Chapter 74
Maze's POV
I pounced on a retreating vampire and chomped on his neck. I beheaded another all in a matter of seconds. These were made vampires like the ones who had been sent after my Friday on our camping trip. The more of them I left alive the more trouble they'd be later on as they gathered experience and intel. I didn't want many or any loose ends really. I took down two more.
Suddenly in the midst of battle, with the vampires already retreating, fifteen more werewolves joined us. The vampires all but flew away. Thaddeus chose not to chase them down but he ordered the castle ransacked and stripped of all valuables to send a message. The vampire antiques salvaged would be great bargaining chips if we ever needed to do business with unfriendly vamps. Thaddeus was furious about the new additions. I dashed over to him. He was pacing while we regrouped and accounted for everyone quickly before we made our leave.
What's wrong? I asked him. I assumed he was still pissed with Friday for disobeying our orders to stay behind. I was angry but I was over the fantasy that Friday would ever be a well-behaved Luna. Truthfully, now loved her wild and free as she was. I wouldn't tell her that to encourage her crazy behaviour though. I just wanted her safe.
I didn't order reinforcements! Muttered Thaddeus.
Understanding dawned on me. Little Luna Friday was exercising her right to give orders. I chuckled inwardly at the mental picture of tiny Friday bossing h.uge werewolf warriors around, redistributing them. They could not disobey. She was the Luna, though unmarked and technically unmated.
Thaddeus and I and his warriors headed back to the pack house. I had shifted and was in a huge brown cloak with a hood. My hair was getting way too long, past my shoulders, but I knew my Friday would whine if I cut it. The first person I spotted on the pack house porch was not the Fenestra I wanted to see. Fang. Standing there. Blank-faced. He had to be the most b.razen person in the world. The guy was bold. I gave him that. I sighed.
"What?" I asked.
"I'm sorry, for everything," Fang said.
I snorted humourlessly. Thaddeus who had also shifted and clad himself in a black cloak came forwards. Fallon and Fargo were nearby, returning from the fight, staring wide-eyed at their brother. Thaddeus growled at Fang but didn't pounce. Timothy and Titus grabbed Thaddeus' shoulders to my surprise. Thaddeus glared at them.
"Ugh, what, you clones?!" He snapped at them.
"We like Fang," they said in unison.
I rolled my eyes.
"Don't you like Friday who Fang tried to have murdered?" Snarled Thaddeus.
"I never wanted her dead, ever! The vampires initially promised me she would just become a servant or something in the Manor," Fang said.
"And you believed that?!" I growled. "If they kept her alive there, we would obviously keep trying to rescue what would be the point? It would be an endless war till we all died or got Friday back or the vamps gave up! We would never give up!"
"I hadn't thought it through," he said. "I believed what I wanted to believe. Most people do."
Thaddeus and I were livid. Before either of us could argue, Fang put his palms up.
"Look, hear this one last thing, for Friday?" He implored us.
I sighed. Thaddeus grumbled.
"You can kill me if you want," he said.
"That's a great idea!" I complimented. Thaddeus snorted.
Fang sighed. "But, let me walk Friday down the aisle first!" Pleaded Fang. "She deserves that much. She just asked me. The challenge is almost over. There's no one else to walk her." My heart softened a little.
"The other clones can do it," said Thaddeus, indicating Fallon and Fargo.
"She didn't ask them, no offence Fallon and Fargo," said Fang. "Good luck convincing her then."
Thaddeus grumbled.
"Remember," said Fang tauntingly with a small smile. "The Challenge isn't over. She really hasn't picked either of you yet."
Thaddeus and I both growled at him.
Fang smirked regaining his old confidence and swagger. He leant on the nearby bannister. "You know, for all we know, a third neighbouring alpha might stop by to borrow an egg or something and poof, Friday's fated to yet another option. She's very good at drawing attention," said Fang, chuckling. He actually lit a blunt. Where'd he get that? This motherfvcker!
He smoked and ignored us going round the side of the building.
"I'm gonna kill him!" I yelled.
"Maze!" Bellowed a voice that wasn't quite Friday's.
