Chapter 45
Alpha Xavier's Return
Xavior returned to his pack to check on its progress with the renovations and building the new homes and businesses they were putting in for the new members they would receive in about a month. Some issues were taking place amongst some members about wanting to keep everybody from Felix’s pack. Rayland and Xavior decided to have a pack meeting to let them know what happened.
The night of the meeting, Clara had come to visit along with her guards and Dunken, who had stayed behind to help her with the business. She could not put much into those until the fight, only a few days away. She is still preparing for the fight with her father, and he is just now starting to train. He had not trained in years as he felt he did not need to, nor did he see the reasoning behind it as he had warriors to fight.
“Good Evening, ladies and Gentlemen; as you know, Princess Clara is my mate and your future Queen. I do not wish to have you move from this pack to hers, so with that; you will remain here where you belong with the union of over five hundred new members coming from Felix’s pack. Who knows, you may find your fated mates among the new members. I know you all have heard rumors of what occurred in the last couple of weeks, and I want to clarify and bring the truth to you.”
Clara took hold of his hand and squeezed it, letting him know that he is doing great and they would all understand. She linked him, telling him she wanted to talk to them since she is their Luna.
“Felix’s mother, Libby Forest, was behind all the killings that he had done. She made him do her bidding as she was a power-hungry she-wolf and would not stop at anything to get what she wanted, no matter who she hurt. While on the stand during her trial, she told on herself. She admitted using spells on the rogues and Felix to do her bidding, and not only that, but she did the same with our King Matthew but used poisons along with magic against him.”
There were gasps amongst the members that turned into angry, growling looks. They could not understand what had happened but knew that she did not deserve to live, but Clara wanted to give them her side to clarify what she had to endure during all those years being raised by her unworthy father.
Xavior continues with his speech letting everyone know that she was sentenced to death and what Felix had done by taking punishment. The shock on their faces turned into sympathy for the alpha who no longer. They had a new fond sentiment for the new pack members they would receive in a few weeks. They understood what was at stake and took it at heart that they had to make the homes better than they had in their old pack.
“Princess Clara, what should we call you?”
“Right now, Princess Clara, or Clara, whichever you prefer, will be good. But the main reason I am here is for you to understand what has happened with my life while I grew up. I do not want sympathy from anybody, so this is just a little background about your Luna/Princess. My mother left me behind by force by my father, your king. He raised me; well, others did that for him. I was always with what I needed except for his love and guidance. During the past several months, I learned where my mother and siblings lived and that some of our guards and staff members are my aunts, uncles, and cousins. I am grateful that my family and your Queen’s mother have returned to the palace...”
She continued telling them about her life and that she was next in line, becoming their Queen after the fight with her father in a few days. She also told them how he was and how Libby took advantage of him and wanted to take over as Queen. They were all disgusted with how she was and glad they put her in her grave for all the wrongs she had done over the years.
The pack members ate the BBQ laid out for them and mingled amongst themselves and the princess, Luna. The next day Clara joined Xaviors warriors in training and even taught them a few new moves to help them to become more cunning when intruders came to call. They trained for six hours with breaks in between lunch and dinner. She felt good after training and was excited to fight her father as she also learned new stances, techniques, etc... She could not wait to use what she knew against him.
Clara left to go back to her home with her guards and Dunken. When they returned, Meira greeted them on the steps, letting them know that King Matthew had decided to start training for their fight starting yesterday. Clara rolled her eyes and walked past her mother; she thought, why start training now when it is pointless?
She visited the training grounds to see her father and watch how he worked. She noticed how sloppy his moves were and how he struggled to keep up with the others. She wondered if she should push the fight back for another month or two so that he could continue to train. She had her walls down when Xavior and his crew told her, ‘Don’t you dare think that you will fight him tomorrow.’
She giggled at what they said, heading for the gym to get some weight training for the day. Matthew walked in, noticed his daughter was there lifting, and could not believe what he saw. He saw that she was wearing shorts and a sports bra, her hair in a tight ponytail. At that moment, he was reluctant to fight his daughter as he knew what his fate would be. He swallowed hard and turned, walking out of the room wishing he would have just handed the reigns over to her. He did not know how it came to this where he would have to fight her. He saw how strong she was just by the looks of her.
She looked around, wondering who was there watching her but knew it was her father by the smell that lingered. She smirked at what he thought when he saw her. Now she could not wait till she fought him, knowing he was scared of her for the first time.
