Chapter 128: The Drag

Loiza's POV

"Who's coming? Seriously Izzy? An hour drive? Can't you just order someone with a helicopter or something? I've never been in one and I'm hungry!" Nina complained. She's is just like Umbros, she can't drive for shit. Cressy is a decent driver but I don't know if she's ever raced, Ayana however is very good! Maco taught Ura, Lola and me and we would sneak out to race at The Drag in the mountains, we only got caught twice and we did spend those nights in the dungeons laughing our asses off. Dad would get us in the morning asking who won.

A portal opened with Cressy, Ayana and Alpha Hiroto Ogawa whom I can feel through the link is still trying to understand our ways. Ayana winks at me... 'He doesn't know either so shush!' My smile just grows! My friends come at me and jump me each giving me a kiss on each cheek like we would do to each other on our own birthday.

"Ok, ok I feel the love!" They let me breathe. I look at Hiroto and greet him, I didn't read anything in the reports of what they did for fun.

"Hiroto, I hope you have been enjoying your new home so far!" He looked at Ayana adoringly. Ayana is fae, they're sexual culture is... Unbounded.

"Hai Alpha, I am VERY satisfied!" I thought so!

"Ayana can you do the honors please?" She opens a portal and we're in front of Le Nouveau Lieu.

"I sure hope everyone is hungry for French cuisine and don't worry... It's Nina's treat! Isn't she awesome?!" Ura and Freya buckled laughing and Ura raised both his arms.

"And it's GOOOOOOD!" He exclaimed like scoring point for game.

"I swear to the Goddesses I WILL get back at BOTH of you fuckers! You're sooooo on my SHIT LIST!" Poor Tony! He's really not laughing anymore, I'll make it up to him after dinner. Ayana and Cressy know me well enough to know that I am totally messing with Nina and take cue... And it seems Ayana has linked instructions to her own confused mate.

"Thanks Nina! Well damn! I guess we got here just in time!" Cressy pats her shoulder as she walks in ignoring Nina's outburst, as Ura holds the door for her.

"I heard this place is good, come anata, tonight is French night! Longue vie à la France!" And Ayana walks in with her arms around Hiroto's arm.

We all take our seats, order and start eating. I think I can soothe my beloved brother in law now.

'Tony? Act natural and contain your emotions from my sister. How are you holding up?' I ask Ura to pass me a roll.

'Izzy you ARE Hades incarnate! She's about to stab someone!' I spit my wine mildly onto my glass.

"Are you ok sweet sister?" Ura asked.

"A-ok dearest brother, just choked a little." Ok, let's see if there is some adventure in this Alpha. I know he has a heavy heart.

'Sorry, but we have laid back long enough... Don't worry about it, let me guess she is just angry now and her guilt has almost vanished?' I ask Hiroto if the food was good... It's actually amazing.

"Hai, I have never had food like you have here, we are now understanding the Greek code. The Council is treasonous indeed from keeping this information." Our spies inside different chapters all over the planet report that they DO have this information, that's without mentioning the information they have about us. Apparently they have sections in their libraries dedicated to us! How flattering. Our spies are gathering every bit of evidence to still have another trump card over them.

"Indeed." I link Ayana to carry the conversation and go back to Tony.

T: 'I know Izzy but---'

L: 'Do you like drag racing like the others? Well they're really STREET racing it's just we have called it either The Drag or La Fiebre for years.'

T: 'What?!'

L: 'Do you want to speed up the night?!' He looks at me with eyes like saucers. 'Don't look! Contain your emotions!' He goes casual again taking a sip of wine.

T: 'Fuck yeah!' I feel like his link has come alive again, so much for keeping emotions in check.

L: 'Good! Contact Delphine and Hatuey, tell them to gather The Drag at the new spot. Don't tell them I'll be there. This is for me, but I also want to make it up to you. Your first Circle Excursion has been a disaster.' I give him a wink when Nina was asking Ayana something about her hair.

T: 'Roger that!' And he goes to work. Cressy and Ayana know, so I link my last piece.

L: 'Ura! Keep eating normal.'

U: 'Whats the plan?' I also know Frey is listening in.

L: 'I told Tony to contact Delphine and Hatuey to gather The Drag!' I see a little smirk, but he's a pro, emotions steady and pouring some more wine in Frey's glass.

U: 'I love you!'

F: 'Me too, me too! I've been wanting to try it out!'

It took us a while longer to finish, I want to give The Drag time to gather. We used to steal Abuelo's old Mustang especially after I put it together and Dad let me put add ons. I don't think he expected me to add a nitrous oxide system, or change the seats... Or that I would change the whole exhaust system. Or that I would paint it matte black! When I unveiled it to him and my brothers their jaws dropped until Maco stood up and gave me a standing ovation and Ura and Bayo followed. My Dad just went to examine EVERYTHING!