Huh. Raelynn. And Ezra! He was awake, being half-supported by Raelynn. The youngest pack doctor was on his other side grinning. They had already started physiotherapy.
"Is he allowed to walk about, Doc?" I asked the little doctor. Her name was Jo I recalled. She would get upset if called Doctor.
She frowned at me. I smirked. "Yeah," she said simply. "He's taking in some breeze, some fresh air." That did not sound medical but ok.
"Maze, Thaddeus," said Ezra, his voice sounding a bit tired. "Thank you for bringing Katrina back!"
I nodded. Thaddeus smiled.
"It was mostly Fang!" Said Raelynn.
What the fvck?
"I'm divorcing you!" I told Raelynn.
"WHAT?!" She shrieked.
"You can get divorced from your whole family including siblings! I read about it!" I told her.
I hadn't read anything of the sort.
"Maze!" Yelled my father sternly, coming out onto the porch, glaring at me.
Why was everyone mad at me?
"You can disown your sibling not divorce!" Said Raelynn, rolling her eyes. She glared at Ezra as if they had previously discussed something.
"Oh, thanks for bringing Fang back and well, Fang brought Katrina back so thanks for all of that," said Ezra not convincingly. He could give two sh!ts about Fang. Thaddeus exchanged a glance with me, clearly thinking the same thing.
"That boy whined and whined and whined you whole life for a sibling," muttered my father under his breath but I heard him! "Now, he has one, he wants her separated from him."
"I was joking!" I said defensively.
"Joking is not your thing," said Titus, or maybe Timothy.
"Speaking is not your thing, Titus," said Thaddeus. I was right at first about it being Titus.
"Thaddeus and I need to convene on the whole Fang issue and we'll let you know our ruling," I said.
"Convene! Now, that's a Maze thing!" Said Titus.
"Rename that baby Timothy!" I said to Ida who had baby Titus on her h!p. She had just come out to greet us.
"Yes!" Exclaimed Timothy.
"Hey!" Said Titus.
Thaddeus and I went upstairs to look for Friday.
Friday's POV
My alphas didn't know I had ran into my father fighting Fang and let him go. I knew Fang and Raelynn wouldn't snitch on me. I sighed. I was avoiding them. I knew I was in trouble. That could wait. It was the end of the twenty-second day of the challenge. I was exhausted. I was still worried about how unpredictable my shifting was. When Maze and Thaddeus came to my door, I refused to let them in.
"I will break down this door, little Luna," called Thaddeus from the other side of the door.
My wolf got excited.
"Please don't," I pleaded. "I just want to go to sleep."
"Ok, Baby," mumbled Maze from the other side of the door.
"Are you still there? Both of you?" I asked.
"Yeah," came their muffled reply in unison.
"Please, let Fang walk me down the aisle," I said softly.
They were quiet but I knew they heard me.
"Please sentence him to something other than death or eternal imprisonment. Please!" I begged.
"You don't get community service for endangering the Luna, Friday," said Thaddeus.
I was quiet.
"Get some rest, Baby," said Maze. "I love you."
"I love you too, Maze. I love you, Thaddeus," I said, my eyes brimming with tears.
They wouldn't let me down like this, would they?
"I love you, Friday," rumbled Thaddeus.
I smiled.
Fang's POV
The twenty-third day of the Challenge dawned like any other. The sky was suspiciously blue. Astrid was snuggled up against me, my shirt still damp from her tears. I couldn't honestly tell her how long we had together yet. I really hoped the stress wouldn't affect her and the pup too much. I sighed and kissed her forehead while she slept. Katrina was stable. She had opened her eyes in the middle of the night and asked for me. I had gone to see her. She had smiled. I had stroked her cheek. I hoped she could understand that she was like a little sister to me. Ugh, now I had three of those things, Friday, Raelynn and Katrina. They were all so annoying but they were my biggest redemption supporters. I did love them though, a lot.
My shoulder was healing slowly. I refused to sleep in the infirmary to be monitored. I was a big wolf. I could handle myself. I also needed to spend time with my pregnant wife. She wasn't very far along. I really wanted to see the pup. I smiled at the thought. At least, there was a little piece of me coming into the world and he had good role models. Hopefully he would be a lot better than me and my father.
