CHAPTER 7

3 years later...... (Korra's P.O.V)

"All right, people remember today is the coronation. All the Alphas and Betas of the wolf packs around the world, with their mates, will be coming here today so I want this whole castle to be spotless. Make sure nothing goes wrong. Guards, make sure the surroundings are well protected and that nobody uninvited can get in. Auriana will do her best to strengthen the protective enchantments with Carissa and Elissa but they can only do so much. They might have a witch on their side as well. So stay alert at all times. Now chefs, cooks, work your magic with those delicious foods you make. I trust I don't need to inform you all of how this important this occasion is. Eliara will now give you your specific assignments." I said. I then left the ballroom where I had called all the servants and guards to speak with them.

It's been three years now since our parents died. Three years since we left the Shadow Pack to come home. Of course we've been keeping touch with them while dealing with our duties as members of the royal family. Kara and I have been helping Kiara with her duties as crown princess as much as we could. After our parents' death, something has changed inside our sister. She's still the sister we knew and know but there's also something different about her. Anyway, today is her coronation day. She gets to be crowned Queen of the entire werewolf species. The ceremony is to take place in the evening a few minutes before the moon rises. We were all psyched.

I headed to Kiara's room to find her and Kara seated on her bed, chatting.

"Hey." I greeted as I joined them on the bed, placing my tablet which I had been holding, by my side on the bed.

"Hi. So how are the preparations going?" Kara asked.

"They are well underway. Eliara's taken charge. I can't wait for the after-party." I said excitedly. Kiara chuckled softly with Kara at my giddiness.

"You know what I can't wait for? The shift. I haven't shifted in almost a month and it's maddening." Kiara said with a sigh.

"I know right. Tell me about it. Although it will be your first shift as queen. From the stories I heard from mom, the moment you shift and howl, it's like you become connected to every single wolf in every pack. She said there's no feeling like it. It's a little exhausting but very cool and wonderful." Kara said with a soft smile as she spoke about mom.

"Yeah. I wish they could have been here today." I said with a sad smile.

"Yeah, me too. But you know what, they are here, in our hearts." Kiara said. I nodded.

"Yeah, they are." Kara said. The three of us then hugged.

"So do we know which our friends from California is coming for the coronation?" Kara asked.

"Oh yeah. Eliara sent me the guest list, as in the names of the Alpha and Betas who will be attending with their mates. (I picked up my tablet and opened the file containing the list.) So it looks like Caitlin will be coming. She's the Luna of Goldstar Pack in London. Go, Cait. (Kiara and Kara chuckled at that.) Marina will be here too. She landed the Beta of Dark Moon Pack in Iowa. Nice. Oh and Arthur will be here as well seeing as he's the alpha of the Crescent Pack in California. Wow, Nicki is gonna be here too as Luna of Red Rock Pack in Spain. Ok, they have been holding back on us. We have to grill them about not telling us. Anyways, we know Nick, Alec and Raelynn will be here too. Wow, oh, wow."

"Why what is it?" Kiara asked.

"It looks like Nick has a Luna and is coming with her. Amara Lewis. I hear she's now the head female warrior in the pack. That's weird, I thought Nicki said he hadn't yet found his mate. Well, that's every one of our friends who are coming." I looked up to see that Kiara had paled and tensed at the fact that Nick had found his Luna. She immediately changed her expression and got up from the bed.

"Hey, KK, are you ok? For a second there you looked a little tense and pale." Kara asked with concern.

"Yeah I'm okay. Um... I gotta make a call to someone." She said then left the room quickly as though she was being pushed.

"Okay, what is with her? Every time we mention Nick in any of our conversations, she either tenses up, loses color or tries to change the subject quickly from him." Kara said.

"You noticed too, huh? I know they weren't all that close as she is with Alec but it's like she never wants to hear anything about him, not even his name. I wonder what happened. I borrowed her phone last month to call someone and saw like about a hundred texts and calls from him to her, all unanswered or unchecked. When I went to ask her about it, she snapped and took her phone from me. Of course she apologized but she never explained why she wasn't accepting his calls or replying his messages. Even Alec and Rae didn't know when I asked them." I explained.

"Well, I'm sure whatever it is, she has her reasons for not telling us. Anyway let's get back to the list and other arrangements." Kara said. I nodded.

