Chapter 47
Loiza's POV:
Yaya and I reach the clearing where Master Jorel has a small army of Kappas almost done with all 13 drums when a familiar scent hits me... "Nina? What on Earth are you doing here?" My sister if focused on painting sacred Taíno symbols on one of the drums while smoking a joint and a glass of wine on a little table where she has her pallet and paints. Where did she even get weed? I could do with one! And I just take the wine for myself.
"Well lookie who showed up! You ordered every Kappa on board with this project so why are you asking? Already loosing your mind sweet sister? And of course you are welcome to my wine... want a puff?" She tells me without even looking at me. And this pisses the shit out of me! She may be my older sister but I AM her Alpha! I really want that puff tho... decisions, decisions.
"Nina you're an architect! And look at me when I am talking to you I am your damn Alpha!" The moment the words leave my mouth I regret it, what's wrong with me?! And Yaya starts walking the other way... She has seen enough spouts between me and my sister and I to know when to bail.
Still without looking at me and focused on a coquí symbol..."Wow! Well someone is sexually frustrated! Let me guess, you still haven't nailed your dearest golden god have you?" And she just starts laughing. And now I'm not regretting what I said before! I swear to the Goddess Nina can sometimes be a rusty nail you step on accidentally... "Keep it together Izzy otherwise we might see you in a straight jacket soon! Is Aryn that horny?" And before I can clap back she finally turns around to look at me. "I think you forget sister, that I am classically trained. Before you are able to design beautiful buildings and structures, you first need to study general art and the rules of design... While you were in Avalon playing with fire to be a powerful Priestess, I was drawing exquisitely looking naked men... some days I would even paint them... and not on a canvas." And she starts laughing again. Ugh!
I'm not in the mood to listen to Nina's sexual escapades! Kappas who are ruled by the element of wind, are the most eccentric and freethinkers of the pack, basically nothing phases these people! "Well? I'm looking ALPHA, how may I help your gracious self?" Ugh! If my brothers are a pain, my sisters are Hades incarnate! While Suania is just immature, loud and rowdy... She is quite cunning though. Nina always finds the perfect buttons to push to drive you to insanity!
"I came to see on the progress of the drums for tonight, where is Jorel?" She goes back to painting the drum, which is actually looking amazing... but I'm not telling her that.
"Master Jorel is giving her all to make sure that all 13 drums and the wooden chalice are made to perfection for tonight, so she secluded herself to make the chalice herself and besides sweet sister you have a pair of two perfectly functioning eyes, I'm pretty sure you can see for yourself. If I were you I would be focusing more on controlling that whippy temper your having... You'll soon lose the title of the queen of self-control! Go get laid sister, maybe It'll relax you to perform the ceremony tonight. Now that you have found your mate I'm pretty sure he can help you with that little problem."
Breathe Loiza, she may be my older sister but she has always had the luxury to live a carefree life... Sometimes I'm actually jealous. Living your best life every day as free as feather in the wind. If it only were so simple, but she would not understand the plan I have for my mating ceremony in the case tonight I don't get the answers that will satisfy me from Kayden. Although I do have to calm down. 'Aryn, what in the Goddess name are you doing to me?! Can you please calm the fuck down?!' 'That is why you need me Izzy, do you forget what day it is tomorrow?' What the hell is she talking about now? 'I don't know if you haven't noticed, but I have been extremely busy these past few days trying to keep everyone alive! So stop playing games dummy!' 'Nina can see it but you cannot? Who's the dummy now?! Izzy, tomorrow is the full moon! The closer we are to it the more intense our libido becomes because we are Alpha now. I want Deacon NOW!' Ok, now I'm worried. If Aryn can outsmart me and be on Nina's side I am truly doomed.
"The full Moon!" How could I forget?
"BINGO oh mighty Cacique! If you think it's bad now... tomorrow your precious self control is going out the window, that jading potion will be worthless." And she takes another puff of her joint and offers it to me without skipping a beat of her painting. And I take a puff, then I hand it back to her and just basically empty the wine glass in one gulp, I definitely have to find something to take off the edge.
When she is done with the symbol, she takes a little leather bag full of small nickel sized skulls made from the bones of the hunted deer and proceeds to line the top part of the drum with a row of the skulls. A CLEAN hunt, EVERY part of the animal is used except for their hearts and brains that will burn in the fire so that it's mind and spirit is liberated, and the livers will burn in the polished wood chalice to purify the pack. Master Jorel has to polish it to perfection So that the wood is not consumed as quickly, but it will still eventually burn out . Every ceremonial chalice is made of wood, and to the specific occasion to never be used again. And it reminds me to check with Domingo about the feast.
