Chapter 58

58.Challenge – Part 1.

“Hello Xavier,” the woman grinned, flashing the gorgeous half smile that had stolen the Alpha’s heart years ago but now just poured poison on his sentiments, heart, and emotions.

Kiara was taken aback when she saw the blonde beauty with perfect makeup, an appealing figure, and sexy clothing. She had big brown eyes, thin lips, a sharp nose, and a big face. She looked the same as she had in the wedding photo. Her blonde hair had been pulled back into a perfect bun, yet there was a sparkle in her eyes as she looked at the Alpha for the first time in two years. When Kiara realized that the woman was none other than Xavier’s first mate, she grasped the skirt of her dress at her sides.

What was she doing here?! In the story that Jennifer had revealed to her, the Alpha had immediately rejected his cheating mate that night and kicked her out of the pack. Petra was never supposed to return, according to the Beta female. So how could she undertake such a daring move? The story and reality did not seem to match, but one thing was for certain in the young woman’s mind: Xavier was Kiara’s. Only hers!

He did not belong to that she-wolf who had transformed her Alpha into an emotionless, cold, cruel monster that had begun to despise every woman around him. Petra had been the one who had taught him that true love did not exist in this world, that it was only a few seconds of attraction and physical hunger.

That’s all.

The young she-wolf would have had a normal life with her mate if her husband had never been betrayed by his first mate and his mother. Instead their love story had begun with a surrogacy contract. But when the Alpha eventually revealed his true feelings and ended the contract, despite the fact that they were legally bonded to each other with the contract, the she-wolf from his past appeared. She in no way resembled a threat to the Alpha’s innocent second chance mate.

The young Luna took a few seconds to look between the two of them. Both seemed delighted that they had frozen in place. The eye contact between them was not normal.

Kiara’s gaze was pulled down to her mate’s hand, which was trembling in rage. His emerald eyes locked with Petra’s brown ones, instilling insecurity in the young she-wolf’s heart. She was able to sense Xavier’s emotions and had finally seen how much the other female could influence him.

His suffocation, frustration, anguish, grief, and fury were all emotions the young Luna was experiencing as a result of the mate bond, and it was nothing short of a living nightmare. Kiara had recalled all of Xavier’s physical suffering, false promises of love, and betrayal in those few seconds when Petra appeared in front of him. Her presence had completely transformed him into someone she had never met before. Her mate had become someone unknown to her.

“How are you, Xavier? It’s been a while,” the blonde woman asked, her brown eyes filled with some unknown emotion. She took in Xavier from head to toe, finding him more attractive after the two year span she hadn’t fortune to catch a glimpse of him.

“I missed you,” Petra added, with a smile as she tried to start walking towards him. Kiara grimaced when she heard her tone.

What did she mean when she said she missed him? She didn’t sound like she’d ever committed a crime like betrayal in the past. She sounded like a long lost lover.

“How dare you enter my territory?!!” screamed the Alpha, letting his large, bloodthirsty claws emerge once again. Alpha Harvey’s Beta took off to defend Petra. Not just the Beta but other Blue Moon Pack protectors. There was a rumor that the great Alpha Xavier was a lunatic who never thought twice about killing anyone, and the woman before him was the most vexing of all.

“Stop. He will not kill me,” when she spoke to her people, her voice took on a new level of confidence. Petra turned her head to check Kiara’s reaction, which was not pleasant. A slight smile lingered on the blonde woman’s lips as she began to get closer to her former mate.

“I have my reasons for coming here, Xavier. But still I want Alpha King Renard to explain...”

“Shut the f**k up, you b***h!!” Xavier yelled as he grabbed the woman’s slender neck. Everyone, including the King, panicked as Petra’s neck began to bleed, which was caused by the Alpha’s sharp claws digging into her skin.

“What the f**k is everyone waiting for?! Go and separate Alpha Xavier from Petra!!” King Renard ordered in his Alpha tone, which was enough for every wolf to jump into action. Due to suffocation, the brown-eyed woman’s face had become bright red.

She’d been throwing her arms and legs at him in an attempt to stay alive while in the death grip of her ex-mate until the other men could save her. But the real concern was whether it would work.

The Alpha had shoved them away with one hand, but he never loosened his grasp of the woman’s neck.

“Stephen, ask Xavier to let Petra go! He will listen to you,” Ren asked his younger brother.

