Another Half

Surprise! Happy Labor Day to all my readers in the U.S.

This is an extra-long chapter that raged out of control. (Yeah, Rex pretty much takes over my life when I start writing him.)

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

-Rio

January 2011

Taking over a pack was not as easy as people made it out to be. Rex learned this the hard way. Unfortunately, there was no manual to direct him on the steps or the proper etiquette to follow after invading a pack. And since Rex’s father knew only peace during his lifetime, he couldn’t have prepared Rex for the logistical and administrative nightmare that followed after taking over Saxe Oaks.

Fortunately, taking down the previous Alpha during a war made things simple for Rex. Once every wolf felt their Alpha’s demise in a fair fight, swearing allegiance to Rex as their new Alpha was easy and relatively simple. Rare was the strong wolf that could live as a lone wolf for long; most wolves preferred to live under a tyrannical Alpha than to hazard the risks of living alone, unbound with no support or protection from humans and their weapons, the greed and abuse of other wolves, or worse. After all, there were worse things out there than an insane human with a gun.

Once the last Saxe Oaks adult werewolf knelt before Rex and swore life-long fealty, Rex felt the increase in power and strength that came with governing another pack. He made no mention of what he felt to anyone and instead he went about the business of rebuilding the pack, assessing the broken up streets, the dry wells, and all the other pack infrastructure that was either abandoned, in grave disrepair, or desperately needing replacement. Rex went to work knowing well that he was entering territory that was not new, but it was a knowledge that had been lost centuries ago.

But things didn’t happen without a hiccup.

Rex! Come to the dungeons, Sergio said over the mindlink. It’s Ax! Edge has fucking lost it! He almost killed a couple of guards.

As soon as he entered the dingy building that held the dungeons, Rex knew what the problem was and he felt saddened and guilty for feeling saddened.

Ax had found his mate.

Edge, Ax’s bulky grey wolf, stood in front of a corner of one of the cells, his pupils were almost pinpricks in the furious light yellow eyes that focused on Rex when he came in. In the dark corner that Edge was shielding stood a family, one of which happened to be a girl with large brown eyes that took in everything that was happening with quiet interest. Unlike her parents, she didn’t seem afraid of the massive grey wolf in front of her family that not only snarled, pounced, and gnashed his teeth at anyone who entered the cell but also kept the family from leaving.

Rex stood at the doorway of the cell, arms crossed.

“You’re done, Edge. I want to talk to Ax. Put him on.”

Edge snarled and snapped at him, and Rex raised an eyebrow. Nakon raised his head from where he was curled up in Rex’s mind space.

Did this little shit just snap at us?

Ax, get your damn wolf under control before he provokes Nakon.

For several long moments, there was only silence through the mindlink.

Ax? Ax?!

But there was no response.

Edge is too far gone, Nakon said. Edge doesn’t let Ax reach him or us, and I can’t reach him, either. That girl is his mate, and he’s feeling absurdly protective of her. Let me take over. I’ll make them submit.

Nakon taking over was the last thing Rex wanted.

Rex’s wolf was brutal when provoked by insolence, and he would have very little consideration for either Edge or Ax. Rex’s friendship with Ax would end the moment Nakon sank his teeth into Edge’s throat, in addition to quite possibly ending Ax’s and Edge’s lives.

Edge became more agitated and vicious the longer Rex remained in the cell. He started foaming at the maw, and Rex became even more worried while Nakon became even more irritated. A wolf that was this out of control was a wild wolf, and it had only one remedy, to put it down. Nakon began to pace impatiently in Rex’s mind-space. Rex had to think of something fast, or else he would soon have two wild wolves to deal with.

Shit. This is so fucked up, Nakon!

But Nakon watched Edge with keen interest, biding his time.

He’s being an ass to us. To me, as his Alpha. Whatever it is, it’s coming from the human side. Figure out what it is or I’ll take care of him myself.

Rex knew something about him was making Edge feel threatened and wild, and Rex focused on Edge’s rage, its depth, and its texture. Too soon, he realized that the rage hid a layered, unabiding fear: the fear of losing a mate and the fear of the helpless frustration that would follow that loss. He felt sick. Rex knew that Edge’s—and by extension Ax’s—fears came from watching him deal with the public disgrace that followed his mate’s rejection and the unresolved and powerless fury that he was still grappling with.

Quite simply, Edge was afraid that Rex would use his power as Alpha to take Ax’s mate as his own, and there would be nothing Edge could do to prevent it.

