CHAPTER 11 : Reconciliation

While they were in the heat of the moment, Luna's phone kept on ringing. It was Alicia, she wanted to remind Luna about her promise. She had been calling and messaging Luna during breakfast, while Luna was still waiting for Clell to get back from getting their food, and Luna already replied and told her where she's at and that she'd be home soon.

“Uhm, I think your best friend is already looking for you.”

“Ugh!” she just growled and smiled at Clell afterwards, but in her head, she had a whole dialogue complaining about Alicia’s perfect timing, “She’s the one who wants me and Clell to work, but here she is ruining the moment.”

“I guess she is. Sorry about that.”

“No worries. You’ll go now?”

“Well, uhhhmmm, yeah. Thank you for the break fast treat by the way. Those pancakes were delicious.”

Looking at Luna’s still disappointed and grumpy facial expression, Clell couldn’t suppress his chuckle. “You’re so cute.” He said, pinching her cheeks in the process.

“Hmmmp. I need to go.”

“How about a good bye kiss?” Clell teased, raising both of his eyebrows up and down.

“Shut up.” Luna replied and rolled her eyes as she gently slapped his shoulder.

“When will I see you again?”

“Who know?”

“Oh, wait. I can ask you out anytime now since you’re obliged to reply and answer my messages and calls.”

“Answering your messages and calls is different from saying yes to your date plans.” She argued back at him.

“Lawyers. Pffftt.”

“Deal with it.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll eventually want to go out with me too.” He proclaimed with confidence and certainty.

“What makes you so sure?”

“Because you’re the one who initiated the kiss earlier. You want me too, you’re just in denial.”

That was the cue for Luna to blush again. Out of embarrassment, she couldn’t look straight into Clell’s eyes.

“I need to go now. Alicia’s waiting.”

“Sure, see you soon.”

“You wish.” She said while going out from his car, closing the door right away afterwards. She didn’t even look at him when she left.

Clell just smiled and shook his head, looking at Luna walking away from him.

“Now time to go back to the pack.”

With his phone now plugged to his car’s stereo, he played Black Butterflies and Déjà vu again as he kept on thinking about what happened earlier. He was happy, so happy that he couldn’t stop smiling while blasting the volume to max.

It was half past ten when Clell reached their pack’s territory to do his duties—commencing training for the juvenile members of their pack—before going hunting with other werewolves.

As soon as the kids saw him, they all started jumping gleefully and excitedly. The kids and teens looked up to him a lot and he had built connection and bond with them through their constant training.

“Clell. Clell. Clell.” One girl called him while tugging his t-shirt. She was new to the group.

Her cute voice and tug caught Clell’s attention and he knelt down to be of the same level as her and said, “Hi, Daciana. You’re finally at the right age to join the training.”, while gently patting her head. Daciana was a shy liltte girl with fiery eyes.

“Hi, everyone. Daciana is finally ready to join us with our training. Since it’s her first time, let’s all be good to her. I’ve taught you some battle techniques, but I’ve also taught you about manners.”

The students answered him in unison, “Sir! Yes, sir!” which made him smile and proud.

“Today we will condition your mind to prepare you guys to the day that you’re going to shift. Those nearing 16 years of age better listen up carefully. Am I clear?” his voice echoed to the area where the training took place, and everyone went attentive after hearing his speech.

Clell then started telling them about the things that’ll happen when they’re about to shift. He explained about the physical changes on the outside and on the inside of the body. He told them that some may shift with an ease, while others may feel pain in their chest and shortness of breath before successfully transforming. Then ended the lesson with him explaining that it’s all in the mind—they have to focus and let themselves feel and succumb to the moment.

“Alright, that’s all for today. Tomorrow we will have some physical training again so prepare yourselves.” He told them and bid farewell.

After ending the lessons with the little wolves, the sun was already scorching hot, as if it was burning his skin, as he walked towards his car to finally drive home and rest.

When he arrived home, his mother was sitting at the living area and greeted him, “Clell, you’re back.”

“Hi, ma.” He greeted back, kissing her on the cheeks. “Where’s dad?”

“He’s in his office, but you can’t go in now. He’s in a meeting with the betas in the pack.”

