CHAPTER 9

One year later...

Kiara's P.O.V

I was sitting in my office doing some paperwork when a knock sounded on the door.

"Come in." I answered, looking up. A guard entered then bowed.

"Your Majesty."

"What is it, Alaric?"

"Your Majesty, Chief Elder Rayna and Elder Maryse are here and would like to speak to you."

"Send them in." I sat up then, dropping the pen in my hands. Maryse and Rayna then after the guard entered. I stood to acknowledge them.

"Your Majesty." They both greeted with a bow.

"Elder Rayna. Elder Maryse. Please sit. (They nodded and sat down. I sat down as well.) Would you like some water or something else to drink?"

"No, thank you, Your Majesty." Maryse answered.

"Alright. So what brings you here today? I hope all is well."

"We've received reports that a group of rogues have been attacking a particular pack in California. The recent attack was two weeks ago. Several have been injured but fortunately none died." Rayna informed.

"Which pack is that? And why wasn't I informed of this earlier?"

"We only just heard from them two days ago. We sent a scout over there to check everything out. According to his reports, it appears the attacks are random and also this pack hasn't been trained all that well to handle situations like this. The pack security is also not good. The patrols usually slack on their jobs since they rarely experience danger even with these attacks." Maryse said.

"You still haven't answered my first question. Which pack is that?"

"The Shadow Pack, Your Majesty." Rayna answered. My eyes widened in shock.

"What?! What the hell is their alpha doing? Is he trying to get his pack wiped out? And what about his Luna? From what I heard, she's the head female warrior. So what the hell happened? What about the Beta and Beta Female?"

"Actually it was the Beta and his mate who came us and told us what was going on. As for the Luna, turns out she's not their Alpha's mate. She found hers who belongs to another pack and has now left so the pack is without a Luna." Rayna explained.

"You said the Beta and Beta Female came to you and reported what was happening? (They both nodded.) Are they still around or they went back home?"

"We told them to stay till you've been informed and have decided what to do."

"Where are they specifically? As in where are they staying till they go home? I want to speak to them."

"They're staying with me, Your Majesty. They had intended to go back home the same day they had come and had no plans to stay so I had to take them in till they went home." Maryse said

"Alaric!" I called out to the guard outside my office. He entered immediately.

"Your Majesty." He greeted. I ignored.

"Go to Elder Maryse's and bring the Beta of Shadow Pack and his mate here and send someone to get my sisters here when you get back immediately."

"Yes, Your Majesty." He said, then hurried out. I stood up and began to pace.

20 minutes later, my sisters entered with Raelynn and Alexander behind them. I asked the elders to excuse us.

"Alec, Rae, what the hell is going?" I asked immediately the elders closed the door behind them and they sat down.

"Kiara, care to fill us in? We're lost." Kara said.

"That's what they're both about to tell me." I answered.

My sisters and I then looked to Alec and Rae who told us exactly what the elders had told me with a few additions.

"Why didn't you tell us this earlier?" Kara asked.

"Because Nick ordered us not to." Raelynn answered.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"He said it was a trivial matter. One we did not need to bother you or the elders about."

"Oh so, he's now given you permission to come and tell us." Korra said sarcastically.

"Technically no. He doesn't know we came to tell the elders or you. All he knows is that we came here to visit some friends. According to him, he didn't want to seem weak." Alec said.

"So he's willing to endanger his pack because of his damn pride." I said in an angry tone.

"Kiara, you can't exactly blame him. His Luna just left the pack, leaving him to take care of the pack alone and we both know an alpha needs a Luna to function properly. You have to understand since...." I cut Raelynn off with a glare, knowing what she was going to say. I sighed and ran my hand through my hair.

"That means Kara, Korra and I have to come over there to oversee the training. Damn it, Nick." I growled, slamming my palm on the table lightly.

"Kiara, you have to..."

"Alec, if you say 'not to blame Nick' one more, I will strangle you. We both know it is and isn't his fault. (I cut Alec off saying, glaring at him. He raised his hands in surrender. I sighed when I realized how snappy I was being.) I'm sorry, Alec, Rae. It's just the rogues have me on edge. You're not the only pack they've attacked. The only difference between their situation and yours is my sisters and I didn't have to go over. I only sent over a couple of my best fighters. In your situation, my sisters and I have come along." I tiredly said.

"Hang on. You coming as queen, I get. Why do Kara and Korra have to come with you? I get that you guys are a package deal but don't they have to stay here and handle things here for you?" Rae asked.

