Chapter 20: First Run

Loiza's POV:


Never had I imagined I would hold power like this! I am running at top speed and even Urayoán is having trouble keeping up. Yet little by little the Pack is getting better footing are gaining speed. The first run after an Alpha takes leadership in our clan will determine the course of that Alpha's rule, so I decided to run North as fast as I can, besides I could feel Kayden's arousal through the Bond and it was making me horny too! I had to move out of there fast. But to choose North instead of South, towards Karaya, had a strong meaning to Avalon... 

'To find Avalon you must always follow The North Star.' I remember Grand Prime Priestess Moira say to me the day I left Avalon when I was 14. And every time I have returned that is what I did... run North and think of Avalon would open a portal to the boat dock. There was a pole with an ancient horn to call for the boat man to row you there, no one has the ability to open portals or teleport into Avalon. 

Ura caught up with me as well as General Braka, Bayoán, my sister Suania and the fastest Hunters of the pack, I pick up even more speed, I want to test how fast we can go and make a mental note of those who are lagging behind. Instead of telling them to take it easy and that their effort was enough I link encouragement to them... 'C'mon guys, we have lost to much in the last 24 hours! Let's show the dead that their deaths were worth something and that we WILL CLAIM KARAYA AGAIN!' I send some of my own will through the pack Bond and to my surprise they all pick up speed. After half an hour we reach the border of The Blood Moon pack and I stop and every wolf stops with me. I look back at them, I see defeat mixed with hope and determination. 

'Tomorrow night we will honor the dead OUR way!' I look at Bayo's grey wolf. 'Have you chosen the hunters?' He nods his head. 'Then go, we will honor them tomorrow night to the sound of the barriles, their souls will make the stars that gide us!' The packs starts howling again, and with that Bayo leaves with the hunters including Ura and Suania. 

'To the rest of you go rest, tomorrow will be long preparing for the ceremony, where is Master Jorel?' I see her brown wolf come forward and bow. 

'I am at your service Alpha.' Jorel is a Master Kappa artisan who specializes in wood work, her mate Otoao is also a Kappa and is the best grafiti artist on the island but he assists Jorel in her shop quite often. Kappa's are usually Blessed with great artistic talent, they usually boast the best art from architecture, painting, even acting, music and cooking! Because of this gift they are not the best warriors yet they are highly loved and protected by the pack. 

The military  protects our lives while the artists preserve our souls. I bow back at Jorel out of respect for her craft, she is a Master after all, Masters at a specific art take years to reach such recognition and title. 'Master Jorel I am grateful that you and Otoao survived, for that the pack will be always grateful to the Goddess. The pack requires your skill as well as your apprentices and colleagues to make 13 barriles for tomorrow's ceremony, the wood is waiting for your talent to turn them into masterpieces, I know you count with limited time, do you think it will be enough?' From the list I saw of survivors I saw that many artists made it out. She bows at me again, now with Otoao and other Kappas by her side...'It will be as you say My Lad--- sorry, Alpha!' Priestesses are refered to as "Ladies" since we basically are Ladies of the Goddess's court, those who assist Priestesses are also referred with this honorific title. Aryn and I can't help but chuckle! 'No need for apologies Master, I have only been Alpha for an hour, I am sure we will adapt quickly.' I can feel her relief. 'It will be done Alpha, I take my leave to gather the artisans and materials needed.' I remind her of the wooden chalice needed as well and everyone is gone but Yaya, Maco and Braka. We shift into human form and I take a deep breath. 

"How are you feeling?" Yaya asks right away. 

"I was unsure before the ceremony, now I am even more doubtful, how am I going to do this Yaya?" I am calm but now in my human form I feel the regular human insecurities start to creep in.

"You will do it as every Alpha before you has done it, with the help of your pack! We stand with you Alpha!" Braka says and takes one knee before me. I am overwhelmed by his words and I put my hand on his shoulder for him to stand. "I thank you for your vote of confidence General, and now that this matter is settled I am in the mood to interrogate a certain Elder and find out who is trying to fuck with my people!" The moment the Goddess made her presence known I received a whisper from the wind telling me we were on the right track of figuring what happened. The fire told me to investigate why this pack has no Priestess. The water told me to make sure to keep harmony in the pack and to look into why we have never been ruled by The Council. The earth held me to it reminding me it would never betray our people.

