Page 48

Harlow

Helheim Wastelands

H elheim was an endless sea of ice and snow. Tall, grotesque pillars of ice covered stone pierced the ground and gave the land shape. Snow and fire swirled around, erupting from long fissures sizzling through the icy landscape.

“Hello?” My wavering voice echoed in the night, even though I didn’t dare yell too loud.

I was terrified of what might answer that call.

My chest ached. It wasn’t a physical, surface-level pain, but one that I hadn’t been able to escape, even in death.

It was the empty echo of my bonds.

My mates were a void inside of me now.

Hiro. Roman. Drake. Kol. Monty.

I’d watched all of them die in front of my eyes. Now, not even a shred of our bond remained.

Even my hallucinations and shadows had abandoned me.

I was well, and truly, alone.

Desolate lands for a broken soul.

Fitting.

If Hel thought that I’d be able to survive without them then she was more insane than any of us ever were. I had no desire to be here, to do anything for her, not when she’d taken everything from me.

Starting with Monty and not stopping until all of their lives were taken.

As I fought a fresh wave of tears, I stumbled forward on a bed of ash and snow, each step cushioned but frigid. Somehow my naked body was safe from miniscule human things like hypothermia.

An unhinged giggle escaped. I might not have my shadows but I was no less crazy and fuck if that wasn’t reassuring.

I laughed loud enough it stole the air from lungs, quickly morphing into an earth-shattering grief I couldn't avoid any longer.

My knees slammed to the ground as the tears hit. Great, heaving sobs that cracked my chest wide open so my pain bled right out into the snow.

For the first time, a true icy cold permeated my flesh. It reminded me so much of Monty that I found myself swiping at the tears and glancing around, desperate to find him.

Shadows crept forward, two long tendrils that looked more like tentacles than anything. They cut through the snow leaving valleys behind, the movement serpentine and unnerving.

My heart slammed in my chest. I was relieved it was still beating at all.

All at once the two shadows stopped and pointed right at me. It was then I realized they were antennae, homing in on me.

An ear deafening roar echoed into the silence, drowning out the winds and the constant crackling of fire.

Run , my mind screamed at me and somehow that was enough to jolt me into action. I scrambled to my feet and ran in the opposite direction.

I couldn’t tell how long I ran but by the time I turned back, the frozen wasteland was silent again, no monsters in sight.

My steps slowed to a walk and I let out a breath of relief that I didn’t really feel.

I was on edge, alert, and terrified.

Was this what I was damned to? Wandering forever with the monsters of Helheim?

I should have had more time with my mates, real time, not the bullshit we had to endure. It was weeks on end of watching our backs and protecting the other patients.

Now they had no one to protect them.

Oh god, Layne and Crew were alone with the demons. Thank God she had Stravos and the other gargoyles to watch over her.

The wastes were starting to come alive the further I ran. Shadows stirred in the distance, the darkness reminiscent of the demons.

I swallowed hard, willing myself not to think of Monty.

Not yet.

Losing my mates had put a permanent ache in me that flared to life anytime I thought of them. If I wanted to survive and find them again, I had to fight my way forward through these endless wastes.

Fuck, I’d kill to breathe my alphas and beta in again.

A loud rumble cut through the icy winds and I glanced up, eyes widening as I took in the angry, black clouds rolling in. Vibrant blue and green lights flared to life behind the clouds, casting the snow in a strange effect.

It might have been pretty if lightning didn’t start striking the snow covered ground over and over again. There was no pattern that I could avoid, it was random and powerful.

Each crack of lightning was like a gunshot, echoing in the air and nearly sending me sprawling, the wave of power it left behind electrifying the air.

The once pristine ground was now covered in black, singed craters. It took me several more minutes of running and dodging the strikes to realize it wasn’t simple weather.

No. There were fucking demons and creatures forming in the craters. They moved slowly at first, as if they were newly formed, then began crawling out of the ashes. The stench of rotten sulfur filled the air, making each breath more difficult than the last.