"Yes, sure if they were still only princesses. (I turned to look at my sisters.) My sisters are the new Captains of the Royal Guard which places them in charge of training."

"Oh wow. Congratulations. So when are you guys coming over?"

"Tomorrow. You two however are going back home today. Don't tell Nick we're coming over. If you do, he'll try to cover up what's happening. I want you two to be the one's picking us up from the airport so we don't alert Nick. If he asks where you're going, tell him the truth that you're coming to pick up some friends who decide to pay you a visit."

"Ok, we will."

"Good. As much as I want to be the one to see you off home, there's something I have to deal with. I have to see Auriana. Kara will take you to the airport. Don't worry about tickets. There are certain privileges to knowing the royal family." I said with a smirk.

"Trust me, Rissa and Ellie abuse those privileges all the time." Korra said, making us all chuckle.

"Thank you, Kiara. You didn't have to." Alec said modestly.

"Of course, I did. What kind of a best friend would I be if I didn't? Now come give me a hug before you go. We didn't get the chance to when you came in."

"Oh, now you know you noticed. Such bad manners, Your Majesty." Rae said in a teasing voice.

"Oh shut up. We'll catch up when I come over." I said as I hugged both of them.

"Safe travels, you two." Korra said as they left the office.

"Kara, could you call the elders back in, please? (I asked Kara before she left and she nodded. A minute later, the elders entered and sat back down.) Sorry for making you wait like that."

"It's no problem, Your Majesty." Rayna said.

"Forgive me but you'll have to excuse me. There's something I have to do. My sister will inform you of the decisions and plans which have been made."

"Of course, Your Majesty." Maryse said.

"Thank you." I left the office then and headed straight for Auriana's room only to be informed that she was outside in the garden on the side of the castle. I left for there and found her seated there drinking juice, with a sketch pad on her lap. I went over and sat down in the chair in front of her.

"Well, hello there, darling." She said, placing her glass of juice down on the table between us.

"Hi, Auriana. Can I steal your glass of juice?"

"Or I could have one brought for you. (She said, then waved over a maid who had be standing by.) Aileen, bring another glass of juice over for Her Majesty and bring the whole pitcher this time."

"Yes, My Lady." The maid then hurried off to do as she was ordered.

"Until then, you can have mine." She handed me her glass. I shot her a grateful look and drank all of the juice in one go.

"Thanks."

"Wow, that bad, huh? Is this about the attack situations in the Shadow Pack?"

"Yep, and what have I said about reading my mind? I can literally feel it when you do that. It's like you're walking in my mind."

"Can't help it. It's one of the gifts that I don't sometimes mind not having full control over."

"I wonder why." Aileen returned then with the other glass of juice and a pitcher full of it. I took that glass and downed the contents in one go as well after dismissing Aileen back to work.

"Wow, slow down. Easy on the juice I asked them to add a little something extra to it. So unless you want to going around like a bunny on steroids, I'd wait for a while before I take another glass of it. Why do you think I was taking mine in small sips?"

"An energy elixir, Auriana? What's going?"

"Think of it as taking coffee. You know I hate that stuff so this is my substitute for it."

"Oh ok. I think I'll need some of that to go if I'm going to survive going to California to train those Shadow pups."

"Are you sure that's all this is about or is it more about seeing that Mendez boy of yours?"

"Both. I don't think I can handle being in the same room with him and not punching him."

"Hey, take it easy on him. It's not easy to run a pack on one's own. Believe me, it can get a little more intense than being queen."

"Yeah, that's one of the reasons why I'm going over there. To help him and his pack get back on their feet, him mostly. When that's done, I'll....return home."

"Unless he decides otherwise. We'll just have to see, won't we, darling?"

"I guess we will."

"So explain to me why you still haven't told your sisters. I mean you tell them everything. Why keep this secret from them?"

"Because I don't want them to hate on Nick."

"But you told Raelynn and Nick told Alexander, yet they don't hate him, do they?"

"That's because I didn't tell Raelynn why he rejected me. Even I don't really know the real reason despite him not denying my theory about him wanting a power couple. I think that was only a small part of the real reason. And I don't know what Nick told Alec. I can't have Kara and Korra hating him on a maybe reason. It wouldn't be fair. You know how protective we get over each other mostly when it comes to our emotions and feelings."

"Especially you. I remember how you pounced on that poor guard and maid who bad-mouthed Kara. You almost tore them apart."

