Chapter 53 - Fortuna Skies

*“Never fear quarrels, but seek hazardous adventures.” ― Alexandre Dumas*

***Kiya***

The next two days passed by faster than I could blink. Between packing for the trip and understanding our plans with the team, I rarely got a chance to sit down and breath. I had stress on top of stress. Neron went as far as to demand that I relax, even if it meant trapping me in bed, but I couldn’t help it. I was too tense.

I called my family yesterday to tell them about my plans. As expected, they vehemently objected because of the dangers. Their concerns weren’t unfounded. Anything could happen on this expedition, even more so once I leave the country. I’ll be farther from home than I ever was before, and that puts everyone, not just me, at a disadvantage. However, one of the few advantages I had was that Neron and I would be close to each other. No more surprises or crazy undead zombies trying to tear us apart.

After a half hour of protests, my parents and brother relented. Not that they wanted to, however. I’ll get an earful from them once I get home.

Speaking of Neron, he managed to weasel a pilot out of Wystan. I’d thought since they were family, he’d softened up a bit, but he was still as stubborn as a dozen mules. But when hasn’t there been a pair of brothers in history that didn’t give each other a hard time?

Artemis enjoyed their interaction a bit more than I would’ve liked, especially when Onyx had to chew Wystan out when I was mentioned. The poor man still believed he had a chance with me, and my wolf-mate drove it home by threatening to probe his brain with his claws if he committed the heinous crime of thinking about me.

My wolf sure loved her other half to be borderline savage.

"Don’t hesitate to call me if anything were to happen during my absence." Neron told Kwame and Valerian as I pushed my suitcase into the trunk of his car. We're leaving today. I’ve already said my goodbyes to my nieces and nephew, already missing them. Ivory and Ebony’s cat carriages were put in the backseat with them grooming themselves inside by Lorelai. For a while, I debated whether or not to let them stay on Onyx Moon land, but decided it was best for them to be back with my parents and friends for the time being.

Lupin trotted up to me, pressed his front paws on my shirt, and licked my cheek in his own farewell.

"We’ll try not to, bro." Kwame replied. "Security has tightened across the entire border. I’ve placed Jaymes in charge of monitoring imports and exports of necessary goods and building materials. We can’t be too careful."

"And we’ve ensured that if anyone were to leave the territory for a short amount of time, they will be accompanied by a guard." Valerian added. "We’ll keep an eye out for anything of concern and act accordingly."

"Good. I trust you both wholeheartedly." Neron concluded, clapping their shoulders once.

"You better come back in one piece." Kwame chided him, earning a chuckle from his Alpha.

"I’ll do my best." Leaving his brothers-in-arms, he approached and bent down to kiss my cheek. "Are you ready?"

Heat crawled up my cheeks like little spiders, forcing a full-body shiver. "Yes, I am."

"Where are the girls?"

"We’re here! Sorry!" Aiyana ran over, with Alana on her tail, their bags bouncing against their sides. They tossed them carelessly into the trunk and leaped into the backseat, poking their fingers at the carrier screens to get the cats’ attention. Lorelai chuckled under her breath, closing the doors behind them before hugging me and Neron, returning to her husband’s side after.

Neron huffed out a breath, slamming the trunk closed. "I can’t shake off my worry about the girls."

"I know. I can’t either." I watched the girls’ heads bop up and down through the rear windshield. "Are they still hearing voices?"

"They said they haven’t heard them for the past few days. For now, we’re in the clear.

"Any bodily pains?"

"Just at their sides for both. Some on the legs with Alana and Aiyana had some chest pain that went away yesterday."

Hearing voices and bodily pains at their age could only mean one thing. They were close to officially shifting for the first time. Neron told me a few days ago that the girls had been hearing faint voices for the past week but were too scared to tell us. My circumstances were *quite different*, but it was common to hear the voice of your wolf before the first shift. The girls were going through puberty, and adding a wolf into the mix could scare any child.

"It sucks that this had to happen right before we leave." Neron muttered, holding my gaze.

"If their wolves could delay their debut for just a little while, maybe two weeks, that’d be great. I want us to be there when they first shift. They need our support." I insisted.

"They’ll be staying with Liberty." He answered. "They trust her and will be most comfortable with her around in case we happen to miss their shift."

