Zara’s POV
“Kaya, help me!” Sucking down water, I let out a scream. “I don’t want to die like this!”
When my heat hit, Kaya had already curled up into a ball, so I was all by myself to endure the agony.
“Mate, he is close by. He will save us!” In an effort to raise her head, she moaned. She seemed to be experiencing intense pain as well.
It was difficult for me to stay afloat, and I was barely able to kick the water.
Oh, Goddess, I am about to drown!
Why the f*ck did I run off?
How could I be so stupid?
A panicked cry escaped my lips as another excruciating electric jolt coursed through my body, rendering it numb.
The icy, transparent water rushed into my lungs, stinging as it went down my throat and into my lungs.
The icy, crystalline water seemed to beckon me, as if it had bound my legs by plunging into the unknown.
Darkness was engulfing my thoughts, and I was progressively drifting off to sleep.
I lost my grip and gulped down more water while I sank deeper and deeper into the bottom.
Despite my struggle and tension, I observed the tiny bubbles rising back to the surface as my last breath left my mouth.
“Oh, Nic, I am so sorry!” Realizing I had lost the war, I sobbed quietly within. “This area was beckoning me to come explore, and I should never have abandoned you.”
I was shocked by the abrupt ripple in the water, which caused me to lean toward the waterfall. I was already sinking as the wave of water pounded down on me.
At this point, the heat was so intense that it felt like molten silver was coursing through my veins, scalding my entire body and gradually weakening me.
I could not move.
I could not breathe.
I was in excruciating agony, and my vision was beginning to fade.
“Just release me from this suffering!” I internally cried. “I am at breaking point. I am not up to the challenge. It is too painful!”
As I lost consciousness, a hazy gray form surged past me and threw me to the side.
****
“Zara, open your eyes, darling,” a delightful woman’s voice echoed in my ears.
I dismissed the woman’s voice, convinced that my mind was deceiving me.
“Come on, Zara!” Kaya chirped, her voice brimming with vitality and energy. “Open your eyes. Yes, I am aware that you are awake and can hear us.”
I let out a low moan, and my hand shot to the side of my head in response. My heart was racing wildly, as if a bus had run me over.
“Careful now,” the woman warned. “Don’t restrain yourself. There is no rush. Take some time.”
“Where am I?” I asked, my voice raspy and dry.
Am I in heaven?
“That’s it,” the woman said, ignoring my question. “Take it easy.”
“Am I dead?” I asked, hoping someone would respond, and I let out another sound of pain.
For what reason was the pain in my skull so excruciating?
“Nope, not yet,” Kaya chirped and chuckled, finding my questions amusing. “You are alive and well. Mate’s rescue from the depths came just in time.
“And Nic?” I stuttered anxiously. “Is he okay?”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Kaya responded, her smirking clearly audible to me. “Nic is perfectly fine. Ray too. At this moment, there is no need for you to worry. The amount of heat that made it into the bond was minimal. The frigid water slowed it down.
“The water?” I inquired, my voice filled with sheer disbelief.
“Yeah,” Kaya answered. “I’ll explain later. I want you to open your eyes right now. I have someone very precious to me that I’d like to introduce you to.”
Powerful hands forcefully yanked me to my knees, startling me and dragging one eye open.
With her nose barely touching mine, Kaya stood before me.
That confirms it. I must have passed away and found myself in the realm of wolves.
“What’s going on?” As I asked, my gaze shifted to the woman standing next to Kaya.
“Neither,” the woman said.
“Huh?” I let out a gasp, taken aback, and the woman grinned.
“There is no heaven or death for you,” she proclaimed. Her voice was so kind and gentle, it eased all my anxieties and left me feeling relaxed and at peace.
“Meet Mother Moon in person,” Kaya chirped proudly.
She looked like the same she-wolf in Beta John’s memories. In an attempt to detect the woman’s scent, I cautiously lifted my nose into the air. I was curious to know if her scent would be identical.
I gasped, my mouth hanging open.
Kaya arched an eyebrow and looked down at me angrily, while Mother Moon couldn’t help but burst into laughter at my antics.
“And? Could you recognize my scent?” she asked.
I felt humiliated by the revelation. I tried not to draw attention to myself.
I nodded.
“And?” She asked, her smile growing. “What do I smell like to you?”
“Do I really have to answer?” As my cheeks flushed, I mumbled under my breath.
“Yes!” Kaya snapped. “If you do not respond to Mother Moon, you will be disrespectful!”
“Alright,” I whispered, lowering my shoulders in a defeated expression. “You smell like a full moon on a hot summer’s night.”
While she patiently waited for me to finish, the goddess arched an eyebrow and a smile trembled on her lips.
“And,” I whispered under my breath, feeling ashamed, “you smell like home.”
“I am surprised that you can describe it so in detail,” she pointed out. “You were just a baby the last time I held you.”
I looked at her startled.
“Yes,” she stated, smiling. “You heard me right.”
As I shifted my body to stand up, I noticed a large male approaching and extending his hand.
I hesitate. He looked so intimidating.
“Oh, don’t mind Maximo,” she remarked. “He will not harm you. He is just one of my guards.”
I carefully gave my hand to him, and he swiftly pulled me to my legs.
I thanked him and dusted myself off.
“Why did you bring me here?” I asked.
The next thing the goddess said made me nervous about what was to come.
****