The Wolves and the Vipers

Chapter 11 - There's Fire

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Jace hadn't slept much. That became obvious when I saw him the next morning with bags under his eyes and a countenance like a grumpy sloth. But when, at half past seven, he was called to the border urgently, he seemed to wake up very fast. I was left in the house with Kara, who was sampling every food in the pantry to see if she liked it, and Tyler, who I assumed was there to guard me until the rota was sorted out properly.

I rounded on him the very moment I finished my breakfast. We were supposed to be keeping it quiet - the fact that Jace's sister had survived the fire. But as I was quickly learning, when Jace said something was top secret, Tyler was the exception to that law.

"He thinks someone ... well, this is the impression he got, anyway," I began sceptically. "He thinks someone paid the rogues to kidnap a three-year-old girl. Am I missing something here? Who has that kind of motive?"

Tyler looked at me sidelong. He set down the washing up sponge and came over to the table. And then he plonked himself down opposite me and started fiddling with the salt grinder while he answered.

"The thing about being an Alpha," he told me, "is that you don't want daughters. The ideal scenario is one boy, and preferably a healthy one. Two boys ... eh. That can be tricky too, but for different reasons."

I folded my arms and regarded him with raised eyebrows. "That all sounds very archaic."

He made a face - one that wasn't really directed at me. "Yes and no. The Riverside Alpha has a daughter and no sons. That's the worst scenario. But Jace's parents didn't find themselves in the best one, either, when little Aria popped out. She was an accident. We're all pretty sure about that. Although it is possible they were trying for another boy. It can be helpful to have a spare lying around if you're at war. Which we are, of course."

"I'm not following any of this," I sighed, pushing my plate away. "Can you start with why having a daughter is so awful? Because that's offending me a little bit."

"Well," Tyler said. "That's an easy one. You're the Alpha in this scenario. You have a girl, like Alpha Darren did. No prospect of a boy. The pressure is on to find her a mate who is strong enough to take over the pack. It's always an arranged match. Done before she turns eighteen. Because letting her find her real mate is a real lottery."

I pulled my coffee towards me, hoping it would now be cool enough to drink. A tentative sip refuted that idea very quickly. "Jace didn't exactly have an easy time finding a mate either. What's the big deal?"

"The big deal is what happens if you die before you find her a mate. The first asshole who comes along and puts a mark on her neck ... well, guess what? They have control of the pack now. And that could be your worst enemy. It could be a rogue. It could be another Alpha. A lot of them would love the power that comes with merging two packs into one."

My eyebrows rose sharply. "And that's okay ... from a legal standpoint? They can put a forced mark on a woman and go on to lead the pack with no trouble?"

Here, Tyler grimaced. "Forced marking isn't illegal unless the Alpha says so. Outdated laws, I know. And that clause is pretty useless if your Alpha is dead. The other problem is that marking a woman gives you the power to join her pack, if you want to. Again, unless the Alpha decides otherwise. Again, it's useless if you don't have an Alpha."

"Literally just change the laws," I told him flatly.

"Oh, we've been trying to," he sighed. "The one about joining a pack once you've marked someone is pretty important, in all fairness. It stops politics getting between mated couples. I'm sure, given enough time, the packs will be able to reach a compromise on amending that law. But they're not going to reach it today or tomorrow. I promise you that much."