The Challenge Two Alphas, One Girl

Chapter 56: Ladies’ Luncheon

Elizabeth’s POV

That w***e was here. Felicity sat directly across from me at the table next to my Mazey with Friday on Mazey’s other side so that Mazey was between an old w***e and a new one. Malachi sat on Felicity’s other side so that my arch nemesis and husband’s long-time mistress got to sit between said ex-husband and my only son as though she were replacing me. I felt a strong, warm hand enclose my left hand which had been resting on the table. Mazey was stretching across the table to hold it reminding me of when he was little. He was too precious. I calmed a little. My other hand was in Cody’s rough palms. Cody was directly across from Malachi. The silence was deafening.

“How is everyone?” Boomed Thaddeus from Friday’s other side. Why was she always forcing those two to hang out together? I really liked Thaddeus but where was the competitive aspect of this challenge if all three were always together? Thaddeus’ parents were next to me with True sitting on my left. Fang and Astrid were also on that side of the table and Theo was on Thaddeus’ right with Ida. The two pairs of twins were next to them: Timothy, Titus, Fallon and Fargo. It was a reunion of sorts.

“I’m well, thank you Thaddeus,” I said. Cody nodded. “Yes, I’m fine,” said Felicity brightly. “Never been better,” said Malachi, grinning. Ugh.

I noticed his neck was marked and stiffened. Felicity also bore his mark, the silvery quality of it shimmered catching the sunlight and to think, I’d hesitated to let Cody mark me.

“How’re you doing, Elizabeth?” Asked Malachi hesitantly.

“Great,” I said stiffly, feeling annoyed. I knew he was wondering why I had not come to see him at all since the first day at the hospital. I wasn’t about to show my face there again when he’d used his Alpha voice to command me to stop fighting Felicity, thus advertising that I wasn’t his

true Luna. I felt a small pang of guilt though. He had been shot and we had been married for twenty-five years and we did have Mazey together but he was alive, wasn’t he? No harm done.

“And who is this?” Asked Felicity, always trying to be friendly. She was looking at Cody, smiling.

“Cody,” said Cody, shaking her hand. “Lizzie’s old friend.” I had not told him what to say yet. I had just said I wanted to take things slowly.

Malachi did not extend his hand to shake Cody’s. “Malachi, this is Cody,” I said pointedly so he would acknowledge him.

“Cody and I know each other,” he said as though that were obvious. I bristled. I was shocked he remembered Cody. Well Cody did tell Malachi’s Dad to ‘f**k off” so he must have made an impression.

“This is so great, wow,” said Friday, in a tone that suggested anything but that. I almost snorted with laughter but I stifled it. I wan’t about to laugh at Friday’s comments. I knew I was being a tad unfair. She was a different person than her mother but she had the same floozy nature I was sure. I had seen a picture

of Friday at the cat cafe in the Marigold newspapers where she was clad in Maze’s blazers. I recognised all of Mazey’s blazers anywhere as they were usually monogrammed. Whatever she had on underneath his blazer was so short it barely registered as a built and she went out like that and took a photo for the papers. We were all fortunate she actually wore a dress below the knee today.

Friday’s POV lant, i aran tnecessary congone my mothers and maze s latner saltair either. It literally took wny lainers sanity although he was always near the edge anyway, being such a raging alcoholic. I was happy for them though, all of them. Malachi and my Mom and Elizabeth and Cody. Elizabeth had not officially introduced him as her mate but I could sense it. It was clearly demonstrated in the way they acted together. There was an easiness, a fluidity. Finding your true mate was a beautiful thing. I would never begrudge anyone that. glanced at my handsome Maze. I still felt a pang when I thought of how I’d

almost lost him, how he’d rejected me at first, I squeezed his thigh under the table and he smirked a little bit. I squeezed Thaddeus’ thigh, dragging my nails up his inner through the fabric of his trousers. Thaddeus quickly retaliated, slipping his hand under my dress, making me stifle a squeal as he pinched my upper inner thigh. I glared at him playfully and he winked,

“Malachi,” said Cody, making everyone freeze at the casual, offhanded way he addressed him when they clearly were not friends in the slightest. Cody was a brave one, I liked him. “How’re you feeling?”

“I feel good as new,” said Malachi, nodding. My mom patted his arm. Cody’s POV

I plastered a grin on my face. There were times when I wished I had shot that guy myself but ultimately I was happy for him and Felicity, Felicity was rejected for basically the same core reason that I had dealt with. Malachi and Elizabeth and their family being snobby, looking down on Felicity for being a rogue and looking down on me as one of the servants, the groundkeeper’s son. Sheer aristocracy had kept four true mates apart and sent a once decent man spiralling down into alcoholism and even attempted murder.

I did not condone what Farris did not one bit but my heart went out to him. I could understand the complexity of his grief feeling that the woman he loved had run off to live happily ever after with another, more powerful man and the same man too. Malachi. That was how I felt when I saw her in her wedding dress and Farris possibly felt the same panic. The panic that had led me to flee Marigold and head to the neighbouring Berryndale. Farris had fled Marigold for Berryndale also, but he had shot the former Marigold

alpha for sleeping with his wife first. I sighed. Farris was up a s**t creek with no paddle as my father would say and so was I for housing him. I did not have any serious grievance left towards Malachi. I had even had to talk Farris out of showing up here today with a gun. I really hoped that had been the rum talking. He just drank nonstop, going through my bar at an alarming rate. I had no idea that he even knew i existed until her showed up.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

I awoke with a start. There were sirens and flashing lights. Commotion in the street outside my ranch house. They were searching for a prisoner. A prisoner! In this quiet ranch! I ran downstairs and peaked outside. There were police vehicles and a helicopter overhead. I heard a rustling coming from the kitchen. I stealthily tiptoed towards the sound.

