The Challenge Two Alphas, One Girl



Thaddeus' POV

There was a sharp knock on my door sometime after midnight on the twenty-first day of the challenge. I sat up groggily worried it was Friday because she was not allowed to sleep here with me but I knew I'd struggle to refuse her. Part of me hoped it was Friday because well, you know, she's my Friday! The knocking turned to frantic banging on the door and I practically flew across the room opening the door to reveal a terror-stricken Fang. "Fang! What's wrong? Is it Friday?" I inquired, immediately crossing the hall and opening her bedroom door with my master key.

She was up and eating the food Maze and I had left her and wearing the diamond bracelet. I grinned at her.

"Friday's fine!" Exclaimed Fang. "It's Katrina!”

"Katrina?" I asked.

"Are you guys ok?" Asked my Friday sweetly, putting down her croissant.

"Eat, Luna!" I instructed sternly. She took another bite.

"Katrina is Ezra's sister! I thought you knew Ezra! He was here with the girl who kinda looks like Friday but fl!pped me off!" Said Fang loudly, practically yelling and waving his hands animatedly in the air.

"Oh! Yes! Ezra has a younger stepsister!" I said "What's wrong with her? How do you even know her?"

Fang looked a bit apprehensive. "We met in a bar!" He said dismissively. "The point is we were talking on the phone. We're newly acquainted and I heard some weird sounds and she screamed like she was being attacked. The call cut and I need you to contact Katrina's brother or something to go check on her!" Fang said breathlessly. He took a deep breath.

"Calm down, Bro!" I said softly putting a hand on his shoulder. "Did you try calling her back?"

"Yes!" Insisted Fang. "Three times!"

Fang's POV

I had to get to her! Or, at the very least, I needed to send help somehow! Poor Katrina! What had befallen her? I wouldn't be able to go check on her myself at the Vampire Manor after my reluctance to move forwards with the Friday kidnapping plot.

"The scream really sounded like she was being attacked!" I reiterated, beseeching Thaddeus. Thaddeus nodded.

"Call Ezra, please, now, it's an emergency. She doesn't have much time!" I said, my voice strained.

Friday looked worried. Thaddeus seemed uneasy also. I hoped Ezra would answer at this hour. Thaddeus dialled the number while I waited anxiously with bated breath. When Ezra didn't answer on the first ring, I began to panic. Thankfully, Ezra picked up after the second ring.

"Thaddeus?" Ezra's toned was confused and concerned on the other end.

"Ezra! Sorry to call you so late but my...brother-in-law is concerned that your stepsister might be in danger," Thaddeus said handing me the cellphone.

I launched into an explanation before Ezra could utter another word, "Hey Ezra, I'm Fang, Friday's brother. I know your sister. We met at a bar about a week ago. I was on the phone with her a few minutes ago and suddenly she stopped answering, there were sounds of a scuffle and then a horrible scream before the call cut. I know it was her voice. The scream. Can you please confirm her whereabouts?" I had to talk as if I were properly introducing myself to Ezra for the first time so as not to reveal my past dealings with the vampires.

"I'm going to look for now!" Was all Ezra said, his tone serious. He hung up before I could ask that he let me know when or if he found her.

Thaddeus seemed appeased and so did Friday.

"So he'll call back when he finds her?" I asked.

"If I don't hear from him in an hour maximum, I'll call back," Thaddeus said.

"What if you don't get onto him?" I said, my dread mounting. What if some mutiny was brewing at the Van Der Windt Man

"I have other vampires I correspond with that I can call," said Thaddeus. "Worst-case scenario, I can send a squad of warriors to scope out the premises."

“That's so dangerous!" Piped up Friday, coming over and standing close to Thaddeus, looking up at him.

He patted her head and then ran his fingers through her tousled waves, untangling them. "Little Luna, I have sent squads to the Vampire Manor before. They are expertly trained. They know when to fight, stand their ground, retreat or call for back up," explained Thaddeus patiently.

Friday nodded. My head was pounding. There would be no sleeping tonight. I sighed and went to the Alpha Dining Room. I sank into the nearest chair, putting my head in my hands. I had to just wait and hope. Katrina reminded me a lot of Friday. She was naive but b.rave and that was a dangerous combination. She trusted others too much including her stepfather. She seemed shocked that he would lie to her or exclude her from his plans. That wasn't surprising to me. Ezekiel Victor Van Der Windt seemed like he'd sell his own son out if necessary. His biological one. And Katrina was a stepchild though she seemed to love her stepfather. It reminded me of how eager Friday always was for our Dad's approval. I could've told her he wasn't worth it but I hadn't been a decent big brother then to advise her. So many feelings swirled inside of me. There was outrage, anxiety, hope, fear, regret, shame and guilt. Lots and lots of guilt.

