Another Half

Once Rex crossed his arms and his cool demeanor returned, Blade knew he had gotten a grip on himself.

“Thanks for the advice,” Rex said with a nod, “but you still haven’t told me how he knew I was the Alpha of Blue Ponderosa. That had recently happened when you all showed up. And you haven’t told me why he’s all of a sudden interested in Azul Valley. Up until about two years ago, we had been at peace for several decades. The way you paint it, we were more or less sitting ducks.”

Zedek shrugged. “He’s never seen the Azul Valley packs as a threat, and his gamma let it slip that he’s been waiting for your company to go public so he could buy it out. If I had to guess, he was trying to be creative and tried to take over Azul Pack and the rest of the valley through your company.”

Rex’s mouth twisted as he laughed with contempt. “He can go fuck himself while he waits because my company will never go public. I don’t need more money.”

“Yeah, he kind of finally figured that.” Zedek raised the bottle of Rojo he had in his hands. “You releasing Rojo told him that he had miscalculated again. So he directed Maverick to kill your father.”

“He what?!” Rex said through his teeth.

“He killed my father, too, then,” Ax whispered.

Zedek nodded. “Everyone in Alpha’s Brian company was doomed that day. Maverick had promised Optimo all sorts of shit in exchange for helping him become alpha. He wanted the distillery and everything in the valley,” he said with a scoff, “but what he didn’t realize is that Optimo wanted the same things and was just using him to get them without raging another war or dirtying his public image.” He cleared his throat. “When it all comes down to it, Optimo was behind not just your father’s death, but Maverick’s parents’ death, too. I know because,” he looked down at the bottle in his hands again, “Optimo directed me to teach Maverick how to poison his own father with the Blue Lady. Unfortunately, I gave him a little more because he seemed a bit incompetent and he used the extra dose to kill his mother, too.”

“So he killed his mate, his own brother, and his parents, too,” Rex murmured with disgust, he took a sip of his bottle of Rojo. “Fucking bastard, I didn’t make him suffer nearly enough. Go on. What else?”

“After killing your father, Maverick was supposed to have easily taken over the other two packs, but they didn't trust him after the dick move he pulled on your father. And then, in less than six months, you took over Saxe Oaks and Cerulean River in what has to be a record in wolf history. Damn. What was it? Four months apart? Shit, even Optimo was impressed when I told him,” he said, shaking his head. Zedek took another bottle of Rojo, opened it, and took a long swig. “Maverick was not in good standing towards the end, and Optimo didn’t send as many warriors as Maverick requested when he fought you. Optimo knew that war was lost once you took over Cerulean.” He extended his arms with a sardonic smile. “And so here I am, Plan B.”

“Is there a Plan C and D?” Blade asked.

“Count on it,” Zedek said with a nod. “What you need to remember is that he’s very determined.”

“How much does he know about me?”

“I don’t know, Alpha,” Zedek said, “but I do know he has a thick file in his office with information about you.” He glanced at Blade. “As far as I know, he does not know you have a mate. He thinks you’re still reeling from your, uh, previous encounter’s choices.”

Painful embarrassment rushed through their bond from Rex’s side, and she understood why Rex hated to talk about Caroline at all. The hurt of the rejection had been multiplied exponentially by the humiliation of Maverick making a spectacle of his taking Rex’s mate for himself. An alpha taking another alpha's mate. As much as she had liked Caroline, her poor choices had really done a number on him. However, she noticed that he didn’t have any remnants of a previous desire to be with her. He was done mourning her loss. All he had now was anger at having to be constantly reminded of the most humiliating event of his life. Whether real or imaginary, Rex felt that people that reminded him did it to degrade him. And Blade understood that on some level. She had lived through everyone in her pack knowing that Nick loved and slept with Nadine and not with her. As a result, most people, particularly she-wolves, looked down on Blade with scorn.

She turned over the hand she had on Rex’s thigh and took his hand. She gently squeezed it.

I am here. You are not alone in this, she whispered to his mind.

Everyone knows. Even this asshole knows, he said.

And I can guarantee it you reflects a poor judgment on her part, not yours, she said, squeezing his hand again.

“...So, if I may, consider keeping that piece of information as hidden as possible for as long as possible. From personal experience, I can tell you that torturing she-wolves in front of their mates is a rather enjoyable sport to him.”

Blade smiled thinly at him. “It’s a little late to keep me hidden,” she said. “Our Mating Rituals are consummated, and Rex announced me as his Luna last night during the Blood Moon celebrations. I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before he knows. How did Maverick know Optimo?”

“I have no idea,” he said. “I know Maverick was a kid when they met, but that’s it.” Zedek suddenly frowned and turned to Blade. “Luna, that poem you recited and claim that it runs in your family. You do know that it originated in the Nightshade Pack, right?”

The air in Blade’s lungs stilled as her head grappled to form a coherent thought.

“All of the knowledge about how to prepare different compounds with Belladonna comes from that pack—”

“Stop picking on the Luna and focus on what you’re supposed to do!” Sergio said.

“I’m done, as far as I’m concerned,” Zedek said. “I’ve told you everything that I can think of, but you’re free to ask questions.” He glanced at Rex. “I would be honored if I met my end at your hand, Alpha.”

“Why does Rex have to do it?” Sergio said.

Zedek lifted a shoulder. “No reason other than dying with the knowledge that I got my final revenge on Optimo. He promised me a painful death if I should betray him. When you have the misfortune of meeting him, tell him I say hi from the most paradisiacal vacation spot you can think of.” He laughed. “He’ll love to think I’m still alive laughing at him.” He rose from his seat, wincing as he did so. “If there is nothing else, shall we, Alpha?” He tilted his head upwards, closed his eyes, and breathed in deeply. “Milka, baby, I’m coming.”

