Another Half

May 2012

Terror ran through Caroline’s veins. She ignored the pangs of afterbirth as she ran from the Pack House. Caroline had spent only a few precious moments with her baby girl, but time was of the essence if her pup was to survive being tracked down and murdered by not one but by two alphas that wanted them both dead. And she knew alphas: they always got what they wanted, even if it meant destroying everything in their path.

Fortunately, the prison was unlocked when Caroline arrived. It made sense. Maverick had called every able-bodied male to battle, leaving the prison and everything else unattended. All the females and their pups were already in hiding deep in the mountains. She wondered which alpha would find them, which fate awaited them, death or a life of fear.

Caroline entered the prison and quickly shut the door behind her. Fear made her pant hard. Even from afar, she had picked up his scent before anyone had heard the alpha’s call to war. She could never forget that scent. It was his scent that had triggered the speedy labor and delivery of her pup. It was the scent of her once Fated Mate.

Rex.

He was here. She knew it. She felt it. She felt him, and it terrified her. But then again, there weren’t many in the valley that had not quickly learned to fear Alpha Rex. He was the opposite of his father, the late Alpha Brian, the Peacekeeper, they had called him.

Rex, on the other hand, was now known as the Alpha Killer after the atrocities he carried out in Cerulean River and Saxe Oaks. He had decimated both alpha bloodlines without a second thought, gladly murdered alpha heirs and any other alpha sons, regardless of age, so that no one could later claim their alpha birthright. He was even known to execute the lunas, their babies, and their daughters, and then laugh about it thereafter, toasting his revenge with his family’s unlimited supply of vodka.

Caroline shivered when she remembered the gossip that had escaped Saxe Oaks and Cerulean River after Rex had taken over. She remembered the stories of mass graves, dead pups, and raped she-wolves. Rex was on a rampage that would soon take over the entire valley with cruelty and unchecked violence. And today he was at Blue Ponderosa, and it was Caroline’s day of reckoning.

Did Caroline do that to Rex? Was she responsible for turning the shy boy that had approached her at the Mating Festival into a monster?

She had often thought of what would have happened if she had only listened to Lily’s humble wisdom and accepted Rex that first night. Caroline would have been the Luna of the most wealthy and powerful wolf pack in the valley. She would have never been subjected to Maverick’s lies and abuse, and his hunger for power and wealth. Death and loss would not be Caroline’s constant companions. She imagined that peace would have continued to reign in the Azul Valley and her parents would still be alive, proud of her for uniting them to the prestigious Essa bloodline.

Instead, Caroline had listened to her grand-uncle, and Caroline had hurt and humiliated Rex further. She had signed the baby shower invitation addressed to Rex two years ago in an effort, as Maverick had strongly suggested and her grand-uncle had recommended, to make peace with Rex and make him a part of their lives.

“He will be happy to see you happy,” they had said.

She had been stupid and gullible. By the time Caroline realized Maverick’s true intentions, however, it was too late. She had been horrified when she found Alpha Brian's corpse and a large number of other dead wolves in the old dungeons in the woods.

Of course, the bond Rex and Caroline had once shared was now nothing but a distant, painful memory, but for a long time, Caroline had felt—or thought she had felt—-Rex’s heartache and sorrow at the loss of his mate. Lily had certainly felt her mate’s continued pain and agony. Lily never stopped hoping that Caroline would change her mind and beg Rex to take them back.

But it was never to be and Lily died heartbroken, simply disappearing from Caroline’s mind and life a few weeks after Maverick marked Caroline as his Chosen Mate. Caroline’s strength and abilities slowly diminished from that day forth until she was left with nothing but a weak wolf form, the last of Lily that she would eventually lose, too. She had lost everything in pursuit of becoming her pack’s Luna-–her wolf, her Fated Mate, her sons, and her self-respect. Even her family had disapproved of Caroline’s choice, and Maverick’s revenge on them had been swift. There was only one blood relative left willing to help her.

Caroline ran toward the reception area, looking for the Prisoner Register.

Nancy. Room 5.

She took the key to Room 5 from the small metal box on the wall.

Caroline had been so enthralled by Nancy’s beauty and her brown eyes that reflected so much intelligence, strength, and compassion, that she had forgotten to ask her name. But it was her all too familiar violet-black hair that had distracted Caroline with hope and a burgeoning plan. Only the descendants from Nightshade’s pure alpha line, the Lobos Family, inherited that hair. She had the arrogant distant Lobos relatives to prove it.

Caroline was certain that meeting Nancy was not a coincidence. For all Caroline’s faults and dreadfully stupid mistakes, the Moon Goddess had heard her contrite prayers and sent someone strong and competent to rescue her daughter.

She unlocked Room 5, flipped the light on, and sank to her knees in despair. She shut her eyes and tears quickly ran down her cheeks, dripping down onto her bent legs.

No.

Shattered glass littered the floor and cot. A chain dangled from the empty skylight. Cool air blew into the prison cell from a brightening indigo sky.

Dawn approached. Caroline wiped her tears. She was running out of time.

Where could Nancy be? Who would Caroline give her baby to?

Caroline ran out of the prison, desperately sniffing, searching for a whiff of Nancy’s fresh scent, but she couldn’t find it. She stripped and summoned her wolf form in the hopes that perhaps her nose would be stronger than her human form.

She ran as she sniffed the air and ground until she heard a low growl behind her.

A deep fear overtook Caroline. She knew it was hopeless to outrun her pursuer, a large grey she-wolf with cruel red-orange eyes.

But she could save her baby and hope Nancy would find her and raise her.

Feeling more like the she-wolf’s prey rather than a she-wolf herself, Caroline ran in the opposite direction of the Pack House, toward the outskirts of town. She realized she had to at least make it seem like she was trying to escape.

But two wrong turns later, Caroline found herself trapped behind Maverick’s bar. On one of the grey walls, in large red letters read, The only bar in town!!! And she backed up against it, whining and hoping against all logic and reasoning that she would be spared.

Ever so slowly, the grey she-wolf stalked toward Caroline. Her vicious eyes gloated with triumph.

A terribly familiar scent assaulted Caroline’s senses, multiplying her fear until it clawed its way from her belly to her throat. She whined again as she looked around and caught sight of a massive, black wolf sitting on its haunches several feet away from them as it observed them. His eyes were cold and unfeeling as if he was more interested in the outcome of the event before him than in the event itself.

And Caroline knew.

He twitched his long black tail once and the she-wolf attacked her prey.