Chapter 10 : Journey to the Underworld

Xavier

—Flashback Underworld—

The wind from the portal between the world of the living and the world of the dead was strong and icy, trying to steal the warmth from those whose hearts still pumped the blood of life. Xavier Westwood stood in a clearing far from any civilization or city, keeping a watchful eye in case the call of death was too strong for those who were weak to succumb to the seduction of death and fall into the black abyss forever.

"Brother Xavier, are you going back to Raine?" pleaded an adorable 10-year-old child.

"Shut up, Raine, and don't bother Alpha Xavier with such nonsense!" shouted Jacob in a shrill voice. Jacob was Xavier's loyal servant, while she, despite being Xavier's younger sister by another mother, was dearly loved by Xavier.

Of course, she ignored her brother's annoying servant, preferring to stare at her brother with all her heart. She loved her brother and wondered if he would return to her. The dark abyss in front of her brother made her feel cold. He had saved her life and given her a sense of security she had never felt before. She wanted to believe that her brother would always come back to her, even if it meant traveling through hell and back again.

He continued to stare at his little sister, feeling a warmth in his chest as he saw how little Raine had grown in the ten years they had spent together. He knew that one day she would grow into a woman and need a new protector, a mate. Mixed feelings filled his chest as he imagined her growing up and eventually leaving him, first for another man, then for death. Raine, his beloved baby sister.

Raine shivered, her hands rubbing her skinny arms as if she felt cold. She knew the portal would definitely affect her, both physically and mentally. She was too strong to follow the false calls of the dead, but that didn't mean her heart wouldn't flutter if she stayed too long near the gate to the underworld. It was as if she would never let that happen.

His protective instincts kicked in when he saw her vulnerability, and he immediately approached her and gave her a loving hug. "Calm down, Raine. I won't let anything hurt you," he whispered softly, his voice filled with love and determination.

She clung to her brother's embrace, comfortable in his presence. "I believe in you, Brother Xavier," she said firmly. "But I can't help but feel that there is something dark and dangerous on the other side."

"Raine," he said, looking into her brown eyes with his golden ones.

"Yes?" she asked, looking at her brother expectantly. She could easily get a crick in her neck if she kept looking at him, being so close to his feet, but she didn't care.

"Stay here until I get back," he replied before turning to look at Jacob. "Keep her safe or you will be punished if anything happens to her," he told the servant.

"Y-yes, Alpha!" Jacob stammered with much bowing and groveling.

"Hn," was all he said in thanks. With one last look at his sister, he turned to face the portal and walked into the dark void, letting it close behind him, knowing that his holy relic sword could create another portal.

The last words he heard were his sister's soft voice. "Take care of yourself, big brother!"

On the other side, it was dark and gloomy, cold and dreary. He remembered how his arm had fallen into this abyss when he fought with his younger half-brother over the family's inherited weapon of unparalleled power. At that time, Xavier did not attempt to retrieve his arm, believing that the time had not yet come. Honor demanded that he live with his failure a little longer, until the time came when he truly needed it. That time was now.

As he walked, he felt his sacred relic sword pointing him in the direction of his missing limb. Without the help of his sword, finding his severed arm would be even more difficult, as he could not smell the location of his arm. Time seemed to have no meaning here. It could only be minutes or hours as he walked the path of death.

His body was unaffected by the cold that emanated from this place. He was an honorable and strong Alpha. Then he saw a light above him. It was only a speck, but with his superior vision he recognized its presence. He couldn't feel anything from the light. There was no danger. There was no evil. He kept walking, not changing his pace, content with the time he had to reach his destination.

As he approached, he could see a tall, small hill all around him, bathed in the light he had first seen. The small path was surrounded by an impenetrable black sea of light. He stopped far from the edge of the black pool, his eyes fixed on the bodies lying on the ground near the edge of the lake.

They were human bodies.

He began to walk purposefully toward the bodies and the water, for he could clearly see his destination. On the hill, illuminated by the light and surrounded by the barrier, was his arm. The arm looked alive. Not withered or skeletal as if it had just been severed from his body.

