Chapter 7 7
Chapter 7 – Homecoming
The flight was uneventful, except for the flight attendant eye fucking me every chance she got. The sleeves on my button-up shirt were rolled up, exposing my ink. When she brought me a coffee, she placed her hand on my forearm and squeezed me. It was very bold of her, considering most human women were afraid and more submissive around me.
I contemplated punishing her for touching me by taking her into the lavatory and fucking her ass hard. If she was going to behave like a whore, I’d be happy to treat her like one. I looked her over with consideration and decided to pass. Something about her turned me off.
“The cake on her face,” Haze snickered. He was right, she wore too much makeup and had more of an artificial beauty.
With my garment bag and laptop case in hand, I made my way to the vehicle rental counter. The woman quickly worked to secure a car for me. I considered taking a taxi, but I was traveling into pack territory and border patrol would not appreciate humans intruding. Ten minutes later, I was given the keys to a silver Audi and made my way north to The Moon Warriors territory.
Several shadows ran alongside my car as I entered pack territory. Border patrols were still patrolling, which was a good sign since the Alpha was dead. I had the windows rolled down so that I was clearly visible and allowed my full Alpha aura to radiate. I pulled up to the pack house and my father’s Beta, Christos, greeted me outside.
“Welcome home, Alpha.”
“Thank you, Christos. I want a full report in ten minutes. I’ll be in the Alpha office.”
All eyes seemed to be anxiously following me as I moved through the pack house to the Alpha office. Not much had changed, I still hated this place. Aristotle Kappas was a great Alpha, the Vampire King’s words haunted me, only you can decide which Alpha you prefer to be like.
I’ve never believed in destiny or fate, much less this Moon Goddess nonsense. I believed you made your own choices and suffered the consequences after. Sometimes those consequences were good and sometimes they weren’t.
I entered the office. The same office that once belonged to my grandfather, and great-grandfather. I circled the room, taking it all in. It’s been years since I was last here. Anger filled me as I recalled the last time. The last time my father had cut me with silver, called me a bastard and sent me away. He wanted to kill me but also needed an heir. I should have killed him then.
Memories of my mother in this office flooded me as she sat reading by the window. He always liked to have her close, under his watchful eye like a caged little bird. My mother was a beautiful woman, they often called her Aphrodite. My father being the glutton that he was, wanted her and so he took her even though she wasn’t his mate. I moved to his office chair and sat down, wondering what secrets he’d take to his grave.
“Hades! You’re here.” Helena screeched, rushing into the office.
I stood to greet her. “Helena,” I said as she embraced me. She had matured and was taller than I remember.
“Look at you,” she smiled. “You’re like a supersized Alpha.”
Helena is the Delta’s daughter and a childhood friend of mine. One of the few friends I had growing up in this pack. She was an only child, and my father would never allow her to hold rank because she was a female. He had declared her asshole of a cousin, Philippos, as the future Delta heir.
“Hades, I’m sorry about your father,” she said, trying to sound sincere.
“Don’t be. I’m just sorry I didn’t get a chance to do it.” Haze let out a low growl in my chest, he had been pushing me to do it for years.
“Why didn’t you?” She asked.
“If I had, I’d be challenging him for the pack.”
“And… you don’t want it,” she whispered, realizing, I may not be the savior of the pack they were hoping for.
Christos knocked on the door before he entered the office. “Alpha, I’m ready to give you the report.”
“Go ahead,” I nodded, but he didn’t start. His eyes darted to Helena, reluctant to speak in front of her.
“You may speak in front of Helena. My father is no longer here,” I pressed, and the Beta continued.
Christos explained my father was attacked on his yacht and was up to his eyeballs in mafia business. As the underboss, he was frequently away from the pack and dealing with business in Athens. The pack was his obligation, but the criminal world was his true mistress. Every underboss worked for someone more wicked, more powerful, but no one knew who it was. My father never shared that information with Christos. We suspected it was another wolf, but no one seemed to know the identity of the Greek mafia boss. Not even Kazimir’s Bratva family.
Christos went on to explain my father had a recent human trafficking transaction go wrong and led to half his face being burned. I assumed the botched job had probably incurred the wrath of the mob boss. Christos didn’t have much more information on the mob dealings because he was overwhelmed with pack issues. As the second of the pack, Christos handled most of the pack business while my father was pursuing other ventures.
