Another Half

June 2012

Blue Ponderosa

“You’ve changed,” Julia said. There was a subtle accusation in her tone.

“Have I?” Rex didn’t even look up from the bank statement he was poring over.

Rex had been going over Blue Ponderosa’s finances, trying to figure out about a mysteriously large sum of money that had been regularly deposited into Maverick’s personal account for over a year, when Julia decided to visit him in his provisional office down the hall from the alpha’s office. He was having his office remodeled with wood native to the pack’s territory, black leather, and a full bar. He had even knocked down a wall to make it into a large, corner office.

“We had started something between us,” she said after a long pause. “I thought we had the same goals and that we were dating because we both wanted to find a suitable mate.”

Tell her we’re no longer interested, Nakon said.

Rex put down his paper and smothered a sigh as he rubbed his eyes. He hadn’t had very much sleep lately, he’s been so busy. He had gone back to the river bluff several times to look for his mate, to track her scent, but she seemed to have appeared and then disappeared in the same spot without a trace.

And now he had to deal with Julia?

I don’t understand. All we did was take her out on a couple of dinners months ago and now she thinks we’re dating? Is that how that dating shit works?

Before Julia, Rex had never asked a woman out and, back in December, he had no idea how to go about doing it. So he asked the only expert he knew since Sergio was as inexperienced as Rex was.

“It’s very easy, particularly for someone in your position,” Axe said. “Just go up to her and say, ‘Hi, I’m Rex. Listen, I’m the alpha and I want you to suck my—’”

Rex punched his arm.

Ax guffawed. “Alright, alright! Maybe that’s not the most romantic way, but it worked for me back in the day! We can think of an alternative.”

“Forget it,” Rex said walking away. “I’ll figure it out myself. And for your sake, I hope Rachel never finds out you went around saying that to people. I’ll take her side if she decides to castrate you.”

Rex finally asked Julia to join him for dinner. His way of asking her out was neither shy nor romantic; it was direct and almost businesslike in its wording and delivery as if they were agreeing to meet to negotiate a transaction. Which, in Rex’s mind, that’s what they were doing.

They went out two days after Christmas. He had suggested they try out a Mexican restaurant that had recently opened in Azul City. It was a pleasant evening, except she looked incredibly uncomfortable in a strapless red dress and black stilettos, which made him uncomfortable. It confused him. It was winter. Didn’t she see the weather report? Feeling bad for her, he gave her his warm jacket, which she never gave back.

We also went on that Valentine’s thing Crystal and Rachel organized. She must count that as a commitment.

Rex closed his eyes and shuddered at the memory of the Valentine’s Day horror show. He had never felt so awkward and embarrassed in his life.

In an effort to speed things up between Rex and Julia, Crystal and Rachel organized a couples Valentine’s dinner, complete with a chocolate fountain. While the two mated coupled talked and joked with each other–clearly they met regularly and were comfortable with each other–Rex had no idea what to say to Julia. So he said nothing. To anyone. He just sat on the sofa, nursing his Bourbon Sour while he watched a game of a sport he cared nothing for.

“Now that these wars are behind us,” Julia said presently, “perhaps we should try again?” She approached him and put her hand on his shoulder. “Let’s go out and do something together.” Her voice was breathy, and her pupils dilated.

Rex opened the mind link with Ax.

Where are you?

Coming to see you. We need to talk. Urgently.

Good. Hurry the hell up. Say that you need to talk to me alone.

“I can’t right now, Julia,” Rex said, briefly looking up her gray eyes. “I have to get Blue in order and in line with Azul, there are problems with the university, and I have issues at the distillery, too. I simply don’t have any free time.”

“Is there anything I can do to help you?” she asked. “Maybe I can work with you on something.”

“Yes, there is, actually. Will you please assess the she-wolves in this pack? What strengths do they have to offer?”

Julia snorted, not bothering to hide her annoyance. “They’re weak, all of them. All they care about are their pups.”

Rex raised his eyebrows.

“Which is why I need you to make them stronger. Having pups shouldn’t be a hindrance to being able to fight to defend themselves and their pups.”

The door opened and Ax barged in.

“Rex, I need to talk to you, pronto,” Ax said, his eyes flickered to the hand on Rex’s shoulder. “Uh, preferably alone. Hi, Julia. Is everything okay between you two?”

“Peachy,” she said coldly. “With respect, Gamma Ax, do you not knock?”

Ax grinned and shrugged. “When I remember to, yeah.”

Julia surprised them both when she swooped down and planted a kiss on Rex’s cheek.

Execute her! Nakon screamed in Rex’s mind space.

No, I’m not going to execute her for a kiss. She knows I’ve lost interest.

Don’t let her touch us again.

Rex could kill her, as Nakon’s indignation and loyalty toward their mate demanded. He could even give her a good scare and squeeze her neck until she promised never to even think about touching him again. But why? He already had a bad reputation through his pack takeovers and his cruelty with his enemies, why would he make it worse by harming a loyal pack member for a futile kiss?

