The Challenge Two Alphas, One Girl

Katrina’s POV

My coven was on high alert. My stepfather, Ezekiel Victor Van Der Windt, was using his status as the “ Vampire King” to sway newer coven members into spying for him. No sane and seasoned vampire would dare enter Marigold, a walled-in werewolf town and fortress, an unfriendly territory where vampires were unwelcome. Berryndale was a friendlier territory, allowing vampires to enter into it but under close supervision and with the necessary documentation. Also, no one wanted to be on the receiving end of the wrath of the “Seven Foot Alpha.” My stepbrother had told me that the Seven Foot Alpha had snapped the neck of a top-ranking vampire warrior and spy while still in his human form without breaking a sweat. He did not need to shift to fight. Neither did many of the Marigold warriors. Former Alpha Malachi supposedly kept a tally in his weapons room of his private home of how many vampires he had slain by etching a mark into the wall each time. The room was rumoured to not have space for anymore marks in the four walls, floor and ceiling. They had a new alpha now, the son of Malachi. Despite all of this my coven was determined to snatch the little wolf-less Luna from under the noses of the Seven Foot Alpha and the son of Malachi.

I sighed deeply. Why had leven agreed to this? I had liked him. From the moment I saw the Beta wolf, I had just found him…special. He had a mate though and the kidnapping target was his sister whom I thought he hated but now apparently loved. Why was my life such a mess? If I did not find a way to call off this kidnapping plot, Fang would hate me. He could even end up dead, killed by either side as a traitor depending on how they looked at it. I kept having nightmares about his warm brown eyes becoming cold shuddered and pulled my black coat more tightly around me. Ezra was helping me. He was ever the egalitarian. He wanted a world where vampires, werewolves, witches, wizards and humans all got along and sang around a campfire together roasting s’mores. He was an idealist too.

It was the wee hours of the morning. Almost three o’clock. There was a twenty-four-diner on the outskirts of Berryndale just beyond a heavily guarded part of the Marigold wall. I knew Fang would not pass there. He would leave through a less heavily secured gate even though as Beta he always had security clearance to go in and out. Then he would drive around and meet me at the diner. I had already came to the diner the night before and cut the wires in all the security cameras. There were only three people in there when I walked in. It was dimly lit and the cook and one waitress on the night shift had been bribed. Two of the three people comprised both halves of a drunk couple. There were werewolves. The she-wolf was asleep, her head on the table at her booth and her mate was talking to her in a slurred voice as though she were awake. The third person was hooded, dressed all in black, sitting in the last booth facing the door so he could watch who came and went.

“Hey!” I whispered. Fang sighed.

“So it’s off or not? And why couldn’t we talk about this over the phone?!” Fang demanded, practically snarling

I recoiled but sat down. “It’s nice to see you too,” I mumbled.

His eyes softened and he took my hand in his. His hand was so large and so warm against my tiny cold one. I smiled.

“Listen, Katrina, this was a dumb idea from the start and I was drunk and hateful when I came up with   Everything is upside down. Im not even sure if there is a real challenge anymore, ne saia.

“What do you mean, if there’s a real challenge?” I asked, confused.

“It doesn’t matter!” Fang said quickly, looking uncomfortable. “You need to call it off somehow. It doesn’t make sense. A lot of other people could die, especially your coven members. Maze and Thaddeus are…kinda working well together. They would fight your coven in unison not divided and you couldn’t win then, not a chance.”

I squirmed. “Well, we always thought they would both want revenge whether they collaborated or not but kidnapping the Luna would weaken both Alphas and make them emotional, impulsive, less strategic.”

“That would only work if you meant to kill her which was never the plan,” Fang said, narrowing his eyes and looking at me strangely.

That was always the plan. s**t. I had just insinuated that my stepfather had always meant for Friday to die to help bring down her Alphas. I had never explicitly told Fang this. I had promised him she would become a captive servant like long ago when my family had stolen many werewolves and humans to keep as servants.

“You always meant to kill her, didn’t you,” Fang said but it was not actually a question. I could tell. “Not me! No!” I said quickly. Fang’s eyes were black. “You took me for a fool this whole time.”

“Please, relax,” I said, imploring him with my eyes. “I intend to fix this! You don’t have grounds to look down on someone for making a stupid spur of the moment choice,” I snapped, the last part slipping out. I expected him to fly into a rage.

