A Chance in Hell

LONDON

I collapsed to my knees, overwhelmed by an unfathomable pain that scrambled my thoughts and words. A roar tore through me as I gripped my head, attempting to ground myself but failing miserably.

"What have you done, Fuyu?" I gasped, choking on my own blood as it pooled in my mouth. Miller's voice echoed faintly in the background, but I was too far gone to make sense of it.

“It was the only way,” Fuyu whispered from a distant corner of my subconscious.

Another scream tore from my throat as I felt my bond with Fuyu being ripped away. He was a part of me, the other half of my soul, and Hayes was killing him, which meant he was killing me too. We couldn't survive without each other, not for long.

"When I die, Hayes dies with me.” Fuyu's voice sounded faint, his presence in my head slowly fading. At that point, I could no longer feel my physical body; I was consumed by the agony of losing my wolf and friend.

Fuyu wasn't just my wolf; he was my lifeline, my constant companion since childhood. Without him, I would be lost, an empty shell. Our bond was unbreakable, and if he died, I would die with him. It was a cruel fate, one I had never imagined facing.

"What do you mean?" I asked Fuyu, whose intense red eyes stared back at me. It was so unlike him; Fuyu had never allowed weak emotions like pain to slip through. But as I gazed into those eyes, I realised this might be the end for us.

"I tethered my life force to Hayes'," he breathed, his voice growing weaker. "We are kin, and thereby connected."

"I knew this day would come, London."

I felt the remnants of our bond fracturing until I felt nothing but emptiness inside my soul, and all the memories and connections I had with Fuyu disappeared. I was left floating in a void of loneliness, surrounded by nothing but darkness. If this was death, then it was horrible. Not that I didn't deserve it, considering everything and everyone I had wronged and treated horribly in my lifetime, especially my mate.

Perhaps both Fuyu and I deserved to be alone in the end, given that we pushed away anyone who tried to get too close. How foolish we had been, hating women without just cause; it was almost laughable now. But as I continued floating in nothingness, seemingly heading into oblivion for what felt like an eternity, I could only feel the weight of my wrongs, far outweighing any rights.

I may have prided myself on being the feared and powerful Alpha King, and everything I did was supposedly for the safety of my people, but I was wrong. I was cruel and unfeeling, and any trace of human sympathy in me was too far out of reach. I see it now: why the moon goddess paired Fuyu and me—we were meant to balance each other out, but I became more beast than man, mistakenly thinking it was the true definition of being Lycan.

How ironic that it took my death to knock me off my high horse! I almost scoffed. I was too much of a coward to recognise the gift of fatherhood I'd been blessed with, just because I was scared. I reluctantly pushed Blaire into Jax's awaiting arms, as though she meant nothing to me—how foolish. Even Nayeli recognised how precious she was, but I was too blinded by pride to ever accept that she meant more to me than an outlet to release my pent-up sexual frustrations.

It was better this way; I had destroyed everything, and she would no longer recognise me. There was no going back now. My only consolation was that Blaire wouldn't be alone, unlike me; she didn't deserve it, not after everything she had endured, most of which was my doing.

The soothing sound of rushing water enveloped my senses, bringing with it a calmness I wasn't aware I craved. The sound grew louder with each passing second. When I opened my eyes, I was greeted by a vast green meadow filled with wild purple flowers.

"Is this what hell looks like?" I mumbled softly, turning in circles to gawk at the scenery before me.

"No, my child," came a soft, feminine reply. I turned to see a woman with shining milky skin, dressed in a dazzling white gown that grazed her ankles, baring her arms. Her arms held black markings that were beautifully designed, trailing up her small, rounded face. Her large eyes were a mixture of all colours, and her lips were a ghostly red. Dark red hair cascaded down her shoulders, covering part of her breast that her almost transparent fabric bared.

Luna?

Just like our last encounter, she was graceful yet commanding as she slowly moved towards me. Her hands were gracefully held together, and her bare feet were planted on the floor as her white dress billowed softly in the wind. It was almost as if her feet hadn't touched the ground as she appeared before me. I couldn't hold her gaze, not when it felt like being sucked into a kaleidoscope of colours.

“This is hell,” she answered, and with a swift wave of her wrist, the once vast meadow shifted into ugly grey skies and barren rocky lands that stretched beyond where my eyes could see. Lifting my hand, black soot slowly drifted from the dark sky, landing softly in the palm of my hand.

