their differences. In the end, the leaders of both sides sat down and formed a pact and a line of succession."
"Succession? How does that work?" If she was an Alpha, did that mean she was in the line of succession somewhere?
"Well, the first two fought for the position. We've rarely fought since then, unless someone went rogue or individuals argued the line of succession. The rules put in place made sure it was a one-on-one fight. There would be no more wars over leadership."
As there were rules when I had to fight Christiana to confirm my place as Alpha. She nodded. "Much better than wars."
"It is." Eva paused for a moment. "Since then, the rules handle peaceful succession…usually. If the current leader has a son or sons, the eldest takes leadership. The younger brother takes leadership, if the eldest dies without heirs or without adult heirs."
"Sounds pretty misogynistic to me. What about his daughters? Or if he only has daughters?"
"A daughter can only take leadership if her brothers have died or if she has no brothers. She shares the leadership with her mate or mates, as a male would with his mate. However, the ruling family switches to the family of the mates."
"Because…she becomes part of that family when she marries into it." Samara was guessing, but it seemed a logical assumption.
Eva nodded. "It's really quite brilliant. The leader's family changes with some regularity…at least once a century or so. I admit that the original rules called for arranged marriages between the sides to force intermarriage of the Alpha class, to facilitate the two factions passing leadership back and forth. They have so intermarried now, no one has to trace back lineage to make sure it happens. We truly see ourselves as one people now.
"It's still… traditional for Alphas to mate with Alphas, but I suppose that makes sense, all things considered. Strong-willed individuals will tend to choose mates who match them in temperament, it seems."
Samara dissected what she'd heard so far, certain she was missing something basic. She said mate or mates, didn't she? "And our…people are good with the idea of polyamory or polygamy?"
"To be honest, it has always been encouraged for Alpha females. I'm sure James and Jason would be crushed if you ultimately chose only one of them and rejected the other. Their bond as brothers might not survive the loss."
She realized she was gaping and forced her mouth shut. It took a moment to finagle her way to speech. "Really?"
Eva nodded sagely. "Absolutely."
"Why?"
"Have you seen yourself?" Eva quipped in return.
Samara nudged Eva's arm with her toes. "Not that."
Eva turned to her side, staring up at Samara with a teasing smile. "Then what?"
"Why was a threesome encouraged?"
"Some say it was to strengthen the bloodlines, but that's obviously bullshit. One brother would be as effective as both.
"Others say it was to protect the female better. That one has a ring of truth to it. It also ensured she had a chance to reproduce, in case one of the brothers died."
The thought of one of her two brothers dying sent a shaft of fear through Samara. She pushed the thought away and tried to focus elsewhere. Eva continued on before Samara could question why the female couldn't simply marry again.
"I prefer the other reason people speculate on."
"And that is?" Something told her she had to know.
"An Alpha female is so strong and sexual, it takes two males to sate her and match her strength."
Samara swallowed hard.
"And I do wish you would get on with it."
"With what?" Her voice sounded strange to her ears, her head spinning as it was. Everyone expects me to be sexual. They expect me to take two men to bed.
Eva raised an eyebrow and waited for Samara to catch up with the flow of conversation.
"I think it's safe to say we've gotten on with quite a bit." Samara smiled at the memories, then chuckled.
"Yes, but when are you going to get serious ?"
"Serious like what? Going steady?" Just the thought
"Succession? How does that work?" If she was an Alpha, did that mean she was in the line of succession somewhere?
"Well, the first two fought for the position. We've rarely fought since then, unless someone went rogue or individuals argued the line of succession. The rules put in place made sure it was a one-on-one fight. There would be no more wars over leadership."
As there were rules when I had to fight Christiana to confirm my place as Alpha. She nodded. "Much better than wars."
"It is." Eva paused for a moment. "Since then, the rules handle peaceful succession…usually. If the current leader has a son or sons, the eldest takes leadership. The younger brother takes leadership, if the eldest dies without heirs or without adult heirs."
"Sounds pretty misogynistic to me. What about his daughters? Or if he only has daughters?"
"A daughter can only take leadership if her brothers have died or if she has no brothers. She shares the leadership with her mate or mates, as a male would with his mate. However, the ruling family switches to the family of the mates."
"Because…she becomes part of that family when she marries into it." Samara was guessing, but it seemed a logical assumption.
Eva nodded. "It's really quite brilliant. The leader's family changes with some regularity…at least once a century or so. I admit that the original rules called for arranged marriages between the sides to force intermarriage of the Alpha class, to facilitate the two factions passing leadership back and forth. They have so intermarried now, no one has to trace back lineage to make sure it happens. We truly see ourselves as one people now.
"It's still… traditional for Alphas to mate with Alphas, but I suppose that makes sense, all things considered. Strong-willed individuals will tend to choose mates who match them in temperament, it seems."
Samara dissected what she'd heard so far, certain she was missing something basic. She said mate or mates, didn't she? "And our…people are good with the idea of polyamory or polygamy?"
"To be honest, it has always been encouraged for Alpha females. I'm sure James and Jason would be crushed if you ultimately chose only one of them and rejected the other. Their bond as brothers might not survive the loss."
She realized she was gaping and forced her mouth shut. It took a moment to finagle her way to speech. "Really?"
Eva nodded sagely. "Absolutely."
"Why?"
"Have you seen yourself?" Eva quipped in return.
Samara nudged Eva's arm with her toes. "Not that."
Eva turned to her side, staring up at Samara with a teasing smile. "Then what?"
"Why was a threesome encouraged?"
"Some say it was to strengthen the bloodlines, but that's obviously bullshit. One brother would be as effective as both.
"Others say it was to protect the female better. That one has a ring of truth to it. It also ensured she had a chance to reproduce, in case one of the brothers died."
The thought of one of her two brothers dying sent a shaft of fear through Samara. She pushed the thought away and tried to focus elsewhere. Eva continued on before Samara could question why the female couldn't simply marry again.
"I prefer the other reason people speculate on."
"And that is?" Something told her she had to know.
"An Alpha female is so strong and sexual, it takes two males to sate her and match her strength."
Samara swallowed hard.
"And I do wish you would get on with it."
"With what?" Her voice sounded strange to her ears, her head spinning as it was. Everyone expects me to be sexual. They expect me to take two men to bed.
Eva raised an eyebrow and waited for Samara to catch up with the flow of conversation.
"I think it's safe to say we've gotten on with quite a bit." Samara smiled at the memories, then chuckled.
"Yes, but when are you going to get serious ?"
"Serious like what? Going steady?" Just the thought
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