Another Half

June 2012

Blue Ponderosa

The day after the arrival of the teenagers from Cobalt Lake, Rex went out to find and follow his mate’s scent as soon as he could. There was a thunderstorm nearing, and he wanted to follow her trail as far as he could before the rain washed away her scent.

He reached the clearing where they found the boots the previous day and then followed her trail up further until it ended at a stream.

The stream was small enough that he jumped over it without a problem. He saw some black clothes strewn on the other side and, just as he had thought, they belonged to her. But that was the end of her trail. She had tried to use her clothes as a decoy to misdirect any pursuers that she had moved on from the stream.

Rex looked back at the stream and frowned. Someone was chasing or tracking her, but there were no other scents around.

Maybe she thought someone was tracking her. She most likely ran on the stream after she shifted, Nakon said.

Rex folded her clothes and put them on a nearby rock. He took his clothes off as well, put his clothes on top of hers, and covered them with leaves and a large rock. He shifted.

Where to? Rex asked Nakon, who was now stretching and in full control.

Nakon looked upstream and sniffed. He did the same when he faced downstream. He took off.

Why downstream? Rex asked.

If she thought someone was chasing her, upstream would have been slower. She would have been fighting the current.

Nakon soon growled in frustration when they reached the bluff where the stream poured into the river below. It was the same place they had lost her the first time. They had come full circle.

Jump, Rex said.

What? Why? We’ll get wet!

Obviously, but it’s the only thing we haven’t tried. Stop being a pussy and jump, Nakon.

Nakon snarled and jumped.

The water was as cold as expected, but once Nakon surfaced he sensed their mate’s scent in the little alcove under the bluff. He swam closer and there was no doubt she had been here in human form.

Fuck. She actually hid from us, Rex said.

Rex had no idea what to do or think. His mate had actually hidden from him. On purpose. The old feelings of being unwanted by his Fated Mate returned, painfully tightening his chest.

It may not be as simple as not being wanted, Nakon said. She never showed signs of knowing who we are to her.

What do you mean?

Think about the windfall, Rex. She may have not caught our scent.

Nakon swam downriver while Rex mulled this over.

I don’t want to pursue this, Rex said. If she doesn’t want us, then she doesn’t want us. There’s nothing we can do about it. Where are we going?

I’m not giving up. Until I hear her say otherwise, I’m going to assume that my mate wants me. She just doesn’t know it yet because she doesn’t know me.

Nakon swam a few miles until it began to rain lightly, but his persistence paid off when he smelled a deer carcass.

He got out onto the bank and sniffed around until he found what he was looking for. He howled in triumph.

The decaying carcass of a doe lay in the grass next to the river. Although the area was rife with the scents of other animals that had partaken of the feast, there was no doubt that it was his mate that had felled the doe and eaten her fill first.

She was in wolf form this entire time while she swam and hunted. And she’s so strong! I’m so glad our mate’s human lets her run and hunt! We have so much to talk about, and so much to share!

Nakon’s pride and pleasure were unmistakable, and Rex didn’t want to ruin his wolf’s hope and happiness by dumping on him a cold reality. Their mate was still nowhere to be found. But Rex didn’t have to because the sudden violent pouring of rain and thunder did.

Nakon wanted to continue to swim downstream even in the rain, but Uncle Dylan’s mind link stopped them.

Northern border, quick. I just got a report that no less than ten wolves from Cobalt Lake have arrived. They seem to be refugees. I’ve already sent back up. What the fuck is going on in Cobalt?!

Nakon ran through the rain toward the northern border, and when he arrived neither he nor Rex were prepared for what they saw.

Surrounded by several Azul Valley sentries and elite warriors, a group of wolves lay on their bellies or on their sides well within the Blue Ponderosa side of the border. There were some pups in the group and several she-wolves, which meant that this was a peaceful group of people.

Nakon approached the group. The warriors and sentries bowed their heads to him, and the group of refugees stood and bowed low.

Mixed bag. Betas, gammas, but mostly omegas, Nakon said. One of the omega females was pregnant, but her pup is now stillborn. She may not know it yet.

Nakon shifted and Rex ordered everyone to shift as well. All the refugees looked pale and gaunt from undernourishment. The four children’s eyes were sunk, and they along with some of the adults were hyper-salivating. Most of them had a crusty white ring around their mouths. One of the she-wolves, the one that looked pregnant, passed out as soon as she shifted.

Uncle Dylan, send two large trucks to the borders immediately. These people can’t walk. Send an ambulance, too. A pregnant she-wolf may be close to dying.

Roger that, Dylan said.

Rex turned to the group of people.

“You are trespassing. What is your business on my territory?”

One of the males, the oldest one responded for the rest.

“My name is Alfredo, Alpha. We are from the Cobalt Lake pack and we seek asylum in your pack, sir.”

“Why?”

Alfredo looked around his group. “We were marked for execution this morning, but we escaped, sir, during the night. Our pack was invaded a little over two years ago. Our rightful alpha is dead.”

“How did you escape?”

Another male shakily stood up. “My name is Jonson, Alpha sir. I was the jailkeeper. That she-wolf there,” he pointed toward the passed-out pregnant woman, “is my sister. She’s the only family I have left. The invaders killed most of my family, including my mate and pups, sir. I let them all out and I came with them, sir.”

A couple of hours later, Rex was in his office with Alfredo and Jonson. All of the refugees had officially become Southern Azul Valley pack members, but most chose to move to Saxe Oaks or Azul, in the packs that were the furthest away from the northern border.

He had just had a meeting with Alfredo and Jonson. Like Lorena and Armando, they’d never seen the invaders, either. The invasion happened slowly, and then it was over before anyone knew what was happening. The alpha died and so did his entire family. Rex dismissed both males to rest after that.

Rex was staring out the window at the driving rain as it pelted his window, wondering where his mate was in this rain when a knock made him turn toward the door. Uncle Dylan came in with his son James, Rex’s new Blue Ponderosa Beta.

“Rex!” James yelled as he threw his arms around him. “You’re not short anymore!”

“Fuck you,” Rex said with a laugh. “We’ve always been around the same height. What the hell took you so damn long to get here?”

James shrugged. “After being in San Diego for five years, it was hard to move,” he said with a sigh. “Carla wanted to come back years ago, and she’s eternally grateful to you for bringing us back. Expect her thank-you cookies soon.”

Rex nodded.

“So Dad says you have one crisis after another here, there, and everywhere. What the hell possessed you to take over three packs in less than two years? How the hell did that happen? And since when do wolves travel around as refugees?”

Rex pulled out his left drawer and pulled out a bottle of Rojo and three glasses. “Sit down. This is going to take all night.”