Chapter 183
Loiza's POV:
Tía finally talked with Cesar and Catalina about her affair with their father and that Umbros, Lola and Natalia were their siblings. I had no interest in joining that circus! But we pay attention to what Tali tells us happened in The Circle.
"It's pretty amazing that they didn't lose their shit! I mean seriously! Tía was a menace! I had my fun but I never wrecked any home... At least not to my knowledge or intent!" This is Marcus's first official Circle and he already will be bombarded by The Nina Shit Show Hour!
"Tali what did they say about moving into the Small House? They will be just as honored and welcomed as Alex is." Tía be damned, this is her mess big time, but they are also Osupa and my people either way and siblings of my kin.
"They were hesitant about it at first but Lola insisted on how much we could use their help to strengthen the family and since they themselves have no more family they accepted! Umbros, Adam, Marcus and Tony are going to help them get their stuff at Atabex City while the others are prepping the house. They're really not angry at Mami but they're not ready to deal with that part of the news just yet and just want to enjoy the having more family part for now. We already talked with Anacaona for sessions were Mami can partake so that they can be able to communicate, but at the same time they admitted that their parents were miserable together since they can remember, so it was pretty depressing either way. For a while all three of us though we were lab rats of Mami of some sort, until we at least discovered that we all had the same father and that made us think of artificial insemination, but we couldn't find a DNA match in the database! Either way they were thrilled! Their scent was odd to us when we were there but Umbros couldn't trace any falsehoods from them and I couldn't read them because they obviously didn't know." I look over at Marcus and Ura starts laughing when he notices and we see Marcus just looking adoringly at Tali. He's almost out for the count!
Freya had fallen asleep two joints ago and Tony was explaining a few things about the Alpha training to Kayden, we've just been getting hammered with local artisanal rum that Víctor handed over so we can have a taste since it was approved for consumption, and Ura had jacked another few bottles! Kayden doesn't know anything about the training because I myself haven't started it either, so he is a little nervous, he knows that when it's this type of team based training you definitely get scrutinized by the tribe and everyone starts studying who is someone worthy to be in battle with. It's basically establishing your street cred among the pack.
Since this is exactly how we trained in Avalon I've always felt pretty comfortable in this environment. Either way Abuelo gave me the report that many weren't adapting fast enough and sometimes allowing small distractions to break their focus. That distraction... Nudity. Since we're children we never see the grownups shy away when they would shift, this is engrained in our psyche. It's not just that we embrace our bodies... It's that we embrace LIVING! A split second can be the difference between life or death, so if you waste even a second on something as trivial as awkwardness it can cost your life! Also it's very natural in Avalon, every Ascension would be basically christened in a ritual bath that would be purified by every Priestess present, you draw power from the collective through every pore.
Víctor said it best when he mentioned that it will be the next generation the ones who will be able to be as powerful as the ones who already grew up here. This is what we have known our whole lives! When the Spanish invaded our lands the natives and our ancestors didn't understand the garments of the 'New Gods'. Our ignorance of our enemy was almost our demise...
Our ancestors dressed according to the weather and in the tropics... There's really no need for much! Modesty came when the invaders brought their god to these lands, but the creatures of Selene KNOW they are of Selene, she is the one who grants OUR Blessings. We have taken to a lot of human clothing, but they have no idea how many of OUR artists have inspired them... Some of their artists who have used designs by students of our fashion school in the Art Department of the the University!
Every year for NY Fashion Week, the Met Gala and huge human fashion events students 'Let Slip' their work that their professors have already graded as Original Material, then we place bets on which students will have THEIR work stolen by a renowned fashion designers to present as their own work! Those who's works have been used get startup commissions to extort the designer later and basically be able to keep presenting THEIR work on the world stage. Master Ximena designed two runways for Oscar de la Renta, three for Versace, two for Valentino and one for Alaïa. She made her point, now she dresses me!
There's always a way for ANYONE, no matter the rank, to earn respect and recognition within the tribe. That's why the test to leave the island is for EVERYONE! And that's why there are safe houses all over the globe.