I gave a curt nod. "That’s true. Still, I’d still like us to be there for them, and I know we will. We’re their family now."

Neron’s eyes lit up like fireworks, his lips stretching wide. Nodding, he took my hand and brought it up to his lips, pressing them against the back of my head. "Their family. I love the sound of that."

The four of us were on the road in no time. Nuria was with Phoebe, packed and waiting for us at my pack. Asim should be ready at this time, and I’m still wondering how the fuck Violetta managed to buy a damn plane, but she told us to meet her at the San Jose Airport’s hangar once we were ready to go.

We arrived at Garnet Moon by the middle of the afternoon. Nostalgia sank deep into my bones once I took a whiff of the redwood trees. Goddess, I missed this place. Neron drove up to the garage and put the car in park. The backdoors swung open along with the trunk. Alana and Aiyana hopped out, whizzing past the Omegas who greeted us and took my fur babies into the main house. Once we got our bags, I spotted Liberty in the distance, talking with a pregnant blond who was cupping the bottom of her engorged belly.

"Liberty!" The girls shouted, bolting straight toward her. Liberty turned her head and smiled a big grin, kneeling down on one knee for the girls to hug her. The blond’s eyes met mine as she walked up to Neron and me. My boyfriend took my hand in his and squeezed it lovingly.

"I was worried I wouldn’t get to see you before you set off." She said, gathering me in a hug and doing the same with Neron. "How are you two doing?"

"We’re doing great, Nadia. I hope your trip from New York was good." My eyes dropped to her belly. "How is the little one?"

"Very active. I can tell this little girl will be a handful once she’s born." She said, caressing the top of her belly.

Nadia and Lucien were expecting their first child in the next couple of months. In the last three years, they’ve blossomed as Garnet Moon members, finally obtaining the peace they rightfully deserved. Their child will be in good hands with two parents who adore her, now that they are a mated couple.

"I bet she will be. Where is Lucien?"

"Talking with Horus." Her blue eyes twinkled when the sunlight hit them. "He’s such a reserved and quiet boy, but I think bonding with Lucien has slowly but surely brought him out of his shell."

On cue, she turned her head in the direction of her small home. In the midst of their conversation, Lucien and Horus walked out, side by side. Liberty and the girls engaged in their little tête-à-tête behind her. A frenzied Nefertiti grabbed Alana’s arm, exchanged a few words, and dragged the redhead behind her toward the aforementioned home.

"Wait! I need to put my bag away!" Alana said to the shorter girl as they ran past Horus and Lucien. Aiyana squeaked and gripped the strap of her bag in shock.

"Hey! You’re just gonna leave me here?" She asked, taking off after her.

"Ah, Yana! Be careful!" Liberty warned as she rose to her feet.

Aiyana caught the warning too late. Her foot got snagged on a loose rock hidden in the grass, forcing her off balance. With a scream, she tumbled forward.

But she didn’t hit the ground. None of the adults caught her. Someone else beat us to the punch and caught her before she fell to the ground.

Her braids bounced when she angled her head up to meet Horus’ stoic face. Embarrassed, Aiyana sucked her lips into her mouth and scrambled back on her feet, bowing her head while apologizing profusely. Horus put a stop to her stammering with a palm on top of her head, patting the girl lightly.

"You’re like a squirrel running into traffic. You should be more careful."

Aiyana puffed out her cheeks in offense, crossing her arms as she glared at the boy. "I’m not a squirrel! You don’t have to be so mean!"

Alana and Nefertiti paused to watch the interaction between the two kids.

Horus shrugged his shoulders, unfazed. "You’re right. Squirrels are normally careful, but…" He poked one of her cheeks. "You’d pass for one with these cheeks."

The girl batted his hand away. "And you’d pass for a…a…fat head!"

*Nice insult, Yana*. *Two out of five stars*.

Horus’ lips twitched with a smile. "I’ve heard worse from Titi. If you’d like, I can teach you how to properly hurt someone’s feelings."

Aiyana gritted her teeth, jerking her head away. "As if! You should learn to be nicer!"

"Not worth my time, little squirrel. Do be careful next time because I won’t be around to catch you. *Ma salame*." Horus turned on his heels and walked toward the home he shared with his parents to the west of the pack house. Aiyana grumbled under her breath and stomped away, passing Nefertiti and Alana, toward Liberty’s home.