“There is one more thing,” Christos said reluctantly. “The Alpha had taken a few wolves from neighboring packs hostage, which led to the attack on his yacht that killed him.”
“He took wolves hostage?” It seemed strange that he would take wolves when most mob business was human related. Maybe the attack on the yacht and his death was shifter related after all.
“Yes. I’m not sure what happened or if those wolves crossed him.” “Which packs?” I asked with a growl, dreading the answer. There were
only five packs left in Greece, this would not be good for our pack members if they needed to find new packs.
“You can save them, save the pack,” Haze reminded me.
“The Gamma from Olympus Blood Moon and two others from Zeus’ Howlers,” Christos told me.
“Who would be stupid enough to provoke The Beast of Greece by taking his Gamma?” I asked in disbelief.
“Your father,” Christos shook his head in disbelief as well. “It wasn’t just any two from Zeus’ Howlers,” Helena added. “Who?” I demanded.
“The future Beta and Delta,” Christos answered. “They were attending the university in Athens.”
“Leo and Rocky?” Worry filled me as I thought about my friends from my mother's pack. I’d spent so much time at Zeus’ Howlers visiting and living with my grandparents, that it felt more like home to me than this pack.
“Rocky is fine, but your father…” Helena swallowed, her eyes filled with concern. “Hades, your father killed Leonidas just before the Alpha of Olympus Blood Moon killed him.”
I couldn’t seem to process what she just told me. “The Beast of Greece killed my father?” I wasn’t sure who I hated more. Helena nodded her head with a pained look on her face.
“And you said…” for the first time in my life, I doubted what I knew my ears had heard. “You said my father killed Leo?” She knew I was close with Leo and Rocky.
Another nod of her head, “I’m sorry.”
“FUCK!” I roared as the weight of it hit me.
“YOU FUCKING BASTARD!” My fists pounded into my father’s desk, splintering the heavy wood. Christos pulled Helena behind him as Haze pushed forward. Rage. Pain. Blinding fury pulsed through me as I continued to pound the desk into toothpicks.
“Hades?” Helena called out, her voice laced with worry.
“OUT! GET OUT!” I was a snarling mess. The pain I felt last night when my family bond broke was nothing to the hurt I felt now. Knowing my worthless bastard of a father killed someone so good, so kind. Leonidas was three years younger than me, I’ve known him his whole life. He looked up to me. He didn’t deserve this.
I picked up the big leather chair and smashed it against the bookshelves. When that wasn’t enough, I moved to the shelves and pummeled my fists down on them. I turned to the chairs on the other side of the desk and kicked them across the room. I smashed everything in reach, I tossed pictures, paintings, and tables. I hated him. I threw lamps, glass, books, and electronics. I hated that bastard and wished I had killed him when I had the chance.
“I HOPE YOU BURN IN THE RIVERS OF HELL!” Searing rage
consumed me. I ripped the curtains from the windows. This was my fault. Leo would still be alive if I had rid the world of the cancer my father was. Everything he touched, he destroyed.
After I finished smashing everything in my reach, I slumped down on the floor and took in the destruction I had caused. I wanted to bring him back from the dead, just so I could kill him again. I wanted to kill him painfully, slowly, brutally. Generations of Kappas Alphas ruled over this
pack and my father had single handily destroyed everything. He neglected the pack and his Alpha duties. He destroyed lives and families. The members of this pack deserved so much better, and I wasn’t the Alpha who could give it to them.
I closed my eyes and took some deep breaths. I came to Greece to bury my father, deal with his assets, and figure out what I was going to do with the pack. To free myself from this obligation that has strangled me since the day I was born. The only thing I could think about now was Leo. I pulled my cell phone from my pocket and noticed a missed call from my grandmother. She lived next door to Leo’s parents, and I knew why she had called. I stared at the screen for a moment before I dialed back.
She sounded sorrowful as she told me of Leo’s passing. The funeral would take place tomorrow. I told her I was in Greece and planned to make my way over to Zeus’ Howlers later today after I had cleared my arrival with Alpha Georgios.
I moved through the pack house, half tempted to set the whole damn place on fire and watch everything burn down to the ground. Erase my father and rid the world of everything connected to him. Beta Christos waited in the living room with Helena and a few others. I met their worried faces.
