Chapter 36: Mindful

Loiza's POV:

"Loiza! Yo, Izzy wake up!" Shit... how did 2 hours go by? 

"LOIZA WAKE UP!" Son of a bitch!

"I AM AWAKE WHAT THE FUCK?!" And I hear giggling. 

"Good thing too, Ayana was getting a bucket of water!" And I am focusing my eyes on the two figures before me. 

"Cresta! Ayana! What are you doing here?!" And I get up to hug my best friends from Avalon. They decided to continue in Avalon after I left. Cresta is a werejaguar with electric green eyes, milk chocolate skin and her hair is patterned like a Jaguar, she has a voluptuous body which she enhances more by actually walking with her cat like nature. She was left on the dock where you wait for the ferry man to take you to Avalon when she was just a newborn and Ayana is a hybrid fae who is half Faery of Dark Despair half Pan, she's also one of the thousand grandchildren of Lilu, the Faery of Restless Nights and Erotic Dreams. Tall, fair of skin, long pale green hair that surrounds her black twisting pan horns and black eyes. She went back to Avalon because when she returned to the Unseelie Court that idiot Bodach wouldn't leave her alone after they had some lustful fun, but Ayana wants her mate. Last we talked was at the dock when we took Morgana to Avalon, and she was asking for residency in Karaya. 

"We're here for you genius! Half of Avalon is here, even Moira came after your brother called upon the Goddess, he's still not right in the head." Ayana seems exited and that is not like her AT ALL.

"We have been commanded by her Ladyship to get you ready, Yaya is being tended to as well." Cresta tells touching my hair. 

"Her Ladyship?" And I laugh, Cresta HATES calling anyone by title. 

"Yes! She has so commanded it!" And she gives an exaggerated bow. 

"Oh who gives a shit, we brought clothes, new robes, new cloaks and some gold bling for the Priestess allergic to silver!" Ayana says checking out the box with the jewelry. "Izzy, Avalon is making a full investigation on what happened in Karaya... that morning a Prime Priestess lost her Mark but we are trying to figure out who exactly. Apparently everything was timed perfectly, here's some maná, Cressy go fill the tub!" She doesn't change, she just blurts out random information and expects you to just decode it.

"Cress it's fine, I showered before going to sleep..." She looks at me like I'm an idiot. 

"Izzy your hair is disgusting and I can smell there is still grime and...blood? On your skin. I am going to need CLEAN hair to work with!" Awesome! Cressy has magic hands and even if you have never felt ASMR tingles, she WILL make sure that you do. The funny thing is usually when she touches someone, they think that she is their mate because of the pleasurable tingling sensation. So I am not putting up any complaints. 

"Ok, I will surrender to relaxation, ravage me ladies!" And we are laughing like when we were little. 

"Soooo, where IS Moira?" I am in the tub and Cresta is thoroughly washing my hair and Ayana is scrubbing my skin raw. I have no idea how the hierarchy order is going to work now. It won't be until I actually see Moira that my brain will be able to register where I stand with regards to her. And those two idiots start laughing!

"Last we saw she was going to the dungeons with your super hot mate and you're super hot brother... Izzy are you crazy? Naming Bayoán your Beta!" Ayana asks. 

"Like a fox baby! Yeah, Bayo HAS a few loose screws, but he KNOWS his shit from top to bottom, plus he was trained by Dad and was going to be Beta of The Osupa anyway. And yes, I will admit I was a little apprehensive when he did mentioned the Goddess by her name TWICE, but he and Moira have history." I fucking hope I know what I'm doing. 

"I thought he found his mate? Last time you guys went to Avalon you took her." Cresta asks confused now conditioning my hair after two washes. 

"He did! He even has a pup in the oven! That doesn't take away the fact that they have history. He knows how to maneuver her better than anyone I know, they were lovers for a while so he knows her pretty well. He knows what buttons he can push with her, and I intend to use that for the best of my people's benefit." Moira has always had a soft spot for Bayo, she was his first and only love, but she has too many responsibilities and he wanted more, but she chose Avalon. A year latter he found Morgana. He is a crazy mofo, but I trust him fully. And he's not an idiot, he knows perfectly well this is the main reason why I chose him as my Beta. As a Priestess it's kind of hard for me to actually talk smack to Moira, but it's a breeze for him.

"Oh, I'm liking this scheming Izzy, where was SHE all these years?" Cresta says. WHAT?!

"Cresta I KNOW you are not suggesting that I'm dull!" And they start laughing. "Dull? How could I, you spread TOO many fires during fire training 'BY ACCIDENT' to actually be an accident. And that was just that element!"