“Political matters? I’ll just sleep for a while, mum. I am a bit tired.”

“Yeah, I guess so. Well, have you eaten?”

“Yes, I have. Although I'm a bit hungry again."

"Why don't you join me for breakfast then?" his said while grabbing his arm, leading him to their dining area. As soon as the reached their dining area, their house chef and servants were already setting the table and laying down the food.

"Do you remember you dad's previous pack?"

"Why? Does that something to do with his meeting now?"

"Maybe." his mom shrugged.

"The rivalry's been going on for a decade or two now, I hardly even remember how it started. But those bastards." he gritted without knowing his holding his fork strenuously at the same time.

With a somber voice, his mom said, "I do." while trying to calm him down by holding his hand. Clell, on the other hand, just looked down at his food, suppressing his anger.

"The summer pack is called summer pack for a reason..." she continued and paused for a moment to reminisce everything,"...all the members in their pack were born in the summer. Their rituals were done in the summer. Everything is related to summer. Your father, however, was born in the winter. An anomaly in the pack, he was accepted, nonetheless. At least at first."

"At first. But they made him suffer and abandoned him afterwards!" Clell agreed, trying to recall his father's past.

"Until he showed potential to be the next alpha. Connall was your father's best friend, they grew up together. He was also the son of the alpha of the pack that time. Your dad was a threat to Connall succession to the title, specially when almost half of the pack were also rooting for your dad."

Couldn't suppress his anger and despise towards the Summer Pack, Clell reached out for his juice while listening to his mom, "What a sad and dark topic to have in the morning." he suddenly intercepted.

"You're right. You can take a rest now."

He then kissed his mom on the cheeks again, went straight to his bedroom and changed his clothes before lying down to his comfy warm bed. He was still enraged with the topic that he had with his mom during breakfast, but it didn’t take long for him to fall asleep. Nonetheless, it also didn't take long for him to get disturbed from his slumber as he stirred up to his mom’s voice.

“Sorry to wake you up from your rest, but your dad wants to see you.”

“For what? It’s unlikely to call for political matters.” He asked while rubbing his eyes.

“He has visitors that he likes you to meet.”

“Oh..okay.”

“Change into some presentable clothes first, before going into his office.”

With that, his mom left him to change his clothes. He then proceeded to his dad’s office afterwards, but before he went in, he made sure to knock the door first.

“Come in.” his dad said.

As soon as he entered, he saw a familiar face. He couldn’t pinpoint, but he felt like he had seen his dad’s visitor before or maybe had seen someone similar.

“Hello.” He greeted everyone and proceeded to sit at the adjacent chair of where the visitors were sat.

“This is my son.” His father finally introduced him.

“And, Clell, this is Connell and his family.”

Upon hearing the visitor’s name, Clell’s wolf instincts heightened.

“What are you doing here?” He shouted at Connell and his family which made them backed off a little, Connell covering his wife and Ayame with his body.

“Calm down, Clell.” Fenris commanded.

“What do you mean calm down?” He was basically about to shapeshift and attack Connell now.

Connell, on the other hand, was preparing himself to shift too if something was going to happen, but Clell stirred his attention to his dad now.

“These people killed some members of our pack! These people hurt you! And now you want me to calm down?!” He continued, gritting his teeth. At this moment, Clell was so enraged and aggravated, so Connell decided to butt in to relay his purpose of visiting their pack.

“I come in peace. I want to end our rivalry. I don’t want chaos anymore.” Connell said carefully.

“You’re lying!” Clell growled.

“He is my brother. I don’t want to be fighting with him until our last breath.”

“You should’ve thought of that before everything got worse. Why now? It’s been two decades.”

“My apologies. I’ve been prideful. As the older brother, I should’ve been the one who acted first to end this war, but I didn’t. I am making things right now.”

Still dubious at the sudden visit of reconciliation, Clell just snorted at them in response, but he, at the very least, calmed down now.

“At what cost? What do you really want?”

“We just want peace. We don’t want anyone dying anymore.” Ayame eventually meddled too.

“Really? Pffft. You think I would believe that?”

“We want a marriage between you and my daughter Ayame. We need a union to finally end this war.” Connall, finally, said.