The humiliation of what Rex had to do next as an Alpha to save Ax was insufferable, but he didn’t know what else to do. Rex promised himself to make Maverick and Caroline pay for forcing him to embarrass himself in front of Ax’s mate and her family.

Knowing that the wolves from Azul and Saxe Oaks were outside the door, attentive to everything Rex said and did, he shut the door behind him. Unfortunately, it served to enrage Edge even more, and he became wilder and louder.

Clear the dungeon, Rex mind-linked Sergio without shifting his eyes away from Edge. He heard footsteps and some shuffling outside until he couldn’t hear anything else but Edge’s irate snarls.

Done, Sergio said a few moments later.

“Silence!” Rex shouted, and Edge almost immediately quieted down to a growl. “Edge, you will listen to me or suffer the pain of death,” Rex said, using the power of his full authoritative voice. “Ax and Edge, as your Alpha, Nakon and I are not interested in your mate, whatever her name is.” Rex continued in a strong, even voice. “As One, We promise not to take your mate from you. We promise not to court her, talk to her, harm her, or touch her in any way. We promise to altogether leave her alone, but, when necessary, we will protect her as a member of our pack. You have Our word as Alpha of the Azul and Saxe Oaks Packs that your mate and her family will be safe with Us and from Us.”

He hoped the magic of his promises would sink into Edge’s and Ax’s psyche and work as it was already working on the family. They were on their knees, heads bowed in reverence.

Edge stopped growling, licked his snout, and sat on his haunches, finally calm. He bowed his head in solemn acceptance.

Never underestimate the power of an Alpha’s promise, Rex’s father had often told him. It is very binding, so be very judicious to what and to whom you bind yourself.

Edge’s eyes lost their wildness and soon shone with Ax’s consciousness. The remorseful voice of Ax came through the mindlink.

Rex, I am so sorry. I tried to reason with Edge, I swear I did, but he was being impossible. Please forgive us for being so stupid.

Rex approached Edge and he put his hand on the wolf’s head. He looked down into Edge’s now intelligent eyes.

“Go,” Rex said softly. “Sergio and Enrique will take care of your mate and her family while you put clothes on and come back.” Edge whined and Rex patted his head. “It’s fine, but you must know that I can never address your mate or personally take care of her. She and I can never be friends,” Rex said sadly. “It’s the price we have to pay.”

Edge hesitated, dipping his head in submission and apology.

“All is well, Ax. It’s fine,” Rex lied, hoping that someday it wouldn’t be a lie. “We’ll have a bourbon later.”

Edge nodded his massive head once and waited for Rex to open the door for him. Once Edge left, Rex turned back to the family, but they continued to be on their knees. Each adult pledged the most heartfelt allegiance that he had ever heard, starting with the male, then the she-wolf, and last the girl, who was the oldest of the three children. The young teenage boys remained kneeling, although they did not have to. But it was the girl, Ax’s mate, who showed fierce respect for Rex as she placed her right hand over her heart during her allegiance, a sign that signaled an unspoken personal loyalty that transcended the fealty everyone else in Saxe Oaks had pledged him.

Omegas, all of them, Nakon commented. They’ll be loyal for life.

As convention dictated, Rex formally voiced his acceptance of their allegiance, and then he made to leave.

“Rachel,” he heard the girl’s clear voice behind him.

Rex turned back. “What did you say?”

“My name, Alpha. My name is Rachel.” She bowed her head in reverence, her hand was still over her heart. “And, thank you for saving my mate, sir. We promise to not say a word to anyone.”

The rest of her family nodded as each one placed their hand over their heart, sealing their own promise.

Rex nodded his appreciation and left.

Gotta hand it to her, Nakon said. For an omega, she’s got fire. Spoke to us without anyone’s permission. Promised something we weren’t asking for. I wish more male wolves had her sense of loyalty and decorum.

Rex snorted. As Ax’s mate, she’s going to need all the fire she’s got and more. Poor girl. He better treat her well.

We would’ve done it for Sergio, too.

Yes, Rex said. He now understood why his father had kept the knowledge of Sergio’s mate from him. It was to protect Sergio as much as Rex, and that saddened him so much.

But we won’t ever do it for anyone else, Nakon.

April 2011

Rex soon found that there was one thing Alpha Chet was right about the night he died: Saxe Oaks was one poor and broke pack, and it had been that way for years. The latest crops had not only failed, but the fruit trees had actually died. Deadly weeds were taking over the pack with unprecedented speed. Of course, Rex also suspected there was a fair amount of mismanagement and embezzlement. In fact, Chet was in the process of declaring the pack in bankruptcy, likely so he wouldn’t have to pay Rex everything he owed him because if there was one thing Chet had loved to spend money on was Azul booze.

