Another Half
BLADE -- Chapter 21 Pt 1

Talon was chasing Nakon back to the Pack House when they got a mind link from Ax.

Aaaand we have our poisoner! Actually, we have three guilty-looking refugees pointing the finger at each other. Come to the dungeon, you love birds. Preferably dressed!

Blade sighed.

You’re such a prude, Blade, Talon said, laughing. The only one more prude than you is Rex. Who would have thought? Mr. Warmongering Alpha is as chaste as a virginal maiden.

Was chaste, Blade said. He’s not chaste anymore. He’s all sexually active male now. That was a dirty trick you played on us last night. And don’t try to blame it on Nakon. I know it was all you.

Talon cackled.

You two were pathetic. You both wanted to Mate, but you were also afraid of what the other might think. So, Nakon and I helped you along. You’re welcome!

Blade sighed again. Now that she was fully mated, she would go into heat soon, and that would trigger a rutting period for Rex. They would both be too involved with each other to care about anything or anyone else, and Rex’s possessiveness would be heightened, which could prove fatal for any males that might approach Blade. She hoped he had already thought of where they would go to be alone so as to not pose a threat to anyone.

I have thought about it. Rex’s voice came through clearly to her mind, and she couldn’t help but smile at his attentiveness. Nakon and Talon had arrived at the Pack House and they had shifted. They showered and got ready for the day as Rex continued to explain.

There’s a special suite in a secluded part of one of the Pack House’s basements for the Alpha Pair’s private use. And before you even think about it, no, I don’t expect you to be pregnant by the end of our first season. My parents went through several rutting seasons together before I came along and then many, many more seasons passed before my mother became pregnant with my only brother. In fact, now that I’ve finally found you, I want you to myself for a while.

Blade was pleased that Rex was as eager as she was to keep conversations of their intimate life as private as possible. Even their wolves’ consciousnesses were not privy to these delicate conversations, which was a relief given Talon’s penchant for making fun of Rex. Blade hoped she would eventually grow out of it.

“Why are alpha births so scarce and far apart?” Blade asked. “I thought they would be more plentiful?”

Rex shook his head. “Too many Alpha brothers of around the same age as the Alpha Heir would trigger a harsh competition for the position of Alpha. Remember, the strength of the pack depends on the strength of its Alpha. Having a close younger brother is a living nightmare for any Alpha Heir.”

“But wouldn’t the challenge strengthen him?”

“It might, but it would also distract him from training to govern effectively or it might even kill him if his younger brother is too ambitious. That would break the Alpha line. This is why too many males from the same alpha line in the same pack are a challenge to rule over; everyone wants to rule, but not everyone has been trained to rule. That’s another reason my father encouraged my cousins to leave the pack to pursue their dreams. He was happy to finance their education and projects and whatever because it meant they wouldn’t be around to challenge me.”

Blade thought this over while they continued to get dressed. She was brushing her long hair.

“That’s what happened to Blue Ponderosa’s line, isn’t it? Their Alpha line broke when Maverick killed his older brother?”

Rex stopped buttoning his black shirt and stared at her.

“How do you know that?”

She shrugged. “Maverick told me. He also killed his Fated Mate because she was an Omega and thought her beneath him. He wanted someone of better lineage,” she said, looking at her mate carefully. “That’s why he seduced Caroline, lied to her, and she fell for it. He was a real piece of shit.”

Shame and embarrassment flooded their bond from Rex’s side.

You know.

The statement from Rex felt heavy and he looked away, mortified. She went to him and wrapped her arms around him and he let her. She fought the embarrassment he was feeling with an infusion of understanding and love, the things he needed to feel the most and which she knew only she could give him.

We don’t have to talk about that until you’re ready. I’ve no need to know more than I already do.

He wrapped his arms around her and leaned into her and hid his face in the crook of her neck.

“I should have been the one to tell you.”

“Hey, it’s alright,” she whispered. “Nobody's really told me. I just put the bits and pieces together. Maybe someday you'll tell me the whole story. But we’re together now. They made their choice and now neither of them matters anymore.”