If I were still human, I’d be dead by now. The running would have already killed me, if the loss of my mates didn’t first. Now, I had to worry about these giant creatures and demons.

I never thought I’d miss the silence of the wastes.

“Fuck,” I cursed as the ground shook again, pitching me forward. The shadows quickly formed a titan of a creature. His steps were slow and awkward at first as he found his bearings.

Then he saw me.

He tipped his head back and released a keening cry that had ice slithering down my spine. He was furry like a giant polar bear, but he had no real definition to his shape. He was all body and limbs with a wide, gaping maw on the front.

This couldn’t be real. Even my worst hallucinations weren’t this terrifying.

A loud hiss had the creature slowing, a scared squeak escaping it as a huge lizard started chasing it.

Right now, it only had sights on the fuzzy creature stalking me.

That was my sign to fucking leave.

I was running again, this time with renewed energy. If I let it catch me then I’d never know if my mates survived.

That was something I refused to let happen.

Why couldn’t I have woken up with some amazing powers? No, I instead had to be naked, alone, and terrified.

I should have tried to learn more about Helheim. Hel had me so focused on her evasive riddles, I didn’t have time to prepare myself for this cursed land.

Movement to my right had a scream rising in my throat. Until I saw the wild mane of red hair streaming behind a lithe man. He had a gleeful expression that didn’t fit the situation.

“Loki!” Relief would be an understatement. He didn’t speak as his kelly-green eyes sparkled with excitement.

He glanced behind us at the predators trying to make us their next meal. The stench was back meaning they were gaining on us.

As quickly as he had arrived, Loki was gone again.

It took several frantic seconds of running and slipping on ice to realize it had gone quiet and the air was clear again. A small squeak had me glancing back, stumbling to a stop as a tiny, fuzzy, bug sized creature and little serpent scurried away.

Now I was the giant in the equation and didn’t hesitate to squish them underfoot, the gross squelch sending a shiver through me.

I wasn’t going to take any chances.

With my luck, Loki likely made it temporary and they’d be back, twice their size, in seconds.

“Loki?! What the fuck?!” I screamed out in frustration, ranting until my throat was hoarse. “Why are you doing this? What the fuck did Hel gain by dropping me in here?!”

With the cold, thick air, it didn’t take long for me to start wheezing.

I’d gain no answers here and if I didn’t move he might not save me the next time.

Another long stretch of walking had me praying to whatever gods could hear me that there was a true destination ahead.

The sight of Loki had rekindled the hope that my men made it to Helheim. That was the true reason I could keep pushing, knowing they would likely be at the other end of this awful journey.

Helheim help them all if they weren’t.

A soft light shimmered in front of me, stretching wide and towering into the mist above. I couldn’t see the beginning or ending, nor did I want to touch it to find out if it was safe.

The shimmer only grew as I moved closer, stopping just in front of it and feeling the strange magic infusing the frigid air.

My only other option would be turning around, and there was no part of me that could fathom doing that walk all over again or spending another second in the misty wastes.

“You have to, Harlow,” I reasoned with myself. “Please let me into Helheim.”

With a bravery I didn’t truly feel, I reached forward and touched the barrier.

I half expected to be shocked or thrown to the ground and braced for the impact.

Instead, electricity tingled along my skin and slowly pulled me forward like a vortex, claiming me.

There wasn’t enough time to second-guess my decision as I was sucked into the barrier and spit out the other side. I sprawled on the ground where I landed, staring up into the sky above, chest heaving with agonizing breaths.

The mist was gone and the air warmed around me. Despite the ice that covered the ground, it felt like summer against my skin.

“Welcome to Helheim,” Loki called out. I leaned up enough to find the god sitting happily on the ground about ten feet away. He was holding up a tiny creature before flicking his finger and sending it flying over my head and into the wastes. The quiet squeaks died out the moment it hit the barrier.

This god was a psycho.

“Where are they, Loki?” I demanded. Maybe squaring up with an alpha, a god, wasn’t wise, but I had lost all of my composure out there in the snow.