Braka stands and is smiling at my words. "I think that is an excellent idea Alpha, I will ask Alpha Kayden if we can make use of his dungeons, I am sure Elder Joel's tongue will be looser once he finds himself surrounded my gruesome devices that will awaken my imagination!" I can't help but laughed at that and Maco just chimes in that he would like to join us in case our imagination is not as good as his. 

"Ok, we'll head back, Maco go with the General to make this request in MY name and tell him that after tomorrow night's ceremony I will speak with him. IF he asks If that is a promise, you will tell him we are working everything out day by day, so no, there are no promises, only plans and that within my plans for tomorrow night is to speak with him. That is all, ok?" With what little I have been able to peak through the mate Bond towards Kayden, I have learned that SPECIFICS are required. And I absolutely understand, I like things to be straight up, but growing up a Priestess you kinda get used to the 'what ifs?' and the riddles, so it doesn't get to me as much. I feel Kayden is more rigid and needs a straight plan, while I mostly just wing it! That's why I give Maco a variety of answers because I already suspect he's going to ask a lot of questions. I dismiss Maco and Braka and stay behind with Yaya just walking back, just two naked idiots walking through the forest. 

I have so much of my pack on my mind but when I slept I dreamed of Kayden. I want this SOLVED so I can get to finally meet my mate! I can't stop thinking of his voice, his scent of fresh rain and pine, it brings a smile to my face walking these woods and smelling the pines around us and I'm blushing just because of that! And then to think of his body, I haven't seen his chest yet and yet what I was able to see was marvelous!

I notice Yaya studying me, I think I can absolutely get used to these new Alpha abilities so before she was able to judge my blush, which I already know she's thinking about..."Yaya I'm so glad you're not a traitor,  I must confess, for a moment there I was heartbroken when you didn't come to help me." HA! Judge THAT old woman!

She gives me a face of shock which only made me laugh more than I should have! Not only have I basically wiggled myself out of any type of crap she wants to give me I basically put her on the spot! She ends up blushing more than I do because I know that she knows what I was thinking about but it's the first time I catch her before she can catch me! She looks at me and shakes her head enjoys me laughing... "I'm glad you accepted to take this role, for a minute there I thought you wouldn't accept it." Now I'm back on the spot, damn she's good, I am  quiet and measure my words. 

"It's what the pack needed of me and the Pack comes FIRST!" Simple. 

"I know I have asked too much of you child, I am sorry that I did not have my intuition more in tune when my mark started itching, I made a stupid mistake and look at what that mistake has cost us. So if you have any thoughts of having failed the pack then start taking them away from your head! I know you too well Iza, you and I are the only ones who carry the burden Priestess of the Goddess for over 10,000 wolves. Nobody except you and I on that entire Island can understand what we go through. We WILL have to do go to Avalon tomorrow and meet with Moira!" I sigh, I knew it would come this.  Elder Joel is just the tip of the iceberg. 

"Should we go at first light to Mt. Cemí and track blood magic?" I knew that my girlish fantasies of actually wanting to just to lose myself in my mates eyes was in the best thought of my fantasies yet not in the best interest of the pack. And the pack goes first especially now that I am the Alpha.

"We are going to have to take some proof with us to Avalon if we want to show Foul Play." Foul play... who would dare mess with us? The Werewolf High Council has always hated that we do not follow their laws. We have never had the need for it. Our isolation and devotion to the Goddess has allowed us to live in the open. There are no humans in Karaya island unless they have a werewolf mate, which by the rules of the Goddess can't be broken. So because we live by the laws of the Goddess and not The Council, any beings of any species will automatically be a citizen of Karaya and protected under OUR laws if mated to one of our citizens. Hence why Morgana is protected under our laws and can not be touched by The Council, unless they want to wage out full out War... What would we wage out war with?! Our tech is destroyed!

I explain my theory to Yaya and her radiant cocoa skin turned as pale as me! "Shift Alpha! We have an Elder to interrogate!" She shifts into Asha a grey wolf with eyes of storm. I can sense her fear Aryn takes over and we look for hope that we are overthinking this.