Page 178 of Caged Between the Beta & Alpha
Light & Clarity
Liam
Bright light. That was all I could see. I couldn’t hear or feel anything…
I opened my eyes and looked around. There was nothing but light. It was dazzling, yet it didn’t hurt the eyes. I was no longer in pain… I sat up slowly.
Where am I?
“You are nowhere, just in-between life and death,” a majestic voice answered. It was strong and beautiful, but it didn’t sound human.
A soft laugh filled the air, and I realised something was forming in front of me. A glowing outline of a tall woman with long hair… I had to look away. Looking at her directly made my eyes sting due to the intensity of the light. I didn’t need her to introduce herself to know who she was. I lowered my head to her, not sure how to feel.
“Goddess…”
“Indeed, my child.” I could tell from her voice that she was smiling. “I am proud of you; you sacrificed your life for your brother.” I frowned, everything returning to me.
“I don’t think he sees me as a brother anymore… I lost that right long ago,” I said quietly.
She held her glowing hand out, her flowing white dress swaying in a non-existent breeze. I took it hesitantly, feeling a cooling smoothness wash over me.
“It is in your blood to want your mate for yourself. You are still brothers. You are one pack, one family,”she said as I stood up, letting go of her hand.
That’s true, we are…
“To err is part of life. You broke the centuries-old curse, child; one I knew you could.” Surprise rushed through me, and although I couldn’t hear it, my heart was thumping in my chest.
“The curse is broken?”
“You gave the gift of life, selflessly sacrificing your own for someone else, someone who has caused you great inner conflict. You cast aside your bitterness and fought this darkness…” I stayed silent, remembering the curse and prophecy. She laughed softly.
“The curse… ah… Helios is not one to forget the insult. His curse was strong. I knew I would need someone powerful to break it. I have waited centuries for the right wolf to be born. I have created many strong, powerful alphas of the Deimos line, yet none as compassionate as you. Alphas are powerful, strong, and have the will to lead. It is their soulmates who are usually the more compassionate, loving ones. I couldn’t simply evade the curse. When Helios foresaw your birth and the power that you would have, he came to me… I couldn’t simply bend the rules to break the curse. We, gods, have rules and regulations, too, after all. Yours and the blessed wolf’s births weakened the curse, but I had to seal away your abilities. In their place, he placed the darkness within you, the ultimate test to either break the curse or end the Deimos line for eternity. The burden was upon you before you even left your mother’s womb.”
I pondered on her words, taking them in slowly, and frowned slightly.
“Abilities?” I asked, trying to make sense of what she had said completely.
“Yes, you are the Deimos Prince.”
“Aren’t all Deimos alphas princes, since we come from the Deimos line, like Dad or Grandad?” I asked as we walked side by side with no destination in mind.
“Not at all. I placed within you the powers second only to the original Deimos wolf. You are far more pure-blooded than your predecessors, hence a Deimos prince. Far more powerful.”
“Yet…”
“Speak your mind, child,” she said, although I knew she knew what I was thinking.
“Raven… her having two mates… what was the reason behind it?” I asked quietly, unable to hide the sadness. I always felt that I wasn’t enough.
“Oh, child, never think you are not enough.”
“Then why?”
“To test you. I couldn’t simply allow you to have a life of ease if I wished for you to break the curse. There were several outcomes that could have taken place, and even I did not know how it would go. I cannot foresee everything, after all, just the possible outcomes. When I made you, I created for you a mate whom I knew would be far too gentle to want to hurt either. It needed to be from you,” she sighed, despite her voice sounding as light and powerful as ever. “You have broken the curse, yet you are neither alive nor dead.” I knew that…
“However, your mate marked you.”
I looked at her sharply, only to flinch due to the blinding light, and looked away, touching my neck. My heart thudded at the realisation.
