Unsevered Ties

35. One of the Big Dogs now part 2

Chapter 35: One of the Big Dogs Now, Part 2

Naki stared at Kiala, then at Rahiiv, and back at Kiala. His eyes searched for their facial expressions, and his mind waited for a punchline to a bad joke. He laughed nervously, shaking his head because these two were yanking his leg. "What, I mean what? You guys are joking."

He rose because he suddenly could not sit still. "You want me to believe that I am, that I am like some illegitimate Prince to this King who is like the Alpha of all Alphas to the other pack lands. You just, what, found me by accident? Like, I got caught up in some mating triangle with two other nobles, which led you and me to eventually meet. So you just took one look at me and was like, Oh, look, my dad's other kid is here?"

Naki's tail flicked anxiously from side to side. "There is no way that makes any sense! My mom, my mom was, yeah, maybe a Cloud member since she looked just like the rest of you, but she was like a runaway concubine?" Naki didn't know if he felt offended or just dumbfounded. "Why would she run away? Why would she technically steal a King's offspring, and why would the King let her? No one certainly looked for me for 18 years of my life!"

Naki stopped the pacing he hadn't realized he had begun doing. "If this is some messed-up tradition of welcoming a newbie to the pack, it's deranged. I want to know who I am, but there is like no way I am freaking Cloud heirloom."

Kiala plopped her head upon her fist, using the arm of the chair to balance, letting Naki finish his banter of disbelief. He took it pretty well, actually. Naki was still young, barely a young man. He had a good head on his shoulders, but he still saw the world from a young viewpoint.

"Well, you can't exactly wrap your head around it if you don't know all the details, Naki." She motioned to the pillow with her free hand. "Sit and calm down. I told you I had a story to tell you, so let me tell it. When I am done, decide how you feel about it. Until you know your history, you won't be able to grasp the reality of it."

Rahiiv smiled at Naki. "She is right, Naki. This place, our homeland, has a history that you have to know to understand how or why things happen. We live life differently in the Cloud Lands, but let Kiala tell you her tale, and you will understand all the broken pieces."

Naki peered between them before releasing a stress-filled sigh and returning to his seat. "Okay, okay, I'm listening."

Kiala looked to Rahiiv, who nodded and took the seat where she would normally sit if the King were here to tell this story in her stead. He believed it was good that Kiala was the one to do it. She could tell it from an objective standpoint, whereas the King would have derived the story from an emotional standpoint.

"Let me start with his. You know, each land has a bloodline trait, passed from Alpha to offspring and so forth. Only one offspring receives the trait. It is a gift from the Gods and it has to be protected and shared sparingly. It's a gift to the ruling family, and in turn, they use it to ensure the safety of their pack. The gift is why Alpha families stay as the ruling family. This way, times are peaceful, and packs are satisfied. Who would challenge an Alpha when they have an ability that cannot be beaten by a normal Shashiva? The only problem would be two Alphas warring. This delicate balance is maintained, and it keeps the peace."

She righted herself, laying her head back against the throne. "Here in the Cloud Pack Naki, everyone can harness our bloodline trait. Every pack member born of Cloud blood can harness our gift. The Royal family acts as a source. Our Source acts as a web, and thus our entire pack can learn the power of healing and life. We hold every single pack member to an equal standing. There is no ranking. You learn to use the light. The better you are, the more you do. That's our ranking system."