Kiara's P.O.V

I walked to my office and locked the door shut when I entered. All my feelings then came crashing down on me like an old wound had just been reopened. I slid my back down the door and sat on the ground with my knees to me chest and my arms over them. I took deep breaths to push back the tears which threatened to fall. He has a Luna now. I guess he has finally gotten the one with the power he wanted. I would be happy for him if it didn't hurt so much that my mate thought I wasn't enough for him, that he rejected me. Even after three years, it still hurts anytime I remember it. I still haven't told anyone about it except Rae and Auriana, though she found out on her own, and it's been eating away inside of me. I know it's a matter of time before my sisters figure it out. Anytime they mention him or try to talk about him to me, I tense up and change the subject smoothly and quickly. I know they've realized it but just decided not to question me about it.

Today, all our friends will finally find out the truth about my sisters and me, after 3 whole years. I checked my phone for the time and realized I still had two hours before I had to get ready for the coronation. I got up and checked my desk to see if I had any unfinished work on it then seeing none, I went out to visit Auriana in her room. In her room, I found her in the middle of an incantation with Rissa and Ellie, so I sat down on her bed to wait for them to finish. I looked around the room, blocking out their voices. A few minutes later, I heard Rissa calling me name. I zoned back in and realized that they were done.

"Hey, everything okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, just spaced out. I came to visit Auriana and found you guys in the middle of a protection incantation so I decided to wait." I said.

"Well, I'm done now. Carissa, Elissa, you can go now. I know you'd rather be with Princesses Kara and Korra than in here with me right now so go along now. Shoo." Auriana made a shooing motion with her hand.

"Thanks, Auri. Bye, Kiara. We'll see you in a bit." They left the room to find my sisters, leaving Auriana and I alone.

"I presume you didn't just come to visit. You heard about the Shadow pack Alpha having a new Luna." She said as she closed her room door and sat down beside me.

"Ok, first, it's creepy when you do that mind reading thing and second, yes I just heard about it."

"Tell me what's going on in you right now."

"I feel like he just ripped out my heart again. It's even more painful than the day he rejected me. How could one guy do this to me over and over again? For 3 years, I've had to endure this heartbreak. And just as I was getting fine with it, it hits me again more painful than before. All this by one guy who wants nothing to do with me." Tears had gathered in my eyes and were threatening to fall.

"That one guy is your mate, honey. That's why it hurts so much. Unfortunately, there's nothing you can do to stop the pain because he's the only who can stop it as much as make it worse. I'm sorry, darling." She pulled me into a hug.

"I don't think I'll be able to handle seeing him today, especially with his Luna."

"You have to, as queen. Don't let him see how this is affecting you. You are a strong woman, Kiara. Most people would have been broken by the rejection, but you managed to endure it and move on. No one would have been able to handle to pain you went through that day and still stand tall and strong, no. Show him that strong and bright woman, don't let him see any sign of weakness. He couldn't see what kind of precious jewel you are, it's his loss. Now cease your tears, it's your coronation, for heaven's sake. You're supposed to be happy." I chuckled softly and nodded with a smile.

"Yes, I am. I won't let him take my happiness."

"That's the spirit."

"Thank you, Auriana."

"You're welcome honey. So tell me have you decided what you're going to wear today?"

"I don't know. Kara and Korra refuse to even let me near my closet. They said they will chose what to wear for me."

"Really? Then I can say that tonight you'll look really stunning. You three have your mother's fashion sense, I can almost imagine how you'll be looking tonight."

"Imagining or you've already seen?" I teased, knowing she could read my sister's minds and find out how they are planning to make me look tonight.

"Now, that's my secret, isn't it? (She said with a wink making me laugh.) Hey, what do you say to a sparring match against me?"

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want to break any old bones you have." I teased. She gasped playfully, making me laugh at her mock offended expression.

"Oh no, you didn't. You take that back right now." She started tickling me. I giggled uncontrollably.

"Ok, ok. I take it back, I take it back." I said, still giggling. I sighed in relief when she finally stopped tickling me.

"Better, now let's go to the training room."

"Hold on, I'm not sparring with you in a sundress. You're already wearing workout clothes. Pop me into some workout clothes, will you?" She rolled her eyes and snapped her fingers, changing me into a pink and grey sports bra with its matching sweatpants. We then went out to the training room and each grabbed a pole. We smirked at each other and started sparring.