To the contrary, he said, “You’re right, I don’t.” He sighed and looked at the table.

“So Ezra intends to work from within to foil the plans of the vampire spies marking Friday but there will be casualties. Only novices were dumb enough to take the job,” I said, wincing because foiling their plans involved exposing them.

“Oh you mean vampire casualties like Ezra will make sure those novices are found out by us so the werewolf warriors will kill them before they can feed information back to your Dad,” Fang said offhandedly, smiling, liking the idea.

It was a decent idea for my idiotic idealist but lovable Ezra to come up with but I bridled at Fang’s insinuation. “Vampire casualties? Well yes, we’d be sacrificing the novices when we mess up their cover but why say it like vampires dying means nothing to you.”

I was hurt.

“Hey!” Fang said, grabbing my hand. “I meant they’re not me or you or Friday. They’re strangers. Of course, I don’t want anything to happen to you either.”

Trelaxed. “Did you think about what I said the last time we met in person?” I asked before I could help myself.

“Katrina,” said Fang disapprovingly, releasing my hand. I kept my hand on the middle of the table hoping he would grab it again. “I have a mate. You know that,” Fang said. “We’re friends so I care about you.” I winced. Friends? I wished his mate was one of the casualties. “But I don’t mind…”I mumbled, trailing off.

I smiled sadly. “Especially now with her hormones raging,” he added. “She’s on her period,” I said, laughing. “Nah, she’s pregnant,” Fang said absentmindedly.

That hit me like a two-tonne truck speeding down the highway. Thank goodness, I was immortal. I was not exempt from emotional pain though. I forced a smile.

“Congratulations,” I said trying to make it sound genuine and not stiff. Fang was going to be a Dad. He would never leave her now, especially not if it was a boy and heir for the Beta position. Suddenly, I felt like the biggest i***t alive. Fang was not ever going to be mine no matter what and here I was risking my own standing with my coven for his sister whom he had hated a few days ago. He was so fickle. I was seething.

Fang’s POV

After the meeting at the diner with Katrina, I went to my childhood home to shower but stopped dead in my tracks. There was a patrol of warriors there. s**t! It hit me. They were stationed there in case my trigger-happy father came back to get something so they could arrest him. I couldn’t get out the car with vampire stench all over me. They would obviously recognise me and the vampire scent, and with my father’s recent betrayal of his former alpha, they would figure the apple did not fall too far from the tree. I sighed. In all fairness, Malachi had betrayed my father first by sleeping with my mom all those years. She was his rejected mate. What was with these Mason Alphas like Malachi and Maze taking their rejections back at the drop of the hat. They were so fickle. I wondered how Maze’s Mom was doing as I drove to the shabbiest motel I could find: The Marigold Marigold. What?

I went inside and the decor was all bright yellows and oranges. Jarring. It was meant to resemble marigolds, the flower. I asked for a room under a fake name and thankfully the concierge was a werwolf in his late teens scrolling through his feed on his phone. He did not even look up long enough to register | was the pack’s Beta. I showered as quickly as I could. I had to get back and make sure we were all ready to travel to Berryndale. I was in the lobby when something wet sloshed all over me. I smelled it. White wine?

“Whoopsie,” slurred a familiar voice. She had a snobbish drawl. Of all the people in the world. Elizabeth! Maze’s Mom. I hoped she was too drunk to really recall this impromptu meeting.

“Fang!” She exclaimed. Ugh! She actually threw her arms around me, hugging me. “Thanks for being there for my Maze, dropping him to the hospital everyday…” she began.

“That’s Thaddeus, Mrs Mason. The Alpha. I’m the Beta…” I stopped myself. What the f**k was doing identifying myself like that.

yeah, you’re welcome,” I said

choices of Malachi and my mom. Guilt consumed me. It was not my fault but I knew what it was to make a devastatingly stupid choice that screwed someone else over. I had almost screwed over Friday and we still were not fully in the clear yet. I was trying to right my wrongs. People should clean up their own mess. Malachi and my Mom had left

her first name. I was sure Mrs Mason or Luna   corrected myseu realising it was tour in the morning

Maze’s POV

to sound

being the Alpha and him being my Beta. Our situation had become complicated though. We were almost stepbrothers or brothers-in-law depending on whether my Dad and Felicity married before Friday and I did. Also, his Dad had shot my Dad and would potentially be put to death for it. My Dad had been sleeping with his Dad’s