Neron and I shared a look, trying to make sense of the interaction.

"I guess kids will be kids?" Neron mumbled, rubbing the trimmed stubble on his chin. Nefertiti giggled and whispered some super-secret message in Alana’s ear. They shared a bout of laughter before following Aiyana.

Yeah, kids will be kids, but I’m not sure if I liked anyone riling Aiyana up like that.

Because her feet began to hurt from standing for so long, Lucien took Nadia back to their home after he greeted us. My heart did a weird lurch when I watched the vampire carry his pregnant mate, bridal style, full of glee and love. Her high-pitched giggles caressed the shell of my ear. I found myself squeezing Neron’s hand harder than intended. Their interaction was so sweet to watch.

Heat bore into the top of my skull. When I raised my head, I met Neron’s heated gaze, his blues darkening with a mix of hunger and desire. Warmth spread throughout my body faster than a wildfire. He squeezed my hand back. I couldn’t help but wonder if he, somehow, knew exactly what I was thinking.

Ten minutes later, Asim, Nuria, and Phoebe met us at the center of the front sward with their bags and suitcases. None of us expected the gorgeous addition to our team to drag a bright yellow suitcase behind her along with carrying a black shoulder studded with diamonds.

"I apologize, everyone. No matter how much I tried to convince Nailah to stay with the children, she insisted on joining us." Asim bowed his head in remorse, exhaustion lingering in his voice. Nailah shined a heart-stopping smile, puffing out her chest in victory.

"I refuse to sit beside my window with a cup of tea, waiting for my husband to return from the war. What did you expect me to do?"

"I’m unsure. What do you normally do when I’m gone?"

She pouted, her eyes watering. "Wait for you to return!"

Asim shook his head, chuckling. "And what of our children?"

"Lyra and Nikolai promised to take care of them in our absence. I trust them."

Not long after that, my friends came by to see us off, wishing the six of us well on our journey. Jackie, of course, had to add the subtle threat of us coming back with our limbs intact or she’d hunt us down herself. Phoebe and I shared an eyeroll over that. My parents and brother came out to hug me as tight as they could, wishing me the best.

Neron and I bid our girls farewell when they approached with Liberty. They're in good hands.

Phoebe summoned a portal, pulling in air and floating energy to create the colorful swirl of violet and red in front of us. We all walked into the wild magic spiral, sealing the world behind us. Seconds later, the world opened up again, greeting us with a harsh gust of hot hair in our faces. We were at the aviation hangar at San Jose International Airport.

The smell of kerosene was awful.

"Over here!"

We turned our heads to be met with the sight of a magnificent white luxury plane coated with a glossy coat of iridescent pink, blue, yellow, purple, and green. My eyes follow the reflective colors from the nose of the plane down its body, which has ten windows situated on both sides of the aircraft.

The color scheme reminded me of Vi’s mermaid tail.

I stifled a snort in my throat when my eyes landed at the end of the craft. Nuria, unfortunately, wasn’t as dignified.

"What the heck is that?"

The plane's rudder didn’t match the rest of itself due to the fact that there were four blue tuna fish painted, two on either side, swimming above silver puffy clouds.

"I’d love to hear the story behind that design choice." Asim shickered as we walked toward the boarding stairs. Once inside, we were graced with the beauty of the interior. Stepping inside a first-class cabin, everything from the seating to the floor was covered in either beige or a deep blue. Leather seating was cleaned to perfection and the flooring was a soft carpet to make walking easier. The seating stretched toward the back, where there was a navy-blue door leading to another area of the aircraft.

Vi popped out from behind a seat and hopped in front of us, grinning with excitement.

"I’m so glad you’re all here! Welcome to my baby, Fortuna Skies!" She announced, stretching her arms out. "Pick any seat you want! Don’t forget to put your baggage and suitcases in the overhead bins."

"I’m still in awe at how you’re able to afford this." Phoebe gasped. "What did you do, Vi?"

Violetta smirked, planting her hands on her hips. "I told you, I’ve been in the singing business for a long time. I sang for everyone, but I found that the billionaires, especially the lonely ones, are easily…*enchanted*."

Neron raised an eyebrow. "So, you tricked them to handing over their money to you."