Damn we really need to fix up that house in Granada! Yes it belongs to our family, however it carries spells and enchantments for protection against human eyes! So it's considered a pack safehouse in the case of an emergency... To enter all you have to do is prick your thumb in a mechanism, it will read and decode your blood, once it reads you are Osupa you're granted access. Almost every family in the island has contributed one or two, the vineyard in Nappa will eventually be added, but since it's going to be used as a business in the human world we can't cloack it like the house in Granada.
"Either way the house is pretty lively now with everyone who has already moved in and Amelia has been doing really well with the changes!" Nina jumps in taking a shot of the rum. I look over at Kayden and he shoots me a smile and a wink, his Blessing is working! Her mind is healing faster.
"Yeah no shit! Adam's nephews Ben and Jeremy and Ishaan's niece Inaaya and some of his little cousins have taken over the game room! And Santino is REALLY good! Maco and I took turns least night trying to beat him but the little shit is brutal and merciless! Maco added him to the team that's working on that defense system. Tía María was very pleased with having her son playing with the big boys on something she knows will be important for the island even though she doesn't know what it is. Our young cousin is a pretty cool kid!" Ura takes a shot and a hit and passed the joint to Marcus, but he's out! And Talia starts giggling.
"Here I'll take his! Yo Kayden he's been sleeping a lot lately, should I be worried?" She asks him raking her fingers through Marcus's hair.
"Nah, he's had a rough year too and he's always been going overboard with his duties, he's just exhausted and feels like he can finally rest." He goes over to where Marcus is and checks him and Tali motions to him to lay his head on her lap and she starts playing with his curls.
"That's what I feel from Frey from time to time, she's fine but there are moments like now that she just allows herself to just sleep! There were a few times in her life that she would go on for weeks and months without barely any sleep, I guess they're making up for it now." Tony wrapped his arms around Nina and kissed her cheek.
"Almost all of us who are not originally from here are having that experience! The last few years were brutal and sleep came so hard if at all, I just have to scent my mate and knowing how secure we are I feel like I can sleep for days! And when we go off on runs, uff! I feel like new! Even you guys who have been in the field knew that you could always return to the safety of Karaya and that your family and people were safe. Regardless of even what The Council did, the evacuation plans you had in place saved you as much as Izzy's efforts! And with the extra security you have been adding and since many are accepting therapy it's really been helping everyone be more relaxed. You guys really take it for granted! Regardless of how many mistakes your ancestors may have done, they made sure to give you all a true sanctuary where you could all thrive as you have." Kayden took me in his arms when Tony was explaining his point on the matter. He was remembering how his days would start before dawn inspecting the perimeter of their territory with Marcus and their father when they were just pups, making him scoff.
"Did your father make you get up before dawn to check the borders?" Tony snorted.
"Oh yeah... He wanted a report from every sentinel about ANY activity during their shift, my old man started taking me out when I turned 6, now all we have to do is wait for the alarms and the sentinels are probably playing poker by the security system! Having a satellite is more convenient than I could ever imagine! But I actually enjoyed those times with my my father! He would shift and he would let me ride on him until I could shift myself, there's very little I have to complain about my parents. My father actually reminds me a lot to the memories I get from you all about Beta Ayato, he was indeed a stern man but he was devoted to my mother and me and the pack, and Isla reminds me of my mother very much, she was a Sigma with a pretty gentle nature and used to like tinkering with clocks instead of knitting and my father indulged her in her 'hobby'... Now I actually know it was her true talent and calling, not a mere hobby. I'm sorry about how your parents turned out Kayden, my parents did spoil me though, it made me shallow and reckless and yet it's still no excuse for my own stupidity. Sigh, all I can do now keep fixing their own legacy and reclaim our territory as we fix the company's finances, once the security system Santino is prepping for the premises of the recovered buildings we will include them as safe houses." We feel our brother's pain, Nina gives him a deep kiss and hugs him, I sat next to him and smooched his cheek and Ura shoved us both off Tony and hugged him.
"Seriously Ura! He's MY mate!" He kisses her forehead smiling... He's drunk and high as fuck!