He raised an eyebrow, but I would not apologize for my abrupt question. I needed to know they were alive.

“You just died and were transformed into a demigoddess and this is your first question? Maybe you will be a better ruler than my dear, elusive daughter,” he mused with a musical laugh.

More non-answers. Why was everything a fucking riddle when it came to these gods?

“Please,” I begged, my voice a hoarse, desperate whimper. “Tell me that you saved Roman and Hiro.”

“I did more than save them, Harlow,” he exclaimed. “Come and see.”

Then he was gone.

“Come and see? I have no idea where you are!” I screamed out, my voice breaking with a pitiful crack.

Loki’s favorite game seemed to be dropping in, confusing everyone around him, then leaving before the chaos could sink in.

With a sigh, I pushed to my feet and looked around.

What the hell?

This new area was nothing like the empty wastes I’d escaped from.

In fact, Helheim was beautiful here.

Everything sparkled with a mix of ice and blue flames. The sky above swirled with stars and galaxies, moving swiftly as if Helheim was flying through space and we were witnessing it from below.

Icy mountains jutted from the ground. It added to the rocky terrain.

A large castle loomed ahead. It was a shimmering silver that reflected the blue glow around us in a rainbow of iridescence.

For being the realm of the dead, it was gorgeous.

The city spread out but it was silent. My goal was to reach the castle, I didn’t give a fuck about the rest.

This might be the realm I reluctantly sacrificed myself to, yet it meant nothing to me now.

I would cast this world into the void if it would save my monsters and mates.

My chest ached with a fresh wave of pain and tears stung my eyes. There was no way I could do anything here without them.

Not because I was incapable, but because I was unwilling.

I’d felt alone and incomplete for far too long. When I found them, found Dark Haven, everything had changed.

All I wanted to do was be with my mates and not have to fight to keep our pack together.

Fuck, I had to keep moving. I couldn't give into my pain now. I’d come too far.

It felt strange to walk down sidewalks and pathways with no one around. There were no gargoyles, demons, or souls to be seen.

Helheim was empty.

Was this the result of Hel’s rebellions and betrayal?

I wound around the grounds to the front of the castle where two white doors loomed at the top of a steep, stone staircase.

Everything here seemed so pristine and perfect. There was no ash beyond the barrier, no creepy creatures.

Too clean and too empty.

How did anyone survive such sterile conditions? Perhaps that’s why she cracked. Everything about this place made me uneasy.

The doors swung open as I approached, two demons simultaneously pulled the doors open from the inside, then dropping to their knees as they held them for me.

I kept my head high, not giving thought to the fact I was naked and covered in ash and dirt.

My bare feet slapped against the marble flooring, echoing off the ridiculously high ceilings.

If I thought the world outside appeared desolate and pompous, it had nothing on this castle.

Everything was shined to perfection. Not a single decoration lined the walls or floors. The large room held a throne at the other end and that was it outside of pillars and a singular chandelier above.

It took minimalist to the extreme. As far as I knew, Hel was an omega goddess… this was about as unomegalike as you could get. It wasn’t cozy or comfortable, it was all shined, sharp edges.

“Welcome home, My Queen!” a woman yelled out. The omega’s voice was timid and delicate, the small wisp of a girl bowing so low her hair obscured any view of her face.

It was long and strawberry blonde, standing out against all the white and silver. She was barely five feet, if that, her long, black gown hitting the ground and obscuring her feet completely. It gave her movements the effect of floating.

Unless she was.

That thought startled me. I had no clue what Helheim was like and I was going to have to learn fast.

“Oh god, please don’t bow to me.” I laughed as I waved for her to stand. The sound was unhinged and hollow, a shell of my former self.

Even my voice was different now, ringing with a slight raspiness I didn’t recognize.

She stood up, eyes wide, and panicked as if she were afraid I’d lash out in frustration. Delicate hands wringing as she glanced anxiously from side to side.

“Jesus, did Hel beat you or something?”

Her already white face paled further. She shook her head violently now, but she couldn’t form words to lie to me.

