The Crystal Moon Curse: Book 5: TAKEN

Chapter 21. Lycanos

VIGGO

"We are almost home Alpha," Costas says from the front of the car.

I open my eyes to see the familiar sweeping redwoods lining the long wooded road to our pack.

I wasn't asleep. Even though the day long drive from Birchwood to Lycanos should have lulled me to sleep, how could I when my mind is an all-consuming mess of one hot-headed, pissed off Luna?

Fuck me, I had thought Kyros had done the trick last night.

While her human slept Kyra let Kyros inch his way over to her until he was wrapped around her. The only way he would allow her to rest in the open forest.

Kyra is in a conundrum. There is no doubt she is all in on our mating. I could read it in every hungry, horny, hormone leeching through her pheromones as we lay in the woods last night. But the moment Quilla surfaced to consciousness, Kyra's loyalty to her human took over.

My eyes are still stinging from the dirt on my face.

Then, of course, Alpha Bryce and his archaic pack laws threw a spanner in my game and Quilla is back to hating my ass.

I have no remorse for the punished she-wolf or hold any grudge against Alpha Bryce. I felt Kisha's eyes on me, I could read the blatant invitation in them. It was one I had seen hundreds of times by numerous females before, and I was just as unaffected by her as all the others. No one has held my interest since the day I scented Quilla.

That stupid she-wolf was well deserving of Quilla's rebuke which was the most pleasant of surprises. I did not expect that at all.

What I am most remorseful about is the anguish and guilt I saw in her eyes. She is right. This is my fault. It is my job to protect her and our bond and I did nothing to defend it.

Quilla has come from having zero knowledge of werewolf culture, let alone understanding the role she was born for as my mate and it shames me that despite this she was the one to put in check the wayward she wolf.

I promise myself it will never happen again.

Up ahead in Sebastian's old blue truck, Quilla rides with her parents and the jealousy stirring inside me is distasteful. I want her with me.

"Are all arrangements to receive the Luna ready?" I question my Gamma, focusing as we get closer to the Castra.

Costas turns to look at me with a raised eyebrow.

"You have met my mate Sofia right?"

I nod quietly. Costas is right, Sofia will have everything under control. I know every instruction I sent on our way back will be followed to a t.

As Gamma female, Sophia has kept the castra in order since she mated Costas ten years ago. I know she is just as excited as the rest of the pack is that the Luna is finally here.

Despite knowing this, I am unable to school the nervous energy inside me as we get closer home.

As the top of the castra comes into view over the treetops of the surrounding forests, I wish I could be there to see her reaction when she sees the beauty of Castra Lycanos. I'm tempted to push into her mind to get a glimpse, but Kyra has kept us blocked. I could force my way through but I've promised myself to only allow myself to link her when she has accepted me.

The vehicles slow and pride swells in my chest as hundreds of wolves step out of the woods and line the road in welcome. Every wolf in the pack comes to greet us and as we pull up in front of the castra stairs, every omega who serves in the castra is presented and waiting with Sofia leading in the front as expected, with a beaming smile of welcome that could probably be seen from the moon.

We pull up behind Sebastian's truck and I hop out to open my mate's door but am beat to it by Hector, the elderly head house Omega.

He rushes down the stairs and opens the back door throwing me a sheepish look .

The oldest wolf in our pack, he's a cheeky bugger, trying to get the glory of the first glimpse of the Luna.

"Welcome to Pack Lycanos Luna Quilla, I hope your travels went well." He says with an exaggerated bow.

Quilla slides out of the truck and I have to hold back a laugh at both the expression on her face and that of the omegas.

Dressed in worn, high-waisted skin-tight jeans, and a faded band t-shirt, her hair a wild mess of chocolate curls, she is not the typical Luna my pack expected, but it does not take them long to see beyond what she wears and recognize the stunning beauty she truly is. I know they can sense the power and strength in her scent, something she does not even seem to know.

"Shut the front door, this is not your house."

She turns to me, her eyes wide as she sweeps over the four-story palace, with its sweeping marble staircase and columns, arched windows gleaming in the afternoon setting sun.

"Where did you expect an Alpha King to live?" I chuckle at the incredulous expression on her face.

"I don't know Viggo, but not a damn castle in the woods!" She snaps waving her hands at the castra. I smile at her sweet innocence.

"Well, as you can see being Alpha King is not just a title, and Castra Lycanos is not mine. It is ours." I reply, and again bite back another laugh as she stares at me with bright beautiful eyes that look like they are about to pop out of her head.

Well, at least they are not angry at me, for now.

The laugh dies in my throat as she turns suddenly and hops back into the truck slamming the door resolutely.

All I can do is stare at my reflection in the dark-tinted window.

"Alpha, is the Luna alright?" Sofia asks with concern, coming down the stairs to stand beside me.

"The Luna is a little bit upset with our King my love," Costas says grabbing his mate by the waist and greeting her with his face buried in her nape.

I growl low at him.

"She's just overwhelmed, give her a second," I say and we wait. And wait.

After several minutes the door finally opens. Not hers, Sebastian's.

He walks around to join Costas, Sofia, and me.

"She's kind of overwhelmed," he says. 

I raise my eyebrow pointedly at Costas.

"And she's still really pissed at you," 

Costas raises his eyebrow back at me.

Sebastian rubs his chin.

"I hate to say this, but she's so much like her mom it's not even funny. Stubborn as heck and she can hold a grudge."

I blink at him, ire rising in my gut.

I'm just about done. Kyros agrees.

The whole damn pack is here to greet their Luna and she's hiding in her daddy's truck like a spoiled brat.

There is only one way to deal with this.

"You know Sebastian, it's time you got a new truck," I growl.

"What?" He replies confused.

I reach for the door and with a solid tug pull it off its hinges and toss it into the woods like a frisbee. 

"You fuck!" Sebastian snarls lunging for me, Costas and the warriors nearby haul him to the side as I bend and reach inside to smile at my mate who looks like she's going to kick me in the head.

"Viggo, leave her alone," Genesis growls a warning at me from the front seat.

"No," I growl back, Kyros burning in my eyes.

"Don't you fucking touch me!" Quilla screams at me as I reach in.

She kicks her leg out and I grab it easily hauling her spitfire ass out of the truck and over my shoulder.

"Welcome home, Mate,"

------------------