The challenge two alphas one girl novel Chapter 66

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 sp0t 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?

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.

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.