"And he's my brother and your my sister, Nina I'm sorry I came down hard on your ass sweetheart, and I should've chosen another time, but for real Nina remember that we still would hang out with you. We love you!" And he just smooched her too. She just pouted and gave him the stink eye and Tony couldn't help but laugh.
"C'mon brother, I think we all went a little overboard tonight, hey Kayden do you mind helping Natalie out with your brother?" Tony said making Kayden laugh and he went over to a very drunk Talia and kissed her forehead and he put his brother over his shoulder like a sack of sugar and put his other arm around her.
"Yeah I got these two!" He can't stop grinning, it's not like he's sober himself! If he drops Marcus I can't guarantee that I won't laugh my ass off!
"Alrighty then I got Freya, Nina give me a hand woman!" Frey is taller than both of us but Nina knows how to hold her liquor way better. It was a ridiculously disgraceful sight! And then we ran into Shomari, Hayami, Umbros and Adam who were just hanging out by the star gazing platform on our way to Tali and Marcus's room on the fifth floor
They were checking out the telescope with a few beers but they were pretty sober so they gave us a hand. Umbros just picked Frey up and Shomari took Marcus, Kayden was about to drop him he was so drunk! Urayoán was trying to get some composure but it wasn't pretty to watch! Haya couldn't stop giggling.
"Let me guess, this is the outcome of your precious Circle?" Umbros started shaking his head.
"In a way, spare us your judgement Umbros! Tonight we are celebrating your new siblings and this awesome rum that Thomas and other Kappas from Blood Moon made! We got samples because the Betas have to take it to the lab to be approved." It's really good and it will be good competition with the Cardona family, they usually make the island's rum and vodka and own the only sugar cane plantation on the here just a few miles west of Ayana's temple.
Thomas, Aaron and Michael, Gabriel's brother are seeking permits for land in the Ceiba District for commercial production of hops and barley to open a brewery and a still. They would still buy the sugar cane from the Cardonas and the Clementes would buy their hops from them since right now they import the ones they use, so even if their crop won't be cheap since it will take more care to grow, it still will be fresher and cheaper than what they import and there will be more competition in the market! It's really a win win for everyone!
"Did they approve it?! Did you guys like it?!" Adam asked excited helping Shomari put Marcus in bed.
"Dude, look at us! It was awesome! And yeah it was approved otherwise Bayo wouldn't have allowed Izzy to drink it." Ura answers and then he notices their beers.
"Adam, for fucks sake, your drinking the beer now! It's not labeled yet but that's your brother's beer! Clemente's beer has either a more citrus or rich barley scent, I didn't know your brother was a Kappa man!" Ura says slurring half of what he's saying, he's usually also really good with his liquor but when Frey feel asleep he just went overboard trying to keep up with two Alphas and Kayden and Tony are barely standing!
"He isn't, we're both Gammas but his mate Haylee is, he knows how to brew and manage a still, but this partnership is really Thomas, Haylee and Michael, they're the real artisans behind this! Umbros and I are going to invest when they get all the permits! Damn Urayoán, you're clearly hammered and you still were able to make out the difference in scents, that's INSANE! When are you going to start training the Hunters again?" Not for a while, I need him focused on what I need of him.
"When I'm done regaining as much of our territory as possible... You know what? Umbros may suck at navigation but he's always good to have around in combat and learning in the field is way better. If you both want I'll start taking you with me and I'll teach you myself, with what you hack from Umbros for combat should be enough in case we get in trouble and what I teach you he can hack in return making you both a more balanced team. Want to come?" After leaving Marcus and Tali in their rooms Umbros laid Freya on their bed and I go check her blood to make sure that she's ok, and she's fine, just really drunk but nothing that requires me to flush it out, her body is already metabolizing it and she should be fully sober before dawn. It's a very smooth rum so you barely feel the kick until it's too late, I REALLY want a mojito made with it!
"Can we Izzy?" Adam asked like if I was his mom making me laugh. What?
