SWNOVELS Chapter 30 ~ Heads Will Roll
Maddox’s POV ~
Delilah and I have worked with summoning the wind.. It was exciting at first. We blew roofs off.. caused a landslide *Oops* and learned we can turn tornadoes into water spouts.. but those summoned torrential downpours and flooded everything. We have since learned how to control it.. much to the relief of the entire club.
Venom and I are sitting in Delaney’s diner.. waiting on Max Unger and Marcus Walters. Delaney and Delilah are both in the office.. watching on monitors. We thought it best that they hang back.. while we see what’s going to happen.
Our men were stationed all around outside.. while Axe, Hunter and Brock are at another table in the corner. Henri is at the counter.. because Kathy is scheduled to be the server and he wouldn’t leave her unprotected.
Max was the first through the door.. with Marcus on his heels. I looked hard at the man whom I hadn’t seen face to face since I was five. I favored him.. somewhat. But I was relieved to realize I favor my mother more.
Max sat down across from Venom.. while Marcus was across from me. He grinned and said hello son. Venom growled “Maddox isn’t your son! You threw away that right when you murdered his mother!” Marcus yelled “Blame the girl! She took the money! That’s what got his mother killed!”
I sneered “Spin it however you want.. Tell yourself whatever you need to.. to be able to sleep at night. I watched it. I saw what you did. The memory of it still haunts me.”
Max grunted “Shut up. We’re not here to discuss old news. Let’s stick with current events.” Venom laughed “By all means, Unger.. what, pray tell, do you want to talk about?!”
Max smiles “My request is simple. The department I work for wishes to build an army of turned wolves. Think about it, Stone. The possibilities! We would walk away the victor in every skirmish! This would allow us to become the world power we were a century ago.. We would be back on top. All we ask is you allow the Dubois girl to do the turning. In all our research, everything points to her being the one to produce the most powerful turned wolves.”
Venom’s expression didn’t change.. he never flinched. I wasn’t even sure he blinked.. He simply said “No.” Max erupted “NO? No? You dismiss me out of hand.. No negotiation.. no compromise? Who are you to tell the United States government No?”
He smiled “It’s simple really. A two letter word that conveys so much certainty. I no longer work for the United States government. Nor do you, Unger. Did you think I would not do my due diligence? You have been declared a rogue agent.. there is an apprehend and detain order out on you, as we speak. There will be no negotiation over the Dubois woman. She has been mated and claimed.. therefore, I have no control over her decisions. Not that I ever did.. she is a very willful young woman.. perfectly capable of making her own choices.”
Max screamed “Who claimed her? Is she marked? Mated?” I grinned and told them “That would be me. As she is my Goddess ordained true mate.. I felt the need to let the world know we belong to each other.”
Marcus laughed “This is perfect! Maddox, I hereby officially challenge you for your pack.. and your mate. Once you are dead, I will take her as my own whore!”
I leaped across the table and had his throat in my hands.. squeezing the life out of him. Venom grabbed me and said “MadDog! Stand down! They are here under a flag of truce. We can’t kill them yet.” And I turned him loose sitting down.
Max laughed.. “That was a close one! So what say you, boy? You accept the challenge?” I looked at him and grinned “Of course, I do.. What neither you.. nor Marcus understands.. is I am Alpha.. I have no pack. Being President of a motorcycle club carries more weight than my mantled Alpha title. So even if.. and that IF stretches to infinity.. even if Marcus was, by some miracle.. to win against me.. he will have won nothing. My people all follow me by their own free will. Not because I command it. The only Alpha command I have ever given was to command my people to never knuckle down to another Alpha’s command.”
Marcus sneers “Regardless, I will still kill you. I will still have your woman.” And Delilah and Delaney stormed out of the back.. Delaney ran.. flipping over a table and parkouring off the wall.. she landed behind Marcus.. with a knife to his throat.. while Delilah walked over.. climbing into my lap.
She snarled at Marcus “You stand no chance of winning. You’ve allowed this pompous bastard to blow so much smoke up your ass, I’m surprised you aren’t floating. You are not now… nor have you ever been a real man.. You beat a woman to death.. a woman.. who allowed you to do it.. by the way.. so her children could escape. You are not a man. Real men don’t take their anger out on women.. especially their own partners. You would certainly never have the opportunity to lay a hand on me.”
Delaney hissed “Remember this, Marcus Walters.. you leave this building today.. by MY grace.. and only because of the great joy I will feel when my little brother snuffs out your life.”
Maddox said “As the challenged.. the where and when and how is my call.. The challenge will take place in ten days.. at my compound.. You are allowed to bring ten people to be by your side.. Only ten. Choose wisely.. We fight in human form.. only because Steele would kill you straight out of the gate.. and I want you to suffer.”
Venom looked at both men.. “Your little parlay here is a bust. You knew it would be. The challenge has been set for ten days out.. until then.. any attack.. or attempted attacks, will result in the fairness of the challenge being null and void. We will kill you all.. where we find you. So.. Max.. tell your other two lackeys.. you know the ones.. Cabot and Dylan? Let them know their surprise attack on my compound in four days.. has to be postponed.”
The look of shock on Unger’s face was comical.. He was trying to work out how we knew and what their strategy would be now. Delaney laughed “Always thinking you hold the upper hand. You thought you put one over on us with the Slate incident. You didn’t count on us researching and investigating further. We know who you are, Max Unger. We know what you’ve done.. We know you! Best remember that!”
We watched them leave.. and I started laughing.. “That is going to drive him crazy.. He is going to believe he has a traitor.. That will make him even more suspicious of everyone around him.. Yep.. You just opened up an entire treasure chest of nightmares for that fool!”
Delaney laughed “I am absolutely thrilled to be a thorn in his side.. No matter how temporary it may be.”
We had all headed home.. when a mind link came through that Venom’s compound to the north was under attack. Steele and Torin broke through and ran for the fight.. Delaney and Delilah opened the truck cover.. pulling weapons and armor out.. before jumping inside and flying down the highway.
Steele was itching for some action and he knows now.. the meeting was a setup.. Heads will roll!