Chapter 87
Loiza's POV
I find Tía Ayiti in her office and orders me to sit, and sit immediately feeling like I'm 3 again.
"Tía, did something happen?" And I notice I'm fidgeting with my thumbs, always a sign that I'm nervous. I stop, I'm the damn Alpha here! And I sit straight putting a solemn face.
"Why are you soaking wet?! You're ruining my chair!" She asks.
"It's a long story and YOU told me to sit! Why am I here?" I answer.
"Your mate's pack was attacked two nights ago." I feel sick suddenly, like REALLY sick. I fear the worse.
"Did anyone survive?" I ask looking down afraid of what her eyes might tell me.
"Only two casualties, his defenses were impeccably organized." And I raise my face at the smack on her desk of the report. I open it in a hurry and read it.
"What do you think of his strategy?" I want to smile, he studied carefully!
"I think it's good, oh look and he got rid of that broken altar! Nice, a shrine..." And she taps a claw on her desk. I keep my head on the report.
"Loiza, what did you do?" I close the report.
"What are you accusing me of exactly Tía?" I am Alpha, I am Alpha...
"Did you share our secrets with him?" I stand up.
"I left two of MY books with MY notes in my Priestess cloak, what of it?!" I don't have to fucking explain myself, I didn't do anything wrong!
"Your books, which books?" Is THIS why I'm here?
"I left The Prince and The Art of War with my notes, and the Greek Alphabet code, nothing more! He is my MATE! We left with over 400 of his pack and I entered his head like YOU thought me to for the good of the pack, blocked my end of the Bond to continue my duties! So WHAT if I left something to help him grow up and keep hope that I may see him again?! And look! He HAS been studying and reinventing his pack and educating his people. I am not sorry for what I did, is there anything else?!" I keep my glare on her projecting my dominance! This is ridiculous, I'm being scolded like a child over BOOKS?!
"He built a shrine and is making summoning rituals, how did he get that information?" The FUCK?!
"How the fuck should I know? Why don't you ask the spy that Gloria CLEARLY left to have such DETAILED information?! And HERE!" I open the report again... "He is hosting a WITCH! For all your years of Director, it didn't occur to you that's how he knows? I told you the truth out of the love and respect I have for you but you will not speak that way to me again, do I make myself CLEAR?!" She smiles at me.
"Well you sure told me ALPHA!" Ugh!
"We are DONE here!" And I start to leave.
"I talked with Talia..." I stop immediately.
"What does she report?" She stands making me look at her.
"Please sit Loiza, the attack to Kayden's pack is not the only one, he was just smart enough to pay attention to your message." I sit and she tells me everything.
"When will the operation take place?" Natalia and Lola are good pilots. Umbros, not so much.
"Hopefully in 21 hours." I want to be there. I link Bayoán and Ura and tell them. It's been over a year since I was in the field, the plan was good but Umbros worries me, his fear of flying gets in the way of him piloting. I had to take main chair once from him, to be fair it was an old plane and he couldn't deal with the slipstream effect. I still can't believe he passed the test.
"Tía I'm going to get ready, Bayoán, Ura and Freya are coming too. Contact Gloria, I want the pups and the young with Lola and Talia, the rest go with Umbros, I hope I don't have to explain myself." She looks down.
"No... It's the smartest decision, I was thinking the same." Good, I touch my stomach and it already hurts to now that something might happen to them.
"Also, hack into that base's main computer, I want intel on everything they have; and for Goddesses sake, Víctor?! Couldn't she have sent someone else?" It's good he's always in the field, the less he's on the island the better. The scent of water lilies invades my memory...
"Those packs are going through the same Izzy, again your mate survived because he studied your strategies... OUR strategies" I even saw him apply them to chess. I even allowed Aryn to tell Deacon I was reading the Bhagavad Gita.
"Bullshit! Those strategies are MY OWN! Who's the spy inside?" He's putting the Epsilons right at the borders, good move!
"Joey, she was using All Truth potion to get in with Half Moon to counteract the Truth spell this witch Endora used." Sound plan.
"I'll meet you here in 9 hours, I need a nap. Wake me if there is any change, and I want more information on this witch." Josephine is a Master at acquiring information without raising any suspicion, it was a smart move to get her in.
On the way to my room I tell Aryn to tell Deacon I am reading Utopia and Carl von Clausewitz's On War.' I read them years ago but I still know them and remember my notes. 'Aryn dictate my notes point by point if needed, Thomas More has sound ideas yet writes a lot of stupid bullshit too and Carl von Clausewitz is pretty much on point.' 'So now you want to talk?' 'Nope, the books I left Kayden saved him and Deacon both, I'm just trying to give them more tools. Just do it!' 'Despite the Block you love him, why not forgive?' 'Shut up and do what I said, do you want to keep them alive or not?!' And I feel her go to task.
