Chapter 151: Status

Lola's POV


I think I'll always feel somewhat responsable for what Ishaan did. Darpan used to be his Alpha, his friend... When we arrived at Chandrama and I found Ishaan I felt complete! I had a long relationship with Lorenzo, Daniella's nephew and a very skilled doctor from the Trudeau family. After I turned 18 and he wasn't it we stayed together. He was my first love but we had a very bad fallout before I left for France... When Mt. Cemí blew he was among the dead and since Mami was presumed dead too I didn't see much use to return home. We quarreled over something as stupid as me moving in with him, I'm 22 and wasn't ready to take our relationship of 5 years to the next level. He was 27 and didn't expect to find his mate and I really wasn't looking for mine... I guess the love I had for him wasn't enough.

Ishaan knows everything. And even though Daniella and the rest of the Trudeau family have told me over and over that what happened to Enzo wasn't my fault, it still breaks my heart. Our last words were spoken in anger and disdain and now he's gone and I will never be able to repair our relationship. I see Izzy and Víctor and feel jealous of how they mended theirs. I went with them, Ura and Sammy in enough missions to know what was up and even though it took them a while they remembered that they genuinely loved each other and were able to adjust their love to good friendship. Lorenzo was a great boyfriend, but he was also a good friend... I miss him.

India was chaos! At least in France, Antoine was reasonable and was still a competent Alpha, but Darpan... He would have allowed every member to die to not give up his ever disappearing power. Ishaan was DONE with his bullshit before we arrived but when we met he wasn't going to allow me to stay in that hell and I wasn't going to leave him, so Darpan had to go and the pack was behind their Beta... They were done too.

After the ceremony Janaína vowed to get his family situated while he received treatment. Every Beta was looking at him impressed... To be able to do what he did took almost everything from him. He puts up a strong front and smiles for my sake, for his family and pack, but I know it almost broke him. Since Jana took that worry from him, Daniella and Tatiana have been treating him. After a few days he got his appetite back and sleeps through the night soundly.

'Hey Lola, how's he doing?' Nina had already told me that we are meeting up today as a family to vent out and repair our relationship. Easier said than done, however I'm onboard with this. I am so fucking sick of the petty bullshit in our family and I would definitely like to know what the fuck made Umbros so hostile towards me... We weren't always like this! When we were kids, he was an awesome big brother, I tried ignoring him in the beginning and then his words would be more vicious. Enzo used to say that he was just a bitter jackass, but why would he be bitter at me? He would even snap at Tali when she would try to calm us down.

I look at Ishaan he still has a slight frown when he sleeps, I comb my fingers through his soft hair and his face relaxes.

'He's doing better, at what time do you want me over at the house?' I always lived at The Fort but I know that our HOME is our ancestral house just down the road, where the bones of our ancestors lie... Where MY bones will rest one day.

'Tatiana is going to give him another water cleanse today, he will heal cousin. Come over around 1:00, I'm going to start cooking so keep resting, ok?' As a Kappa, Nina is bar none the best cook in our family, she's no Domingo, but she's VERY good!

'Do you need help?' She knows it's bullshit, Gamma's suck at cooking, but I still can help her prep.

'It's fine sweetie, I have Maco and Amelia helping me prep. Just make sure to round up these idiots when you come over and don't worry about Umbros, Izzy and Ura are going to make sure he comes.' Sigh.

'Ok, see you in a bit.' Just then Tatiana links me for Ishaan's treatment. I start kissing his face little by little until he starts stirring.

"How long was I out Prem?" Over 16 hours, but he still needs more.

"As long as you had to Mi Amor, now get up. Tatiana is ready for another session with you and your taking a dive today!" He pulls me to him smiling and kissing me.

"Those are very relaxing, today is when you meet with your family right?" Even Mami has to go.

"Yeah." I ball myself in his strong arms and he kissed the top of my head.

"Lola this is good, you can get off your chest everything you want and get the answers you need baby. This is something that my sister has been wanting for a while as well for our family, maybe now that we are safe and healing we'll get to that." He has a big family and the strain of the past years is something that will crack relationships within a family.

He got up to get dressed to meet with Tatiana at Atabey General, the tanks for the treatments are all ready. Usually the hospital tends to be quite empty. Since The Incident, it has not stopped being full. The mind is the hardest thing to repair... Add to that the baby boom that started after the decimation of our people and all the refugees and the new members who receive treatment daily for the strain of all the strenuous training that they're now subjected to and still getting used to, and those who lost limbs are getting novel treatment that has helped those who lost minor things like toes and fingers get them back.

I get up too and join him in the shower and we can't help it anymore and we have a quickie... Back in India he would vent his anger and frustration when we fucked making those nights very intense! Just remembering opens Niagara Falls between my legs! It's been more subdued and tender since we got here, however I really want him to get better. I very much enjoy when we make love now, but there's days I want to go all out... I don't mind though, we have the rest of our lives.

We head over to the hospital and I listen with him the next steps for his recovery. Tatiana is actually very positive that he will be FULLY healed in less than a year! I comb my fingers through his hair and kiss his jaw and he gives me a hesitant smile.

"Don't worry Lola dear, we'll make a believer out of Ishaan that he will indeed heal! His serotonin and dopamine levels have shown a good increase in just a few days, he should be ready in less than a month to be able to start his training. He will of course continue to receive treatment because we definitely want him to be fully healed, however he is in the road to recovery whether he notices or not." Tatiana's apprentices have already prepped the tonics, potions and herbs that will go inside the tank along with my mate. At this point he really doesn't mind stripping anymore in front of everybody and as the apprentices adjust the mask over his nose and mouth I kiss him one last time on the cheek before he is inside the tank and he falls asleep again.