"And I would have if you, Eliara, mom and dad hadn't stepped in. I'll kill anyone whoever tries to hurt my sisters."

"And it's that fierce passion for protecting that make you wonderful queen and, if it comes to it, will make you a wonderful Luna." I smiled at her gratefully.

"Thanks, Auriana."

"You and your sisters better get packing. Even with the family jet, it will take at least 2 hours to get to California. Shall I call Carissa and Elissa to join you?"

"No, let them be with their mom. They haven't seen her in a long while. When they're needed, I'll call. You and Eliara will hold down the fort here for me?"

"Of course."

"I have to get going. I still have some paperwork to get done before I leave." Auriana nodded as I got up then I went back to my office.

It was now evening. I just finished a workout in the training room and was about to head back to my room when my sisters entered the room.

"Kara, Korra. Why do you look like you're gonna keep me here all night if I don't tell you what you wanna know?"

"Because we will if you don't. What is going on between you and Nick that no one except Auriana, Alec and Rae, knows?" Korra asked.

"How do you know Auriana's in one this 'secret' you're trying to pry out of me?"

"We sometimes overhear whatever you two talk about. And it seems whatever it is that you talk about with her, Alec and Rae know it, judging by the glare you gave Rae this afternoon to stop her from continuing one of her sentences. The same glare you gave Alec when he was saying to understand it isn't Nick's fault what is happening to his pack. So what the hell is going on?" Korra asked.

"We've never kept anything from each other before, Kiara. And even if we have, it never took long before we revealed what it was. We've allowed you to keep whatever it is to yourself for 4 years, giving you space and time to come to us when you're ready. Not anymore. What happened between you and Nick on the Monday our parents died, before we received the news?" Kara asked. I looked at her in surprise when she stated the exact day Nick rejected me.

"How did you know that's when it happened?" I asked.

"A minute before you came out, Nick came out looking like he had just killed someone he loved without really meaning to." Kara said. I let out a breath.

"Why don't you piece it all together? You have all the details." I said knowing well that they'd be able to figure it out.

"What do you mean? We don't have all the de..." Korra stopped herself as she realized something.

"Wait. He comes out looking he's killed someone he loved unintentionally and then you come out a minute, despite your façade, looking like someone had just ripped out your heart. Oh my God, Nick was your mate, wasn't he?" Kara asked, finally figuring everything out. I nodded.

"And he rejected you." Korra added.

"Why? What was his reason?" Kara asked.

"He didn't give me one. So please I'm asking you not to hold it against him when we go there. Act with him the same way you did when you didn't know because technically you still don't know everything."

"Does it matter? Kiara, he broke your heart, how can you ask us to not hate him?" Korra asked.

"Because you don't have probable reason. Hating without a just reason is not what mom and dad taught us. So please I'm begging you to not let this change your relationship with Nick. Just because the way I used to act with him has changed doesn't mean you should act differently with him now. Please."

"You're right. I hate it that you're right. Fine if that's what you wish, we will do as you wish. You were always the wise one. Hating an alpha under our rule due to a personal issue which at the moment remains unfounded wouldn't speak well of the royal family. Also you're right, again. Mom and dad taught us to hate with just cause not an unjust one. Like how we hate the rogues for what they did." Kara said in defeat.

"Thank you, sis." I said.

"You're welcome, sis." Kara replied back.

"Now that that's been dealt with, I'm off to room to shower and get a goodnight sleep, probably my last one for a very long time." I joked.

"How about we sleep over in your room tonight? Come on, we haven't done that in like 6 years or so." Korra suggested.

"Yeah, I miss that." Kara said.

"I miss it too, but every sleepover we had in each other's room ended with us falling asleep at dawn. Try not to forget we have a trip tomorrow."

"Yeah, but it won't be till afternoon since we're using the family jet this time. Come on, please?" Korra begged with puppy dog eyes. Kara joined in making it hard to resist since I also wanted it.

"Ok. Just let me take a shower. I'll mind-link you when I'm done. Oh, and bring your guitars along. We also haven't played and sung together in a long while."

"Yes." They both said jumping up in excitement. I chuckled and headed out to my room and stripped to take a hot shower. I put on a black silk lace pajamas set. I then mind-linked my sisters to come over. They came into my room a minute later wearing the same kind of pajamas set but in red with black and blue with black with their guitars in their hands and sat down on my bed. I smiled and grabbed mine then I joined them on the bed. We played and sang songs into the night till we fell asleep.