Chapter Three - What Have I Gotten Myself Into?

Leandros’s POV 

 I glanced at the dynamite sitting beside me in the cab as we sped towards the airport in Hay River. Had I done the right thing? I knew Zephyrus would be mad at my impulsive behavior. I just hoped this didn’t have a negative impact on Hera’s life! 

A million dreadful thoughts flitted across my mind, but it was too late. I had already done the unthinkable! 

Hera might be Zephyrus’s twin, but she meant more to us than anyone else in the entire world. After losing our families, we treated her as our sibling, our sister. For twenty long years, we grew up together, fought battles, and comforted one another. I still remember the fateful night twenty years ago when the White Ridge Pack had attacked our village of Lucania. Alpha Achilles, Felixe’s father, and Alpha Atticus, his uncle, used unfair means to overpower us, killing our parents and forcing us to flee our home, our territory, and our village, Lucania. 

My twin, Alexandros, and I became orphans overnight. Zephyrus and Hera’s parents, Alpha Demetrius and Luna Odessa, died fighting and so did our father, Elias Vasiliou, the Zeta of the pack. It was the worst night of our lives as we lost our little sister, Andressa, too, in the war. If she hadn’t ventured out without our knowledge to save our father, she would have been alive and escaped with us. We took shelter in Zephyrus’s ancestral kingdom of Aromania, Greece, and grew up together as siblings. 

Therefore, Hera was our only sister now. I could do anything to protect her. The news of her abduction made my blood boil, and we sought Felixe Andreadis out from his hiding place, but I hadn’t expected to meet my mate there! 

What was worse was the age difference! How could I fall for a female nine years younger than me? How could I give in to her immature suggestion and abduct her when she hadn’t even turned eighteen?

I had surely gone insane!

This was suicide. Zephyrus would kick me out of the pack! Hera would hate me for jeopardizing her relationship with her mate while Felixe would declare war on us! 

What had I done?

“Having second thoughts, enemy Leandros?” her sweet chirpy taunting voice brought me out of my daze. The smirk on her pink pouty lips and the mirth in her vibrant baby-blue eyes were a sight to behold. 

“No, are you?” I had to lie to save my honor, my *ss, and my ego! Surely, I couldn’t own up to the blunder I had committed! I was sure she was my mate, and I wanted to spend time with her. This was the only to connect with her! 

“No, I’m loving it! This is fun!” I raised an eyebrow at her. Was she crazy? How could getting abducted be fun?

“Why did you do it? Don’t you love your uncle?” She gave me a bored look and turned away without a reply. 

“My wish! I’m not answerable to you!” I rolled my eyes at the impossible creature. She might be delicate, doe-eyed, with an angelic glow on her features, but she was far from angelic! She was a devil, and I fell for her at first sight! 

Who would have thought that the notorious player of Aromania and Lucania could ever fall for someone? I had everything: a successful business, lots of money, good looks, and power! Why wouldn’t I lead a reckless life? I never gave a d*mn about the consequences! Almost all females in Aromania knew me, and craved me! They could give anything to spend a night with me, but here I was, abducting a creature much younger than me and heading toward an uncertain future. 

“We’ve reached. Do you plan to sit there?” She gave me a clueless look, but I grabbed her hand and emerged from the car, heading straight to the airport terminal. 

“Let me go. I can walk on my own!” Didn’t she realize she was challenging my determination the more she fought me? Now I was desperate to prove her wrong and show her the mate bond that existed between us.

“Get used to it, mate!” She glared at me as if to defy the claim. 

“I’m not your mate.” I groaned, wondering how our Moon Goddess could do this to me. Couldn’t she have paired me with someone who was my equal in every sphere? How did I always fall into trouble? 

My phone buzzed with an incoming call from Zephyrus, but I ignored it. I couldn’t face him now! He would lecture me like he did the last time I had to flee Aromania! It wasn’t my fault then. It was all because of the crazy Dimitra Argus, princess of the neighboring kingdom of Argyros. 

I didn’t want to think of her at all! I had buried that part of my past and moved on ahead! Now that I had met my mate, I wanted nothing more. Lyra might be full of mischief, but she wasn’t evil! 

“Can’t you take the call? It’s disturbing!” Her voice brought me back to reality, and I muted the phone as we waited to board our flight. “I’m hungry! I had to skip dinner last night and breakfast this morning too. All because of you.” 

“You give me too much credit, little mate!” She glared at me, hating the nickname. 

“I’m not little and neither am I your mate, enemy Leandros!” She still glared at me, but I held her gaze in a staring contest, refusing to bow down. 

“I’m Leandros to you, just Leandros! You can call me baby, too!” Strangely, she blushed and looked away, making my organ tingle with excitement. 

“Your name is fine! Anything to stop you from calling me that!” I smirked, not promising her anything. I noticed the way she refrained from calling me by my name! How long would she avoid me? Four months would be over in the blink of an eye and nothing could stop me from claiming her as my mate! 

Our flight was announced, and we boarded in no time. She sat beside me with a sulk. “Why are we going to Inuvik?” 

“My wish!” 

“What does that mean?” I knew she was ready to fight me.

“I’m not answerable to you, Lyra Andreadis! You wanted me to abduct you, and I did. So, just sit back and enjoy!” She gave me a bewildered look but stopped arguing thankfully. Our breakfast arrived, and she tucked in. I noted the exuberance in her as if she wasn’t bothered about being kidnapped by the enemy gamma and taken away to the enemy kingdom! 

What could drive her to take such an extreme step? Was she heartbroken because of Nick Berkeley’s betrayal? Unknown to her, I had been watching her from the moment she walked into the club with her group! I knew instantly she was my mate! It took me time to grasp the fact, and I followed her movement around like a crazy stalker before pouncing on Nick! How could she agree to come along with such a guy? Maybe the same way she came with me! 

Jealousy coursed through me at the thought. Did she tag along with any guy, not thinking of the consequences?

“You didn’t tell me why we’re going to Inuvik?” She continued, and I gave her an amused look. I knew she was dying of curiosity, but so was I. 

“Neither have you told me why you cracked this abduction plan. Do you devise such a plan with all random guys? Like with Nick Berkeley, and then with me?” She gaped at me for a while, taking in the annoyed look on my face. Then, realizing what I had implied, she gave me a look of disgust. 

“Do you know how disgusting you are? Your mind is full of filth. Now I’m repenting of this totally! I just wanted to get away from my uncle’s prison and enjoy life for a change. I thought I could escape Uncle Derrick’s 24/7 stalking, but I was wrong. You’re worse than them.” 

She went into a bout of silence and then fell asleep. It gave me the time to clear my head and plan my next course of action. 

We reached Inuvik, and I nudged Lyra. When she didn’t wake up, I picked her up on my shoulder and walked out with the humans ogling at us. I didn’t care. Obviously, I couldn’t leave her on the airplane. Lyra came to her senses and struggled to get free. “Hey, I’m awake now! Can you put me down?” I didn’t pay any heed to her. We were already near the terminal where I could see my PA, Brian McKenna, waiting with my car. 

Lyra struggled as I stormed towards my car. Brian’s eyes widened at the sight of me! “Hello, s-sir! Welcome b-back!” he stammered in confusion. 

“Hello, Brian! Thanks, hop in!” He looked ill at ease, his glance going towards Lyra. 

“Please carry on, sir. I’ll wrap up some personal work here in Inuvik before heading home.” I placed Lyra down and helped her to the passenger seat. As I drove out towards the highway away from Inuvik, she sighed and turned towards me. 

“Stop the car, Leandros. I want to go home.”