The challenge two alphas one girl novel Chapter 79

Fang’s POV

The sun had set on the twenty-fourth day of the Challenge and the Berryndale pack house was buzzing with activity. The h.uge dining area had been transformed. The Berryndale pack colours of gold, red and silver had been replaced with baby blue, pastel pink and lavender. There was a h.uge cake taller than me with seven round tiers each crammed with modelling chocolate made into rattles, cribs and alphabet blocks. The dining table had several centerpieces with dozens of light pink roses and baby’s breath. All the place settings, cutlery and napkins were in paster colours. There were glittery pastel macarons and glittery cupcakes. Streamers made to look like baby mobiles hung from the ceiling. It looked like a cross between a barbie magic dream house and a preschool’s nursery. Astrid would love it. I hated it but I was happy for her and excited to see her face. It was a bit difficult…ok…wait let me stop lying so much…it was EXTREMELY difficult to enjoy myself when my fate was so uncertain.

I sp0tted Friday coming down the stairs arm in arm with Thaddeus and Maze. We had all been forced…I mean encouraged to wear either baby blue, pastel pink or light purple or some combination of those three. I was in a baby blue shirt with navy pants. Raelynn eyed my navy pants distastefully. The rules applied to every article of clothing. I smirked at her, daring my new sister to say something. She smirked and walked away. The party decorator was world-renowned apparently. He had been beseeched to come here by Raelynn and Maze. He happened to be a talented wizard. I liked the fact that in Berryndale I could meet creatures other than werewolves. Raelynn whispered in the wizard’s ears. He came over to me with a big smile on his face. He was all in light purple with a pointy hat atop his head and a long white beard that almost touched the floor. His whole look screamed wizard. There was no question about it.

“Great ensemble!” He said, smiling and winking. He had an Australian accent which I had not been expecting. For some reason, I had thought he’d be British. I nodded stiffly. “All matching,” he added as he walked away. I glanced down and growled a little. My navy plants had been turned baby blue! I looked at Raelynn and she was stifling her laughter. Whatever, it was Astrid’s Day.

“Time to go get Astrid,” said Maze, coming over to me, not meeting my eyes. The whole we were brothers now because our parents are getting married bullsh!t from Maze had flown out the window when I’d revealed my almost betrayal of Friday. I walked away from him and headed up the stairs. I found Astrid sobbing in the bathroom.

“Astrid!” I exclaimed, alarmed. “What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong? What’s wrong? My husband, mate and the father of my child will probably be executed soon and I’ll be all alone raising this baby,” she said softly.

That stung, but she was right. She had even more to worry about than I did. At least my worrying would be over soon enough.

“Astrid, I’m so sorry I put you through this,” I murmured, scooping her up. I had told her I was taking her out to dinner tonight so she had dressed up in a red mini dress. Like I said, the colour theme wasn’t important to me so I wasn’t going to trick Astrid into wearing it like Raelynn had specified. “Let’s get some food in you! That would help. You haven’t eaten all day. Hardly eating and seldom sleeping had become Astrid’s new norm. She dried her tears as I carried her down the stairs. The wizard was in the entrance room. Ugh! Raelynn had probably sent him. He winked and the red dress became pastel pink. Astrid was too distraught to notice but at least she’d stopped crying.

We entered the dining room.

“SURPRISE!!!” Yelled everyone jumping up from their hiding places.

Astrid sniffled and then her face broke into a small smile. She wiped her eyes again. “Thanks everyone,” she said, hiccoughing.

I saw Friday nudge Thaddeus and Maze simultaneously.

Thaddeus cleared his throat, stepping forwards. Maze also stepped forwards.

“Good evening everyone! Welcome to Astrid’s surprise baby shower. Her husband and mate is my Beta and this is their first child! Said Maze, pausing for everyone to cheer.

“Before we get this party started,” said Thaddeus, “Maze and I have an announcement to make.

“Concerning the fate of Fang Fenestra,” said Maze, electing gasps from everyone. The atmosphere instantly became test. “I am happy to announce that Fang will not be executed.”

I swayed on the sp0t a little. Astrid clutched me so I could balance against her. She was trembling. Everyone gasped. Cheers erupted throughout the room. The Berryndale warriors I had fought with at the Vampire Manor were whooping. My mother began to sob into Malachi’s shirt. Friday was dabbing her we.t eyes. Raelynn was sniffling. The twins h.ugged each other and then h.ugged an elated Katrina.

“However,” said Maze. The celebration stopped.

“He will serve a one year term imprisonment,” said Thaddeus, making everyone fall silent again. I nodded. That was more than fair.

“This is to be served under house arrest.”

More cheers. Yay for house arrest. I grinned, not believing my good fortune. I wouldn’t miss out on anything with my baby. I held back tears. Astrid was sobbing openly now.

“Therefore, he’ll need to be fitted with an ankle bracelet for taking purposes which will only be removed if I am satisfied with his deportment during the house arrest.”

I nodded.

“As per the post of Beta, Fang will be on probation for one year, under intense scrutiny by me. The ankle bracelet allows him to still shift. He will also attend anger management classes and sensitivity training which he must complete to my satisfaction,” said Maze.

There were murmurs of agreement and then a deafening round of applause.

I dipped Astrid and k!ssed her passionately, making several girls squeal and giggle. The rest of the party was a blur. I had a few celeb.ratory shots regarding my pardon, then I had a few congratulatory shots as I was to be a new father and lastly a few more festive shots because it was a party. I slow-danced with Astrid who seemed delighted despite how drunk I was. When we got back to our room, I held her to my c.hest and we soon fell asleep peacefully.

Maze’s POV

I woke up when the sky was a pale blue as the first few rays of sunlight streamed through my window. I could scarcely believe it was the twenty-fifth day of the Challenge. On the thirtieth day, there would be a h.uge ceremony held outside under the light of the full moons and my everything, my Friday, would give her official answer, her choice, the victor of the Challenge. I sighed. No one knew that both Thaddeus and I were comfortable with sharing our Luna. No one but Theo. There was a knock on my door. Friday? I practically flew to the door to unlock it. It was Katrina.

I stared at her, shocked.

“May I speak with you a moment?” Asked Katrina hesitantly.

I nodded groggily and went to sit down in one of the chairs by the table. Katrina sat across from me.

“I need to come clean,” said Katrina. “It’s about the plot to kidnap Friday.”

I sat up straighter. I felt wide awake all of a sudden. “Yes?!” I prompted her. She took a deep breath and then sighed.

“Fang and I met in a bar and then he brought up the idea of getting rid of Friday. He never wanted her murdered. He negotiated that she be kept as a servant by Ezekiel. Of course, Ezekiel planned to double-cross Fang because k!lling Friday would weaken both you, Maze, and Thaddeus, leaving both Berryndale and Marigold vulnerable.” Katrina said all of this in one breath. She paused to catch her breath.

“So you knew that all along?” Maze asked blankly.

“I suspected as much but Fang wanted the kidnapping plan called off just a few days after we made the plan so I got Ezra to protect Friday from any vampires tailing her. Fang never knew about the possible k!lling. Also, back then, Ezekiel must have thought that the experiments on Friday and Raelynn had been unsuccessful so they would’ve been expendable in his eyes,” explained Katrina.

“So what you’re saying is I can’t fully trust you yet either? You were in cahoots with Fang at one point and knew your stepfather might have Friday k!lled,” I said. Repeating it all made it sound all the more treacherous but in all fairness, Katrina was a vampire so it made complete sense that her loyalty would have been to her stepfather, the so-called “Vampire King.” Nevertheless…

Katrina’s POV