Blade looked over and caught Rex looking at Zedek, his expression inscrutable, but Blade knew he was remembering his father and how he had been desperately sad and lonely after his mother had died.

If there was one thing Blade could say about Zedek’s death is that it was swift and well-executed. Rex made sure he got it right on the first try, from using a sharp executioner’s ax to slamming it on the right spot behind Zedek’s neck. Blade might have felt sad for him if she hadn’t seen the look of peace on the head as it awkwardly rolled away.

“What do we do with the head, sir?” One of the guards asked Rex.

“Burn it along with the body,” he said, taking Blade’s hand. “Let’s meet tomorrow after dinner to discuss this. I think we all need time to digest what just went on. Sergio, please write us a summary of everything he said.” He led Blade out of the dungeon.

They were entering the Pack House when a plump she-wolf Blade recognized as one of Rex’s aunts met them in the grand foyer in front of a painting of an ugly vase full of country roses. To Blade’s surprise, she was dressed in a cream-colored designer skirt and suit set with high heels. With a ruby and diamond necklace at her throat, she wore matching earrings and rings. Blade thought it was all too much for this early in the day.

“Did you two just come from a funeral?” Magda asked, eying Blade’s clothes.

“Basically,” Blade said, sensing that Rex was in no mood to discuss Zedek’s execution.

“Well, I’m sure it went well,” Magda said in the most uninterested tone anyone could muster. Her lack of sincerity annoyed Blade.

Welcome to the club, Rex said. It’s nice to see that she made good use of my money at the jewelry store.

Oh, then I guess it won’t matter if I do or say something to make her hate me more.

I wouldn’t go that far. Unfortunately, she’s still Uncle Dylan’s mate.

“Blade, honey, I was looking for you,” Magda said. “But I can wait until you change out of your funeral clothes and step into your Luna clothes before we can talk.” She sniffed in Blade’s direction and wrinkled her nose. “I don’t mean to be rude, but a shower might do you good, too.”

“This is as good as it’s going to get, Magda,” she deadpanned. “I spent the entire morning in the dungeons and these are my Luna clothes. So, what can I do for you?”

Magda looked at her in disbelief, but what truly annoyed Blade was when she started to address Rex in the imperious tone she recognized as the one her grandmother used to talk about her to her mother or her grandfather.

“Alpha, you need to teach your mate that she cannot go galavanting about in whatever she wants. You need to tell her that the position of Luna is one that demands respect, the respect of a lady of honor, and as such, a certain style of dress is appropriate and required. If you ask it of me, Alpha, I would be happy to personally coach her on the finer points of being a proper Luna, one all four packs will respect and could eventually be proud of.”

Rex exhaled. “That’s enough, Aunt Magda. Blade has her own way of doing things. Her style is as different from your style as yours was from my mother’s. As long as she’s happy and she’s effective, I’m good with that. Now, is there anything else you need? Blade and I are retiring for the day.”

“Well, as long as she understands that Lunas don’t wear knives—”

Blade swiftly took out the kunai knife she had used on Zedek. Although she had wiped it on her pants, it was still blood-stained, and Aunt Magda jumped back with a gasp.

“I have several knives on me at any given time, Aunt Magda,” she said cheerfully. “As the Luna and Training Master, I’m very capable of protecting myself and my Alpha against anyone that threatens.” She threw the knife and impaled it into the center rose in the painting behind Magda. It was a painting Blade’s grandmother would have loved, which is why she hated it.

Magda paled. “That is an expensive painting!” she hissed.

Blade shrugged. She took her knife out of the painting and offered to her the painting. “You are welcome to take it and any other paintings like it. I don’t like this type of art and I was going to get rid of them all anyway. I’d prefer you give them a home.”

Magda looked offended, but she took it. “Luna, I was going to ask about the possibility of celebrating Dylan’s birthday next month at the Pack House’s ballroom.”

Afraid her mate might explode if she didn’t help him, Blade quickly turned to Rex. “We have a ballroom?!”

Rex let out the hearty laugh he had been holding in since Magda saw Blade’s knife for the first time.

“We have two large ones and a smaller one for more modest events,” he said, still laughing, tears threatening to run down his face. “I think she means the small one which we usually use for birthday parties.” He turned to his aunt, who was looking at Blade with disdain. “I apologize, Aunt Magda. I have been a terrible Alpha. Instead of giving my mate the traditional tour of the Pack House this morning, I asked her to interrogate and torture a spy—”

Wide-eyed, Magda stared at him.

You’re worse than I am, Blade said.

Rex grinned mischievously. "--But, I’ll bring her up to speed, and then I’m sure she’ll do as wonderful a job as our new Luna as she did this morning as my new best brutal interrogator. She did us all proud.”

Magda continued to gape at him and then at her.

You’re getting tired, aren’t you? Blade asked him.

I’m getting tired of her fucking judging you.

“I think a birthday party for Uncle Dylan is a wonderful idea, Magda,” Blade said with a bright smile. She was in such a good mood all of a sudden. “I know he’s done so much for this pack; it’s the least we can do. Please let me know how big you’d like this party to be and we can work from there. Now, please forgive us, but we’ve had a very trying morning and need to debrief about today’s events.”

As if waiting for his cue, Rex swooped down and picked her up. Blade laughed as he ran them to their suite.