Chapter 18 18
Chapter 18 – Road Trip
Alina clung to the blanket wrapped around her as Kazimir sank into the big leather chair with Alina still in his arms.
“You don’t have to put me on your lap like some kind of pet,” she whispered to Kazimir, and a smile twisted on my face as Kazimir grinned back at her. Oh, if she only knew.
Alpha males are naturally possessive creatures. Once she had shifted into her little brown wolf, Kuzma stood at her side and wouldn’t let anyone near her. He rubbed his scent all over her and took the timid little wolf for a quick run. When they returned, Odessa talked Alina through her shift back into human form. Odessa was a natural Luna and Haze was humming with pride.
“Are you hungry?” Kazimir asked Alina and she shook her head no, she looked scared and confused.
“It’s normal to feel hungry and exhausted after your first shift,” Odessa assured her.
“Shift?” Alina asked.
“Change into your wolf,” Kazimir tried to explain.
“Did I get bit? Was it that rabid wolf?” She asked and Odessa laughed.
Haze wasn’t amused at the accusation of his mate being rabid.
Odessa smiled, pointing to herself. “You’re looking at that vicious and rabid wolf from the other night.”
Alina looked from Odessa to Ninos, and then to me. “You’re all wolves!”
“Yes, you weren’t bitten, you were born as one. One of your parents was a werewolf,” I replied. “Our wolf is dormant until we reach maturity at eighteen, except for a few who shift a little sooner.”
“Alina, what do you remember about your parents?” Kazimir asked and she looked thoughtful.
“My father was from Saint Petersburg, Russia, and I’m not sure about my mother. I was fourteen when they passed away.”
“Your Uncle Yuri, is he your mother or father’s brother?” I asked. “He’s my father’s older brother.”
“Did you ever meet any of your Grandparents?”
“Only my father’s parents, they lived in a small apartment in Saint Petersburg,” she replied. This told me her father’s family was most likely human.
“And your mother’s side of the family?” I pressed.
“She never talked about them. All I know is that she had come from Eastern Russia. We moved to America when I was little.”
“And you moved around a lot…” I remembered what she had shared in Cyprus.
“Yes, we never stayed in any State longer than a year.”
“Alina, I believe your mother was a she-wolf and your father was human. Our kind, especially in Russia, would not easily accept a human into the pack. There’s a good chance she ran away and was hiding in America,” I told her.
“But America is so far away from Russia, why would they keep moving around?”
“Rogues,” Ninos answered. “Your mother left the pack, she was a rogue. Other countries have werewolves and packs too. You most likely lived in big cities because wolf packs don’t usually run the human filled cities,” he explained.
“And it’s harder to pick up a wolf’s scent in a city,” Odessa told her.
“Scents? Is that why Kazimir smells so good?” She asked with a blush. “Kazimir smells so good because he’s your mate, it’s their stupid secret
weapon the Moon Goddess gave them to help make them irresistible to their mate,” Odessa scoffed.
“I should take Alina upstairs and let her rest,” Kazimir stood from the chair, still holding her tight in his arms.
“I have so many questions,” Alina protested.
“I will answer them for you, malyishka,” he told her. And just like that, Kazimir’s aura was radiating with delight.
“I guess that means we won’t need to go on a witch hunt to help his mate,” Ninos grinned.
“Not unless we need to save someone’s testicles from an angry mate,” I met the beautiful honey colored eyes of Odessa looking back at me.
“How’d it go with Alpha LaRue?” She asked.
“Fine. He collected the three she-wolves, thanked me for my help, and gave me some advice.”
“Advice?” She crossed her arms over her chest, not realizing she was squashing her breasts which enhanced the cleavage showing thanks to the damn shirt she was wearing.
Fuck! Odessa was a Queen and I needed to have her. To own and devour every inch of her. To possess her.
“Mine,” Haze growled in my head, angry that Ninos had also noticed the cleavage.
“What kind of advice did Alpha Diesel LaRue give you?”
“He told me to ensure the mating was complete with your mark on my neck before your brother finds out and buries me alive.”
“My mark on your neck?” She raised an eyebrow.
“Well, don’t let me get in the way of your mating and marking,” Ninos said encouragingly.
“I don’t think so,” Odessa rolled her eyes at Ninos. “Listen to Ninos,” Haze urged me.
