The Challenge Two Alphas, One Girl



Thaddeus' POV

I still had not heard back from Ezra and it was nearing the one hour mark. Fang was a nervous wreck despite his claim that Katrina was a girl he had just happened to meet in a bar and nothing more.

"How crazy would it be to go over there?" Fang asked with a nervous humourless laugh.

"Like I said, I've sent squads there before," I told him. "But let me call back first."

I put the phone on loudspeaker and we both waited, listening to it ring. Ezra did not pick up and that worried me. It was very unlike him. He did not actually need sleep. He slept out of habit or because he had nothing to do while Raelynn was asleep. I called twice more. No answers. Just ringing.

“I'll send a squad over," I said with a sigh.

Maze was quiet, just looking back and forth between Fang and me with an unfathomable expression on his face.

"You're getting soft on us, Fang," Maze said suddenly. "I've never seen you this emotional about anyone who wasn't well...you."

Fang's POV

Maze claimed he had never seen me care deeply about anyone other than myself. I winced slightly. Was I really that selfish? Had I come across that way? I sighed.

"I'm half kidding, Fang," grumbled Maze, patting me on the shoulder.

I actually missed being ignored or just barely tolerated by the old snobby aloof Maze. He and Thaddeus were spending too much time together, absorbing each other's idiosyncrasies. It was annoying. Maze joking. Thaddeus being serious.

"Thaddeus, wait," I said as he got up to organise the squad. "May I lead the squad?"

Thaddeus seemed shocked. He raised his eyebrows but did not argue the point. "If you insist,” he said, his deep voice low and a bit grave. “But, it's dangerous. It's vampire territory. I understand you're a Beta so you'd outrank the other warriors but they are specially trained in combat against vampires so please allow them to guide you despite the difference in rank. I don't want them in danger either. Also, what about Astrid and your bun in the oven? You sure you wanna do this? You're about to be a Dad?" Rumbled Thaddeus, rubbing his bearded chin.

I owed it to Katrina. I sighed. “I know you and Maze will help her out if anything, Astrid I mean,” I said.

"Hey, I won't be sending you there like little lambs to slaughter!" Exclaimed Thaddeus and then he boomed with laughter. "You'll be adequately protected and armed but I'm giving you a chance to change your mind. It's not necessary for you to go."

"I wanna go,” I said firmly.

Maze raised his eyebrows but remained silent.

"Don't tell Astrid where I've gone ok?" I said to the room in general. Theo nodded, Thaddeus gave me a thumbs-up and Maze was still silent.

After a long pause, Maze said, "Where exactly did you say you met Katrina?"

"At a bar," I said, panicking instantly but putting on my poker face.

"Which bar?" Asked Maze.

"A bar in Berryndale, well the outskirts just before Marigold," I said coolly.

"Does this bar have a name?" Maze asked, raising one of his brows higher than the rest.

"Do you record the names of every place you get drunk at?" I asked boldly.

Maze glared at me but then broke into a smile. He chuckled a little. He leant back in his chair, stretching and putting his hands behind his head. He seemed to still be pondering what I had said. Before he could ask me anything else, I put the heat on him. Friday had left the room so now was a good time. I had no intention of embarrassing my baby sister or putting her on the spot but I needed to know what those two alphas were doing with my sister.

"May I ask a question?" I drawled being as fake formal as I could.

"Yes, you may," responded Maze with a smile.

I looked at Thaddeus. He nodded. "Let's hear it!"

“Great!" I said suddenly dropping the formality and letting the smile slide from my face. "What are you two alphas doing with my sister?" I demanded.

Maze stiffened.

Thaddeus paused thinking a bit before saying, "Courting her."

"So suddenly courting her requires teamwork?" I said dryly.

They were silent. The two big bad alpha wolves were actually intimidated to the point of being speechless for once.

"Because all dates since Friday's heat and your cottage in the woods stay have comprised of all three of you," I mused as if merely thinking out-loud. "Suddenly the challenge is devoid of challengers. You're all team players now," I said, sneering, my tone acrid.

"Fang...I love Friday more than I can even say," said Maze sighing. "Thaddeus loves her too."

I looked at him expectantly. Silence. That was it?

Maze's POV

There was no way I was about to come clean to Fang of all people. Who needed more redemption than him, well, besides Farris. Fang had treated Friday terribly while they were growing up together. I couldn't risk him falling back into his old ways even for a second and insulting Friday.

Thaddeus' squad arrived, fully suited up and carrying tons of ammunition. They were instructed to hold fire as long as possible as the point was rescuing Katrina not wrecking her home. I wanted to tell Fang to stay behind. He had a baby on the way. What was the point of him running off to find some vampire princess? Who was Katrina to him really and how did he know her? Who was on the phone with their brand new friend at this hour?

Fang suited up. There were covered from head to toe in advanced form-fitting armour that. The squad leader was showing Fang the basics of their trajectory once entering the vampire territory. They were not going to storm into the Van Der Windt Manor, they were using underground tunnels and essentially the sewage system to explore the area. They would enter the mansion from below once they located Katrina.

My sweet little Friday returned to the room just then and whispered something into Thaddeus' ear. He nodded smiling and Friday was gleeful. She brandished three sealed envelopes and gave them to the squad leader.

Friday's POV

I found Thaddeus and asked him if I could send something to Raelynn. I had to stand on tiptoe and whisper in his ear. He said the squad leader could take it so I gave three envelopes with the DNA to him. I breathed a sigh of relief. At least, I was one step closer to solving a twenty-one year old mystery. If Raelynn was the daughter of Malachi, he would be thrilled. Maze would be happy too. I could tell he liked the idea of having siblings very much. If she were the daughter of Farris, it wouldn't change much. My mother would be ecstatic either way to find out her daughter was still alive but she'd also be devastated realising the depth of her ex husband's betrayal. My mother would be a little bit happier if Raelynn was Malachi's, her mate and her Alpha. I silently prayed the she was.