I woke up feeling more relaxed, took a warm shower put some prego jeans a black t-shirt, calf high boots and and a black hoodie. Isaura again insisted on braiding my hair but I insisted on no embellishments. I met up with everyone, and brought Ayana in case we did need a portal, she could only send 10 wolves. I asked Braka for the ten strongest, I said that in any case I could go in as back up, but it was dismissed instantly. Yahir was going and he told Sumayah, so she volunteered to serve as backup. A Prime Priestess can indeed create a lot of damage, so 9 warriors and a Prime Priestess standing by. They would have to return in the planes, sending 10 was Ayana's limit for now, and the team did have 3 who knew how to fly. I was feeling better about this already.
Natalia and her group reached The Weer safely and were now negotiating with Alpha Dawda. It was taking too long... What the fuck?!
"Gloria patch me through to Natalia." She connects me to Talia.
"Mouth this is Raven do you copy?" And then I hear her.
"Loud and clear Raven it's good to hear your voice, over!" She knows when to make it short.
"Mouth we have eyes on you, why are you not on the move, over?!" They are 35 minutes over the projected window.
"It's Alpha Dawda, he doesn't like the idea of a female Alpha, over!" Are you fucking kidding me!
"Mouth, connect me to Dawda now!" This is bullshit!
"He can hear you Raven, over!" I am not putting my own kin at risk for misogynistic bullshit.
"Alpha Dawda, this is Alpha Loiza, your window to leave has passed if you want out it must be NOW!" And he's online.
"I do not accept the terms, our pack has never been lead by a woman! You may be my Luna if---" Fuck that!
"Dawda I AM ALPHA HERE! The terms are none negotiable, if you don't take them I won't risk the others any longer. Either you are ruled by a woman or stay there and keep surviving until you eventually die and then NO ONE will rule your pack because it's going to be eliminated. You have 30 seconds to make your choice, you and your people can come and be ruled by me or you can stay and die. If you do prefer to die I'll respect your choice! 30 seconds starting now!" What an idiot!
"Mouth, start count down! If his answer remains as a no you're to haul ass and bring the others to safety, do you copy?" His pride is going to kill them not the rogues!
"Roger that! My group is ready! Over!" 30 seconds.
It only took half! "Raven, the PACK accepted the terms and Dawda doesn't have a choice anymore! Some had already packed, we are heading out now! Over!" An Alpha who leads with out regards for his people is no Alpha!
"Roger that! We have eyes on you and standing by with backup, I'm connecting you back to The Head. Goddesses speed Mouth, Raven out!" I hand the comms back to Gloria and we watch and wait.
We can see them leave the compound and taking the route to the base and just when they are about two kilometers away Ura sees something.
"What's that?" He points to about four kilometers away from their right flank.
Gloria alerts them..."Mouth, there is threat approaching your right flank! Put more speed and Warriors to enforce it! Over!" She says calmly, she's always been good at reassuring us in the field. If we would hear any alarm in the pitch of her voice we knew we were in deep shit.
"Roger that!" And we see her team enforce their right. I link Braka and Ayana.
'General, have your team ready on my order!'
'As you command Cacique.' It's stressful and nerve wreaking but I forgot how much fun it was!
Bayo, looked more closely at the image... "Order the team to move NOW, look at the numbers!" And shit! There's hundreds!
'NOW Braka! And I want prisoners for interrogation!' 'Sumayah, block their path and rain fire on them!'
'As you say Alpha!' The portal opens and the team is there. Sumayah raises a stone barrier and some of the Warriors in Natalia's team join ours.
"Mouth stay on route to the base! Pick your choice, they have 7 transport planes to pick from, hold your position and stand by for the team! Hatuey, Susana and Arasibo are with them, so tell Umbros to take right chair. Over." Gloria instructs. Yeah, that will ensure a safe return for everyone!
The Warriors incapacitate five and take them as prisoners while Sumayah burns the rest to a crisp! Meanwhile Natalia's team reaches the base and human soldiers open fire. Without silver bullets her team makes fast work of them while Umbros instructs every one to board the three chosen planes. The soldiers start running from the sight of horse sized wolves ripping them to shreds. We made sure to kill their cameras and all satellite visual to the base from any country... They are clear!
The other team heads to the base to join Talia's group and they board the planes and everyone is in!
"Mouth here! We are ready for take off, we have disabled tracking devices. Over!" Fuck YEAH!
"Copy Mouth, we have visual, over!" Gloria responds with a huge smile on her face and we are all whooping and high-fiving as they take off! Blessed Be!
"We're coming home! Tell Domingo he better have my favorite waiting! Over!" Ha!
I take the comms... "Roger that! I will make sure of it Mouth! Raven out!" I should take about 6 to 7 hours for them to arrive. No wonder Tía and Gloria love this job! I sit back and let the tension wash over and can't help but smile.