“Fuck,” muttered Rex as he went over the pack’s bank statements and credit card bills. He’d have to find Chet’s personal bank account soon; it was sure to be flush with funds. “Didn’t these people know—who the hell was their accountant?”

Rex looked at the five Saxe Oaks men sitting in front of him, while Sergio, Ax, and his cousin Spencer stood around him. None of these men were ranked since Rex had Chet’s Beta and Gamma executed.

“I am—I mean, I was, sir,” an older man stood slowly up from his chair. He nervously smoothed his black and white hair back with one hand. “I had the books in order, sir, but, ah,” he cleared his throat, and Rex noticed he was shaking where he stood, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “The Pack House, sir. It burned and so did all of my ledgers, sir.”

Rex put down the papers he had been reading, and he leaned back in his black leather chair while he studied the man in front of him. He cradled the back of his head with his hands.

“What’s your name?”

“Levitt, Alpha. Harris Levitt, sir,” the old man said, carefully keeping his eyes fixed on the brand-new hardwood floorboards in front of him.

Within a week after taking over Saxe Oaks, Rex had razed what was left of the Pack House and quickly cleared the debris. He acquired plans for a new Pack House–one that was more resistant to fire–and he had it built within two months. His spacious new office was the first thing they had built, complete with a mahogany wood bar that was now fully stocked. Meanwhile, he chose and trained Spencer, one of Uncle Martell’s sons who was five years Rex’s senior, to take over as his Saxe Oaks Beta.

“Nepotism much?” Ax had teased Rex.

Things between Rex and Ax had settled and had almost returned to normal in the past three months. The only difference was that Rex did not talk to Rachel unless she spoke to him first, and he only greeted her as part of a group. Other than that, there was simply no communication. It was an awkwardness they would have to learn to live with.

“Don’t give me that shit,” Rex had said. “Your sister is my new Beta’s mate. Don’t tell me you’re not going to find a way to take advantage of that somehow.”

Ax feigned innocence. “I would never…”

“So what you’re saying is that since I burned all the pack’s records when I burned down the Pack House I have no one but myself to blame for this mess?” Rex asked Harris.

The stillness in the room told him that his joke wasn’t quite as funny as he thought. Nobody laughed.

I thought it was funny, Nakon said.

That actually worries me.

Harris paled, almost matching his white dress shirt. “I–I meant no disrespect, Alpha, I swear,” he said with a gulp. Beads of sweat began to collect on his forehead, “but, ah, I meant that all my files and ledgers were in the Pack House, sir. I apologize for offending you, Alpha. In hindsight, I should have left them in a safer place. I take full responsibility for the records’ loss. It was my mistake, sir. I’m sorry.” A rivulet of sweat ran down his cheek and dribbled over the side of his jaw and down his neck. At least, Rex thought it was sweat; it might have been a tear.

Rex raised his eyebrows, impressed by Harris’s willingness to take the blame for something that was obviously done under Rex’s command.

Rex, I've no idea what you're playing at, but you’re making this poor guy shit his pants, Spencer said via mindlink. Can we let them go? Look at them. They all look suicidal.

Rex glanced at his cousin and nodded.

“Relax, Harris,” Spencer said with a nervous laugh. “You’re safe. Alpha is just making sure he got all the facts clear, and now he does. Alpha knows that, uh, it’s not your fault, okay? Right, Alpha?”

Rex nodded. “You’re dismissed. All of you. Leave. We’ll call you back after lunch.”

All the men filed out, nodding to Rex in respect and reverence as they passed by his desk. Only Spencer, Sergio, and Ax remained since Enrique had stayed at Azul.

“And the moral of the story is: ’Don’t burn down the Pack House of the pack you’re invading; shit in there might be useful later,’” Ax said.

Sergio chipped in. “Or, how about: ‘Take out the unrecoverable important records before fucking burning anything?’”

“We should write a book with all the stuff we’re learning about invading packs. I bet lots of alphas would buy it,” Ax said.

Rex couldn’t help snickering along with them. He sure as hell would've bought that book if it had been available

“I’ll try not to burn down the Pack House next time,” Rex said. He didn’t even want to think about the fact that he had thoughtlessly wiped out Saxe Oak’s historical patrimony plus centuries' worth of priceless heirlooms along with all their financial records, not to mention that Pack Houses were expensive to build.

