Chapter 90 - Her Voice
The battle at the gate was chaos.
Smoke rolled across the courtyard. Mage fire streaked through the air like lightning, striking stone, shields, and wolves alike. Snarls and shouts blended into a single violent roar.
Athena stayed just inside the inner gate with two wolves guarding her, eyes locked on the fight.
She saw Silas move through it like a force of nature.
Until she saw the mage break through.
He wasn't aiming at the wolves.
He was aiming at her.
Athena's breath caught.
Silas saw it too.
He moved without hesitation, stepping directly into the mage's line of sight.
The spell hit him full force.
Not fire.
Not an explosion.
Dark, glowing runes shot from the mage's hands and wrapped around Silas's body like chains made of light and ash.
Silas hit the ground hard.
The runes burned into his skin, pinning him there.
He tried to move.
Tried to shift.
But the magic held him in place.
Athena's heart stopped.
"Silas!"
He roared in pain, muscles straining as he fought against the binding.
But he couldn't break it.
The mage began walking toward him calmly, preparing another spell.
Rowan was too far.
Kael was engaged with three others.
No one was close enough.
Athena felt something tear loose inside her chest.
Not fear.
Not panic.
Rage.
Fierce. Protective. Commanding.
"GET TO HIM!" she screamed.
Her voice cracked across the battlefield like thunder.
And something impossible happened.
Wolves turned.
Mid-fight.
Mid-attack.
They broke formation instantly and surged toward Silas without hesitation.
They didn't look to Rowan.
They didn't look to Kael.
They obeyed her.
A wave of fur and teeth crashed into the mage before he could finish the spell.
The runes flickered.
Falters.
One wolf grabbed Silas and dragged him back as others tore into the attackers.
Athena stood frozen, chest heaving.
Kael turned toward her slowly.
His eyes wide.
He had felt it.
The pull.
The command.
Not Alpha.
Something older.
Stronger.
And he realized with absolute clarity-
She had just commanded the entire pack.