Xavior returned from his pack and watched his father-in-law’s facial expressions knowing that he had just come from the gym where Clara was. He giggled to himself, knowing that he would have to submit or die. Matthew noticed Xavior and walked with fast, vast strides toward him.
“Can I have a word with you, Xavior, please?”
“Yes, what are you wanting, King Matthew?”
“Can I forfeit the fight tomorrow?”
“No sir, you may not, you both had challenged each other, and I am the referee to the fight to make sure it is fair, and neither cheats. But be wise; she will not submit to you; she may kill you, so be prepared.”
“Oh, I see...does she hate me that much?”
“I don’t think she hates you so much as she is pissed at how you treated her all her life growing up, and let’s not forget the time you should have passed the crown over to her. Oh, and there is the fact that you allowed Libby Forest into your life and ruined everything. So, hate is an understatement of how she feels.”
He walked off, letting those words sink into his mind at what he had done. Xavior went to the office that he and Clara shared; sitting down, he looked over and saw that Clara had teleported into the office from the gym. They smiled at each other as she sauntered over to where he was sitting, startling his legs and leaning in to give him a big hug and kiss.
“I just ran into your father outside while walking in the house.”
“What did he want?”
“Not to fight tomorrow, and he knows his life may end.”
“Huh, he walked into the gym, but I ignored him showing him how strong I was. Guess he did not want to lift weights.” She said, laughing.
Xavior shook his head no and kissed her back. He nuzzled her neck, inhaling her scent to calm his nerves, and she did the same to him. She got up and walked over to her desk, an ‘L’ shaped wood desk. She turned in her chair, looking out over her pack and the royal guards who were training. The pack members and staff had training all day but at different times, from beginners to the more elite. It was a ten-hour day of training the different members, but everything was noticed. She wanted everyone to learn how to fight in case they were caught off guard by intruders, and the members and staff were happy to train.
Children were required to train as well. Starting at age five, they learned basic moves but mostly how to defend themselves and each other until help came or they could get to safety. Sometimes you would find the children play fight to hone their skills, bringing warmth to Clara’s heart and a tear and smile.
“Would you like to train with Dunken and me later tonight?”
“Hell, I would love to take you both down.” She laughed.
They continued to work on what she wanted to do to increase profit for the pack and how to start other businesses. She knew that some of her pack members were selling items they made out of their homes but wanted to have storefronts and such for them to work out of instead of their homes. They devised plans and contacted an architect to help them with their dreams. She was changing things that her father would never have done. He did not believe in change, but all that was starting to change with her at the ship's helm.
During dinner, there was talk of the fight the next day, which brought up the question lingering in everyone’s mind, when would the fight be?
“Love, we need to discuss when and where you want the fight to occur?”
“Tomorrow night, as the sunsets, we will go in the field where it is already sandy and set for fighting. Grandfather had that made when he ruled the kingdoms. He did not want to taint our training field into a war zone. When members had a score to settle, they would go there to settle their differences. They would also try to use that space to bring the wars there so they could not enter here in the castle or towns. It was merely for protection for those who did not know how to fight.”
“And we are just now learning about this?”
“Well... I never thought about it till now, but it needs to be cleaned up a tad. Some people could go and look at it after dinner.”
Xavior and the others were sitting at the table smiling, and they got up while the staff cleaned off the tables and did the dishes. Xavior and Clara went to change their clothes while everyone went out to the old training field and cleared it out, getting it ready for the fight the following night. Dunken changed and went to the current training field to warm up while waiting for the other two to join him.
When they arrived, Clara started in with Dunken immediately, taking him for a surprise. He could not get his footing to save his life as she gave him an intense workout. Xavior observed how she fought and gave advice on where she needed to watch out for, and he did the same with his Beta.
Dunken tapped out, and Xavior entered the ring and did not hold back from fighting her. He ensured she would get everything her father could throw at her and then some. She knew what these two were doing, and she was okay with that and gave her all-in return leaving bruises and a few broken bones on her two opponents. They took a break to regain their strength and heal. The boys then went back at it again, two against one.
They cleaned up their mess on the field and headed to their rooms. Xavior and Clara got their showers and headed to bed, entering a deep dreamland state. She dreamed of the fight, the coronation, and their wedding and could not wait till it all came into place. For once, she was happy that her family was there to watch her fight and grow.