Unwanted Command

Chapter 10 - Different

Alina paced in the kitchen whilst Marion sat upon one of the breakfast bar stools sipping tea apparently content to watch Alina walk around like a mad woman.

"I still don't understand." Alina finally huffed raking her hands through her hair as she stopped to focus on the woman sitting in front of her. "Goddesses voice, mate, Alpha you know it all sounds crazy?"

"Yet you saw Ryder's wolf." She shrugged taking another sip of her tea. Alina took in the woman's features, she had the bluest eyes Alina had ever seen, her dark hair was in stark contrast to the Caribbean blue of them. Her hair was cut into a bob, she wore the pant suit very well, for a woman who was likely in her mid-fifties she had a fantastic figure. There was something about the woman that felt familiar.

"You're related to him." Alina stated rather than asked, which made the woman smile.

"Yes, I am his aunt." Marion was beaming as she placed her cup of tea down and gestured for Alina to sit with her. "Okay so let's go over one thing at a time, what would you like to know first?"

Alina sat herself down and had every intention of asking a sensible question, but her mouth apparently had other ideas. "How many mates has Ryder had?" Alina found herself blushing at her question, what was wrong with her.

"You only ever have one mate Alina, you are Ryder's." Alina searched Marion's face for some form of deception but there was none.

"Okay, Ryder said I could control wolves?"

"It would appear the Goddess bestowed you with that gift yes." Marion replied though there wasn't really an explanation as to what that meant, Alina just cocked an eyebrow at the woman waiting for her to continue. "It's not unheard of in our world, but I have never heard of a human being gifted by the Moon Goddess and to have gifted you with her voice is even more exceptional." Marion was eyeing her with something akin to awe in her eyes. "I've only heard of that ever happening once."

"Yes but I don't know what that means." Alina could feel a headache starting behind her eyes.

"Wolves live in packs, like this one, and each pack has an Alpha and a Luna. The Alpha is the leader of their pack and are able to command it's members, the Luna is respected as much and though the pack will do her bidding they are not compelled to as they are with their Alpha." Marion gave her a moment to let that sink in before she continued. "Human's have never been able to control a wolf and yet you, Alina you are able to compel the pack, the Beta and Alpha's."

"Not Ryder, I tell him things and he blatantly ignores me." Alina rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I noticed that."

"And he can still command someone to do something different after I have told them to do something, if I had the Goddesses voice surely that wouldn't be possible." Alina shrugged.

"It shouldn't be." Marion agreed.

"Then perhaps it's just my winning personality that shines through." Alina tried to lighten the mood.

"You have the voice of the Goddess, when you gave me the command to stay back from you it was like I was no longer in control of my limbs, I tried so hard to get to you that it was almost painful but until you gave me permission I couldn't reach you." Marion took hold of Alina's hands. "There is no one in any pack that can control a wolf like that other than the Alpha and even then, his command feels different."

"Feels different?" Alina repeated.

"Your command was like being trapped in my own mind I know what I wanted to do and even though I could see that you needed help I couldn't do anything. With the Alpha his command is binding however; my need to protect my Alpha can outweigh his command, if it had been Ryder going through what you were, I would have been able to get to him."

"There's so much I don't understand still, like I should want to be running away to be as far away from this place as can be and yet, here I am. I am having a conversation about mythical creatures and instead of reacting in a normal way I am just accepting it." Alina ran her hands over her face. "Tell me Marion, am I mad? Is this some elaborate hallucination I have created in my mind?" Alina whispered her question; she wasn't sure she wanted the answer. Either this was all real and the world had real monsters, or she was crazy holed up in some psych ward somewhere and honestly, she didn't know which she would prefer.

"Sweetheart, you're not mad." Marion stood and wrapped her arms around Alina hugging her tightly as Alina let out a shaky breath. She wanted to cry, or perhaps she wanted to throw up she wasn't sure she just didn't want to be confused. "Your bond with Ryder is what has tethered you to our world but the Goddesses gift to you has bound you to us."

"I don't know if I can do this Marion." She muffled against the woman's shoulder.

"Yes you can, the Goddess chose you for a reason Alina."