It’s not worth it, Nakon.

“I’ll see you later, darling,” Julia said as she walked out of the room.

Ax looked at the door before he looked back at Rex. “Wow. I guess things are moving right along, but why ask me to interrupt?”

“Because they’re not,” Rex said with a growl. “What do you have for me?”

“Rex, I can’t do this alone anymore,” Ax said seriously. “I need another Training Master. Davis is burnt out, I mean, seriously, dude. He’s the training master that trained your dad!”

“You’re the gamma. What do you think we should do?”

“I know you have a ton of shit to do around here and at all the other packs and the distillery, but we have to hold a Training Master Tournament before Davis retires, which he keeps telling me he’ll do next week!”

Rex stood up and walked over to the window. He looked out into the foliage of the trees.

She’s out there, Nakon said.

I know.

We have to find her. She’s ours.

I know that, too.

“I can’t leave Blue yet,” Rex said after several moments. “I have to remain here.”

“Why? I mean, this tournament’s only going to take a week.”

“There’s something I have to do here before I can go back home. It’s not negotiable,” Rex said with finality. “You have my authorization to announce and conduct the tournament. Davis will help you.”

“Will you at least show your support on the last day?”

“It’s a dumb formality that doesn’t determine anything.”

“But if you don’t show up, then none of the wolves, especially not the elites, will follow him as their Training Master. The new training master will need your seal of approval and support.”

Rex leaned sideways against the wall. He didn’t take his eyes off of the trees outside.

Where could she be? Why did she leave us?

“I can’t promise that,” Rex said, “but we’ll see where we’re at then.”

He felt Ax stand next to him.

“What is it you’re looking for?” Ax whispered.

Rex looked over and smiled at him. It would be futile to tell his best friend, or even Julia for that matter, that he was looking for his Fated Mate. No one would believe him. Thanks to Maverick, everyone throughout the valley knew the story of how his Fated Mate had rejected him and run off with Maverick. That’s why it was often hard for Rex to believe that the violet-eyed she-wolf was his.

“I’ll be fine. Just go take care of that tournament.”

As Ax was leaving, Rex stopped him.

“Will you please take Julia with you? Maybe she can help you with whatever?”

Rex wanted Julia as far away as possible when he found and Marked and Mated with his Fated Mate. Knowing Julia, she’d probably attempt to challenge his mate to a duel, and Rex had to protect her from that.

Ax snorted. “Julia’s going to want to compete.”

Rex shrugged. “Let her. She’ll get her ass kicked, but that won’t be our problem.”

“But then I’d have to open it for all the she-wolves.”

“I don’t care. Do it. It’ll look like you’re being fair to all the she-wolves. Go you.”

“But then the tournament is going to last at least two weeks!”

“You poor little gamma,” Rex said, laughing. “How you suffer.”

Ax flipped him the bird before he shut the door, and Rex laughed harder.

Rex was on his way back to the river bluff to try to sniff out his mate yet again when his uncle intercepted him to join him at the jail.

“You want to see this,” Uncle Dylan said.

As soon as they arrived, Rex caught the faint scent of his Mate as Dylan handed him a clipboard. Nakon immediately started to growl.

“I think I found the nancy you said Caroline was looking for. Nancy is actually a person, and she was imprisoned here.”

Rex looked down and, sure enough, Nancy had been assigned to Room 5.

Who locked her up? Who?! Nakon said.

“Go on in,” Dylan said. “It’s an interesting room.”

Fearing the worst, Rex went in only to find glass scattered all over the room and a chain that dangled from the skylight. The combined scents of Caroline and Maverick hit him, but his mate’s scent overwhelmed him to the point of his having to lean against the wall for support. Fortunately, Uncle Dylan was looking under the cot for any clues and didn’t see Rex sag slightly against the wall.

She was here! Nakon screamed.

Yes, Rex whispered. But why? Was she an ally of Caroline’s? And why is Maverick’s disgusting scent here, too? Is our Mate already a traitor to us?

If she had been a friend of theirs, we would’ve found her scent all over the Pack House, not in a prison cell where she was obviously kept until she escaped.

Rex agreed.

He sniffed around again, but there was neither fear nor pain impregnated in the air. With huge relief, he realized that she was neither tortured nor raped.

Yes, but there isn’t pleasure or peace, either. She must have not stayed here long.

Rex looked up at the chain that dangled from the skylight and realized it was silver.

“How did she grab a silver chain?” Rex asked out loud. There was no blood on it, so she was obviously not hurt by it.

“I think she wrapped her hands in those rags,” he said motioning toward a small heap of black cloth on the bed.

Rex grabbed a strip of cloth and shook out all the shards of glass. He smelled it. His mate’s scent of warm bourbon and brownies invaded him, washing away his anxiety and clearing his mind.

He put one of the strips of cloth into his pocket and used the rest to wrap his hands. There was barely enough to cover his large hands.

“What are you doing?” Uncle Dylan asked when he saw Rex climbing the chain.

“Following her.”