“Good thing I’ve done business with Saxe Oaks long enough to know how shitty their finances are. Most of their debt was with me and the distillery anyway,” Rex said with a shrug, “so I guess I’ll just clear their ledger at the distillery, pay off their credit cards, and start from scratch.”

“At least you’ll get their orchards’ fruit at a heavy discount,” Spencer said.

Rex snorted. “What fruit? Their trees are as good as dead.” He looked at his cousin. “You’ll have to start Saxe Oaks’s orchard and farming program from scratch, too, Spence.”

“Me? Why me?”

Rex grinned widely at his cousin that was five years his senior but already had four sons. “Because, Aggie, you’re the one with a degree in agriculture.”

Spencer glared at him. “I knew it! I knew you weren’t making me Beta out of the kindness of your heart.”

Rex shrugged. “Who told you I had a heart? I’m an Alpha; I’m not supposed to have a heart.”

He paused while Sergio and Ax had a laugh at Spencer’s expense, and his cousin shifted his glare at them.

“Seriously. You’re the best wolf for the job, Spence. Who else was I going ask, Cousin Preston, the Electric Guitarist?”

They all laughed.

“Hey, Preston is doing well with that band of his,” Ax said. "What's it called? Midnight Madness? Full Moon Madness?"

Rex snorted. “Sure, as long as I pay the band’s recordings and all their bills, you bet they’re doing fabulous.”

“So, stop subsiding my brother’s career and make him come back and grow the fuck up. My mother would love you for it,” Spencer said with a sigh. “Fuck, he’s twenty-four and he’s still not mature enough to take care of a houseplant.”

Rex put his hands in steeple position and leaned forward. “Your mother already loves me, but I have plans for our dear Preston. For now, I’ll just let him play music and pretend he’s successful.”

Part of Rex’s job as Alpha was looking out for members of his family, particularly those like Preston. That involved paying for education and other opportunities, like buying an indie record label that Rex had no idea what to do with, but sometimes it also entailed playing god in their lives. Rex at first didn’t appreciate playing god until he asked Spencer to move back from Texas to become his Saxe Oaks Beta. And Spencer, like the good little Assa family member that he was, didn’t think twice to uproot his family and move to Saxe Oaks within a week.

Having that kind of power over people was growing on Rex. He sighed. Maybe that's why he wasn't funny anymore.

“As for you, you’ll get a fair share of Saxe Oakes’ earnings as your salary after you give Azul thirty-five percent as part of a payment plan for the massive loan I’m about to give your new pack, and, yeah, the distillery will take that deep discount on Saxe Oaks fruit and other products you were talking about.”

“Thirty-five percent? For a loan? Does that include interest?” Spencer dropped into the chair in front of Rex, and Sergio and Ax sat on either side of Spencer.

“No.”

“Will it be lifted once the loan is paid in full?”

“No.”

“Then, why not call it what it is, Rex? It’s a tax.”

“Fine. Call it whatever the hell you want. Call it a tax, if that makes you happy,” Rex said with shrug, but his voice was grave. “But always remember that Saxe Oaks belongs to Azul Pack. Saxe Oaks is our vassal pack, and you are an Assa and also my Beta. Your oldest son will likely become my son’s Saxe Oaks Beta. That’s how it works; that’s how it worked before the Azul Valley Pack became five packs. Do we have an understanding, Spencer Assa?”

“Yes. That is how it will work, Alpha,” Spencer said, nodding his head in formal assent. He paused. “Okay, if you’re taking that much, Saxe Oaks wolves have to get something in return. I want them to be able to get jobs with fair wages at the distillery,” Spencer said, “I also want you to provide a shuttle for them to and from the distillery. At no cost to them.”

Rex frowned. “Those jobs are for Azul wolves only. Our great-grandfather founded the distillery for the benefit of our pack. It’s Azul's birthright and legacy, and no one else’s. You know this.”

“Ah, but Saxe Oaks is now part of Azul. As you said, Saxe is your vassal pack; and an Assa Beta will always be here to support an Assa Alpha. If you want Saxe Oak’s continued goodwill and labor with zero shit like uprisings due to unfairness, if you want them to see you and accept you and your descendants as their Alpha, then you’re going to have to see them, care for them, and protect them like they’re your people, too. You can’t just exploit them, Rex.”

Rex glanced at Sergio, and Sergio nodded.

“Makes sense. You want Saxe Oaks wolves to know that they’re better off having you as Alpha and being part of Azul,” Sergio said. “They’ll only understand that if we help them out of the poverty they’re mired in. We live to care for and protect Azul. You need to do that for Saxe, too.”