Was I going to hell? Not that I didn't deserve it.

In the distance, I saw Lycans in tattered black robes dragging along chains of different sizes, slowly trudging through dry, cracked soil, barefooted.

“Come, London,” she called softly, and I snapped my attention back to her. With another swish of her wrist, we were standing by a rocky cliff, and below it were treacherous black seas that whipped against rocky shores. There, in the middle of it all, was a raised rock, about 25 feet above sea level, and chained to it was a ghostly pale figure.

Hayes.

Thick chains wrapped around his neck and hands, with both feet spread apart and bound by chains. I gritted my teeth as his guttural screams echoed when the lever of the chains began to pull and tighten, stretching his limbs for a full minute before stopping and starting over and over again.

“That is his punishment. To die a thousand deaths,” the goddess murmured, turning to look at me.

“He will be trapped here for an eternity, a curse of his own making,” she continued, but I could only stare emotionlessly at the vile creature that wrecked my world.

“I reckon this is where I belong,” I whispered, gritting my teeth. I had accepted my fate, whatever it may be, as the only way to atone for my sins. The corner of her eyes crinkled as she blinked, her gaze washing over my face as she tried to gauge my emotions.

“You do not belong here, child,” she replied.

"Why am I here then?" I asked, carefully tilting my head to watch the side of her face.

"You are here because I have decided to reward you for your selfless deed," she answered softly.

"My selfless deed?" I responded incredulously.

"Fuyu gave up his life and yours to save my children from Hayes," she explained. "There is no greater sacrifice." She smiled as I blinked at her in shock.

"Do you want to live?" she asked, her calm whisper reverberating in my ears.

Do I want to live? Her question swam rapidly in my head in an unending loop. I had nothing to live for except Blaire, who was frankly better off without me in her life. I had lost too much; there was too much to atone for—a sin only death could forgive. My resolve solidified as I raised my head to give her a reply.

"I have nothing to live for, so no.”

"Oh, but you do, London,” she said softly. "You have a duty to protect your people and your mate." I almost laughed at her reminder of the things I had taken for granted and lost.

"They do not deserve an Alpha King like me; they deserve a humane leader, something I could never be." I gritted my teeth as regret washed over me.

"And my mate? She is better off without me. She is better off with Jax. I know he will take good care of her and my children better than I will ever do."

The words were like acid on my tongue, and the thought nearly drove me to the brink of insanity. I couldn't believe I was jealous, even in the afterlife. No, that couldn't be.

"What if I take it all back, back to when it all began?" She echoed, and I stared at her, stunned by her words.

Take me back?

"Y-you can't," I stammered, trying to convince myself that she didn't have the power to do something like that.

"I can," she answered softly.

I paused for a moment as I thought carefully about everything that was happening. Was this all a dream? Was there a hidden catch in all this? Either way, I didn't care. I was being given a second chance to right my wrongs; I would be stupid not to take it.

"I accept. I want to live." My tone was rushed as I accepted her offer.

"Very well then," she replied, gliding away from me and then stopping a few metres ahead.

"This is your third and final chance. Use it well.

Wait what?

Before I could question her words, she waved, and I was immediately sucked into a bright light that almost blinded me.

******

I jolted awake, drenched in my own perspiration, and my heart was palpitating. Blinking several times, I rubbed my eyes to clear the haze of the horrible nightmare I had. It shook me to my core at how vivid it seemed, but at the same time, I couldn't recall most of it.

Pushing away the memory of the dream, I felt the weight of someone in my arms. When I gazed down slowly, I saw a woman—not just someone, my mate—as her sweet scent filled my nostrils. She was snoring softly, her raven locks splayed down the curve of her back. My fingers twitched with the need to caress her and hold her, never letting go. I raked my fingers through her hair softly, pulling her closer, if that were even possible.

Memories of the previous night flooded back into my head. I remembered being in a bar, drinking, before inhaling her scent the moment she stepped into the bar to order a drink of her own. Together, we rushed back to my place to have an unforgettable and wonderful night together.

I remembered how passionately she moaned my name and how she blushed, sending butterflies into my stomach. My sweet little Blaire—I didn't know her that much, but she was already my world. I would do anything for her; she just had to say the word.

She moaned softly in her sleep as I continued to caress her hair, slowly becoming transfixed by her beauty and innocent aura. When her eyes fluttered open and those golden eyes stared into mine, I knew I could never let her go again because she was mine to love and mine to protect.