His voice still lingered in the room, and my heart slammed inside my chest.
Not fear, not the incredible need to bow to the invisible force demanding submission. No, my heart acted like a caged hummingbird because of excitement and surprise.
I've only read about this! The Alpha voice is not to be confused with the alpha command. The alpha commands one of the alpha's gifts from the goddess, a gift as a last solution for a leader, a final command pack members can't refuse.
The Alpha voice is a rarity that I have only read about in ancient texts!
A shiver ran down my spine, and I could literally feel my pupils expand as I took it all in. The Alpha voice, a discovery that I had only begun to unravel, can work with ease on other pack members, other alphas, and even other kinds of shifters. I found small hidden sections about the mythical gift in old, dusty, and leather-covered books. A sentence here and there, every word only opening for more questions than answers. A voice meant to connect and overcome differences between species, a voice so powerful and profound it sends literally waves through the air—no wonder the phenomenon had been written down like it was a magical power.
My fingers itched to learn more about this, irked to uncover the hidden secrets of this mythical magic. I had so many questions! How did he get it? Was he born with it, did he learn it, or was it a hidden skill he uncovered by accident? And why the hell didn't he tell me!? He, of all, could have known I would have been as excited as him about this magnificent discovery!
But he never said a word, even hinted towards him knowing anything, even the late nights earlier this fall when I ranted and rambled about the lack of documented information regarding special abilities within the shifter community. He just agreed!
Dragons have documented and written down everything they knew and found out. Werewolves, werebears, and even the cat shifters never wrote down anything; it seemed that everything they learned of their history and development was remembered through stories and paintings, that's it. No details, no investigations, nothing! And here we are, having one of the shifter's biggest mysteries right at hand, and for how long?
I couldn't help myself, scowling in Tew's direction, feeling both excitement and curiosity; I could even admit to feeling the shivers of that sweet, trembling sensation of fear. Did I fear Tew? Or did my beast fear his? What stupid questions! Atlas knew he was a superior being, gifted alpha or not; he was still a wolf, and I knew Tew would never even try hurting me. He knew hurting me in any way would mean breaking his own sister; besides, we both know he would never have a chance against me! The beaming smile of my own cockiness stiffened on my face as Atlas scoffed and let out a dry laughter in my head before kindly reminding me he would have helped Tew kick my ass if I didn't get a grip on myself.
"Come to think of it, I would help him kick your ass right now and for each day after this until you mark my mate!"
He growled deeply as he pulled away and crept into the furthest and darkest corners of my mind. I could feel the vibrating energy trembling over his skin, the anxiety and feral need he fought harder and harder to keep at bay. No matter how hard he held it back, a cold shiver moved down my back. I knew this was torture for him, the waiting. Atlas struggled; he had been for a long time, and so had I. It is strange, really, that growing need, a sensation much like stress and anxiety that slowly grew inside our chest and mind. He needed to mark his mate, and so did I.
But Eir was different. She didn't grow up here with our ways. She didn't grow up to both scary and lovely stories about true mates, destined mates, and chosen mates. She didn't fully know the meaning, understand, or trust it. I needed this to be her step, her path, and on her terms, or she would run. No, she wouldn't run, but she would pull away and distance herself, and my worst fear was that she would end up hating me. She would feel trapped and betrayed, and she would never be able to feel the same again. I know her that much. No, I could never force my mark on her. Not even now, on the edge of my own control, already losing strength. Not even when the mate bond pull started breaking me down, piece by piece, would I do that. I let out a deep sigh as the heavy doors closed again, and I realized I was willing to die waiting for her to make the last move.
"What was THAT?"
"Yeah, man, did your alpha command just level up?"
I could hear the rest of the pack members slowly breaking the silence, more and more questions, but my mind worked overtime. I didn't have the capacity to indulge in their conversations. The alpha voice was real, and it was not just a myth! Did this mean the rest of the story was real, too? My eyes landed on Tew, waving his hands, gesturing, and answering his men. I didn't hear him; I just saw him as my mind reminded me of the whole story and the meaning of this. A cold fist of burning ice tightened around my heart.
The alpha voice brought the continents together and provided the light, shifters, and beasts needed to chase away the cold shadows. Dark and ice-cold shadows stretched towards the sky like walls around each border. A thick black smoke rose from the glowing barrier, the visible shield between the living and the death realm, Helia's claws grasping for a hold amongst the living. But Helia had released something more than the shadow wall: her sister.
Helia's sister, the ancient shadow warrior. Her older sister, the goddess of nightmares and mares, is now trapped in the shadows. She lost her body, and slowly, her will and mind dwindled into the darkness; a shadow warrior was born out of her ashes. Pure evil in the form of a dark mist poisoning the mind of the chosen form. I felt the color leave my face as the rest of the old myth worked its way through my mind. Brothers by blood, one ice-cold, calculated but fair and forgiving. The other brother was beautiful and charismatic but cruel to the bones. To break Helia's shadow warriors and the wall, the brother of pure evil made his first selfless sacrifice to save the brother he claimed he hated. But as the evil in him died, so did his brother. Like Jing and Jang, they died together, leaving behind a brother stripped of the hatred that drew him, broken, alone, and in despair. The death realm was sealed and our world safe, but the brother never moved on.