“Kids grow up, Ren. Only Zander can handle his twin but I doubt he would in this instance,” the old wolf explained as he gestured to Zander, who was enjoying the show despite having a dark aura at having to see his ex-bitch of a sister-in-mate. There was no way he was going to interrupt the ongoing soon-to-be murder since Zander shared his twin’s desire to see the betrayer die.

That was when Alpha Harvey reached the crying Iris. “Don’t cry, Iris. I am...”

“Get the hell out of here! If you don’t want to lose your hands then don’t touch my sister!” Zander growled in a warning before the other Alpha could touch the young lady.

“She is my mate!” Harvey roared, causing a crack in Zander’s brain. He grabbed the other Alpha’s collar and dragging him close to his face.

“Get the f**k out of my territory with your w***e sister if you want to see the next second of your life,” Zander growled, looking deep into his eyes before Iris freed her hand from her brother’s.

“Brother, give me 5 minutes with Harvey alone,” the young she-wolf demanded, this time there were no tears in her eyes.

“It’s not happening, Iris!” Her brother said in a low deadly tone.

“You will let me talk to him alone, if you trust me,” she countered right away. This time Zander didn’t regard his 19-year-old sister as a baby, but as a lady who understood what she was doing.

“f**k!” The Alpha cursed, letting go of her mate’s collar.

“I will f*****g tear you into pieces if you touch my sister!” Zander warned him, before Iris grabbed her mate’s hand and dashed to the other side of the garden.

The King, who had been watching his nephew’s craziness unfold, was enraged. Even his greatest warrior hadn’t been able to stop Xavier. It was disrespectful and insulting since more than six individuals had held his arms and body in an attempt to push him back, but none of them had been able to do so.

Petra, who should have died a long time ago, was still alive because her wolf was very powerful and she had a strong will to survive. But how long could it continue on like this? Xavier was not going to stop until he snapped her neck and his wolf tasted her blood.

“f**k! I never meant to do this, but the issue has gotten out of hand!” Renard grumbled, deciding to take a step he’d never taken before.

“Alpha Xavier! This is your King’s command. Let go Petra right away or your entire pack will have to bear the punishment for you disobeying my orders!” The Alpha King roared as he watched Xavier letting go og Petra’s neck right away. Her weak body collapsed to the ground, as her pack members rushed to her aid. Alpha Zander moved away, shoving the other wolves who were attempting to restrain his sibling. Despite the fact that they were the King’s bodyguards, he kicked them away like they were little more than garbage.

Then he stood beside Xavier who turned to face Renard.

“Uncle,” Xavier’s emerald eyes flashed with wrath. He had not anticipated the King to ask him to do this, thus Renard knew all about his rejection and Petra’s treachery.

“Calm down,” The King began.

“I can’t! The entire world is aware that the Blue Moon Pack is not permitted to enter my territory. They had welcomed their own doom by stepping foot here. Despite knowing the consequences, they have committed this crime, therefore none of these people will leave my pack alive. Even though you were the one who authorized them to conduct this crime,” Xavier asserted, staring deep into his uncle’s eyes.

“You’re not going to be able to kill them, Xavier. If you forgot, let me remind you that the ban you imposed on them has already been lifted. The two-year restriction ended one month ago, and the paused treaty between the two packs has been resumed,”

the King explained as he approached his nephew, who was still not satisfied.

“That reason is insufficient for them to come here without my consent,” the older Alpha said, taking a step closer to his uncle as an indirect challenge that there was no way he was going to bear these acts against his will even though the man standing in front of him was the King.

Instead of being offended by Xavier’s attitude, the King maintained his cool. He looked between his twin nephews, who both had identical looks of rage and rebellion in their eyes. This was the aura and confidence that Renard required in the person who would succeed him as Alpha King!

This was the fire he had been looking for, and it could only be found in these Alpha twins. When the elder brother was speaking, he was furious, and the younger stood next to him like a shield. Zander did not once disrupt the conversation to display his presence to the others, but the purpose of Zander’s being next to Xavier was something else. If his brother made a mistake in front of the Alpha King, Zander would instantly reign him back in.

Yes, there was a small chance of that happening but the rage might drive Xavier insane, to the point where he didn’t give a f**k to even about the King. The old Alpha King was fully aware of everything that they had done that made him proud. This was why he wanted both of the twins to be the Alpha King: they were inseparable and couldn’t live without each other.

