Chapter 23 #2
The All-Seer comes to stand beside me. “In every life, you will find each other. I will make it so your souls remember each other, know each other. But you won’t recall your lives unless you absolutely need to.
The world will try to keep you apart, but you must remain resolute. You must stay together.”
“When are we doing this?” I ask.
The All-Seer looks at the three of us. “We can do it now. There’s no reason to delay.”
The goddess pulls her hand free and steps towards the All-Seer, throwing her cloak back, revealing a gown that is white and shimmers in the dappled light.
“This is it?”
The All-Seer frowns, looking confused. “These are your scent matches. There are no others.”
“But—” She cuts off and looks away. “Can I have some time? I need to leave a message for someone important to me.”
“There is no time.”
“Then let me go to them; they will understand.”
“I’m sorry, my dear, but there’s no time.”
The goddess looks so bereft that I want to argue and help her, but the All-Seer holds up her hand, stalling the words I was going to offer.
“If they find out I’m sending the three of you, they will not allow it. They will forbid their going. Better to ask forgiveness than permission.”
“But there’s someone waiting for me,” she says softly, and again, I’m struck into ridiculous silence by the delicate, husky tone of her voice. A tinge of envy pools low in my gut. She has someone else already? He has her heart; I can see that clearly, but he’s not a match.
“They will understand in due time. I am sorry for it, but this moment is the moment. It’s all together or just you.”
She almost chooses to go alone, I can see it, but the alpha steps in front of her and cups her cheek.
The softness in his expression goes against an eon of whispers I’ve heard on the winds about him.
He’s ruthless and fierce, his temper unrivaled, blowing one way then another. His level of destruction is legendary.
“You don’t know me yet, but I have loved you forever. If you need to do this, we will find a way. I won’t let them separate us. We can fight and take them all on.”
For a moment, there’s hope, wild hope, and I see her smile. I stagger, mesmerised. I will die for this omega, over and over and over, just to see her smile, just to see her happy.
“You will die.” The All-Seer drops those three words into the air like a lightning strike. Echoing my inner promise. “If she is sent, and you fight, you and he,” she points to me, “will be executed. You will never achieve what you need to achieve, and it will all be for naught.”
A single tear runs down the goddess’ face. “So, I have no choice?”
“You have choices, but this is the only one that gets you to where things don’t end in disaster.”
She nods. “Is there any way you can find him?”
“What’s his name?”
The omega pauses, lifting her beautiful face, so elegant in her grief. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?” The All-Seer asks.
“I don’t know him, he doesn’t know me, but he felt like mine.”
“These are your scent matches, the only ones you have. This alpha is not one of them. I’m sorry.”
I want to lash out at the seer, but I don’t. Instead, I turn to the omega and hold out my hand.
“I am the Alpha God of the Hunt.”
She takes my hand, and her touch seals the deal and erases any thoughts of hesitation I might have had. Not that there were many.
“I’m sorry.” And I mean it more than I’ve ever meant anything. I would give this omega her moon and all my silver-coated forests.
She nods and reaches for the other alpha’s hand.
“I will not see you two die. Let’s do this, then, we three against the world.”
The All-Seer waves a hand, and a black void appears.
“All you have to do is step through. You won’t even remember what you lost. I am afraid that your lives will be fraught with pain and suffering, but I can tell you, I can promise you, that you will always have each other.”
“Just like that?” the alpha asks. “We just walk through, and we’re no longer gods.”
“Just like that. You walk through, and your souls will be put into an endless rotation of reincarnation, summoned when things get to their worst. You will become the hope that will save both worlds, bringing gods and humans together.”
The alpha huffs a laugh. “No pressure, then. Oh, well, let’s get this over and done before I decide to get weepy.”
He turns and kisses the omega. One soft touch to her cheek. Her eyes go wide as she stares up at him. He draws back slowly, smiling that small, secretive smile.
“I’ll see you on the other side, Omega.” He puts his palms together and bows slightly, then turns and walks into the dark void.
She watches him go.
“The Alpha God of Fire is no more,” the All-Seer says mournfully. Her voice echoes, and I find that I want to cry.
“I don’t regret anything,” I murmur to her. “A chance of a life with you, even a human life, is worth the sacrifice.”
I lean down and touch my lips to the other cheek. Her skin is so soft, and her scent is something I know I won’t forget in any lifetime.
I pause, looking at the All-Seer. “Thank you.”
She inclines her head. “We, the council and gods, thank you for your sacrifice, Alpha of the Hunt.”
It’s a new life, a new adventure, but the promise of that reward is too strong to pass up.
I step through confidently and fall into the blackness, screaming as my godhood and powers are stripped from me.
In an eerie voice, I hear the All-Seer say, “The Alpha God of the Hunt is dead.”
And it feels like I am.