I rolled my eyes at Thaddeus’ beer mug and he raised

looking extremely tired. Finally. Someone was peaking out from behind Fang. I recognised her scent immediately and it soothed

Mazey!” Said my Mom shyly, hiccoughing. I sighed. She

sparkly short dress with frilly sleeves like she had just come from a seventies’ disco or

I ran into her by accident in a seedy motel. I bristled, horrified. What was she doing there?I asked. No idea, said Fang shrugging. But I didn’t

were in her motel room. She has her stuff packed. I helped her get ready for

Berryndale. She can stay in the pack

She’s the former Luna and mother of the Alpha, Fang said, playing his trump card. He knew I could not bear to refuse her right now. Was he trying to mess up

a flower crown of white roses in her hair. Astrid was with her, clearly proud of her handiwork. She was still helping Friday get ready for things even though Friday’s foot had healed. It was customary for Luna’s to be crowned with flowers or wreaths of leaves during ceremonies when they were betrothed. Once the Luna

Mom who was still talking to Thaddeus. “Hi, Luna Elizabeth!” Said Friday gently with a

I said

really should not have brought her.

a bit harsh,” I said in a barely-there whisper so as

of her Alpha and her pack. She

become filled with staff suddenly preparing the final Marigold breakfast of the challenge. Friday looked away from my Mom, keeping her eyes on

Friday’s POV

Maze’s Mom, made sure to announce all the things | should be but wasn’t as a Luna in front of a

yourself! You are a true Luna twice over. She

my mother, the woman engaged to Elizabeth’s husband. They had

Maze’s POV

went to sit at the table and began

custom of the Luna plating the Alpha’s food and not starting eating until the Alpha

to go change,” I said softly but sternly, looking at her disco dress pointedly. She blushed. I felt awful for playing the same appearances card on her that my father had used but she was still a bit drunk and I hoped the water would sober her

a shaken Friday, whispering to her softly and

and three-quarter teaspoons instead of four. We

but understood the complexity of the situation. I’m sorry, Bro. I’m so sorry, Baby, I said including Friday in our mind-link.

justified then and isn’t justified now. The only thing that makes a Luna a Luna

Friday’s POV

wolf about me being twice a Luna. I broke into a

very traditional and demure sort of Luna.   mignt never see my atner again, we might never

curled up in my lap, purring. Maze’s mother was on the other side of him, gripping his arm possessively. I sighed inwardly. This was going to be a long second half of the Challenge with her there, but even she could not spoil it for me. I was so excited to go camping and to leave Marigold. I

spotted a group of cows grazing, squiggly brown spots their otherwise white bodies. A huge bull was nearby grazing alongside them. We were passing Marigold’s farmlands

was unfurled a bit and blinked at me but swiftly fell back asleep. My Alphas chuckled softly at his

was now noon. We had left Marigold’s parklands a while ago. I

lifting me up, bridal style, my head cradled to his chest. I looked around for Saturday. He was being held by a disgruntled-looking Maze while his mother gripped his arm and talked about how much she disliked cats and

Thaddeus cut her off.

grinned, still in his arms. He seemed reluctant to put me down and I was still sleepy so I

stores and the huge windows I could see were all shaped like half-ovals with a curved top. The windows were tinted in such a way that they sparkled and looked gold in the light

of the Alpha and Beta. Theo was grinning from ear to ear as he shot out of the car he was in. There were attendants and warriors from Marigold who had tagged along and the six Berryndale warriors who had accompanied Thaddeus and Theo looked relieved to be back. A woman with a caramel complexion, high cheekbones, almond-shaped eyes, full lips and dark

led to the veranda. I immediately recognised

This is my Luna, Friday!” Said Thaddeus with a huge grin.   ana i movea forwara. HIS Mother was a tall women, propadiy arouna live root eleven with asn prown

at you,” she said, pinching my cheeks. “Friday this is Mom,” said Thaddeus. “My

nice,” I said, instantly liking

gesturing towards a humongous

Mom.

with blue eyes, blond hair to his mid back and an impressive long beard. He laughed in a way

had a very calming

my name, little Friday,” he said ruffling my hair. They were incredibly informal for an Alpha and

when you’re chopping down a tree for firewood,” commented one of the two guys

their broad shoulders and their grins reached their large eyes. They were like cuter less rugged blonde versions of Thaddeus who was bigger,

imposter

me at once leaning towards me. They smelled