Chapter 147: The Greeting

Marcus POV

Great! Even Avis finds his mate! If this island is as big as Jacob says, mine could be here and I'm already feeling anxious. The kids started to join the Osupa ones playing in the expanse of the open fields. There are tents to accommodate any needs anyone may have, everyone is just walking around and taking everything in. A lot of the teenagers go directly to look at the massive walls with sentinel forts here and there, and climb up on top of them, walking on top of it as it's 25 feet thick to look at the ocean at the bottom of the cliff, I was going to scold them at first, but Shomari stopped me, he shook his head.

"It's FINE Marcus! We won't be attacked by pirate's cannons today! The Fort, the grounds around it, the walls of the city... They belong to everyone! It's super early right now so mostly the younger kids are up, but wait till you guys come out later. It's Saturday so believe me this is going to be filled up with a ton of kids, teenagers making out by the wall, people going about their day, surfers racing to Fortaleza Beach... They've been cooped up in a plane and then a bus for quite a bit it's better if they just go ahead and be kids and blow off steam!" Adam, his brother Aaron and his mate Haylee sit on the grass and let their pups join the other kids that wanted to explore the ancient wall.

"Beta Shomari, is it true?! Pirates attacked Karaya?" He smiled at them.

"Yup! Let's just say that Sir Francis Drake is not considered a knight in Karaya, here he is known as the PIRATE Francis Drake, he did attack The Citadel in 1596 and died very shortly after, it is reported that he died of dysentery in Panama, humans and their revised history... The Osupa poisoned him before he could disclose their location, all of his ship logs and diaries swapped for fake ones, the truth gone forever. And you see that bay over there?" He says pointing North where there's another cliff drop with a bay below it...

"That's Cofresí Bay, named after the pirate Roberto Cofresí, he was welcomed here and used to trade, he never disclosed our location and The Osupa would hide him... However he got caught and was executed by a firing squad... You guys will learn all about it in school!" The kids were fascinated by the story.

"WHOA! Were the ship logs really gone for good?" Adam's nephew Ben asked. Shomari shook his head.

"Nope! WE have them! I've seen them! And so can you guys... Wait till you go to the museum! They even have the ships and canoes they used to find this island. Even the Cacique's own family's boat is there! All of the families donated their boats to the tribe!" The kids go to tell the others and many run to the wall. A museum?!

"Marcus, the Cacique has ordered you go to her rooms to meet up with Alpha Kayden. Beta Víctor is coming out to escort you. Relax Marcus, Chandrama hasn't left the airport yet and we got it covered ok?" I see Beta Víctor coming our way.

"Hey Marcus, long time no see?" Indeed, he shakes my hand. Last time I almost got shot and blown to bits! Ha!

"Thank you for receiving us Beta, where is Beta Bayoán?" I asked as we head inside.

"He's on Leave, his son was born two nights ago! Another Beta!" A hybrid Beta?! Fascinating!

"Is the mother's health well? I have read that a hybrid birth strains the mother. Our own witch Endora could assist, she may not be as skilled, but she has proven helpful." She seemed like a tough one and if Selene mated them it means she's on another level.

"Morgana is well! She's the most powerful spellcaster on the island, and Bayoán's Leave will be as long as it needs to be to ensure the health of the mother as well as the pup's. The tribe knows the strain she's endured and the potential for such a mix, so we pick up the slack. That's why we just went ahead and chose Shomari, does it make sense? Oh, and she does want to meet Endora, I know Phoebe went hard on her line of questioning, sorry about that. As fae you can imagine her distrust... Nevermind we just wanted some answers." Kayden had told me that this guy had history with Loiza, yet she named him her Beta, he didn't like it at first then something changed that even he seems to trust Víctor's judgement. And from what I know MYSELF of her, she puts the right person to the post that feeds MOST to their strengths.