"Yo, don't worry, he's very strong sis, he'll be fine!" I had scent Tali, but the scent of the herbs, medications and disinfectants are overwhelming. Chis, Phis and Omegas are not just physically weaker, but their sense of smell is very particular to not be compromised by the scent of all the herbs and chemicals they have to deal with. That's what makes them exceptional at what they are, I hate going to the hospital as a patient let alone work there as a doctor! I look up at Tali and Marcus, and I finally catch her new scent.

"So that's what you've been doing? I thought you were just going through your regular routine after a mission. Welcome to our family Marcus!" I stand up and hug my new brother, if only he could replace my old one!

"Yeah, I was, only this time I had better entertainment!" I swear, her and Nina don't have an OUNCE of shame! Although I must admit, Tali usually kept it on the DL and Nina has become quite the model citizen. I look at Marcus with sympathy but he seems VERY happy. And so does she!

"It's good to officially meet you Lola! The circumstances we met last time were a little... chaotic." Yeah no shit! I chuckle remembering.

"C'mon Marcus, it wasn't so bad! As long as Umbros is not flying or driving I assure you'll be safe." Dumbass can't even keep a car steady!

"I've heard some stories!" With how gossip works here...

"With the chismosos in this pack no doubt!" I say looking at Talia with a raised eyebrow. Before she gives me shit about it...

"So what are you guys doing here?" I look at the time and get up to head to the house.

"We came to get you pendeja, you don't have to be a cunt about it!" I look down, her own birthday is a week from now. Unlike Izz, Tali LOVES her birthday parties.

"Tali, I'm sorry. I want to get this done and yet not you know? It just irritates me and because Ishaan is still recovering... Nevermind, it was my bad." I look at him in the tank and I feel Marcus putting his arm around my shoulder nudging me out.

"Lola, what he did was something I haven't heard any Beta do and your sister KNOWS your stress right baby?" He puts his other arm around Talia and we head out.

"I know, it's fine Lola and he is going to be fine too, ok?" She pinched my cheek gently. It's her little diffuser move to show there's no hard feelings.

"Ok. Still, you ARE a chismosa!" And they both chuckle.

"It's a good thing that I know how to tap into the Bond now and made sure to get my Spanish, French and Portuguese down. Now I just have to hack the rest!" Marcus says.

Ishaan did the same, he's even gotten better at sparing hand to hand in human form. I'm not as good with a bow and sharp shooting as Izzy and Ura, but I've always loved swordsmanship, in that they can't beat me. Sadly I lost my sword in the trek from France to Sardinia, damn rogue almost bit my arm off to get it and now it's at the bottom of the Mediterranean. I have to go to the armory to get another, I really missed having one in London and India. Good thing is Ishaan is a pro at Khadgavidya and his preferred type is the curved single-edge sword, however since everything happened so quickly many things that were packed to go we're left behind. Maybe Mami will lend me some money to commission one for him, since it's one of my skills that I use for work the Treasury will pay for one for me. Don't get me wrong, our family isn't poor by any means, but most of us are quite frugal. I have heard that Nina and Maco have been tapping into the family money but since it's to update the house everyone is on board with it.

"Which Portuguese did you learn?" I ask casually making small talk as we get in the car.

"What do you mean?" He asks with a bit of apprehension and I look at my sister.

"Talia, you have to explain to him that certain languages have variations. Marcus, Portuguese from Portugal and Brazil are different, there are even things they don't understand between each other. Like with Spanish... And I'm not talking about accents, we speak Castilian Spanish, yet there's Catalán, Gallego, the variant from Navarre and I consider it rude to add Basque to Spanish, but tell that to the Spanish government. And OUR particular Spanish is very similar to the one spoken in The Canary Islands." A great number of our ancestors from Spain hail from The Canary Islands, Cataluña and Andalusia. He looked at Talia while she drove.

"Is that true baby?! Shit... I'm going to need the Cliff Notes for everything you already know!" Yeah! The kids that have been arriving can't believe the amount of time they have to dedicate to school. They get in at 9:00 am, but they get out at 5:00 pm. But in that time they're thought combat training, basic survival skills, agronomy and sailing, besides the other disciplines of mathematics, science, languages, history, etc. However the kids don't get homework and in many cases there are other elective classes most kids take voluntarily after school. For us it was even more strenuous because we were educated at The Fort and Legacy families that are wealthier have their own teachers and trainers.

It's one of the many reasons that some families choose to serve at The Fort. Miguelina's family, the De la Torres's have served for the past three generations. They get the same perks everyone else who lives at The Fort gets including the best education, the best doctors, the best food and get to live in the best real estate on the island. And because of this the De la Torres family has been able to grow in power and wealth in the tribe, but since many of them stay serving at The Fort they retain the amenities. Last I heard, Rubén and Gadiel, Miguelina's grandsons have been negotiating with Isla and Bayoán to buy the Real family's ancestral home in The Citadel. To have a historic home in The Old City is considered the highest status symbol in the tribe, just like being a Legacy family. If they achieve it, their standing in the pack will change, it's been this way for centuries. One family falls while another rises and the Real family ancestral home is one of the most luxurious in Old Itiba.

Our family IS a Legacy family, we were part of the main families who founded Karaya and even though we don't have a grand estate on the island, we do have the best piece of real estate second only to The Fort!

"Alright we're here, baby the only mate allowed is Amelia and I imagine why. Go and play with your brother or something... The Mirabals are headed into dangerous waters like our piracy days. I'll tell you who survived latter, ok?" He laughs at that. I think he thinks she's not being literal. Innocence and ignorance is indeed bliss...