I think Ivan handled it well. He set the expectation that he is here for business, and it's on Finn to keep his people in line.
Waiting at the docks for my cousins and their mates to return from the heat island was uncomfortable. Thankfully, it wasn’t a big affair. I mean, there were several of us waiting, but Finn and Lorna were the only ones of rank from Ironfur present. The bulk of us waiting were all heading to Nebrodi today. I didn’t know how their arrival would go down, leaving me almost as anxious as I was about getting on a jet soon. Finn and Lorna were sticking to one side while Damon stood on the other next to the ever-silent but imposing Ivan, leaving me, Gunnar, and Zoe in the middle. Well, Zoe, not so much. She talked to her dad, reviewing the flight itinerary and precautions for transporting Primo and Livia to Sicily. I wanted to clear the air, at least a bit, especially when I saw a boat headed our way. “So, let’s just all get on the same page. By order of their Alphas, Primo and Livia must return to Sicily. If Ashley or Dean don’t like this, they are shit out of luck because their mates are pa
Two jets stood ready to go. Ivan was already on the first watching Primo. Damon hung back, watching Dean and Livia say goodbye to Dean’s parents. I stared anxiously at the second jet, knowing I’d be expected to board it with Gunnar and Zoe soon. Why did I agree to this? I felt like I was going to have a panic attack. It’s not a good start to this endeavor. “It’s going to be okay. I promise. I’ll be at your side the whole time.” Zoe assured me, wrapping her arms around me for a hug. “Yeah… I know.” I nodded as I returned the hug, hoping the bond would help ease the anxiety. ‘You’re going to be fine.’ Pollux sighed. ‘Not only will you have Zoe, you have me. You’ve not tried to get on a plane since I was awakened. And I’m a little offended you didn’t think having your wolf would in some way help ease your worries.’ “It’s time to take off.” Damon declared, waving for Dean and Livia to get on board. “See you when we land.” He waved to us. We watched them load up since they’d taxi out
I had been worried about how the flight would go. Even with Henrik expressing interest in trying my distraction plan, I knew there was a chance it would fail. We had alternate plans at the ready. If my plan hadn’t worked, he would’ve let Pollux have control since the fear is his, not his wolf’s. And as much as I’d have liked to spend time with Pollux, I’m glad it didn’t come to that. I won’t say I cured Henrik’s fear of flying. I’m not that stupid. You can’t just fix something like that with a snap of your fingers. I managed to distract and tire him out, so the panic didn’t take root. And no, it wasn’t a fourteen-hour fuck fest. I might have a high sex drive, and as werewolves, we all have great stamina, but even when the spirit is willing, the flesh does get weak. So there was cuddling and napping as little breaks and intermissions. Our flight taxied second onto the small airstrip built where the three packs connected. Papa’s jet landed first with Ivan and the prisoners… people of i
Having people tell us that the Sicilian Alpha families were scary as fuck is very, VERY fucking different than feeling it for myself. It was all good at first. Then, Alpha Alec, I don’t know what he did, but that aura of his is scary as fuck. I’ve met my share of Alphas, and being the son of one, none of them have ever put out an aura that intense, least of all with so little effort. And now I have to get in a car with this guy? ‘So, Darkness is his wolf?’ I asked in our link as we followed Alpha Alec to our ride. ‘Yes and no.’ Zoe unhelpfully explained. ‘Care to elaborate?’ I asked. ‘Zio Alec’s wolf’s name is Chesed. That’s the wolf he awakened when he was sixteen. Darkness is something different. Darkness is the ancient wolf spirit that founded Incubi with his mate, Light. He is reincarnated every so many generations of D’Amores, but they must accept him and be mated to the host of Light for him to awaken truly.’ Zoe explained. ‘So… Alpha Alec and Luna Crista have two wolves?’ H
Thankfully, the drive from the airport went well. Chesed tried to rear his ugly head, but I handled him. I wouldn’t let him give my mates any shit or try to scare them with his driving. I want to protect them from that while I can. Goddess knows Kat will eventually get them in a car while she is driving, and like the rest of us, they’ll forever fear being in a car when she drives. We arrived at the Nebrodi patrol office with a plan. My mates would monitor their cousins to ensure they didn’t interfere with what needed to be done. I hoped the McBroom siblings wouldn’t cause problems, but better to be safe than sorry. As we pulled up behind the other cars, it was apparent who drove Tie and Kat’s SUV based on Dean’s pale and frightened expression as he stood with Livia. Of course, Kat was driving. Tie likes to drive, but when Kat decides she’s doing anything, nobody can stop her. She’s even more stubborn when pregnant, so there was no hope of compromise. Kat driving also explained how th
I wanted to switch jobs with Gunnar the second the door shut behind me, closing me in a small interrogation room with Alpha Alec D’Amore. He may have seemed less intimidating during the car ride here, but I knew that was only because he was talking to Zoe. I wasn’t about to forget that aura he was putting out at the airstrip. That kind of intense power isn’t something you forget. ‘I swear to Goddess Ashley, if you act up and piss off Alpha Alec, I’m not going to protect you. Pollux is strong, but he’s not stupid. Lavender isn’t stupid either, so she better keep you from doing something stupid.’ I warned in our family link as I guided her to stand against the wall near the door. I chose to stay near the door, so if Ashley did act up, I would drag her dumb ass out into the hall. I wanted us to stay out of the fucking way. Based on what Zoe told me about her cousin, Alpha André is unpredictable. Zoe said André is generally a fun-loving guy that Gunnar and I would get along with. That’s
The air in Sicily has been tense. Okay, that might be a bit dramatic of me, but it feels that way to my family. Ersilia is out there somewhere plotting against Alexander. She has his sperm, super gross, and her great-granddaughter Domitilla. All she needs is the blue moon to take a second shot at forcing this damn prophecy. There was less than a week before the next blue moon, and every day that brought us closer to it created more unease amongst the ranked wolves in the packs. We’ve been in Nebrodi for three weeks, and it feels like we’ve made zero progress. Livia has been showing Dean around Nebrodi and waiting until she can return to Ironfur. Primo is under house arrest in Madonie with Ashley until Ersilia is found, and then… I don’t know what André will do with him. I only know that Kat lifted the magic Ersilia was using on him to keep him safe, not that Ersilia has shown herself in all this time. This lack of even a clue to where she went was pissing me off. Okay, it’s pissing u
Adjusting to living in Nebrodi hasn’t been smooth sailing. Henrik and I are doing our best to study that EIGHT HUNDRED PAGE guide to being a Nebrodi Beta Luna Katrina gave us, but we didn’t have much time to focus. There is a witch out there looking to mess with our mate’s family, and she needs to be put down. We’ve spent most of our time as our wolves running all over Sicily trying to sniff the hag out. Even with a scent sample of her and her great-granddaughter, whom she kidnapped, we’ve come up with nothing. It’s frustrating for everyone searching for her. That’s why Isadora was insistent that we come for dinner. She said her family needed time away from the hunt. Given that I found Zoe looking at real estate listings, I had to agree that she could use the mental break. Thankfully, Zoe didn’t put up much of a fight about attending dinner at her parents’ house. While she got ready, my brother and I got changed and waited for her. I felt overdressed when Zoe walked out in jeans. Sh