An hour later, we stopped since neither of us was ready to give in to let the other win. I could beat her if I wanted to but I was having way too much fun sparring with her.

"Ok, I appreciate you taking it easy on me but please never insult my sparring capabilities." She said as we placed the poles back in their places. I chuckled as we drank from the bottle of water which had been provided for us. "Oh, I would never do that. And I wasn't taking it easy on you. I was enjoying myself too much to think about beating you."

"Wow, you are one incredible young lady. You were enjoying yourself but you were still focused on what you were doing enough to not let me or yourself win. Just like your parents and that's what makes you one hell of a warrior just like your sisters."

"Aww, why thank you, Auriana." A voice said from the entrance of the training room. We turned to find my sisters, Rissa and Ellie standing there.

"And how long have you guys been standing there?" I asked as we walked closer to them.

"Long enough to know you've been sparring for an hour and a half. Meaning, it's time to get ready for the coronation." Kara said with a squeal.

"Oh yay. Finally you'll let me go into my closet to pick something to wear since you refused to let me do so all day." I said with a bit of sarcasm. Auriana chuckled.

"Already done that, sis. All you have to do now is go shower and clean up and then the four of us can take care of the rest and by the way, we are getting ready in the vanity room." Korra said. Yes, we have a vanity room which is where we get dressed sometimes when we have to get ready together. I sighed and returned the smiles they were giving me and chuckled. I followed them upstairs to my room after telling Auriana I would see her at the coronation. I showered and put myself in a bathrobe before joining them in the vanity room where they shoved me into one of the chairs there and started working on my nails and hair. And when they were done with that, Rissa started working on my make up so the others could also get ready. All this while they had covered all the mirrors in the room so I couldn't see how I looked just yet. When Rissa was done with the makeup, they shoved a garment cover bag, a jewelry box and a shoe box into my hands and pushed me into one of the dressing rooms, the only one without a mirror.

"OK, girls no need to be violent." I yelled to them once I was in the dressing room.

"Sorry not sorry, sis. Now got dressed, the ceremony starts in 30 minutes." Korra yelled from the other side of the door. I rolled my eyes and set the jewelry and shoe boxes on the bench then hanged the garment bag before unzipping it to remove the dress. I gasped at the sight of it. I opened the shoe and jewelry boxes as well and realized this was the same outfit my mom wore on her coronation day with dad from the pictures she showed us.

I got dressed up and realized there was one piece of jewelry missing, my tiara. (I can tell you're wondering why I would need it when I'm going to get crowned as queen. Well, as part of the ceremony, the Chief werewolf elder (there are 5 werewolf elders in all. They help me to govern the entire werewolf kingdom) will be the one to remove the tiara from my head to signify that I am no longer the crown princess, before she replaces it with my crown as queen.) I took a deep breath and then stepped out of the dressing room. My sisters, Ellie and Rissa all grinned with tears and awe in their eyes. Rissa waved her hand towards the covers on the mirrors, causing them all to fall off. I gasped at my reflection. My hair had been placed into a half up half down fishtail twist and for the makeup, Rissa had applied light silver eye shadow, mascara, eyeliner and light rose pink lipstick.

"You look just like mom did on her coronation day." My sisters said, I smiled at them. "In other words, you look stunning." Rissa complimented. I looked at their outfits as well.And their hairdos were similar to mine except Kara's was a half up French twist, Korra's was a half up braid crown, Ellie's was a half up waterfall braid and Rissa's was a half up high ponytail.

"So do you girls. But, Kara, Korra we are all missing crucial pieces of jewelry. Our tiaras." I said.

"They're right here, girls." We heard Eliara say. We all turned to see Eliara and Auriana standing behind us with smiles on their faces and with Eliara holding a large cushion which our tiaras were sitting on.Auriana stepped forward and placed our respective crowns on our heads.

"You all look just like your mother, especially you Kiara. You look just as she did on her coronation day." Auriana said, softly rubbing each of our cheeks.

"Come now. Everyone has arrived and the ceremony is about to begin." Eliara said.

"Eliara, you're forgetting something." Auriana said, pointing to a bag beside her.

"Oh yes. (She went over and pulled a cape from it then placed it over my shoulders. It was the coronation cape.) Your mother had this made for you, similar to hers but unique still, before she passed." She said.

"Now you're ready. Let's go." Auriana said. We followed her and Eliara to the court where I was to be crowned.