I looked up to find Friday in a nearby chair, waiting patiently with me for an update, eating her croissant. I held her small hand in mine. She swung our interlocked hands like we were preschoolers and smiled. She had a diamond bracelet on her wrist. She hadn't really owned any jewellery before the challenge. The pink diamonds with the rose gold suited her.

Thaddeus came in and sat on the other side of Friday. I was wracked with guilt. If I told them about the vampires, perhaps, they could just handle them. Thaddeus and Maze and their warriors. The way Thaddeus and Maze had beheaded the two vampires that tried to attack them during the camping trip. The drawback was how they would handle me. Would I end up in the cell adjacent to my father's? Would I be on death row?

I shivered. I couldn't risk it. Before perhaps but not now. I was going to be a father. I couldn't leave Astrid pregnant and alone. I didn't want my child to know the disappointment and hopelessness I felt when I thought about my own father's treason. Like father, like son. The parallels between the past and the present were uncanny, the rejection then acceptance of Malachi and my mom versus Maze and Friday, the treachery my father and me. The present had certainly improved upon the past but I doubted being less severely treasonous than my father and changing my mind halfway would score me many brownie points with Maze and Thaddeus. They would both still be furious. I wondered between the two alphas who was less likely to k!ll me. I looked at Thaddeus and then an idea occurred to me. Friday. Perhaps, I should go directly to her. Her forgiveness already seemed boundless.

"Friday," I said. She looked up at me. I couldn't do it yet. I wanted to see my son or daughter if I could make it that far into the future. "No matter what happens, Friday. No matter what anyone says, including me, always know that I love you. You're my baby sister and I love you and I want you to be a part of my son or daughter's life. They're lucky to be related to someone as forgiving and special as you. And you're unlucky actually to be related to someone like me."

She seemed shocked. She cupped my face in her little cool hands. She kissed my cheek.

"You're not that bad!" She said, giggling. She seemed moved by my words. She crawled into my lap and I h.ugged her tightly.

Maze entered the Alpha Dining Room.

"Maze!" Squealed Friday, jumping up to h.ug him like she hadn't seen him in years.

He caught her but he frowned.

"What are you doing up?" He asked as if she were his six year old daughter or something. I rolled my eyes. Maze was always so bossy.

“And what are you doing up, Fang?" Maze asked, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

I we.t the bed, Dad. I resisted another eye roll.

"There's an emergency concerning the vampire Ezra's relative," I said vaguely.

"Ezra's relative? You don't mean his predestined Raelynn, do you?" Asked Maze, instantly worried, clutching Friday to him.

Of course he was worried about the Friday lookalike. Maze was so Friday-struck after rejecting her in the first place just like Malachi's twenty-five year obsession with my Mom.

"Um, no, his stepsister, Katrina," I replied.

"Oh, I don't know her," said Maze, immediately relaxing, releasing Friday and going over to an empty chair near Thaddeus.

He was still a prick kind of but I didn't have much room to talk. I had done some nasty things.

Theo entered the room. Thaddeus had probably mind-linked him. This ensemble reminded me of when we all first realised Maze and Thaddeus were both fated to Friday. It had been the five of us then in a room too. Two Alphas. One seemingly wolf-less girl. Two Betas.

Ezra's POV

My blood ran cold. Fang's words chilled me to the bone. Katrina. I woke Raelynn who had been asleep next to me.

"I want you to stay close to me, ok," I told her.

She nodded sleepily. She didn't ask any questions. We went to Katrina's room and my heart plummeted as soon as I saw the door unlocked and ajar. The room was in disarray, a complete departure from my little stepsister's usually meticulously organised surroundings. Katrina was gone. Her book shelves were overturned. Papers and pens from her desk had been scattered all over the floor. Ink splattered them. Her bed remained neatly made and there were no bl00d stains anywhere. That provided me with a minuscule amount of comfort. Raelynn looked at me, her eyes sympathetic. Raelynn and I went straight to my father. He was awake and staring at the raindrops streaming down the glass of his floor length bedroom windows. This was not unusual for him. He had not truly been normal since my mother's death. She had been his predestined.

"Father, Katrina is missing! Her room has been ransacked!" I said, my voice strained.

My father turned to me. His l!ps curved upwards into a strange smile. "I know," he said simply.