"Yup. No offense to you and Asim, but the men happen to be the easiest and most forthcoming of my clientele. They’d do anything for a woman’s attention, even if it means handing over their lifesavings."

"Hell yeah! Eat the rich!" Nuria exclaimed. "Teach me your ways! I want to trick men, too!"

"No, the fuck you don’t." Neron warned.

"You can’t stop me, Jurassic Park."

"Vi, there are no more mints for the pillows!" A smooth male’s voice rang out. The back door swung open and out came a man with an athletic build, dressed in a tank top adorned with the transgender flag colors paired with a pair of black shorts. His skin was a shade darker than mine, and his hair, styled in long locs, was tied in a high ponytail. He scampered up to Vi, pouting. "And they were the good kind too."

"We should have some more stored in one of the cupboards in the kitchen."

"I checked there first and didn’t find any. For all I know, Marina probably got her hands on them." The man inhaled and turned his head toward us. "Oh, hi! I forgot you were all standing there."

"Everyone, this is Manny, my boyfriend. Manny, this is my superpowered squad I told you about."

"Nice to meet you all." He smiled. "Well, besides the mints, their bedrooms are all set up in the back."

"Bedrooms?" Nailah raised an eyebrow. "This airplane has bedrooms?"

"Yep! One for each couple." Manny’s smile fell into a frown. "But, if you decide to fuck, please be sure to keep it down. We didn’t exactly prepare sound-proof rooms for the loud ones."

"You’re speaking to the wrong group, buddy." Nuria winked, earning an elbow nudge from Phoebe.

"Vi! The pilot is all settled in!" A resonant feminine voice shouted from behind us.

"Great! Everyone, that is Marina, my girlfriend."

"Cool!" Nuria twisted her head around. "Where is she?"

"Down here."

We all dropped our gazes on a shorter woman, a much shorter woman with long bubblegum pink hair brushing against the middle of her back, deep brown eyes, rosy cheeks, and dressed in a simple blue summer dress with strappy sandals. She met our eyes and arched an eyebrow, daring us to say something.

Slightly offended, I threw my hands up. "And you all call me short?" I pointed to Marina. "She’s tiny!"

"You didn’t have to point out the fact that I wasn’t blessed with height." She grumbled with an eyeroll.

"Honey, you need a stepping stool to talk to us." Nuria laughed. "What are you, four-feet-five?"

"I’m four-foot-nine, you oversized ostrich."

Neron almost toppled over with laughter, earning a poisonous glare from his sister. "She’s my second favorite person."

"Keep laughing and I’ll punch you in the throat."

"Please, no blood on the carpet." Manny complained. "Do you know how hard it is to get those stains out?"

"There will be no blood spillage because we’re dignified and mature adults." Asim insisted, wrapping an arm around his wife’s shoulders and planting a kiss on her cheek. "We should get settled in and leave as soon as possible."

Asim took the words right out of my mouth. We put away our carry-on bags and suitcases and settled into our chosen seats. It turns out that both Manny and Marina will be joining us, for they aren’t leaving Violetta alone to face her demons, especially when one of them is her both.

And thus, six became nine.

Our pilot, Elias, emerged from the cockpit and greeted us. "Where is your first destination?"

"Las Cruces, New Mexico." Neron answered.

"We’re still meeting with Mara and Darien, correct?" Phoebe asked.

"Yup." I nodded. "They’re staying at the Amethyst Moon Pack for a week, and I think Mara can give us a little more insight once we show them the map."

The plane began to move. Clicks from seat belts echoed through the air, and Elias spoke through the intercom. "Flight attendees, prepare for takeoff."

Just like on the flight to Miami, I had the window seat. We rolled past other planes, heading toward the runway. This was it. Our adventure was beginning. A warm hand gripped my own, pulling my eyes toward the man sitting beside me. Neron ran a finger over my knuckles and gave me the warmest smile he could muster, cloaking me in a blanket of security.

I rested my head on his shoulder, holding his gaze. He squeezed my hand lovingly, bringing his lips to the top of my head. Despite the dangers looming and the forces wanting to tear us apart from each other, I was happy to have Neron at my side again.

We leaned into each other and shared a much-needed kiss as Fortune Skies raced down the runway and took off into the sunlit skies.