Don't Poke the Luna (Xena and Ryder) novel Chapter 169

Chapter 169

Xena’s POV

My hands trembled as I opened the black folder. The first page stare back at me the cover of my father’s will. I placed my palm flat against it, needing several deep breaths before I could find the courage to turn to the next page. My heart hammered against my ribs, my throat tightening with each passing second..

“Last Will and Testament,” it read.

“1, Hank Harris of the Nightcedar Pack, being of legal age and sound mind, do hereby make and publish this Will as my final testament, hereby revoking and annulling all declarations previously made by me.”

The formal language felt cold, distant–just like Dad had been for so many years. I forced myself to keep reading.

“First: I direct that upon my death, the full ownership of ‘Road Rebel Garage shall be transferred to my daughter, Xena Harris. Xena shall be the sole proprietor of ‘Road Rebel Garage to dispose of as she sees fit. It is my wish that she continues to grow and achieve her goals in life.”

My breath caught. The shop–my sanctuary, my passion–would be mine completely. No more worrying about Dad taking it away on a whim of Martha convincing him to sell it.

“Second: I direct that upon my death, the ownership of the bar ‘Liberty Breach‘ shall be transferred to my children, Logan Harris and Xena Harris. Logan shall receive 51% of the profit shares, and Xena shall receive 49% of the profit shares. It is my hope that my children continue to work together to create a successful life outside of the Nightcedar Pack.”

I could almost hear Logan’s voice saying, “See, X? He always planned for us to run it together.” My fingers traced over the words, feeling the slight impression they made on the paper.

“Third: My beautiful daughter Xena has always been the apple of my eye. On the outside, she is her mother, but her heart is all her father. The kindness she possesses reminds me daily of what a gracious and loving mother she had. Each day, Xena becomes more and more like her. Both in appearance and in her generous heart. It is for this reason that I am leaving her five million dollars upan my death. I hope she uses this money to travel, expand her shop, or in a way that will only bring joy to her life.*

Five million dollars. Travel money. My dreams. The words blurred as tears filled my eyes. I could almost hear Dad’s aged but firm voice reading these words to me. Dad had never expressed his love for me so plainly. When he mated with Martha, I thought he’d abandoned my mom’s memory–abandoned me. I’d hated him for his coldness, his permissiveness with Martha. But now… now, I just wanted to bury those feelings forever. I didn’t want to lose him.

“Fourth: The majority of my estate and ownership of the Nightcedar Pack shall pass directly to my firstborn, my son, Logan Harris. The estimated net worth is twenty–five million dollars. The title of Alpha shall pass to him upon my death, and no mate of mine can take this ownership from him. This includes all 150,000 acres of farmland not in Nightcedar Pack territory. However, should Logan Harris meet an untimely death, unless he has an heir, ownership will transfer to Xena Harris. If there is an heir but they are underage, Xena will take charge of ownership until the heir comes of age.”

The weight of responsibility in those words–Logan would inherit everything, but I would be his backup. Despite how Martha had driven a wedge between us, Dad had still seen us as a team. My heart ached with a bittersweet joy.

“Fifth: I wish to leave behind some items. I believe these items, though lacking any economic value, will still be cherished.

To my daughter, Xena Harris:

The entire contents of 318 Crestview Avenue, Destin, FL 32541. The key is in the envelope attached to this package. Though I leave this all to my daughter, I hope she will share it with her brother.

To my son, Logan Harris:

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Chapter 169

425 Atlantic Avenue, Virginia Beach, VA 23451. This house within ou pack territory once belonged to the Kincaid family. She was the last relative, and when she died, I took ownership until it was te to pass it down. I hope my son and his mate will raise a family there. It’s what Kincaid wanted and the life I hoped to give my children. The key is in another envelope.