Her Alpha Mates - Chapter 100: Chapter 100

MYRA
Goosebumps erupted over my skin as I heard the moon goddess's eerie laughter. It sent a shiver down my spine and struck me with terror. I remembered the night in the woods when I summoned her and presented her with a long list of qualities I sought in a mate.
"Myra, my child. I'm so glad to see you again," she said behind me. Her voice was low, almost a whisper. It always gave me the chills. It sounded too perfect, too otherworldly, too eerie.
"Where am I?" I asked her. "Is this the afterlife? Did I die? If yes, then I want to see Mateo... please!" I started pleading without wasting a second. I was willing to do anything to get him back.
At my words, the moon goddess only laughed. Her voice did not hint at mercy or compassion; it was as if my pleas were funny to her.
"This is a punishment, right? I know it is. You took my arm, and now you took one of my mates," I cried.
"I didn't take enough," She remarked, and that gripped my heart.
"No... please, not Hunter, too. What sort of punishment is this?" I asked her, feeling a surfeit of emotions wash through me: anger, sorrow, resentment, regret, and self-loathing.
"When I granted you the wish, you promised me to accept whatever I had in store for you. I don't see you upholding that promise," She stated calmly. Her voice was smooth and silky, but there was a darkness to it that intensified my terror.
"I... I'm sorry for that. I'm foolish!"
"Well then, you must honour that promise. If this is what I have in store for you, why not accept it?" She asked casually.
"Please... not my mates. You can take another arm, leg, or whatever you want, but not them...please," I pleaded.
"Who are you to decide how I conduct my affairs?" she asked, an edge in her voice. I swallowed hard and fell to my knees. She was still standing behind me, but an invisible force kept me from turning and looking at her.
"I'm not questioning your ways, but please... this once. Let them go... I know I made a huge mistake by not accepting them initially. I was blinded by pride and vengeance. I... I was foolish. I still am. I know that I must pay for not upholding my promise in some way, but please... spare my mates. They don't deserve this. I've realised that I never deserved them," I told her. Silence followed my words. It felt like she had left me in this madness of complete white for a moment. But the feeling of her grounding presence behind me assured me that she was still here with me.
"When I blessed you with them, I never asked for a price," She spoke after a second. "There's always a price for everything, or else people take it for granted. Just like you did,"
Her words made sense, but it was too late for me to realise this. Indeed, I had taken the two of them for granted. Everything they did so far was for me. What did I do for them in return?
I tried to think of something I'd done for them, but I couldn't come up with anything. This made me loathe myself even more. All I did was take, take and take from the brothers. I'd been selfish and childish with them throughout our brief relationship.
"I'm willing to pay a price now, moon goddess," I told her adamantly, holding back my tears.
"Oh really?" She asked.
"Yes,"
"What will you give me?" She asked pryingly. I licked my lips and tried to think of anything worthwhile that interested a goddess. I was a mere mortal. What did I have that a goddess could ever want?
"You name it," I told her after considering it. I might be selling my soul here, but I was willing to do so to save Mateo and Hunter. Their lives were worth more than mine. I was the scum on earth that deserved to be washed away.
The moon goddess laughed at me wickedly.
"Oh really? You'd give me anything?" She asked.
"Anything!" I shot, rising on my knees and clutching my hands in front of my chest.
"Anything?" She asked again, a dark edge to her voice. I swallowed hard and hesitated, but I echoed, "Anything,"
"All right then. I'd take both of your mates," She stated.
"No!" I shot, "Please not them,"
"You said anything," She reminded me. Her tone was playful while I was trembling, tears running down my cheek.
"Anything but my mates," I told her.
"I want something valuable to you, and I see that you now see how valuable they are," I heard the cruel smile in her voice.
"No... please. Not my mates. I'm begging you,"
"What else that you have that's invaluable?" She asked.
I thought about everything valuable to me but couldn't think of anything besides the brothers. They were everything to me. They were the most valuable to me-not my servers or all the money I had collected for all those years-not that the goddess would be interested in such things.
"See, you don't have anything to offer to me except for the brothers," The moon goddess pointed out when I failed to give her an answer. She was right, and that shut me up...
...but...
"I'll give you my life," I told her quietly, and she laughed.
"Then what's the point of doing all this?" She asked.
"If it's a lesson you want to teach me, then I've learnt it well," I assured her.
"But the price to be paid is still unsettled," she reminded me, and this pushed me further to the edge. "I've decided then. I'll have your blood," She spoke.
"I'll give you that," I told her instantly.
"Not your blood," She spoke. "I'll take that sister of yours. If you wish me to spare your mates' life, then you must spare hers,"
Her words confused me for a second, but I nodded.
"I spare her life," I said freely.
"That doesn't end here," She stated, and for a second, this made me wonder if she was making me walk into a trap. Damn it. Damn, everything. If she was walking me into a trap, then be it. I'd do anything for my mates. "In the near future, she'll reach out to you for an important favour. You mustn't turn her down then,"
There was the catch, but I felt there was more to it. However, it didn't matter to me anymore. I was willing to do anything for my mates.
Anything!
"Would that assure the safety of both my mates?" I asked her.
"Yes," She answered.
"I'll keep my word this time," I promised her.