"Absolutely! That's a very good plan indeed... How successful are the mutations?" I already read that this is Beta Instruction 101. They have a fascination for what we consider a genetic problem, they see it as a genetic potential! And just when he's going to explain we are at the entrance... This is definitely not a pack house... I gulp.

We're greeted by two massive dark varnished oak doors that must be over 20 feet tall. Behind it, an ornamental cast iron gates with leaves details that lead to a magnificent inner courtyard with two pools surrounded by walkways which are roofed by balconies from the floors above, so that if it rains those walking the halls don't get wet, however the rain will fall freely upon the pools. They are lined by spiral columns and in the middle of the courtyard an ancient tree with blooming red flowers. From the balconies lush green plants grow freely downwards, and some snake their way down the columns. The floors are made of black large stone slabs that definitely look centuries old.

"I don't think I have been in such a magnificent place!" I can't help it! This is insane!

"Meh... Wait till you visit Tenochtitlan! Now THAT is truly Magnificent! This was the home of ALL our ancestors once! THIS is where our history begins. The Fort is a public building and belongs to the tribe, however after the Legacy families moved out, our ancestors decided to grant the Caciques and their families to stay there. It helps to run government in a more structured way, you'll get to study all of it, BESIDES everything else The Council didn't inform you." Ok, it's not just numbers, it's history and strategy AND trying to be as strong as possible as the Alpha! This curriculum is making me a little nervous... He sees my clear discomfort.

"Relax man, the first rule is never let them see you sweat! You'll do fine, it's not you guys fault that you didn't receive the appropriate education. As long as you make sure that the next generation has every piece of data before making their own conclusions it's worth it. That's why we prefer not to censor anything... We just don't understand why all this information was denied to you guys to begin with. I mean it makes no sense from keeping this information from Betas, I've seen in more than one occasion an Alpha go fully feral. It completely destroys a pack! Those checks and balances are there for a reason." Yeah, he does sound more reasonable than from what I remember Bayoán.

We go to the right hall and reach a stairwell to what I asume is the second floor..."This building looks huge from the outside, how many floors does it have?" We walk the balcony halls of the floor just above the inner courtyard we were just at and there are dozens of dark oak doors that I assume are bedrooms or apartments.

"Well, we came in through the third floor and--" I stop him.

"Wait, THIRD floor?" He smiles.

"Marcus ask your brother later, the library here has all of that information and original blue prints, I'm sure he'll give you a tour... I mean, even school kids get to visit! It's a complicated structure, there's time to show you everything, but you have to remember that this is not a pack house, our ancestors were not looking for a place to fraternize, they needed a place to survive." All I know is that this place is insane, I can smell the kitchens, the ocean, flowers from a garden.

"Izz! The Alpha's brother, you good?" And Kayden opened the doors, the scent different but ok.

"Yeah! Thanks Vic! What's the stat with Chandrama?" Loiza asks as she is having her hair braided. She winks at me through the mirror and Kayden who's looking really good with some simple black slacks and white button shirt with rolled sleeves, walks with me out to the balcony, the rooms are bitchin but THIS!

"Nice huh?! How was your flight brother?" I could use a shower! But this... I look at the water and there's a fucking huge Killer Whale pod way down in the waters below! And a raven perched on a chair?

"It's been smooth... Avis found his mate!" For real! Ugh! I'm so letting this get to me I'm feeling like Adam here!

"No shit!" And from inside I hear Loiza ask who.

"Not sure on name but she's Joey's twin! And we go back to where they're still braiding her hair in a VERY complicated looking braid.

"That's Sammy! Wait! Didn't Joey kick his ass?" Ha! I think Adam is on to something with the spy shit! I guess it IS useful to have a spy network!

"That would be correct beautiful!" And Kayden kissed his Mark making her smile and blush but she stayed focused, helping herself in parts of the complicated braid. They look... ok... And now that I see them like this, they do make a very handsome couple.