"Mija if you're Abuelo saw this he would kiss you and throw your Tía Ayiti and me to the curb and name you his heir! HOW?!" I raised a book and handed to him. Abuelo died in the Great War protecting his Alpha, that's when my Dad had to step up and be named Beta of The Osupa.

"And to think all he had to do was pick a book!" Suania never even tried to take up the challenge and my Dad was actually ok with it. Besides, Nia was his darling little girl who dotted on her Daddy the most, and her commanding nature with her natural sweet charm towards him ALWAYS made him bite the bait. This is why I have always considered Nia much more cunning than Nina and had Dad eating out of her hand! Funny thing is that because of her way of snaking herself through the animosity within the family no one really notices it. I don't have a problem with her, I love her, but for Goddesses sake she can be insufferable sometimes. I'd rather have Nina's open arrogant persona than someone who's trying to play me to their will... I still got her good that time...


Antoine's POV

We are already hearing the commotion! I have to give it to my Alpha, she never fails with her surprises. I have been wanting to race since my previous pack found an old hobby within The Osupa. We used to have drag races years ago, however when the attacks started getting more frequent that I had to shut it down. I haven't raced in years, but since Nina told me to behave and not make her sister look bad I stayed away. And here is her sister the one who is actually inciting us to go wild!

Izzy, Ura, Freya and Ayana ran to check out the cars... I was in a conundrum because Nina was angry and I wanted to run with them to check the cars out, too but if I leave her alone she's going to chew me out later. Decisions, decisions! And then she gave me the green light, I love this woman!

"Go on... I know you really want to..." She said with the voice of complete defeat. Amaruq wanted to stay with her, he also wanted to race we were trying to determine the correct action when Izzy made it easy!

"Tony I command you to race!" Well that's, settled! I give my mate a cautious peck on the cheek.

"Hiroto do you race?" He had a smile but was shaking his head.

"Bango! But now I will learn!" Awesome!

"Chèri... Do you want--" Her glare made me take Hiroto with me ASAP to see the cars. And over the music, people dancing and the cars on display I heard Izzy and Ura about to kill someone! Merde!

"Are you fucking kidding me Hatuey?! You had it all this time and didn't bring it to us?! Do you have a DAMN DEATH WISH?!" Ura shoved his shoulders and raised a fist to beat him, I grabbed his fist in mid air. Only for Izzy to do it anyway! And his face..! Ugh!

"Alpha I..." His face was regenerating as he was trying to explain? Confess? Apologize? From Nina's memories I think I understand what happened.

"EXACTAMENTE! I AM YOUR DAMN ALPHA! What the fuck Hatuey?! Give me the damn keys! If you fucked up my car I swear I'll KILL YOU and send your head to your brother! Is THAT what THIS is about?! Do you even know what that car means to my family?!" She signals Ura to open the hood. And I see her checking everything! Why is this not in Nina's memories?

"Iz-- Alpha, I'm sorry it was just--" She goes to him with golden pools in her eyes takes him by the collar and brings him down to meet her gaze... The boy must be 6'7"! Almost a foot taller than her.

"SORRY MY ASS HATUEY! You though you could take MY GRANDFATHER'S car and think I wouldn't find out?! Boy did you loose your damn mind?! Thank the Goddess for her mercy and the love I have for your sister, your uncle and your family! Get out of my fucking sight and tell your brother that if he has beef with me he can come to my office and tell it to my fucking face! HAVE I MADE MYSELF CLEAR?!"

The boy looked like he was going to cry, Izzy didn't give an Alpha command... She didn't have to, her aura with Aryn's was so strong that EVERYONE in the link there were terrified... Including me. We were all trembling, except for Ura and Freya who where inspecting the car bumper to bumper. I looked at Nina and she's got tears in her eyes, trembling. Cresta isn't in the link but she's not well either. Even Ayana looks like she's seen a ghost, but Cresta goes next to Ayana and their Priestess marks are shinning yellow and I notice so is Izzy's. Immediately we all have a sense of serenity, we all took a collective breath... Ma Déesse!

"Sorry that all of you had to see that, now you know! If this is how I get about someone messing with my car, imagine what I'll do to anyone who messes with my people... Can someone get me a creeper and a beer please!" And suddenly everyone started cheering!

"Fukanō! The Goddess is merciful indeed!" I look at Hiroto. I see the girl I doubted in the same awe.

"Now I understand why more often than not they call her Cacique instead of Alpha." Nina comes over and takes my hand, she's wiping her tears but she looks like she's about to laugh. I still have much to understand about them.