“Where is my father’s body?” I barked, trying to control my rage. “He’s at the clinic morgue,” Christos replied.
“There will be no funeral for him. No one will mourn for him. He does not deserve to be buried in the pack cemetery with my ancestors. He was a parasite to this pack,” I told them and considered what to do with him. “I want his remains burned immediately and his ashes flushed down a toilet. Understood?”
“Yes, Alpha,” Helena said as her lip twitched in the corner. “I will personally see your wish is fulfilled.”
“I will be leaving for Zeus’ Howlers. Christos, you’re the Beta, carry on with things as normal. I will return to discuss pack business after Leo has been laid to rest.”
He bowed his head in submission, “yes, Alpha.”
I left the pack and drove east towards Mount Paiko. I dialed Alpha Georgios and cleared approval for my arrival in about three hours. An hour later, I stopped for a quick bite at a small gyros stand. My phone rang and it was Ninos. I filled him in on what had transpired, and he offered to join me in Greece.
“I’ll let you know if I need you. Stay close to Alina and see if you can learn more about who she was working for.”
“Anything else?” He asked.
“Tell Kazimir to behave. The Moon Goddess granted him two hands, he should learn to use them. I want eyes on Alina at all times.”
It was late afternoon when I arrived at the gates of Zeus’ Howlers. The main drive leading up into the mountainside was blocked with a lift gate. A warrior moved to my car, and I lowered the window, recognition dawned on him.
“Alpha Hades. Welcome back,” He nodded and waved at his counterpart to lift the gate and let me through.
The road twisted and turned as I got closer to the main area of the pack territory. Haze was more at ease here than at our pack. I remember the relief and refuge I felt every time I was allowed to come visit with my grandparents. This was the pack my mother grew up in and where my grandparents still lived. When I reached their house, I sat frozen in the car for a few long moments. My eyes drifted to the Delta house of the Kiosses family. The house where I had spent so much time with Leo.
I watched as mourners stepped up to the door to pay their respects to Leo’s parents. The door opened and people stepped out as others entered. I
knew I needed to visit them as well, to pay my respects, but I wasn’t sure if I’d be welcomed since it was my father that killed him. I still couldn’t believe he was gone.
I’ve lived most of my life locking away emotions. Feeling nothing when I killed someone in a fight or tortured people. Beneath the anger and rage, I felt raw pain at the loss of Leo.
My grandmother wrenched the door open before I had the chance to knock.
“Welcome home,” she wrapped her arms around me. “Are you hungry? I have pastitsio in the oven.” She had cooked one of my favorites, which was kind of the Greek version of lasagna.
“Yes please.” We stepped inside and she quickly placed a piping hot plate before me. My grandfather is a pack doctor and was busy this evening at the clinic. We talked for a while and my grandmother filled me in on all the pack gossip at Zeus’ Howlers. I listened not because I cared for gossip, but because I enjoyed hearing her talk.
After I devoured a second helping of my grandmother's cooking, I decided to take a walk. It’s been nearly a year since I last visited, but I wanted to see Rocky. I’m far from being the sensitive or supportive type, but Rocky was much like an annoying little sister. I needed to make sure she was okay.
I walked through the familiar territory and overheard two warriors talking about Alpha Diesel LaRue. He was expected to be here tomorrow. While it was common practice for Alphas from other packs to attend funerals of other Alphas, I wouldn’t expect to see other Alphas at a funeral for a future Delta. I wondered what the Alpha of the largest pack in North America would be doing here.
I made a note to ask Rocky about him. Diesel LaRue was part of the shifters council for our world. Perhaps he’s investigating what transpired with my father. Maybe he needed to interview Rocky? The warriors looked over at me and quickly stopped talking. I could sense their discomfort with
my presence, my aura was far more intimidating than their Alpha. It seems they weren’t the only ones who were unnerved, something had Haze feeling on high alert and restless.
I scanned the area as I approached the pack house. A delicious scent of strawberry sorbet with a hint of citrus filled my nose. And that’s when I saw her. Honey golden eyes that pierced my soul, long chestnut wavy hair I wanted to wrap my fist in, and full lips I could devour. She was the last thing I needed.