"Dude, she's putting up a good front but she's just as high and drunk as us, she's just cheating because she can focus the water in her body better, in any case Shomari can authorize you. Izzy doesn't have much of a say with regards to the team." Kayden interjected with a grin. It's true but he didn't had to rub it in! And he just laughed at my thought slapping his mouth shut as if I couldn't see he was laughing! HELL! Even HE has authority over who can and can't come near me by his title of the Goddess's Executioner and as I have allowed him to retain the title of Alpha he can challenge my authority only in the case that the Betas fail.
He'll Bless Ishaan with a full recovery but it won't happen immediately, the mind is extremely complicated to repair. It's intangible so only the most skilled Omegas are usually the ones who are able to do it. That's why we consider them the most valuable Link of the pack! I am of water, I can heal through water like an Omega, yet I'm not an Omega. No matter how hard I train, no matter if I'm a Priestess, no matter if I'm the reincarnation of a Goddess, I'm not an Omega. I have never have had the ability to heal the mind. Apollo does, but it's because of the nature of his godly powers and it's precisely because of those powers that warewolves have the gifts they do. The wolf has always been a sacred animal to not just Apollo, but to his family, his mother Leto was particularly fond of the animal and because of their protection to her daughter, Phoebe also took kindly towards them, and Phoebe's mother Gaïa is mother to us all... When Selene herself designed our species, it was Apollo who gifted them with the Blessings we have to this day! Is that why MY ancestors worshipped the Sun along with the Moon?!
Kayden is now sober and is thinking about what I just thought about.
'Play it cool beautiful we'll talk when we get home, ok?' I nod and smile at him.
"Are you serious? But you're Alpha Izz, I don't understand." Umbros tells Ura that he'll talk directly with Bayo, this is a great opportunity for Adam to gain skills that Umbros desperately wants. I'm not going to interfere, he wants to appeal to Bayo while he's on Leave he can be my guest! I've come to love Adam, he's adorable! How could Selene do this to him? He could do so much better! Kayden just can't help but smile.
"Adam our pack is structured differently, I don't have final say on many things, this is how we avoid an Alpha who would become a posible feral tyrant, I'm sure you understand why I'm not the Head of our family and why we have four Betas. Umbros haven't you explained this to your mate?!" Umbros looks at Adam questioningly. Seriously! As a Truth Seer I'm sure he has an idea about how pissed at him I still am! Here I was ready to kill Adam if he rejected my cousin only to feel pity for the guy for being stuck with him!
'Do better pendejo! You know what's expected of you as an Osupa! Gay, straight, poly, bi, we ALL know since childhood what's expected of us as mates of outsiders! You at least had a chance to know Babka, from what I remember she was very knowledgeable about our ways. Kayden has fully hacked me. Are you hiding something else?' He nodded.
'Hide whatever you want unless it doesn't affect the family, but Umbros, you still have to trust him! Ok? We all have embarrassing shit but if it's hindering your relationship it's better to let it go like a band aid!' He nodded again rolling his eyes... I'm going to end up beheading my cousin.
"Hey sorry, I guess I still have to hash out the details! Are you guys ok now? Hayami was telling us some bitching stories in Japanese! She's teaching us!" I look at Hayami. This is going to be funny!
"Hayamisan are you explaining to the guys that Japanese is spoken differently between males and females?" And she burst out laughing with Shomari. Nina, Ura and I just smile. Ura and I have never been on a mission to Japan, but Nina spent almost a year there studying she thought us how to speak it, however Urayoán is correcting his now.
When we hanged out with Hiroto on my birthday he found it funny how Ura basically talked Japanese like a girl! Either way it's not a big deal. When Nina came back she brought a lot of beautiful silk kimonos and cotton yukatas for all of us. I remember how happy Dad was with his blue and white yukata, he would sit wearing it with Mami in the balcony upstairs looking over the lights over the bay at night before bed and I would sometimes join them with Maco for a night cap. I would snuggle with Mami and every single time I would rise my feet and ball my legs on the couch Dad would tickle my feet annoying the fuck out of me. Ha! Sometimes Nía would join us... That's how we spent our last night together. Nina was the one who found his Yukata on the chair in his and Mom's room... She never really paid attention to how much he used it, she sent it to a Japanese Master to restore it as best as possible, it was almost worn out...