"Well he's fucked! Joey's my girl, but in the field we are very careful with the team we choose. If an Epsilon was needed no matter what camouflage was required I always chose Sammy and Ura would always back it! If it's not a white out mission, the Spogels will usually dye their hair. In fact the mission that we finished the fastest was a team consisting of Sammy, Victor, Lola, Ura and myself! I think we finished that mission in less than 4 hours when we were given a month to solve it! We had a lot of fun in Spain! Just make sure that at the very least you're able to pass the test to leave the island so that you can travel abroad. Self-control is really the hardest thing that we have noticed everyone has had but once they get over with it they're totally fine." Oh well Avis, I guess we'll see how pussy whipped YOU are in 24 hours!

"Marcus we wanted to bring you up to meet some people. Sorry I had to keep it from you, only Jason knew... a-and he was being held hostage by The Osupa! Savage people you should run brother!" She clicks her tongue and rolls her eyes at him.

"Let The Luna in please." She instructs, Luna? I didn't get to see her at Blood Moon, and in comes an elegant, tall woman in her prime with ash blonde hair also in an elegant braid and dark coffee brown eyes. Lydia would talk about Isla's beauty with some reproach, she is indeed a very beautiful woman! But in her arms is a baby then another woman comes in with another. I look at Kayden... How?!

"Are they yours?!" I ask him and see daggers from Loiza in the mirror. Fuck!

"Smell yourself brother!" I take the boy carefully, he does have his exact eyes, Mom's eyes. I scent him and it's there, his blood matches ours! I breathe in his scent and Kay comes for him so I could take the other one... I look at Loiza, I thought Kayden had it though... She was PREGNANT and dealing with all this storm! I take the girl in my arms... The same eyes, the same scent. My kin!

I press her gently to me and keep smelling her hair. Isla and the other lady go sit on a couch by Loiza and she takes the strands of her hair that she was holding for the braid.

Kayden signals me to follow him outside, he still has the boy in his arms... I never would have imagined that he would have this much skill with pups and yet he looks like he's done it a hundred times.

"Sooooo, I guess you have a lot of explaining to do brother, let's start with something simple like, HOW?! These pups look quite hefty and she wasn't pregnant in London... What are their names?!" He smiles wiping something off the boy's shirt.

"Izz, got her Heat a day after we met, she was already an Alpha and gaining that physiology when we mated. She was fertilized immediately..." He explained everything to me. How he would sneak over here and give her post natal care, he even showed me the video of the pups birth, the particulars of the pregnancy, the mutation of their skin and the video of Loiza pleading for Kayden to get it together so he could be by her side.

"You knew since London? Brother, I don't know what to say! Congratulations on getting your family back! No wonder you were so desperate... And she named him after Deacon?! Ha! She IS a smart woman... It's like she wanted to give you credit yet it was your wolf who stayed truly loyal to her. Alpha Deacon, Alpha Jade... Nice ring to either. Do they have a system to determine who will rule?" Alpha TWINS, I don't remember there being such a phenomena in our family.

"Yeah, it's fine... Deacon was the one who kept pushing for me to just come clean, needless to say that he can't stop purring around them and the fact that Izzy acknowledges his love and loyalty, he loves her even more." So basically he wants to mate her himself, not with Kayden between them.

"They will determine who rules later, they have a system, but if one sibling refuses the challenge it goes to the other. That's what happened to her mother and her brother Alpha Gúarionex... Apparently SHE was the stronger yet she vouched for him. And because of him being first born and she being female, The Osupa accepted it." I have only heard of very few female Alphas leading a pack.

"Well I guess the success in her rule so far, especially with everything that's happened and so many submitting to her, might just change that not just for them, but for other packs." He thinks while inhaling Deacon's scent before kissing the top of his head.

"Maybe." He says looking at Jade.

"Either way brother, they are adorable and definitely look very strong!" He hands me Deacon and takes Jade and he smells her hair closing his eyes... A small frown on his brow.