104

104
Chapter 28 – Detour
We returned the helicopters to Miami airport and the jet wasn’t ready for take-off yet. With Chip and Earl in tow, I didn’t want to risk anyone seeing us, so we boarded the jet and waited. Eudora sat in the back to feed Lukas and the wolves followed. I smiled at the idea that Lukas would have real wolves as pets.
Wylder placed a large order for food, and I mind linked him asking him to order some soup and other soft foods. I wasn’t sure what Hazel could eat or the severity of her tongue. I knew that hunters still had a portion of tongue left so that they could still chew and swallow. But Hazel was skinny, and I wasn’t sure if it was due to malnourishment or inability to chew most foods.
Thirty minutes later, the flight crew arrived and the stewardess returning to New York with us was Jessica. We were familiar with Jessica who was on regular rotation with the Aviation Flight Charter we used. She loaded the cartons of food and seemed taken back when Mateo stood to help her instead of Wylder. She was typically all smiles when she was assigned to a flight with Wylder, but she looked a little sad this time when Wylder remained seated next to Mitza.
“You slept with her didn’t you?” I mind linked Wylder who gave me a sheepish grin.
I rolled my eyes. “And how do you imagine a flight will go with your mate seated on your lap someday?” I asked.
“We don’t always get Jessica as part of the flight crew.”
“She’s from New York. The odds are in your favor.” I replied.
“Ooops!” He said as he reached for two food cartons with rare steaks and walked over to Earl and Chip. “I’m sure many women will be crushed, but I’m a mated wolf now. I only have eyes for one woman.” He smiled and set the steaks down. “Eat up boys.”
“Hazel, you can have anything you want.” My mate offered. “We have steak, chicken, potatoes, soup, lasagna—” She shook her head yes for lasagna and Zeus quickly set it in front of her with a napkin and fork.
I checked with the pilot, and we would be ready for takeoff in twenty minutes. I decided to step outside and call my father to fill him in on everything. My father answered and my mother was in the room with him. I had already spoken with them earlier today about the everglades camp and our search for the ship. I filled them in on what happened when I found Eudora, what she told us about the lab, Azazel, Great Uncle Ranger, and Hazel. They both fell silent when I told them that Hazel was Zeus’ mate.
My mother informed me that Papa Diesel, Great Aunt Payton, and Yia-yia, had all felt the pain of a severed family connection. I realized the family closest to Ranger would have felt it as well as his pack, Dark Moon. Apollo didn’t feel it because Rex had gone dormant long before I was born and never connected with him. I swallowed hard as guilt filled me knowing he faced his death to ensure my mate, pup, and Hazel survived. I informed them what he shared with Eudora, that Lukas was a lycan. I asked that they do anything they can to find out more about lycans. It’s been a thousand years since the last lycan walked the earth, but maybe there was a record or books somewhere that could tell us more.
“Pappoús might know something since it’s his bloodline.” My mother said as she promised to speak with him right away.
I returned to the jet and sat down to cut into my steak. The stewardess secured the door closed, ready for takeoff, and returned to the service cabin at the front of the jet. A black little furball jumped on my lap and eyeballed my steak. I looked over to Eudora who shrugged. I sliced a very thin slice and Lukas gobbled it down. I couldn’t help laughing as his eyes eagerly glistened with the anticipation of more meat.
“You know, his back legs do look longer than his front legs.” Mateo said thoughtfully.
“His claws extended and continued growing when he attacked. They were as long as his fingers.” Eudora told us.
I gave him another slice of meat and looked a little closer. There was very little fur on his underbelly, and I had just assumed it was because he was a pup. No one has ever seen a werewolf pup, or a lycan, so we wouldn’t know the difference.
The pilot and co-pilot stepped out of the co-cockpit and Jessica looked confused. “Sir, we’ve not been cleared for take-off. The plane has been grounded and the flight crew has been asked to deplane and report to terminal security immediately.”
“Why would we be grounded?” Zeus asked as he stood up. “The weather is perfect, the jet is privately owned, we’ve paid our landing and fuel fees.” I could feel the tension radiating from him.
“I’m sorry Sir, I don’t know. Perhaps it was just a misunderstanding.”
“Of course. We’ll make some phone calls and clear this up, no worries.” I said as I motioned for them to exit the plane. Jessica turned the handle and dropped the steps. A dozen hunters stood inside the private jet hangar, along with airport security. I mind linked Chris and Zeus to move to the cockpit quickly. Chris had a commercial license to fly both helicopters and planes.
All three of the flight crew members descended the stairs and I quickly pulled the door up and locked it shut.