"As much as I would like to stay, I have to see to it that the venison is properly prepared. Keep having fun sister, at least one of us is enjoying herself!" And I link Yaya to meet with Jorel while I go back to the pack house to check on the food and see if there's something to eat now.
"Here, I think you need this more than I do... you're welcome Izzyboo!" I fucking hate it when she calls me that! And just when I am going to give her a pice of my mind she extends a new joint in a clear bag. "No need to pledge your love for me Izz, I don't need a wacko Alpha... if you're going to the kitchen might as well get another glass of wine, look for some time for yourself and get your shit together!" While she takes another puff... I have no idea where she got the weed, we usually grow it in the fields behind the temples and blessed before distributing it, but at at this point I don't really fucking care, so I definitely take it. And I have to admit she's right, the work on the drums are looking fantastic, they look like they were made back home! Yaya can make sure that the dimensions and size of the chalice is correct. I give my sister the stink eye and walk away... "Bye Izzyboo! Enjoy the joint!" Deep breaths Loiza... and I remember that even though we have our bouts we ARE sisters and Nina is a good one.
On my way to the pack house a woman comes towards me, I can already sense that she wants to pick a fight with me, what is it with people today that want to give me shit?!
"Hey you dumb bitch, I want you to know that Kayden is MINE, he has already promised me to be his Luna so stay out of my way or I swear I will kill you!" Oh wow, good thing the two puffs I took and the wine have giving me a nice little chill, thank you Nina... I guess.
"He's yours? how much did you pay for him?" Suddenly she looks at me confused, and I realized she's not the sharpest tool in the shed. She's pretty though I'll give her that. but that's all she is, just a pretty girl, nothing really special about her, average height, dark hair like myself but it looks like it needs a little bit of TLC, pretty blue eyes, nothing really special.
"What do you mean about how much I paid for him?" She seems older than myself to be acting in such a childish way, but sure I'll play, I'm feeling pretty good about myself with the chill I have right now. And I suddenly received the scent of fresh rain and pine. Why not give a little show as well?
"You don't seem to be very smart, when you refer to something as YOURS you're claiming they're your property, and from what I have learned from this pack apparently slavery is quite acceptable among some of its members. Sweetheart I can assure you I don't give a flying fuck what you did with him before I met him, he and I are mates and that is something you're going to have to get over, plus I'm an Alpha, something you will never be. I understand you're angry but sorry sweetie it's not me you should be angry at. You're cute enough for sure... You'll find someone, in fact you know what? As a consolation I will give you a gift." She's completely taken aback, but the shock comes when I move closer to her, I tuck some loose hairs behind her ear, take her face in mine and kiss her on the lips passionately.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?! Are you crazy?!" And now it is I who starts laughing, damn this is weed is not to terrible!
"You've never kissed a girl? Don't worry sweetie I don't bite... Hard. I just wanted to see if I tested him on your lips, and since I don't, I assume that you have been discarded... Quite a while it seems. Like I said sweetie I really don't care what he did before he met me, our people know that the past is gone forever, tomorrow may never even come, all that matters is now." And I take out the joint my sister gave me and light it up with a snap of my fingers and take a deep puff and blow it in her face.
And just when she has the nerve to try to slap me, it never comes. I still am looking directly at her face and it it's full of terror, it is Kayden himself who grabbed her wrist and from what I can hear he is putting a lot of pressure on those bones. And I simply take another puff and blow it in her face again.
"DELILAH, what the FUCK do you think you're doing?!" And I calmly stay there to watch the show.
She throws herself at his feet... "Kayden! Forgive me! I love you! Please do not cast me away!" He lets go with disgust in his face, he looks at me and I just take another puff of my joint with a completely relaxed face and demeanor and shrug so that he understands that I don't really care what she has to say.
"It's Alpha to you! Love, I am sorry for how this wench dared to challenge you! I hope you forgive me." He still doesn't understand how our mate Bond works. I guess we'll have to see if he's a quick study.
"Meh, how can I be angry? I mean look at her! THAT looks absolutely pathetic. I'm going to the kitchens to verify the food for the feast, have a nice day Delilah I really hope you grow up soon!" And now she is just sobbing, and it's that really ugly type of crying when all the snot comes out. Very pitiful indeed. And I start heading to the pack house. This is not something I want to witness, my people always say not to care for the things that our mates have done before we meet them, at least that's what I was taught. But I admit, it does hurt, so I keep walking to not see her face and imagine them in bed.
"GET OUT OF MY SIGHT RIGHT NOW! You are to confine yourself to your house and not come out until such time I command it! Do you fucking understand?!" I can obviously still can hear them, werewolf ears. He must have used his Alpha voice, for she started crying even more but she left at once. Kayden caught up with me on the way to the kitchens.