I walked down the stairs to go to the infirmary. The little doctor with Ezra yesterday was there. She was about an inch shorter than Friday. She seemed really annoyed at me. I glared at her instinctively. She glared right back, folding her arms. I broke into laughter but she continued to glare.
"What, Doc?" I asked.
"Why don't you run away?" She asked as though it were obvious.
"Why should I?" I asked.
"Run away with Astrid and the pup!" She demanded.
"No!" I exclaimed.
"I'm done giving advice!" She said exasperatedly.
She stomped away but her stomping didn't even make much noise though she was using all her might. That made me laugh even more.
She glanced back at me, wondering what I was laughing at now before she huffed away. It was her day off if she had worked yesterday. The pack doctors alternated. Why was she just showing up to work on
her day off like a little crazy person? I chuckled to myself. I saw her come back and she had a backpack. Oh. Good.
"Go home!" I instructed. I was still a Beta technically.
"Alpha Thaddeus spotted me," she whined. "He ordered me home!"
I patted her head.
"I don't have to listen though!" She said with a smile.
"Really?" I asked curiously.
"My mate is a neighbouring alpha," she said proudly.
This little thing was a future Luna! This little thing was over eighteen so she could spot her mate. Well, she was a doctor so yeah she had to be an adult.
"I thought you were like sixteen," I told her.
"Ugh, no you didn't!" She complained.
"Get home safe, doc!" I told her.
"Call me, Jo!" She said so angrily it made me laugh.
"Ok, Jo," I said, rolling my eyes.
"I'm leaving now!" She announced.
"Ok," I said.
"Think about running away," she added. "I'm glad you're alive!" She actually smiled brightly.
I smiled back.
Katrina's POV
Everything hurt. I had seen Fang
briefly last night. He had saved me! My heart fluttered at the thought of him. I sighed, knowing he had slept in his room with his pregnant mate He would really never be mine. I sat up. The room swam into view. spotted a male doctor and a male nurse going over my chart. They
both left the room. Yes! I took my monitoring attachments off. I silenced the vitals machine so it wouldn't beep because I was disconnected. I tiptoed away. I was
healing already. It was just a few rib fractures. I could breathe a little better now and with less pain. I was really groggy. Morphine?
I was walking in no particular direction until it occurred to me that
a vampire probably shouldn't roam around a werewolf pack house. What if someone mistook me for an
intruder? An enemy? A spy? I heard footsteps. Ksquealed and hid as best as I could. There was antique c.hest in a showcase nearby. It was a hollow space in the wall covered by a see-through sliding glass door. I slid it open and then closed. Then, I
hopped into the chest, closing it. The keyhole was large enough for me to peep though. Thank goodness the chest had been open. I should
have never left the infirmary. I would sneak back there when these werewolves passed by or I would try to find Fang or Friday or Raelynn or Ezra! I almost forgot! Ezra and Raelynn were here! I felt a bit safer. Even Thaddeus or Maze would probably be nice to me. Well, maybe
not Maze. I wasn't sure how he felt about vampires.
There were four of them. Young werewolves. Two sets of twins, a blonde pair who reminded me of Thaddeus and a brunette pair who reminded me of Fang! They were all laughing and shoving each other. Ugh, boys! The golden-skinned, brunette pair stopped dead in their tracks staring around and sniffing the air. Huh. I sniffed also. Wow! What was that? It smelled amazing!
They seemed to think it was the c.hest or maybe me. They couldn't know I was in here, could there? Werewolves had even better senses of smell than vampires. Oh no. They neared the c.hest. They slid the glass door open. I wanted to scream. As they got closer, the amazing smell intensified. It was making me...aroused. I wanted to moan. I clamped my hands over my mouth.
The twins had their hands on the c.hest. I thought the great smell was them but they seemed to think it was me. Their wrists were near the keyhole. I had never smelled anything so mouthwatering. I squirmed. A moan escaped my l!ps, muffled by my hands but I know they heard me! They threw open the c.hest. I almost fainted with fright and yet my tummy filled with heat. What would they do to me?!