Renard took a deep breath when he noticed Stephen, who plainly despised him as well. He was fully aware that he needed to clarify things for his younger twin, but he needed to calm his nephew first.

“Xavier, the Blue Moon Pack approached me for this purpose. Even when the two-year ban had ended, you disregarded the reinstatement of the pact as if it were only a few lines on paper, ignoring all of the Blue Moon Pack’s e-mails and letters. Don’t forget how valuable your signature and seal are to our Kingdom. Thanks to your attitude, when the Vampires attacked the Blue Moon Pack, they did not get the help provided in the agreement. The entire council is watching your actions as an Alpha Prince, and the case will be heard today. Injustice has been done to the Blue Moon Pack, and you must accept responsibility.”

The King explained then quickly ordered everyone to the meeting room to consider this critical topic. Xavier was still enraged, but this time it was directed at himself. He had completely ignored all of the letters from the Blue Moon Pack. He had no idea they had been assaulted by vampires as well, and that they had gone to the council and King about it.

“f**k!” Xavier gritted his teeth and growled. He had obviously dug his own grave and allowed them into his pack. That was when he noticed his mate in the distance, where she had previously been. From the start, the young she-wolf had been watching everything, her gaze was solely on her mate, who eventually looked at her.

As he approached Kiara, Xavier sensed her sadness since she had seen a different side of him that she had been ignorant of.

“Let’s go, Kiara,” he asked for her hand, but he wasn’t sure she’d be courageous enough to place her hands on him. He used to be aggressive, insane, and a beast. He was hardly the type of man an innocent lady would want as a mate. He wasn’t Prince Charming, with roses in his hands. Instead, his nails were splattered with blood, this was his reality.

“Yes, let’s get this over with as soon as possible, so that we can get to bed, Xavier. I’m exhausted and want to sleep,” Kiara smiled, placing her hand in his as she began to walk by his side like the genuine Queen he had always wished for.

“Sure,” the Alpha and Luna smiled at each other while entering the pack house.

“Iris, wait a minute,” Harvey’s hand was in one of his mates, who had been dragging him away from the crowd for a few seconds.

“Please hear me out,” he said again. The mated bond made him aware that she was down right furious and if he did not make up with her then something bad was coming for him.

“Iris, please hear me out, baby,” he murmured, this time he applied pressure on her wrist to stop her in her tracks, but he was slapped across the face. The Alpha’s head was snapped to the side, despite the fact that the slap could not have injured his thick skin.

“How can you bring Petra with you?” The young woman screamed, a scorching sensation on her hand, but it was ignored in the face of her rage.

“I did not bring her...”

“Don’t lie!” Before he could explain himself she snapped at him.

“We are both fully aware of our family’s animosity and the precarious situation of our relationship.

The arrival of your sister ruined everything for us. I knew my brothers would be furious after learning the truth, but I could have persuaded him them to say yes to our relationship since they adores me. However, by bringing your sister you have now opened the door for our rejection, Iris’ green eyes welled up again as she said the word rejection.

“Don’t talk about rejection, Iris!” Harvey grabbed arms tightly while gritting his teeth.

“Do you really believe I can’t fight back against your brother? It is only because of our love that I have been keeping myself together so that I can prove my love for you to them. But it appears that, as a result of that minor incident, you are already considering rejecting me. There’s no way we’re rejecting each other,” the Alpha drew his mate closer to him.

“Do you hear what I’m saying? If you even think about it, i’ll do something terrible,” he warned, brushing his lips on hers.

“I wonder what you will do?” She raised her eyebrows without moving away. “I will kidnap you!” The Alpha announced his plan, throwing the young lady into a pit of fear.

“There’s no way I’d stay with you if my brothers didn’t approve of our relationship, Harvey,” Iris declared.

“Don’t talk crazy, Iris,” he snarled. Both lovers’ gaze locked on one another before Iris kissed her enraged mate to calm him down. But their hearts were both broken, they needed each other.

“Yes, Harvey, I’ve gone insane for your love. It is now your turn. Show me your madness and win me from my brothers or forget about me,” Iris challenged as she walked away to enter the pack house.

“f**k!” he shouted in frustration.

When the Sirius Bright Pack’s Alpha daughter entered the hall, she saw that all of her family members and The Blue Moon Pack members had taken their places. Everyone’s gaze was drawn to Iris and her soul mate, who was following her closely and calmly. Zander’s face went sour once more, but when his sister sat by him, the Alpha was content.

