I'm trying to show you, is something else entirely. That vision was born from your deepest desires, and through Jacob, it made its way into your subconscious mind. You opened up to him, and he walked through the door you created."

The weight of Ahu Mala's words sank in slowly, the gravity of them pressing against Aniya's chest. She could feel the arms of Jacob around her in that dream, the warmth of his presence, the safety she had felt. It wasn't just a fantasy—it was something both of them secretly desired. The realization hit her like a tidal wave.

Ahu Mala's words rang clear in her mind, and Aniya couldn't deny them, even if she wanted to. She had always been afraid of facing the truth, afraid of acknowledging the connection she shared with Jacob. But now, standing in front of Ahu Mala, she couldn't turn away from the undeniable truth anymore.

The realization hit Aniya with the force of a tidal wave, a truth that had been buried deep within her, a truth she had refused to acknowledge for so long. She had felt it, the connection between them, the pull that she couldn't escape, but she had kept it at arm's length, fearing the consequences of giving in to it.

Jacob Black was more than just the boy she had been friends with. He was something deeper, something she had never fully understood until now. Their bond, their connection, was not just a friendship or a passing attraction. It was something primal, something that neither of them could ignore or deny. And though she had tried to, she couldn't fight the truth any longer.

She had spent so much time convincing herself that she was fine on her own, that she didn't need anyone, least of all Jacob. But now, with the clarity that came from Ahu Mala's words, Aniya saw the truth for what it was.

She and Jacob were tied together in a way that went beyond the superficial. It was in the very fabric of their being, the kind of connection that was impossible to break, no matter how hard they tried. The dream, the bond, it was all a reflection of what they both secretly desired—a world where they could be together, free of the complications that had kept them apart for so long.

Jacob was her other half, the one person who understood her in a way that no one else could. And she, too, understood him in ways that no one else ever would. It was always there, lurking beneath the surface, waiting for the moment when they would finally recognize it.

But as much as she wanted to embrace this truth, Aniya knew that it wasn't going to be easy. The world they lived in, the complications of their lives, the expectations placed upon them—all of it made things difficult. And yet, in this moment, she realized that none of that mattered.

What mattered was that she and Jacob were meant to be, and there was no turning back from that.

With a soft sigh, Aniya allowed herself to feel the weight of her feelings, to embrace the bond that had been there all along. She had spent so long running from it, but now, standing here in the presence of Ahu Mala, she was finally ready to face it head-on.

It was time to stop pretending. She was ready to be with Jacob, to finally acknowledge the connection they shared, and to step into the future that had been waiting for them both.

And, deep down, she knew that Jacob had been waiting for her too.