Her scent bloomed in the air with her high emotions, a strange floral scent mixing with the tang of her nerves and bitterness of lies.

“Okay, breathe. Please. Who are you?” I directed the conversation to something more comfortable. My voice was as sweet as I could manage.

Plus, I was going to be as nice as I could and try to get some answers from her. At the current moment, she was unaffected by my nakedness. In fact, most of the time her pale eyes were cast at the floor.

“I am called Zetta, My Queen. I’m your servant.”

I studied the girl. She was unlike any of the creatures I’d seen from Helheim so far. She resembled a human more than a demon or a ghost. Her skin was nearly translucent and eyes the color of the iridescent ice I’d seen jutting from the grounds outside.

Zetta was pretty in a haunting way.

She seemed to study me just as much as I studied her and I couldn’t keep my curiosity at bay any longer. I just hoped she was willing to talk. I needed answers. Real ones.

“Are you a soul, a spirit, or something else altogether?”

Zetta giggled softly, the sound like music. “They said our new Queen was coming from a different world. Forgive me, it took me by surprise. I’m a wraith. We’re simply spirits who were brought in to serve our Queen, infused with her magic so we can meet her needs.”

“There are more of you?” I questioned, looking around me pointedly. There wasn’t a sound in this large castle outside of my erratic breathing and the girl’s voice. “It’s so quiet here. So were the streets.”

“Oh, yes, My Queen. We’ve always been told to be invisible,” she admitted with another curious gaze sent my way. It was as if she were waiting for me to change that.

She was right, too. Fuck that. It’s creepy as fuck in here.

“If I’m in charge, I’m going to need noise in this castle. This silence is horrible, so feel free to spread the word,” I admitted. “But, Zetta, I have an important question before we get to all that.”

“Anything, My Queen,” she said quickly, eager to impress me. Good, that meant I wouldn’t have to fish for answers. I’d done enough of that to last both of my lifetimes.

“Did Loki bring anyone here? Are there strangers in the castle? My—” I paused, unsure which terms to use that she’d understand their significance. “Mates? They’re supposed to be here in Helheim. I have to find them.”

My voice bordered on desperation, and I did nothing to hide it. Hel might have ruled with a strong hand and at some point, I’d likely have to as well.

For now, I had a feeling I would benefit from my humanity, and I was clinging to it with every fiber of my undead soul. I didn’t want to lose my connection to my old self more than I already had.

As she processed my words I wondered if she had mates of her own in her past life. Did the souls lose all memories when they came here? Another reminder I knew next to nothing of this realm.

“I’ll ask around,” she promised before scurrying off, leaving me alone again.

I stepped toward the throne, unsure what else to do with myself as I waited for answers.

A low, menacing growl had me freezing in place as a creature walked out from behind it.

It was definitely forged from the same fires that the demons were. He was the size of a German Shepherd with coarse, black fur and a face that was simply a dog’s skull with blue fire blazing beneath it.

He sniffed the air once then relaxed, as if he knew I wasn’t a threat.

“Hello, there,” I cooed as I crouched down on my knees. Something about him called to me in a protective way and I knew he wouldn’t hurt me. “Who are you?”

He walked closer with his head tilted down until he head-butted my outstretched hand. I ran my hands over his skull before scratching his mane that looked more like tiny shards of ice and bone than fur. Despite how thick and sharp it looked, he was surprisingly soft and warm.

“You’re a good boy, aren’t you?”

“Are you seriously talking to that thing like it’s a puppy?” Drake’s voice had me up and running at him full force before I even processed it. The impact knocked us to the ground.

Sobs broke free as I crushed him in a hug that had him shaking with emotion. The longer we clung to each other, the more settled I felt. I hadn’t realized just how wired I’d been until this moment.

“Harlow, I’m okay,” he promised. I couldn’t talk and he didn’t press me for anything as he held me tight, not even moving from the floor. “I’ve got you.”

“Hiro, Roman, Kol, Monty?” I choked out finally. The defeat on his face was answer enough before the words even left his lips.

“No sign of them.”