Harvey stood beside his sister, who had an ugly red fingerprints stain on her neck.

“The coffee is tasty,” Petra lifted the cup while smiling at Kiara. The young lady furrowed her brows. Why was she just staring at her? And how could she pretend as if nothing had happened to her? Wasn’t she supposed to die a long time ago, yet here she stood enjoying coffee in front of Xavier, who was completely ignoring her presence? He was not able to share the same breath with Petra but the king had commanded that they stay.

“First, I am going to talk about the reason why the Blue Moon Pack is here,” the King who had been seated in the middle chair started the conversation.

“Yes, Iris’ wedding is one of the reasons, but I’d prefer to address that further later. The current Alpha of the Blue Moon Pack has been diagnosed with an incurable illness, his son Alpha Harvey will soon take over that position. Petra is currently acting as a stand-in for her father, Alpha Roman. She would be the one in charge of reporting the vampire onslaught that is taking place in her territory. Not to mention that due to the treaty, both of your packs are in this scenario together,” the King elaborated.

“Wait! What exactly do you mean by together? We can handle our Pack problems on our own,” Zander pointed out. That’s when Petra took her hand away from her neck to speak.

“You would be insulting my father and the agreement if you did that, Zander. The Blue Moon Pack is willing to work with the Sirius Bright Pack. The vampire problem and the killings are happening on both sides, and it was already decided that in this sort of emergency, we would support each other and catch the culprit.”

“That’s right. The treaty will be in effect for the next three years, therefore we wanted to remind Alpha Xavier and Alpha Zander that they should collaborate with the Blue Moon Pack, disregarding any animosity and incidents from the past until the matter is resolved.” One of the respective elders at the King’s side suggested.

When the Alpha twins did not respond, there was an awkward stillness in the meeting hall. Refusing the elder’s recommendation was obviously going to worsen the problem because the treaty was legal and binding, no one could brush it away. This one blunder could haunt them for the next three years! They were trapped! f**k!

That’s when the King witnessed both the twins talking over mind-link for a few minutes before Zander said. “We are willing to work together.”

“That is a wise choice! I’m delighted you see that you have come to your senses. Both packs will now collaborate in hunting the vampires,” Klara was taken aback by Renard’s announcement. What did he mean by “collaborating“? Did this imply that Petra would be near Xavier while he was investigating?

“Seems we need to shake hands,” Petra extended her hand with a grin that increased Kiara’s heartbeat “Sorry to interrupt my King but I would like to clarify a few things,” Xavier finally opened his mouth to address the King, ignoring her hand. She chuckled as she retracted it.

“I had a meeting with Vampire King Alfred a few days ago. I, too, assumed that vampires were behind the attacks and murders, but the Vampire King also proved that vampires had been assaulted by werewolves. In actuality, all of this is being done by a third party. I seriously doubt that our adversary is anyone other than werewolves. So, if our enemy is of our own species, I don’t think we need to band together or form a team to find them,” the older Alpha stated which gave his Luna a lot of comfort. As a result, they would not be working together! Kiara jumped up and down in her mind.

“So I will now order the Blue Moon Pack to get the f**k off of my land,” Xavier commanded, glaring at Petra.

“That sounds good, but because my father is severely ill and Harvey is about to become Alpha, we’re short on manpower. We can’t handle those werewolves, but you can. We need your assistance, Xavier,” she continued, batting her lashes at the end to make herself look sad in front of the council.

“That’s not good,” the elders began to sympathize with Petra. Kiara watched her entire fake performance, but she was surprised when Petra smiled at her. Why did this woman have to grin at her all the time?!

The King also nodded, having great sympathy towards the woman who was handling this situation alone.

“That will totally depend on the next attack Xavier. But for now I want the Blue Moon Pack and Sirius Pack to work together and that’s my final decision,” the King ordered, no one else could say a word on this matter after that. Emotions had to be put aside as the King was only thinking about the werewolves who would be killed in future by enemies. He wanted to protect his people and these two packs were going to come out with good results.

Kiara’s face had become pale as a result of the King’s decision. Petra had won and smiled once more. The young Luna had buried her nails in her palm while maintaining a cool demeanor. Now she finally realized that the other woman had been challenging her the entire time.