The Alpha’s not-so Human Mate

26. Payment accepted

It was all a haze...

I found myself moving along a path; a path filled with sharp, pointy stones that brought pain to my bare-feet as I walked on them. Thorns pierced the soles of my feet, but I could not bleed. And no matter how much pain I felt, I could never stop moving. It was as though I had been programmed to keep going no matter what.

It took me a while to realize that I was not alone on this path. I was walking in a straight line with the souls of other people who had died. They remained stoic, without thoughts or emotion... their former lives, long forgotten.

The sky above us was a dull, reddish-blue color. The trees along the path were bigger than a normal-sized tree. Time seemed different in a place like this, very different.

At the end of the road, we arrived at a station, waiting for our means of transportation out of this world. Everywhere was silent, not one noise was heard. No one knew the other, even if they might have known each other back in the land of the living.

Our vehicle arrived right on time, but it was nothing like I had seen before. It was a flying ship, spherical, similar to a flying saucer. It landed in front of us, and we went inside one by one. Everything was orderly, no one argued with the other. It was as though there was a set order of things that was already engraved in each of us.

The ride was a haze, but we all knew when we landed. I found myself standing outside the ship, then it just disappeared, leaving us in a desolate, eerie landscape. A place called The Waiting Place. I did not know about this prior, but things just revealed themselves to me automatically. The world behind was slowly becoming a distant memory.

It felt like we were in the waiting place for an eternity; the time counted differently. Thousands of miles ahead was a bridge under heavy construction. On the other side of the bridge was a big beautiful city on a hill, the most beautiful city in the universe. Sadly, I was not given knowledge about the city or bridge. But I could sense that Hades was not there.

Suddenly, we found ourselves at a river bank. The air was thick with a strong scent of decay. A hooded figure emerged in a boat amid the misty fog above the river. It was a small boat, but it was big enough to fit in as many souls as it wanted. The rider of the boat was heavily covered from head to toe, and his face was also covered, except for two hollow spaces that served as his eyes.

Everyone started getting on the boat, one by one. There was an order by which things were done and no one had the power to break that order. I was at the back of the line, waiting for my turn.

When it got to my turn, I could not move...

“Who are you?” A mysterious voice lingered around me.

It was at that time that I gained a bit of willpower to respond. “I am Esnie, Luna of the Fangs pack.”

The voice flowed in and out of my ears. “Werewolf?”

“No, Seer.”

A loud noise thundered around me and the hooded figure seemed to become annoyed. It fumed at its work being disorganized and shoved me back aggressively. I fell to the ground and had to watch him leave with the other souls.

When I got up, I was in a different landscape. This time, it was a narrow road, well marbled and sophisticated. On either side of the road were two brick walls. I walked for what felt like hours, guided by flickering torches that seemed to lead me deeper into the Underworld.

Finally, I arrived at a large red gate. The doors opened, and I walked into a large hall. Everything was golden from the walls to the throne in the center of the room. The floors blazed with a combination of black, white, and yellow. Underneath the floors were trapped faces of tortured souls.

“Selene sends me a peace offering, it would seem.” A masculine voice thundered throughout the room. It carried a hint of cunningness and interest.

I turned around and he came into view. A man adorned with so much jewelry, so shiny it almost blinded my eyes. His robe was an off-white color. His hair had a few braids in them, the braids were adorned with golden ornaments. And complimenting his attire was a gold crown. He was full of pride and gratification; with the way he walked and talked, and the enormous value he placed on his appearance. It all reeked of arrogance. And I know this sounds weird, but he was not what I expected, at all.

He scanned me with his piercing gaze, and a smile graced his lips: “You are sent here by Hezekaiah.”.

“Um, no, I was sent here by Alpha Kaiah.” I corrected.

The smile left his face. “I know who sent you. You may know him as Alpha Kaiah, but to the spirit world and to me, his name is Hezekaiah.”

“I apologize.”

He waved his hand. “It is fine, it is not every day something interesting happens here.” He sat on the throne-like chair. His eyes blazing as they scrutinized me.

I put my hands together and put forth my request. “I am here to ask for his health.”

A scowl appeared on Hades’s face, distorting his beautiful features. “Is that so? ... Very well, I shall consider his debt renewed.”

“Renewed?”

His scowl turned into a smile. “Indeed, my little one. I was not pleased with all his other offerings, but you...you make a perfect sacrifice.” His eyes sparkled with hunger.

I swallowed hard, trying to find my voice. “But I am only here for Jace.”

The gold around his neck began to glow. “The soul that Selene stole from me?”

I stayed silent, not sure of what to say.

He raised an eyebrow. "Go on.”

I took a deep breath. “I am not here to repay a debt, I am here to ask for Ka...Hezekaiah’s health to be well. My mate is stuck in his body, and he is dying.”

The room echoed with his laughter, which sounded like the rumble of the underworld depths.

“So, ‘Love’ is why you are here. All because of your ‘Mate’ ... Selene has you all believing in that nonsense.”

I said nothing. What answer could I give to such a question?

He continued. “You are a fool if you think I have compassion for such idiocy. I have no business with Hezekaiah’s body, his soul is what I have been vowed. At the end of everything, your quest will be in vain. For if Hezekaiah’s body dies, then your Jace will die with it. And if I reject Hezekaiah’s sacrifice, then his soul will return to me forever. Either way, I see no future for your Jace, except an eternity in the depths.”

I fell to the floor in tears. “Please...”

“Silence!!!” The underworld trembled at his anger. “I do not care about your love story. I only care about the debt that I am owed. Hezekaiah promised me that he would give me a Seer in exchange for his soul, a woman after Selene’s own heart... and here you stand.” He leaned forward, his eyes glinting with mischief. "And I consider his payment accepted."

“No...” my voice was suddenly snatched from me, and my words dissipated into thin air like smoke. A gust of wind came out of nowhere and hauled me out of the hall, throwing me into a dark sea underneath the castle.

I stared wide-eyed as the soles of Hades’s shoes landed on my face. That was when it dawned on me that I too had become one of the faces trapped under the floor of his throne room. Unmovable and imprisoned with all my fears.