"Oh my Goddess that was so BITCHIN! Last I felt her aura like that was when Mt. Cemí blew! Finally this day got good!" I looked at her in shock!

"Nani? The mountain?! Wasn't she a Gamma then?!" I'm so glad Hiroto asked.

"Are you saying that she could do this BEFORE?!" And she smiles triumphantly looking at her sister with pride.

"Of course! She IS an Osupa Priestess after all! Now do you understand why Talia wasn't worried when she was negotiating with you? Obviously her power back then was not as it is now! Now she carries the power of a Cacique crowed by the Goddesses, so naturally everyone was receiving that enormous energy, I was tearing up because I never got used to it, but did you see Ura and Freya? Ura has hanged out enough around Izzy to already be completely used to it, she can probably go in a rage and he will be completely unaffected... And by default Frey! THAT gentlemen, is the Alpha that protects us... Fucking car has more lives than a cat!" She bites her lip and shakes her head. "Can you imagine how much stronger she will be when Kayden moves his pack here?!" She let go of my hand and runs to her sister they fist bump each other and hug. And Ayana and Cressy high five each other while Ura is revving up the engine. These siblings are... I have no words.

"You hadn't felt this before today?" Hiroto asked. I shake my head.

"No! She's very good at keeping her rage and anger in check. All I know is that now more than ever I definitely don't want her as my enemy! Dude she's going to start Alpha training with us in a few days! We're going to spar with her!" I hear him gulp. And if the Goddess mated her with Kayden, he can either be as powerful or have the potential to. If Nina was as disciplined in combat she could reach a very high potential, but the Osupa respect the Greek coding and as a Kappa her discipline lies in her passion, I couldn't do what she does either. She has dedicated most of her life on the study of her own craft that's why she's a Master and well respected among her tribe in spite of all the hell she has risen in the past! But Kayden... He's an Alpha too!

"I definitely made the right choice to bring my people here!" Hiroto says... If I would have taken my people to Sardinia both Cesar and I probably would be dead instead of street racing and enjoying life, the tough of that possible miscalculation could have cost us everything!

"I was doubtful..." I feel shame.

'Get over here and tell me what you think of my handiwork and stop sulking Tony, I know what you feel, I command you to stop kicking yourself.' Izz's voice in my head brought me to reality, she didn't use her Alpha voice. She just wanted me to relax. I need a serious conversation with my mate, she has to make amends with her family. She might have her shit with Bayoán, but to be fair Izzy and him are taking the bulk of the responsibilities and I know that there's much they don't disclose to keep the tribe as relaxed as it is. We go over and inspect the car and Izzy is checking another car while Ura is under theirs. He gets up and is beaming.

"Nothing was changed! Stupid Hatuey couldn't even be creative enough to do anything else to it! I can work, fix and drive them but to put it together from scratch? I was never able to, I did build the motor though. Still, she and Maco made improvements, she's always been good with puzzles." What? I look at my mate.

"Why can't I find this in your memory?" She looked uncomfortable at the question.

"Because I fucking hate this car... Look I didn't even try to put it together. But now that that idiot Hatuey TRIED to take it pisses me off! Good car!" I look under the hood and it's a masterpiece!

"Hey Tony..." She throws a pair of keys at me and she's finishing up a transaction. "Thanks for taking care of her Chelo! I'm glad you had fun!" It's a cherry red 1996 Honda Accord. Against a customized Mustang?

"... Let's race!" And she gets into the Honda.

"Ura is she serious?" He closes the hood of the Mustang.

"Yeah, it's HER car! She's always felt more comfortable racing it." He said. I guess my confused face gave me away.

"The Mustang was Dad's car. Maco and Izzy built their own. Because she did such an awesome job with the Mustang, Dad wanted to SEE her do another one by herself. So he got her the Honda! You should have seen it then, it looked ready for the junkyard! She LOVES that car! Chelo found it, he had already contacted Maco telling him he had it but needed to be picked up here since he moved and hadn't had the chance to take it to Itiba. Maco's Subaru was found too! It was the Mustang we thought was lost forever! Hatuey will be wearing his brown pants for a while." And now I see why they laid the smack down on Nina... They all really had a good relationship with their father but for many years my beloved wicked mate had antagonized it because of her selfishness. Sigh... She comes over still with that smile that melts me, she looks so giddy and mischievous.

"You want a good luck kiss?!" She's something else! Ha!

"You better chèri! If I wreck this car don't worry about any Heat ever again!" She starts laughing.

"Nah, it's just a car! And knowing them..." She looks at her siblings driving the cars to the starter line. "... They would just put it back together, with Maco and Bayoán!" She doesn't see it herself.

"Yo Tony we don't have all night! I'm a busy woman you know!" It's ON!