In this place of death, his arm was the only living thing, and as the corpses slowly rose to face him, it was obvious that the dead longed for the life that still flowed through his limb.

However, from his experience with these creatures in the past, he remembered that they were dead and would continue to come to him no matter what injuries they suffered. Only his sword relic could prevent them from resurrecting.

Drawing the relic sword, he ran to the water's edge, dodging and slashing his sword to reach his goal. He had neither the time nor the inclination to kill the thousands of corpses swarming around him.

This monster was in his way, and he wanted to eliminate it. Hundreds of arms and legs protruded from this creature, while hundreds of mouths opened in silent screams as it turned to face the one who dared to take its treasure.

The creature lunged at him, who dodged as it continued to try to knock the dog demon into the icy waters of its lair.

"Heaven and hell, you will not stop me!" he shouted, his voice heard over the screams of the monstrous creatures.

He slashed at the creature again and again, cutting off limbs and body parts left and right, but the corpses on land rushed into the water to fuse their bodies with the creature. Each of his attacks was a violent thrust of desperation and determination, knowing that each of these creatures was part of the punishment that threatened the entire world.

In a tense atmosphere, he summoned the full power of his sword relic. With a single stroke, hundreds of souls were purified, removing every trace of life from these monstrous creatures. But they did not give up easily. The creatures came back with a barrage of attacks.

He stood his ground, fending off attack after attack with unwavering determination. He knew he was the only hope of defeating this creature and securing his stolen arm.

Finally, the barrier could not withstand the power of the pure light of his relic sword. With one stroke of his sword, the barrier shattered into pieces, allowing him to continue his journey up the hill.

Sheathing his sword, he grabbed his arm and touched it to the cut on his left arm. Nothing happened at first, but then the skin magically fused quickly, and within seconds his left arm was part of him again as he experimentally clenched his claws in front of his eyes. He filled his claws with poison and watched with satisfaction as the sharp edges turned a deep blood red. Relieved to have regained a lost part of himself, he allowed a small smile to grace his lips as his arm returned.

—Back to present—

"Then I left the underworld and returned to the world of the living," he finished his story with her full attention.

"Wow, that monster sounds really scary," she said, then beamed at him. "But I'm glad you got your arm back."

That smile caught and held his gaze. At first glance, she had such soft lips and perfect white teeth. He couldn't help but wonder what she would taste like.

He stopped when he realized where his thoughts were going. He looked away from her, deciding that there had been enough talking between them, and picked up speed as they jumped high across the night sky.

They were going so fast that she was surprised and a little scared. The wind hit her so hard she could barely breathe and it stung her face and eyes. She buried her face in his broad, muscular chest to protect herself from the strong wind.

She had no idea why he had left without warning. She remembered being trapped and caught in his gaze, unable to look away. She felt ashamed, not understanding what she felt for the Alpha Westwood. She tried to keep her mind on safer topics.

At least she finally knew why he let her stay in this crazy competition for a mate. How or why else would she have heard the whisper of his voice in the first place, but she doubted that he knew either. He just wanted to test her strength and see how far she had come. It seemed that he did not consider her a possible mate, she thought with a smile at the silly thought that was carried away by the wind. Little did she know that this was far from the truth.

Still, behind her gentle smile, he felt her uncertainty and doubt about the feelings that continued to grow in his heart. Every moment he spent with her brought him closer and closer to her. But as an Alpha, he had to be careful with his feelings. There was no room for weakness in his position.

He still did not understand how a hybrid like her, as strong as she was, could make him choose her and draw her to him when he was looking for someone to mate with. He intended to find out the answer later, of course.

Then she thought and tried to shout over the wind, hoping he would hear her and answer.

"Where are we going?" she shouted in a shrill voice.

For a minute, all she could hear was the roar of the wind. Then she felt him lean over her, his warm breath tickling her ear. Her breath caught at the intimate contact. She wasn't sure, but she felt him caress her temple and she trembled in response, though whether it was fear or not was anyone's guess.

"To Pack's house," he replied softly.

The answer surprised her. They were going to the Pack's house? But why, did that mean she was going to live with Alpha Westwood?