"How many times did you 'accidently' burn Nesie's hair?" Ayana asks giggling. I hated that arrogant elf and the memory brought a smile to my face..."I don't even remember right now, but it was glorious every single time, Goddess I hated her! Is she here?" That would suck.

"Didn't you hear? She got involved with The Werewolf High Council, she found a werewolf mate and sold her soul... The Goddess took her Mark!" We keep hearing that. 

"WHAT?! She used to bitch non stop about her lineage and how she was a pure-blooded elf through and through, and the Goddess gives her a werewolf mate? That's funny. I still don't understand? How can you have so many years of training and knowing what is what and still want to join the Werewolf High Council especially when you're not even a werewolf?" Even just being a simple Priestess is gruesome training.

"The Council is offering a lot of benefits to anybody who will join them, and I would accept that from anybody, but a Priestess of Avalon knows better. Any Priestess who joins them and gets the Wrath of the Goddess has clearly deserved it!" Ayana makes a good point. Cressy drains the water and Aya is ready with the towel. And I think on Kayden's mother... Urayoán and Maco had told me Kayden's mother is an EX Priestess, that only can mean she committed an act of treason against the will of the Goddess. I am not even supposed to look at her... Is she connected to The Council? So I test the waters.

"My mate's mother lost her Mark as well..." They both freeze. "WHAT?!" "Does Moira know?" "You haven't looked at her right?" "What did she do?" "Could she be working with The Council?" "I must have been an act of great treachery if the goddess took her mark!" 

Yeah, all questions that I have been asking myself. It scares me...does Kayden know? He seems to not be knowledgeable of things I find important. Could HIS mother be involved? Aryn has this urgent natural NEED for her mate. And I want to give in but the pack NEEDS ME. I really need to have words with my mate to at least feel our connection...even when I was angry with him I STILL WANTED his presence. Would Aryn be satisfied with just touching? I have never felt confusion like I have these past 24 plus hours. Bayoán already ordered that I talk to Sandro to be able to have a full profesional opinion of my mental capacity right now. That is another reason I wanted Bayo as my Beta, I know he WILL override any order that is just plain stupid and won't give two shits if I loose my temper. He was trained by Dad himself, and my father's opinion has always been respected by the tribe, I hope that the pack respects my choice. This is hard... even with Bayo on board it STILL feels lonely... I want my mate...

"Good, then I'm not crazy, I have not stopped thinking of that since I was informed, and Yaya and I have been trying to figure out the situation. But all the questions that you asked are the same ones I have. And no, I haven't seen her, I don't know if you understand how busy I have been." And they go in for a group hug. 

"Izzy, were sorry, have you even had the chance to be with your mate?" Ugh!

"No and it's completely frustrating, I WANT to be near him and be Marked and mated, I looked for over a year after I turned 18 and it takes THIS for me to find him only to have all this responsibility shoved at me, it SUCKS BALLS and I am sick of drinking Jading Potion! I WANT him but the circumstances are less than ideal!" And Cresta is already untangling my hair and I already feel relaxed.

"Izzy I can imagine it's hard, especially now that you're an Alpha and your libido is at its highest because your body is asking for an heir. However, it's not worse than what's happening to Maco, his mate still has a long way to heal so Moira ordered he be given a higher dose of Hayan injected into his system so he can at least get 12 hours sleep or risk his mind from shattering... now what do you think? Green or black?" And now I feel like an asshole! Ayana is holding two dresses.

"Black...your right! I'm just being selfish, I don't even want to imagine finding my mate like that...shit, am I being a crybaby or are my needs unreasonable? Ugh! Let's just not talk about it anymore ok?" Cres already feels my tension and puts her hands on my temples and I feel wonderful!

"Girl you better talk with your therapist or get it on with your mate, the Goddess already decreed it, he IS your mate Izzy, and from what Urayoán mentioned he REALLY wants you. What's the worst that can happen?" True, he IS my mate, he is supposed to fullfil my needs in every way according the mate Bond that I am supposed to be awarded as an Osupa, but if I just give in and let nature take it's course I could loose the chance to USE the mating ritual to confirm my suspicion. Ugh! And now I am considering actually infiltrating my mate's mind to gather intel... would I dare use such an intimate moment and betray the mate Bond? If I'm wrong, would Kayden forgive me?

"So Izzy, now that YOU are Cacique of The Osupa...do you think you can get me residency for Karaya now when we fix it up?" Ayana asks. So Moira was ordered to restore Karaya?... is The Goddess's endgame the same as mine, or is mine inspired by her?