“Look, please don’t make any loud noises,” said a voice in the darkness.

Being a werewolf, I could make out his features easily. Dark hair and dark eyes. Olive skin. Tall. Lean but muscled. About my age. I had seen his photo before! The former Beta, Farris Fenestra, wanted for shooting his former Alpha Malachi Mason. Malachi Mason, the man who had married Elizabeth, my mate, the woman I was in love with despite hardly knowing her.

“I know who you are,” / said with my palms up.

“I’m not gonna shoot you,” spat Farris, putting his gun down on the table. He was sitting calmly at the breakfast table as though we were old friends. We did have a surprising link.

“Just don’t sell me out, that’s all,” he said. “How did you even know I existed,” I said.

He smirked. “Malachi made me keep tabs on you near the beginning of his marriage. He was worried you would return and steal his heir-maker Elizabeth,” said Farris with a sly smile.

Igrowled instinctively.

*Easy there,” said Farris, putting his palms up. The sirens increased as a few other cars were added to the melee. Farris raised a finger to his lips to make a Shh sign. I nodded, putting my palms down. He dropped his hands too.

“Look, I’m not some deranged killer. I just need to lie low for a bit. I made a big, messed-up, crazy mistake,” said Farris, sighing.

I sighed too. I could be put to death also for this, aiding and abetting an attempted murderer of the former alpha.

“I need a week,” Farris said. “Three days!” I insisted as the sirens faded in the distance. “I’ll take whatever you’re offering,” mused Farris, rubbing his chin. “No more…gun-slinging,” I said, unable to think of the word I wanted to use.

Farris burst into laughter.

End of flashback

It had been longer than three days and Farris was still hiding out at my ranch. I could not bring Elizabeth there. I had almost thrown Farris out when he admitted he had hesitated a bit after shooting Malachi, thinking of shooting Elizabeth too as she were a witness. I would have killed him if he had. Thankfully, Lizzie was alive and well and hanging nervously off my arm. Malachi seemed less prick-like than his Dad and Maze seemed almost cool so the prick genes were fading and perhaps, Maze had lucked out and gotten some of his Mom’s personality. Farris was volatile when drunk though. I was scared of him flying off the handle. I took his loaded gun and locked it up. I had locked up the liquor cabinet but he just broke back in. The gun he did not even attempt to look for, but the liquor, he threw a fit over not having access to it. The man needed alcoholics anonymous like ten years ago but it was never too late. I went through a dark time drinking daily when I had just lost Lizzie and moved away. I got cleaned up less than a year after though.

I kept looking over my shoulder, terrified I’d see Farris blazing in with a firearm, firing warning shots in the air. In all fairness, Felicity was Malachi’s real mate so they did belong together just like Lizzie and me. Farris should scour the werewolf towns for his truly intended. The colder the revenge the more likely it was to leave frost bite even on the avenger. Revenge was a dish best not served at all.

Felicity’s POV

Despite never being devoid of her usual icy demeanour when it came to me, I was honestly happy for Elizabeth. I had yearned for my mate for years though I did have contact with him. I could only imagine how horrible it must have been to be totally cut off from one’s mate. Then again, my past as a rogue meant I had an extremely strong connection to my wolf, which was why I was always shocked when my little Friday could not connect to hers at all at first. My wolf and I were like one. What the she-wolf wanted so did I and what the she-wolf refrained from I had no interest in.

Malachi kept nudging me mentally and mind-linking about how “sketchy” Cody was. They had some old beef. I thought he was being paranoid. I for one was grateful he kept “Lizzie” from trying to punch me in the face again at my daughter’s luncheon. I peaked at Friday who was already peaking at me. We locked

eyes and both giggled and smiled. Malachi smiled, always noticing how similar we were. I saw Maze smiling too. Thaddeus was frowning at Cody, his nose twitching for some strange reason like he smelled something odd. Fang was frowning at him too.

Elizabeth’s POV

I was about to officially tell everyone that Cody and I were mates when I noticed Thaddeus and Fang staring at Cody. I looked at him, not picking up on anything odd. Before I could say anything, Astrid spoke so loudly that the whole long table fell silent to listen to her grand announcement.

“I want to take this time, to tell Malachi, Felicity, Elizabeth, Timbre and True, that I’m pregnant and well, Uncle Thaddeus and Maze know already. But the great-aunts and great-uncles are just finding out!” She said.

Everyone cheered. I was thrilled to nee honest! A baby! I had always wanted more than one but Malachi had refused, probably pining away inside for Felicity despite the fact she had given birth to like four or five. There was a rumour of an unfortunate happening, a stillbirth before Friday but after the twins. Of course, these rumours were never confirmed. I could only imagine how heartbreaking that must have

been, I looked at Felicity who was beaming and gave her a small smile. She spotted it and smiled brightly back. Ugh.