“GO, GO, GO!” I called out and Chris put the plane in motion.
“Where are we going? We haven’t been cleared for take-off.” Zeus asked.
“Get us out of here. The hangar is full of hunters and someone with a lot of power had our plane grounded.”
“I’m going to call in an emergency take-off to the tower.” Chris said.
“A security vehicle with flashing amber lights is racing down the runway behind us.” Zeus called out.
“What are they going to do, pull us over and give us a ticket?” Wylder laughed.
“Fuck them. Let’s see them try to stop us.” Chris growled and the jet gained speed. “Buckle up!” She yelled over her shoulder and we lurched back into our seats as the jet took flight.
The next two hours were uneventful, but I wasn’t letting my guard down. If they had managed to blow Alpha Talon’s helicopter out of the sky, I wasn’t going to put any possibility past them. I moved into the cockpit and discussed landing options with Chris. While a private jet fly’s much higher in altitude than a helicopter, we’d have to eventually descend to land. It would make us vulnerable to a small rocket attack.
“He’s got a point,” Zeus said. “If they’ve infiltrated the Miami airport, they’ll know we’re destined to land at the regional airport in upstate New York.”
“You think they’re going to shoot us out of the sky?” Eudora asked and I realized she was standing behind me.
“I just don’t think we should land at our usual spot.”
“We can try the Buffalo Airport or Niagara Falls?” Zeus suggested.
“How much road do we need to land?” Eudora asked.
“About four or five thousand feet for a safe landing.” Chris replied.
“That’s less than a mile. What about the stretch of old highway in the north of the territory going to that old summer camp?”
“Eudora, you’re a genius! We might need some landing lights set out, so I can see it, but it’ll work.”
I kissed my mate and reached for my phone to call Stryker to have him gather all the flashlights he can find and meet us on that old stretch of highway. Lukas was curled up in a ball, napping on Wylder’s chest with Chip and Earl seated at Wylder’s feet. Mitza moved around to clear out the food trays and dump the trash in a large garbage bag. Hazel had not moved. She sat silently looking out the window, clinging to the blanket that Eudora had given her.
“I’ll make arrangements to have the jet picked up later this week and returned to the airport once we’re clear.” Conner told us as we started preparing for our landing in twenty minutes.
Chris dimmed all the lights in the cabin and the plane started descending over upstate New York. “Everyone buckle in, this could be a bumpy ride.” Chris called out and Eudora reached for Lukas, waking up Wylder.
“Whoa, what happened to the lights?” Wylder asked.
“HANG ON!” Chris yelled out and the jet rolled sideways. Chip and Earl tumbled towards Wylder, who reached his arms out to secure them.
“What the hell was that?” I asked as Chris suddenly pulled the nose of the jet higher and higher.
“TO YOUR LEFT! TO YOUR LEFT!” Zeus shouted as something exploded near the jet.
“Looks like anti-aircraft rockets!” Chris snarled.
Chris continued her defensive maneuvers as another explosion erupted in the sky, somewhere below the jet. We had gained enough altitude to be out of reach. Chris quickly turned the jet west and headed over Lake Erie in the event we needed to make a water landing.
“Can someone do something about the moonlight?” Chris asked and I quickly moved clouds to block out the light and cloak us in complete darkness. There was only a thin crescent moon left in the sky as we neared the next new moon.
“Good flying, Chris.” I heard Zeus say to Chris.
“They’ve probably been watching the skies and radar over upstate New York.” She replied.
“They were expecting us from the south. We should detour and circle around near Buffalo so our flight radar will get scrambled with all the planes in that vicinity and come in low from the north.” I suggested.
“Sounds good. I’ll kill all the lights inside and out.” Chris replied. “Can we get some heavy rains and rolling thunder for a distraction?”
“Coming right up.” I nodded and the thunder rumbled.
“I can’t get Stryker, can someone call him and let him know we’ll be delayed about twenty minutes?” Zeus asked and Wylder called his father.
Everyone sat in tensed silence, remembering what happened to Alpha Talon and what we had just avoided. I took a seat next to my mate and pup and held her to me. Mitza glanced my way as she held Hazel’s hand, I gave her a reassuring smile and Chris turned off all the lights on the plane. A few moments later, we heard the vibrating sounds of the landing wheels being lowered.
“Touch down in, ten… nine… eight…” the lights on the makeshift runway came into view, “seven.. six… five… four…” Chris turned on the outside aircraft lights at the last minute, to see the entire runway, “three.. two… one.”
