When the gods go to war, it's their people who suffer.
The moon was the most benevolent of them until they took everything from her. Vengeance turned her into the instrument of destruction, now those who destroyed her have to give her back what the...
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Tension tautened the air as everyone's emotions rose on an ever cresting wave. It wasn't everyday that the alpha bloods were confronted by something they knew they couldn't defeat, let alone stand up to or even understand. Much as the alpha bloods shielded themselves from the pack, Nia and her siblings were empaths and they couldn't shield from them.
It was all Nia could do not to fold in under the pressure. In most instances, her shielding would've been enough but her emotions were so chaotic she couldn't get a handle on it. Amplified to the point where they threatened her sanity, she had no way of telling where hers began and the others started.
She wanted to lash out, to silence the deluge confronting her from all sides. A primal need to hurt because she was hurting, but a thread of sanity, however fragile, held her back. No wonder most empaths chose to magically sever themselves from their gift. If this was what they experienced daily, it was understandable.
Swallowing the bile that rose up, she closed her eyes and breathed. Uncomfortable heat raced under her skin as if the force of the emotions was fighting to get out. Gravity weighed on her such that it was a struggle to keep upright. Why were her powers suddenly so out of control? Had that old Coyote done something to her, or was it because she was pregnant and the day had been too stressful so far?
"I don't know what he wants with me." the warrior replied, his deep voice even.
Nia sensed the truth in him, in fact something about him made her feel he'd either tell the truth or say nothing at all. Lex's father had asked he be present at this meeting, to which he'd just nodded his acceptance without uttering a word. The strong silent type, she thought, with shoulders that filled the sky and scarred like the warriors of old.
His maelstrom of emotion was more poignant for her, as if their earlier connection had left a pathway easily accessed. Lex wasn't going to like that. As if thinking about him called him to her she felt his mind pushing at the invasion targeting her.
'Nia?' he questioned.
'We're empaths,' she replied, the strain in her mind voice evident. 'Everyone's feelings are overwhelming right now.'
'Empaths? Nia how's that possible? None of you should be able to stand being in a pack.'
Talking to Lex seemed to keep the pressure off, or maybe it was the protection of his own mind helping her. 'We have a goddess for a mother?'
'Makes sense I guess.' he didn't seem convinced and Nia frowned.
'What else could it be?'
'I don't know, maybe your other abilities insulate you?'
'Whatever the reason, it's hard right now and you're helping so thank you.'
He smiled, that smile of his that caught her breath in her throat. A smile that he seemed to reserve just for her. It made her aware of herself, of him and what they were together.
Welcome heat curled up inside her, a warm glow that eclipsed what fought to burn out of her and everything else but them. Her body softened, tension evaporating from her with remarkable ease. Was this what it meant to have a mate? The assurance that he'd hold her up when she felt the world heavy upon her?
The notion was too idealic, too surreal to be true and yet she felt its truth. Looking into his eyes somehow brought to life all the dreams she'd had about her future and made them more real.
"Enough," an exasperated male voice interrupted. "Honestly! This is why teenagers don't recognize their mates."
Nia felt color burn through her cheeks and a glance at Lex revealed his own flushed cheeks, though he glared his annoyance at the male Oracle. Oracular bloodlines were recognized through the female line and males were usually just carriers. Which made the rare male Oracle quite a prize for any Alpha who held his loyalty. Okay maybe she was being snarky for his interruption.
Still, male Oracles were so rare generations would go by without one being born. Which ensured they hold prestige just because they were male. They didn't even have to be all that talented. But as she looked at the male who held center stage, she recognized the power in him.
It was like he held a measure of the goddess' power, finite where hers seemed immeasurable. Of the other five only two held lesser power than him with another two more powerful, yet he was the clear leader.
"Now that we have your attention, can you tell us what happened?"
Nia raised her chin and looked the man in the eye. She wanted to be annoyed at him, but knew she and Lex were in the wrong. "It's better if I show you."