I was nervous about the DNA results but I was also anxious for my brother to come back to the pack house safely. I didn't understand why he'd volunteered himself for this mission. He must know Katrina a lot better than he was willing to admit.

"Is Katrina like your ex girlfriend or something?" I whispered to him as he adjusted his armour.

"No!" Hissed Fang, looking affronted.

Hmm.

"Please, please, be careful!" I said softly and h.ugged him. He didn't push me away anymore like he used to. He embraced me and k!ssed the top of my forehead and then he was gone.

Though I hadn't slept a wink, I was still expected to have brunch with Maximo the former Marigold Alpha apparently. I had completely forgotten about the note he had sent me until I had been summoned to brunch. I showered and dressed quickly in a demure cocktail dress. I wore the diamond tennis bracelet from my Alphas. I was a bundle of raw nerves, anxious about the DNA test, the secrets I was keeping concerning my father, anxious for Fang's safe return home, nervous about everyone's reaction to my being with two alphas and wondering if I would be permitted to carry the title of Luna for two packs and bear the alpha for two packs. Maze's grandparents would probably keel over if they knew their grandson was sharing me with the neighbouring Alpha. I stopped pondering those things as I walked into the conference room. I didn't want my cheeks to be flushed when I saw Maximo.

He was dressed to the nines in a top hat and a suit with tails. He looked like he was from another ear altogether. He wad certainly striking for a man of his age. He, Malachi and Maze share the same handsome, chiseled features, olive skin, glossy dark hair and stormy grey eyes. Those eyes seemed to pierce through to my very soul as they appraised me. I approached with caution, curtsying before them and then taking the chair the chair Maximo gestured to. He had wanted to meet in one of the conference rooms for privacy. Apparently, he had "delicate matters to discuss with me" so he didn't want to eat in the Alpha Dining and risk being overheard. I already had an inkling of what these delicate matters might entail. If this was about what I thought it was about, he was wasting his time and so was I.

Maximo's POV

It was not as though I hated Felicity and her daughter, Friday. They were physically appealing and sweet natured but they were common. I had worked so hard to prevent Malachi from marrying Felicity who had been a rogue at the time. I shuddered just thinking about it. Of course, the girl I had ultimately chosen for Malachi also had a mate, Cody. Felicity and Malachi, and Cody and Elizabeth had eventually all found their way ask to each other.

Had Malachi married Felicity all those years ago, she would've undoubtedly ruined his life. He didn't understand that. Maze didn't understand it either. Friday was not the proper choice and I would prove it to him. She was an opportunist just like her mother had been. The audacity of Felicity to marry Malachi's Beta in response to him choosing a better qualified Luna was outrageous. Felicity would've married any pack leader. She had been a rogue looking for a pack. Friday was an outcast looking for somewhere to belong.

We sat in the conference room, directly across from each other. There was a long heavy silence. I kept a smile plastered on my face as the dishes were placed before us. A h.uge array of breakfast items adorned the table yet neither of us seemed to be hungry. Friday was fidgeting uncomfortably. I was quite still despite my own discomfort.

"Friday, you're a sweet girl, I'm sure," I said gently.

She watched me with wary eyes.

"And Maze adores you, I'm told," I added.

She smiled faintly.

"But to be frank you're the kind of girl that would ruin his term as alpha," I said keeping my tone silkily smooth despite the harsh grating words. I was a little startled when I saw something flash behind her eyes, a sudden darkness. That couldn't be. She was borderline wolf-less. She had never actually shifted. One heat did not qualify her as a proper she-wolf.

"Friday, you're a sweetheart but I have to ask you to stay away from Maze. Choose Thaddeus! Didn't Maze reject you in the first place? Thaddeus is the obvious choice!" I said, raising a glass to her.

She did not seem surprised in the slightest. "Why would you want to deny Maze his mate?" She asked softly.

"I want Maze to have a suitable..."

She interrupted me most impertinently. "The only suitable Luna is the fated Luna, the true Luna, one who cannot be commanded!" She retorted.

I sneered. “Either way, that wouldn't be you, darling, you don't know if you really have a wolf or not! You hope you do! But there's no concrete evidence," I said smugly.

She was seething knowing, fixing me with a glare. It was so unladylike to openly show anger. Certainly not befitting of a true Luna. I drank a sip of wine.

"Here's some more incentive," I added, placing an envelope on the table.

It contained a check naturally for ten million dollars, twice what I'd given Cody. It was nothing to me. A single painting in my house was worth about that. She refused to take it. She did not even touch it.This is the property of Nô-velDrama.Org.

I sighed deeply. "Aren't you going to open the envelope at least?" I asked encouragingly.

"Alpha Maximo, my decision at the end of the Challenge will be mine and mine alone, untainted. I don't need any help deciding," she said, folding her

arms.

I cackled loudly. I almost choked on my wine.

"Alpha Maximo, Malachi and my mom are still getting married after you helped keep them apart for twenty-five years! What was the point?" She

asked.

"I kept Felicity from being Luna. She was unfit. I also prevented her from being the mother of the future alpha, Maze, which is why he's turned out so well. I intend to do the same now. If you and Maze want to be together after he's done being Alpha, that's no concern of mine but I won't have a harlot like you ruling Marigold," I hissed, my eyes turning black.

I looked up expecting to see the wolf-less girl cower but she was glaring right back at me and her eyes were unmistakably black as coal too.