Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Arden

“Give up your life with ease, or I'll do it the painful way," I stood tall before the once pure wolf, now turned rogue.

He used to be a member of my realm—the pure wolves’ spiritual realm.

“Pl…please, pleas—”

A scoff slid out of my lips. “Then why did you leave when you'd have to beg for your life to be spared?”

It was part of the unthinkable things these people of my kind often did.

"Please, spare him!” A woman threw herself before me.

From the aura and energy she exuded, she was from the dark side of the spiritual realm—the part that belonged to werewolf-vampire hybrids and rogues.

His lover.

“You escaped the realm for love?"

Son of a wolf!

Another disgust-fueled scoff sneaked up my throat.

Abandoning the realm was a sin, a grave one. But, he should have at least, sinned for a tangible reason!

“You died in the physical realm once already, and you're dying in the spiritual realm again after 400 years of living," I pushed the staff in my hand closer to his throat and muttered. "What a waste of life!"

I had to use this damn staff, every time.

My spiritual powers were long gone, and this staff was the only thing that differentiated me from others, as the Soul Reaper of the realm.

After a few seconds of listening to the crappy wife, I had to do my job.

There was no mercy when it came to my job. I pushed the staff once, and it pierced through his throat with force.

I turned to leave, allowing him dissipate into dust. Mission successful.

When it came to reaping souls, I was the most active soldier of the realm—the working hand of the soul reaping elders.

Eght hundred and seventy seven years, yet no one still managed to equal.

My staff vibrated in my hand for the third time.

I'd been ignoring the elders on purpose because their crazy summonings were already tiring enough and besides, I was busy reaping souls like they fucking wanted!

So what else did they want??

“Where are you, Arden?" Kayden, a junior reaper’s voice crawled into my head as he mindlinked with me.

"What's the problem?” I kept walking, striding along the busy road.

It was different here… people were crazy in love held hands, some rode on their bicycles, some drove luxurious cars.

These were the things you'd never see above in the spiritual realm.

Everyone was always busy carrying out one mission or the other… and the fated mates were always so private about their affairs.

“Elder Remur and the others have tried summoning you.” He said with a hint of worry etched in his voice.

"Ohhh…so?" My lips thinned.

“I think it's urgent, and you have to be here. As soon as possible" When his tone sharpened, I almost reminded him who he was speaking with.

I was older and of course, ranked higher than almost all other wolves up there.

"If they wanted urgency, then they could have said it.” I blocked him out of my head.

Freaking shit! If I still had my powers, I wouldn't have gone through the long process of wielding power from my staff so I could ascend there.

In less than a minute, I ascended back into the realm.

I wouldn't lie. A jumble of disappointment crawled through my veins as I walked in through the large gates.

It was boring here— pure yet boring. I’d have preferred the physical realm, if not for my rank as a Soul Reaper and those crazy feelings of the physical wolves.

They could feel all sorts of emotions—Love, most especially, and in my opinion, it was just a wretched emotion.

A stupid emotion that'd mess with your brain and make your judgments biased, preferring the one you loved over all others.

It was so fucked up!

Here, it was easy to turn it off and life was better that way.

I walked into the chamber of the elders, my staff firmly glued to my hand.

“Arden!" Mother Aiyana, the one thousand-year-old Mothering Elder, called my name.

She'd nurtured me, when I was a new wolf in here.

She'd nurtured me along with some of my old folks who no longer existed because they abused the chance or trespassed.

"Why didn't you come?” Elder Remur raised his voice, eyes stern as if he was scolding me.

"I was busy carrying out missions like you all want. Take it easy with me” My eyes rolled slightly.

"You've grown too many wings that you now talk back at us, right?” Elder Potter scolded while the room calmed.

While others knew when to be calm, he knew nothing.

I said nothing else, waiting for their bluff to end. Eventually, it did and their gazes softened one after the other.

Usually, they'd scold me for a long time and repeat all the stories of how they raised me for over eight hundred years.

"Arden,” Elder Remur started. "For how long have your powers been frozen?” He asked.

Now this was serious. My throat tightened. It was strange, no one had asked this in a while.

“Twenty-five years, Remur."

I bit on my jaw in anticipation of his next question. None of them said a word and I guessed they were mindlinking—talking into each other's heads.

“There’s finally a way to unfreeze your powers, Arden"

My breath hitched.

They smiled with their eyes and the purity in their hearts.

“Are you serious?" I needed to confirm they weren't playing pranks on me. I needed to be sure it wasn't a joke. .

"It's a mission. Just one mission will unlock your powers, Arden”

Whose soul did I need to reap again? I'd do it without hesitation. I'd do it at the drop of a hat.

"Whose soul do I need to reap? How many is the target to unlock it?"

Instead of a response, the warmth drained from their faces.

"There's a girl. Somewhere in one of the physical wolf packs. She's unmated, and suffering a cruel fate.” He paused like that was all I needed to know.

"Do I need to—” I was going to ask if I needed to reap her soul, but it clocked inside of me that she was a physical wolf—we weren't meant to interfere with their affairs.

"She's your mission.” He said with a certain firmness in his tone.

I chortled, curiosity gliding under my skin. "What?”

"You're given just one mission, Arden. After it is successful, your powers will return” Mother Aiyana said as she clasped her hands above her waistline.

"What is this mission?” My brows drew closer above my bridge.

The room thickened with silence for a moment.

Then, three of them answered in unison. " Love her.”

A laugh of mockery and disbelief tore out of my chest.

“Arden!" Elder Remur shouted my name. That was a warning.

“What do you mean by ‘love’?" I snorted in disbelief.

“If loving was the mission, what happened to the wolves here?"

“Yes, Arden. You have to do it." Elder Aiyana defended calmly.

Why was everything such a disaster? What was the moon god ever thinking?

Me? Love?

No. Maybe it was a mistake.

"You have to love her. This may come as a shock, but she doesn't know her wolf yet.”Elder Potter came in.

“Are you listening to yourself sugarcoat it? She's even wolfless!" I spat my words directly before them.

“She's not!" One of the men countered, but I was too furious to recall who'd said it.

He cleared his throat after a few minutes of silence.

"I am not doing this. I can't” I said at once.

"If you want your powers, you must do this. Remember this is the first chance the moon god is offering since you lost your powers.” Elder Aiyana sighed sharply. I knew she meant every word.

My chest clenched as I released a sharp breath, my heart racing against my ribcage.

“You should know I won't do it—”

"Arden! Whatever happened in the past must stay in the past. This is your future and you have to determine it!” Remur yelled with a note of caution.

"But you know it won't work out. I can't, I'm sorry.” I held my staff, gathering enough power and I werewolf-sped out of there.

Remur’s words echoed in my head, blowing louder than any sound ever could.