Friday's POV

I didn't want to wait any longer. Raelynn had not gotten back to as quickly as I had been expecting. My mother needed to know that her other daughter was alive. My mother deserved to know, even before my brothers. I hoped Raelynn wouldn't be upset. Perhaps, she would want to tell my mother herself, but it was too much for me. I couldn't keep it from my mother any longer. When I said I needed to see my mother, Maze and Thaddeus actually insisted that two warriors walk me down the hallway to the room my mother and Malachi were staying in.

Malachi opened the door. He too was wide aware. I supposed this was a sleepless night for everyone. His long hair was slightly damp. My mother was sitting on the bed holding a towel. She had probably been drying and combing his hair for him. Malachi smiled and ruffled my hair.

“What are you doing up?" He asked. The same thing his son had asked.

“Ezra, the vampire," I began, looking at him to see if he knew who that was.

"Victor's son, wretched family, yes," said Malachi distastefully.

I nodded, remembering my father's involvement with Victor's sick experiments. I still hadn't revealed that to anyone other than my sister, Raelynn. That reminded me.I needed DNA. Raelynn had said the test could be done in Victor's lab. I stared at the towel in my mother's hand.

"Ezra's little stepsister Katrina might be in trouble," I announced walking across the room without being invited in. No one seemed to mind. "Fang said he heard her scream on the other end of the phone. They are friends or acquaintances I think."

I took the towel, my expression thoughtful. My Mom looked at me strangely but relinquished the towel. There were a few long dark hairs in it, no more than four.

"I dry Maze's hair for him too," I said smiling, distracting them.

They gazed lovingly at each other while I carefully took the four hairs in my hand. I looked at my Mom. I couldn't tell her. Not yet. I wanted to know who Raelynn's father was first. Then we could tell everyone the whole detailed truth.

"I, uh, was already up and thinking a lot. I just wanted to say I'm so happy you will both finally get your happily ever after," I said smiling. In my defence, it wasn't a lie.

"And I will be your daughter after all, your stepdaughter," I said to Malachi whose face lit up. I want't his biologically. I was certain of that. Siblings could not be fated half or otherwise. My being fated to Maze pretty much clarified who my father was. I was still going to send my hair too. A small part of me hoped my mother had a third lover because I didn't want to be Farris' daughter. I definitely was not Malachi's as Maze and I couldn't be related. Raelynn could belong to either Malachi or Farris. Malachi could be getting a daughter with my Mom after all. If Raelynn was Malachi's daughter and Malachi found out that Farris had sold her to vampires and lied about her being stillborn because he had suspected my mother's infidelity, Malachi would k!ll Farris himself. I knew this with certainty. Maze would k!ll Farris for injecting me with silver also. Maze would k!ll Farris for selling his half-sister to vampires if Raelynn really was a Mason. There were very few futures in which my father lived. Even in Raelynn and I were full sisters, both the daughters of Farris, Maze would still want the death penalty. I sighed. Why did I want to save my wretched father even after

everything?

Because you're soft, said my wolf.

Gee, thanks.

I left my Mom and Malachi after h.ugging them both. I swiped three small envelopes from Maze's room. He had a penchant for stationery. I walked down to the dungeons quickly. I ordered the two warriors were a.ssigned to follow me to wait outside. I had labelled the envelopes Malachi, Friday and Farris. The Malachi envelope was filled with the four hairs and sealed. I plucked a few wavy hairs from my head for the Friday envelope. My father was lying, face-down on the floor. He did not stir.

"Farris!" I hissed in a stage whisper.

He slowly looked up.Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

"I have something to show you," I said,

He scowled. I just stared at him. He edged closer. He was curious. When he was close enough, I reached out quickly and snatched a few hairs from his matted mane. He was so unkempt a small chunk of falling brittle hair came off easily. Farris growled and stretched through the silver bars in one swift motion, his palm connecting with extreme force with my left shoulder. I was knocked backwards into the stone wall. I hit the wall and fell on the floor, facedown, bracing myself on my palms and knees and panting. My shoulder hurt but I could already feeling healing. At least I had the hair. My father was ranting and raving. I filled the last envelope. I could give this to Thaddeus to give to Ezra. Thaddeus was already expecting a call-back because of the Karina situation. I rubbed my shoulder as I trudged up the stairs, three envelops in my other hand. I almost felt as though I deserved the shove just now for swiping his DNA without his permission. I always felt sorry for people who had no sympathy for me whatsoever. My inner wolf

spoke again.

Wolves are not barbaric or even vengeful, they just have a strong sense of self-preservation.

I was listening to her carefully now. I reunited with the two pack warriors a.ssigned to guard me.

You need to let me out! Then, you will be strong enough to uphold pack laws like the true Luna you were fated to me.

Let you out?

You need to shift.