What We Deserve

Chapter Four

(Echo's POV)

    I was back in my body, fully in control. This time, however, I was laying on a freezing cold slab of stone. My back ached like I had lifted a boulder and let it crush me, not to mention the feeling of jet lag multiplied a thousand times. 

    "Hey, stay still!" a voice said when I attempted to move, "Your body isn't ready for you to move yet."

    "H-how would you know?" I choked out. My mouth was a desert, not an inch of moisture. I was a mummy, a dry sandy mummy. 

    "Well, seeing how you aren't fighting me..." she laughed, "I'll go get Sky, she hasn't relaxed since she found you."

    "Wait, where am I?" the girl turned, eyebrows raised.

    "I think it'll be best if Sky gives you the introduction," she said, "Don't move, the stone's cooling you down. We had to do a LOT of burning to close your back."

    What did that mean? The girl closed the door behind her, why was she in such a rush to get this 'Sky?' Where was I? Was I dead? 

    A crash came from somewhere else, followed by frantic footsteps and a lot of yelling. 

    "I LEAVE FOR TWO MINUTES!" the voice roared, the owner obviously in a hurry to get back, "Get us some food, and dismiss everyone from this wing except the healers!"

    "Fine-"

    "GO!"

    My mouth twitched, was I smiling? Confusion flooded me, why did this voice seem so comforting? 

    The door creaked open about half as fast as it opened. The scent of cedar and citrus filled my nostrils, a girl with black hair and the palest blue eyes popping out from behind it. My wolf was alert, waking up just to see who was giving off such a scent. 

    "I'm Sky," she murmured, the absolute opposite of what I heard before, "I-Can I come in?" 

    "Yes!" I slammed my hand over my mouth, quickly showing my neck in submission. Something flickered in her eyes before she came in, keeping the door cracked. The small escape route was perfect, my wolf letting her guard down and my muscles relaxing the slightest amount. 

    "You can say whatever you want," Sky said, staring me in the eyes, "Please, if you need or want anything just tell me!"

    "W-who are you?" I stuttered, "Where am I? I thought the ravine would kill me?"

    "...Kind of?" she smirked. The small grin sent flutters through my spine, chasing away the cold and warming me from the inside. Which reminded me, I was lying completely prone in front of a stranger. 

    "You're in the Union Territories," continuing smoothly, she must've caught onto my nervousness and set her hand on my shoulder, "Where the Moon Goddess and Sun King worked together to create a resting place, a barrier between mortals and immortals." 

    "What?" I said, weary of her hand, "I thought the Sun King and Moon Goddess hated each other?" 

    "They do, but when it comes to power they have no choice but to accept their equality," there was a warmness to her hand, it felt like standing close to a heater, "When it comes to those who chose to abandon their lives, they're brought here, where they can live without the influence of a Moon Goddess's Sanctum or a Sun King's Chamber. 

    "So I am dead?" I asked, entranced by her eyes, "I really died?" 

    "Your body is dead, your spirit lives here with me and the NightFall pack," she replied, "Our souls are made to be with each other, you're my mate." 

    "That's not possible!" hurt flashed in her eyes, "I mean, I had a mate back...back when I was alive. He-" 

    "Did he do that to you? If he did I'll drag him here myself and watch his soul burn-" I reached out and took the hand on my shoulder, squeezing it. It wasn't like others' hands, these weren't balled into fists. Hers were firm, muscled? Could hands be buff? Either way, they were gentle and lean as well as strong. She was perfection. 

    "I...it wasn't my mate...he rejected me...can we not talk about it?" I begged her, praying silently that I wouldn't be hurt for speaking, "My entire family did this..." 

    "...This is your family now, our pack," she said, "All of us have been through a***e, hatred, hurt, you're not alone." 

    "I can't believe this," I looked at her, "Who are you?" 

    "I'm Sky, Alpha of Nightfall," my eyes widened, alpha? How could a female be an alpha? A male wolf was built stronger, couldn't another male wolf come along and take her title?

    As if sensing my confusion, her smirk returned, "Let's just say I've been challenged many times, and I've won. Also, you're my mate....and I think you're female so ONE of us has to be alpha." 

    "I-I guess that makes sense?" I smiled back, "So, what am I laying on?" 

    "The Moon Goddess and Sun King create many great things for us, your bed is something around icy obsidian, it's made with lava and water, but the water particles in the stone are frozen...it never warms up!" I stared at her.

    Impossible, nothing like that could exist! How was it possible? 

    "That's amazing," I chose to let it go, I didn't want to bother her with too many questions. Unfortunately, I had to ask one more. "When can I get up?"

    "Our bodies heal much faster than a regular wolf, almost twice as fast as the Moon Goddess's 'chosen' wolves actually, so in about a night you'll be free to walk around...you're missing large amounts of muscle mass but once you attend some training you'll get more muscular."

    I nodded, sleepiness threatening to put me back into unconsciousness. I felt Sky chuckle, her hand squeezing mine, sending pleasant tingles through me. It was enough to send me to sleep, finally at peace in my supposed mate's arms.