Odessa started walking around the Alpha office, taking in all the damage I had caused. The floor to ceiling dark walnut bookshelves had been smashed, the books had been salvaged and stacked in the corner of the office. The stone from the fireplace had been chipped by something I smashed against it. The desk was missing and folders were stacked on the conference table Darius had brought in.
“Do any of you know how to run a pack?” She asked.
“Hades is an Alpha, they’re natural-born leaders,” Ninos replied.
“And yet things are in complete chaos. The patrols are failing, I was able to walk right into the heart of your territory without getting caught. I didn’t see your warriors training this morning because you don’t have any ranked wolves. You gave a pack member your personal credit card when you should be able to provide with your pack resources. This office looks like a tornado blew through it,” she stopped and gave me a penetrating gaze. “And you’re still not sure if you want to be here, Alpha.”
“Luna doesn’t miss a thing,” Haze yapped.
“I just arrived yesterday. I haven’t had the chance to review assets and finances yet.”
“Your father may have been cheap with the pack expenses, but I know the businesses are thriving. You should have no problem affording the remodel of this office and fixing the burned buildings. It’s hard to take an Alpha seriously when he’s operating in ruins.”
“It’s Saturday, I’ll find a contractor on Monday,” Ninos said.
“Call Yannis Construction in Patras. Yannis is a lone wolf and owns the company, they do great work and they’re fast. We’ve used him for multiple projects.” She spoke with confidence.
“Perfect, thank you.” Ninos gave me a smile that told me what a fool I was. I wanted to punch it right off his face.
“I hear your father spent a lot of time away from the pack in the last few years. I doubt he’d leave the pack finances and decisions to the Beta. Most of the pack-owned businesses are in Athens, have you checked his office there?”
She was right, both hotels were in the heart of Athens along with the water ferry service. Some of the restaurants and bars were in other cities but most were also in Athens. “Not yet, but I should also make a trip to his apartment in Athens.” I had discovered the spare key on his dresser this morning.
Ninos frowned deeply, “I hate Athens.”
“You don’t have to come with me.” Ninos had been abandoned in the city when his sister met her mate and it held memories he tried to forget.
“I’ll go with you,” Odessa said. “It’s a long drive and I don’t mind the road trip.”
Three and a half hours later and we were nearing Athens. I didn’t want to leave Odessa at the pack house for the rest of the day and possibly the
night alone. I had hoped to spend some time getting to know her better, but Ninos was seated in the back yakking away.
Kazimir remained at the pack house and was hacking into the General Commercial Registry of Greece to find records of my father’s holdings. The pack property and cottages belonged to my family for generations, but some of the larger homes were owned and built by pack members over the years. Everyone helped contribute to the pack.
I continued driving while stealing glances at my gorgeous mate seated next to me. She wore sunglasses and something about it bothered me. I needed to see her eyes, those beautiful eyes. Every time Ninos said something funny that made her laugh, I felt the sting of jealousy.
“Hey, watch where you’re driving,” Ninos pulled me out of my reverie, and I swerved back to my side of the road.
“I don’t understand why they insist on driving on the right side of the road in Greece,” I grumbled.
“Two-thirds of the world drives on the right side of the road,” Odessa laughed.
“The left side is the wrong side,” Ninos added.
“We drive on the left side in Cyprus,” I replied, noticing her smile fade. Something I said troubled her and I tried to read her thoughts. My comment made her wonder if I was eager to get back to Cyprus.
“Kazimir just texted me the list,” Ninos said. “The pack hotels look impressive. It says here they’re both five-star hotels, a breath away from Acropolis hill. Two of the restaurants and a bar are located in the Plaka district. The water ferry business is based out of the Port of Piraeus, they have twelve operational high-speed ferries,” Ninos said.
“High-speed water ferries are not cheap, and tourists love them. At a minimum, they will each bring in thousands of dollars a day.” She was
right. The ferry business alone could help sustain the pack comfortably. What the hell was he doing with the rest of the money?
“Your father’s personal holdings include a nightclub in the Plaka called Howling Dogs,” Ninos laughed as he recited the names of a few more places including a cinema, a café, an art gallery, and the Adonis.
“The Adonis?” Odessa asked.
“You’ve heard of the Adonis?” I raised my eyebrows. “Isn’t it a strip club of some kind?” She asked.