Rex nodded as he took in a deep breath of her scent. "Soon. I promise."

He let out a short laugh. “Sounds like Maverick made all the right choices to end his bloodline from the beginning.”

He let her go so they could continue to get ready.

“He killed a lot of innocent people,” she said, retrieving her brush.

“Now you understand why we send younger alpha brothers and cousins away to pursue their own paths. At least, for a little while. I know it sounds unfair, but at least my cousins were able to make their own choices and their own lives outside the shadow of the pack.”

“But now you’ve invited them back as your betas?” Blade braided her hair into a loose four-strand braid and tied it off with a black hair tie.

Rex nodded. “Trust me, they were happy to come back to an important leadership position within our community that they can pass on to their sons. Alpha blood strives to lead. And since they made good use of their time while abroad, they’ve become competent leaders that are also faithful to our bloodline while starting their own in their respective packs.”

“Is that what’s going to happen to our younger sons? You’re going to send them away?” Blade joined Rex at the door. She didn’t care if Rex could sense her sadness about the prospect of him sending away the sons she had yet to even conceive.

Rex was about to lead them out of the suite when he stopped. He cupped her face with his hand, pushed her against the wall, and looked into his eyes. It was times like this that Blade was grateful he could feel the emotions she was too embarrassed to articulate--if she could articulate them at all.

“Not necessarily,” he whispered. “Remember, there’s the distillery that one of them has to run. And with their mother as the Training Master, I’m sure at least one of them will want to take her place eventually. Just like your Uncle Danny replaced your grandfather when he retired.” He shrugged and turned and headed toward the main door of their suite. “And you’re a trained spymaster, which is a valuable position. Perhaps one of our sons will inherit your gifts for that and in that way have his own pack of spies without borders.”

Blade felt as if Rex had just punched her in the gut.

“What did you just say?!”

Rex turned back, alarmed. “What’s wrong? Did I say something stupid?”

She shook her head vigorously and looked down at her hands. “Joanne,” she whispered. “She said–oh, my Goddess. Fuck me, I’m so stupid.” She shut her eyes hard.

“I’ve heard that name in your thoughts. You’ve been meaning to call her. Who is she?”

Blade looked him in the eye and swallowed the lump of guilt and regret in her throat. “She’s the daughter of my grandfather’s beta.”

Rex raised his eyebrows.

She nodded. “My grandfather’s pack was not limited to our family within the compound as we thought, but it included his spy ring. A pack without borders. She tried to tell me weeks ago, but I was too stupid and stubborn to listen.”

“But you were one of his spies,” he said, frowning. “How did you not know this?”

“I never knew how big his spy ring was. He kept certain information from me because he said–” Blade cringed, “He said I wasn’t ready yet.” She smiled sadly. “My grandfather was a spy, too. No one could keep a secret as he could.”

Rex inhaled sharply as an urgent knock interrupted whatever he was about to say.

He opened the door and they found an agitated Sergio. “Can you two get a move on, please? None of them is saying anything, the she-wolf won’t stop crying, and I don’t know what we’re up against.”

On the way to the dungeons, Sergio filled them in on what had happened. A she-wolf bumped into a male skulking around the kitchens. She had never seen him before and she quickly alerted Maude. In turn, Maude had him arrested by one of the guards. He was carrying nothing but a half-filled dropper, which he claimed was his mate’s medication for some ailment. He said nothing more and demanded that he be released. Sergio finished by saying he was one of the refugees. They arrested the other two refugees to be safe.

“What refugees?” Blade asked.

It didn’t take long for Rex to fill her in on how he found them and the rest of what he knew of their story.

“Want to take a shot at interrogating them?” Rex asked her. He was grinning with anticipation.

“You’re going to ask her?” Sergio asked, startled. “No disrespect meant, Blade—but, Rex--why would you do that?!

Rex laughed.

And you call me ruthless, Blade mind-linked Rex. Poor Sergio. You haven’t told him, have you?

Hell no! With Sergio it doesn’t matter what you tell him, he has to see it before he considers believing it.

Rex continued to laugh.

“I’m pretty sure we’re in for a treat, Serge.”