“It’ll also help to recruit their men for our next phase, too,” Ax said. “I’ve told you, Saxe recruitment is very low. They’re demoralized; they lost more than their previous Alpha. They lost their self-worth and sense of purpose.”

Rex grabbed the bottle of Rojo on his desk and poured himself a drink. He sipped it as he thought. He hated to admit that they were right.

We won’t always be right, Nakon said.

I know.

Wrap this up. I’m bored already. We need a run.

“Fine. They can apply to the distillery,” Rex said, “I’ll tell Peggy at H.R. to take their applications seriously and hire the best of them. I’ll also tell her to organize a shuttle. Spence, she’s your cousin, too. Call her to follow up. Anything else?”

“We need to rebuild infrastructure,” Spencer said.

Rex nodded. “Yes, you do. Draw up some plans and a budget with a reasonable timeline. Email them to me. Use my pack email address, not the distillery’s.” Rex covered his eyesockets with the heels of his hands and groaned. “Fuck, this is going to take a lot of work and time and it’s going to cost a lot of money.”

“You can afford it,” Spencer said.

“That’s not the point,” Rex said. “This is exactly why Azul split up into five packs hundreds of years ago. The last alpha of the Azul Valley Pack was running himself and his Luna ragged. That’s why maintaining peace was so damn important. Fucking Maverick. He’s going to pay for this. He and his damn Luna will pay for all this shit they’re putting us through.”

“Speaking of Maverick,” Ax said, glancing at Sergio and then at Spencer. “I heard his Luna lost the pup. She miscarried or something or other.”

Rex raised his eyebrows before scowling. “I don’t fucking care,” he said as he got up. He needed to leave the room immediately. “I don’t want to ever hear anything about her. She's dead to me. Understand? All of you?”

He waited until they all agreed and drank the last of his bourbon before heading out the door.

“Where are you going?” Sergio called out.

“Out.”

Nakon ran through blue oaks in the Saxe Oaks forests at full speed. Letting Nakon take over and run was the best thing to do when everything else threatened to overwhelm Rex.

We need a Luna, Nakon said.

We don’t need a luna, Rex said, more than a little annoyed. I don't have time to go out and find one.

You promised we’d look for one once the Saxe battle was over. Don’t break your promises to me.

Fine. Where should I start? A dating app?

Stop making fun of me. Nakon said. This isn’t fun for me, either. Lily was good.

I’m sorry, Nakon, Rex said, realizing that a part of Nakon was still mourning the loss of Lily. Rex sometimes forgot that when Caroline rejected him, Nakon had lost his mate, too, and he had been powerless to do anything about it.

The she-wolves are training right now, Nakon said. As Alpha, we should supervise their training, and make sure they’re being trained properly, and that they have the proper form or whatever you humans look for.

From a comfortable chair in Nakon’s mind-space, Rex rolled his eyes.

Once Nakon arrived at Saxe Oak’s open training grounds, he sat on his hunches on a lone hill off to one side. He knew his presence did not go unnoticed because all the she-wolves stopped complaining and they started to follow their trainer’s instructions better. The unmated she-wolves in particular started to focus.

You’re so obvious, Rex said. They know why we’re here!

Who cares about the trainees, Nakon said. Pay attention to their trainer. That’s who we want to look at.

Rex peered at the woman leading the group. She had platinum blonde hair cut in a short bob. Nakon’s eyesight was such that he could see her slate-grey eyes and how they focused intensely on the task at hand. Admittedly, she was attractive, but not anything special in Rex’s opinion. He didn’t care for blondes.

I’ve never seen her before. Who is she?

Her name is Julia, and of course, you’ve seen her before. She’s from Azul, Nakon said.

Really? I don’t remember.

Now it was Nakon’s turn to roll his eyes.

Rex couldn’t help but admire Julia’s strength and determination, even though she was just training the Saxe Oaks she-wolves in basic self-defense. She seemed like a good trainer.

Shall we ask her out? Nakon said. Tonight?

Through Nakon’s eyes, Rex squinted at the she-wolf’s form.

No. Not yet, Rex said. We can’t just ask her—

An incoming mindlink from one of the seasoned Azul sentries guarding the Saxe Oak’s borders suddenly interrupted them.

Alpha Rex, Gamma Ax, there’s a large group of warriors from Cerulean River heading at high speed towards our northern border. We need backup as soon as possible, sirs.

How many are there? Ax asked.

About a hundred or so, Gamma.

Rex?

We’re on our way.