“I believe so. My father acquired it just before I turned sixteen,” I answered, but the Adonis wasn’t just a strip club. It was a kink club on so many levels. I remembered when my father first opened the Adonis. He bought the whole building and had business to attend to in his office, which was conveniently located on the third floor. I got bored waiting in the office and wandered down to the main floor.
As a horny teen on the brink of sixteen, I was blown away by the live- action sex stage. And it wasn’t just the sex stage that caught my attention, it was the dungeon below. The sound of leather meeting flesh, the total domination and submission, the give and take, pain meeting pleasure, and the cries of orgasm.
Strip clubs had been our scene throughout our university days, but I always found myself leaning towards the darker more erotic pleasures. Pleasures that my mate would no doubt find depraved. All I could think about after seeing her in the bath towel was how she would look tied to my bed. I wanted to spank her for looking so sweet and innocent. I wanted to fucking own her in every way, own every moan, every cry, and every orgasm.
“Do you think he had an office at the hotels?” Ninos asked.
“I know he had one at the Adonis,” I reluctantly told them. I wasn’t thrilled about the idea of taking Odessa anywhere near there.
“Raven mentioned that he had one at the Howling Dogs,” Odessa recalled.
I considered dropping them off to look at the Howling Dogs while I looked through the office at the Adonis, but I wasn’t sure what kind of club the Howling Dogs was.
“Think we’ll have any problems getting in? The business hasn’t been transferred to you yet,” Ninos reminded me.
“I’ll have Kazimir get in touch with our attorney. The pack businesses are incorporated, as the heir, I’m listed as an officer of the corporation. But my father’s personal assets will require a legal transfer.”
“So we’re just going to walk in there and rummage through his office?” Ninos asked.
“Unfortunately, I look like the bastard so there’s a chance people will recognize me and let us in. If any wolves work there, they will submit to my Alpha. Humans can be a pain in the ass, but can you see any of them stopping me?”
“Adonis here we come!” He grinned.
It was late in the afternoon when we reached the Adonis. I was hoping to slip in and out before it got too busy and before Odessa really noticed the debauchery. As luck would have it, it was busy already, but then again it was the weekend.
“Horny bastards,” Haze scoffed in my head.
We reached the door, and the human bouncers had no idea who I was, so I paid the entrance fee. I didn’t want to make a scene before I made it to the office.
The bouncer looked us over and avoided making eye contact with me. “It’s Saturday, couples are allowed access to all levels including the dungeon. Singles are only allowed first floor access. Who is this goddess
with?” He winked at Odessa and my fists closed tight, ready to make him swallow his teeth.
“I’m with the God of the underworld of course,” Odessa said and placed her hand on my chest, soothing the beast inside of me that wanted to see him bleed.
“Red bracelets for you both, and a blue bracelet for the single third wheel.” I snatched the bracelets from him, and we slipped them on.
“I’m going to be stuck on the lower level,” Ninos whispered as we walked through the dark hall towards the music and the smell of sex. I reached for Odessa’s hand and pulled her close to me. Then I reminded Haze not to try and kill everyone here because every fucker here likes to watch and would be looking.
“We won’t be long,” I said as the main stage came into view. It looked like an orgy scene straight out of the latest pornography flick. Leather loungers and chairs sat in all four corners of the stage. The middle was littered with big pillows and naked bodies rolling around, teasing, rubbing, and sucking. The woman closest to us on the stage was riding her lover's face, her big fake tits jiggling everywhere.
My eyes quickly shifted to Odessa, and I tried to read her thoughts. Her wall was up, and her eyes raked over the stage. I watched as she slowly turned her head to the stripper polls near the bar. She lifted her head and noticed VIP balconies on the second floor filled with voyeurs and other sex play. Some wore masks, others wore leather, and everyone was trying to fulfill some fetish fantasy. She looked like a beautiful deer caught in the headlights when she finally turned to face me. Her face was flush and her lips slightly parted.
“Ninos, go get a drink at the bar and stay out of trouble, we’re taking these stairs to the third floor office.” I tugged at Odessa’s hand and we moved to the stairs.
“I need to use the restroom,” she told me.
“The ones on the second floor are not as busy. The private viewing balconies are up here, along with the themed rooms.”
“Themed rooms?” She questioned.
I stopped in front of the ladies' room door and pulled it open for her. “Don’t ask a question you’re not prepared to hear the answer to. I’m more of a hands-on instructor,” I grinned.