The wheels came into contact with the old, not so smooth road, and we bounced a little. Chris pulled back tight, and the jet was coming to an abrupt and bumpy stop. Mitza squealed and Lukas let out a soft whimper. Everyone exhaled a relieved breath, and I placed a kiss on Eudora and Lukas’ faces.
Through the window, I could see the red hair of Stryker, he was waving around two flashlights, helping to guide Chris off the road to park the jet near the trees and out of sight. The sound of the twin engines stopped, and I moved to open the cabin door.
Wylder stepped out first and rushed to wrap his arms around his mate. Everyone else followed and I turned to find a timid-looking Hazel walking down the steps with Zeus in front of her. Tymber quickly rushed to Hazel and the two of them started crying. We stood in silence as Conner secured the plane and Tymber continued to comfort Hazel. Zeus had slowly inched his way closer to Hazel, fighting the urge to wrap his arms around her. It was probably too much too soon for her.
“It’s about a twenty-five mile run back from here.” Stryker told us. “Your parents are at the pack house on alert for a possible attack. Your in-laws are on the roof and the anxious Grandmothers are all waiting for the return of their little prince.” He said as he stroked Lukas’ head, who was still in wolf form.
“We’ll have to run back in wolf form.” I called out.
“Alpha, Hazel is in no condition to shift right now.” Tymber said.
“Yes, you’re right. I can sense her wolf. When she’s more comfortable, Mateo can give her healing. It should help her wolf.” I answered.
“What is her wolf’s name?” Zeus asked Tymber.
“Her name is Hera.” Tymber told Zeus and his eyes lit up with excitement.
“She doesn’t need to shift, she can ride on me.” Zeus said and Hazel looked at Tymber. Tymber stroked Hazel’s hair and nodded her head to reassure Hazel she was okay.
“Mitza, how’s your wolf doing? Think she’d like to take a long run?” I asked and Mitza nodded and rushed behind a tree.
A few moments later, she stepped out. The top of her ear looked like it had been clipped and I remembered Miller had cut her ear. Tymber was next to step out, she was a brown and tan colored wolf. Everyone else shifted and I forgot that Hazel would be surprised by the size of Zeus. He was from the Theodorus bloodline after all, and his black Alpha wolf was as large as the other Theodorus males.
She looked terrified and Zion dipped his head down in total submission as he slowly moved towards her. He laid down on all fours and Eudora moved to help her climb onto his back. Hazel wrapped her arms around his neck and slowly laid down, pressing into his back. I smiled thinking about the first time Apollo had Eudora on his back. I knew Zeus was in heaven right now with the touch of his mate.
I shifted and lowered myself as Eudora climbed on my back holding Lukas between our bodies. She stroked Apollo's head who hummed with delight and took off into a gentle run. We stayed in a tight formation and moved at a relaxed speed so Zeus’ mate wouldn’t fall off and Eudora could secure Lukas as well.
“Looks like you have new guards on your flanks!” Stryker chuckled through the mind link at Chip and Earl, who ran alongside of me.
“It seems they’re attached to Lukas and Hazel.” I replied.
“Shall I list them on the patrol schedule or are they just new pets?” He roared with laughter.
We continued running for nearly an hour before the pack house came into view.
Demeter rushed out with a pile of clothes for all of us as we shifted back. Eudora stepped off my back and was instantly swarmed with Yia-yia, Grandma Syble, Grandma Dori, my parents, and my in-laws, all reaching for the baby. Lukas wagged his tail, happy to see his doting grandparents. It was my mother who finally commanded him to shift so she could see the sweet face of her grandson.
“Can we get a diaper for his naked little butt?” She laughed.
“Is this our new Hazel?” Grandma Dori asked looking over Zeus’ new mate.
Zeus introduced Hazel and Mitza to everyone. Grandma Syble walked over to Hazel and hugged her before she whispered something into her ear. Hazel smiled and nodded her head. “If you all don’t mind, Tymber and I are going to take Hazel and Mitza upstairs and help them get settled in.” I knew Zeus would struggle to have his mate away from him, but he reluctantly nodded his head and allowed grandma to sweep her away.
My mother waited until they were inside before she spoke, “Relax Zeus, if anyone can relate or connect with Hazel, it’s my mother.” She was right. Grandma Syble had been a pack slave who was abused growing up. She’d know exactly what Hazel needed.
“Where’s Pappoús?” I asked noticing my great-grandfather was missing.
“He went with Anabeth and Ambrose to Cyprus.” Yia-yia told me.
“To Cyprus?”
“Yes. The island nation in the eastern Mediterranean.” Yia-yia replied.
“Why?” What could possibly be so important in Cyprus I wondered.
“To find an old friend of Ambrose, Alpha Balthazar.”