Page 30 of Doubly Tied

“I accept!”

Chapter 9

“I accept!”

The sound of Ani’s sweet voice accepting a challenge for the position of Alpha mate almost broke Mayne’s hold on his Bear. The beast was scratching furiously at his skin. Megan, the she-Wolf who’d thrown down the gauntlet, had an old ax to grind.

“What the fuck, Brody?” Mayne snarled and shoved his partner the second the Triad left the greeting ceremony.

After Ani had said yes, the whole audience erupted into chaos. Only Brody was able to bring back the calm with a resounding roar, where Mayne’s abilities as an Omega had failed him for the first time at the thought of losing their mate.

“There is no fucking way Ani is taking part in a challenge against your high school girlfriend. Fucking Megan is the toughest Bitch at Big River!”

“Guys,” Ani whispered.

“Fuck you, Mayne! I had no idea Megan was going to issue that challenge! All that shit was over between us a decade ago,” Brody answered, shoving Mayne back.

Claws unsheathed, fangs dropped, the two of them were snarling with their chests heaving. Never before had Mayne wanted to take a shot at his Alpha, but right then, it was all he wanted. To punch the motherfucker right in the face for putting her in harm’s way.

“GUYS!” Ani’s stern voice broke through the angry haze that had shrouded both of them. “What is this?” she asked, holding up a small pouch that reeked like actual shit.

“Where did you find that?”

“Under the table. I was looking for my cell phone and knocked it down,” she said, handing the thing over to Brody, who sniffed it gingerly.

He exchanged a look with Mayne, and it wasn’t pretty. That pouch had no business being in their bedroom.

“It’s a poultice. Stinks like dark magic,” growled Mayne.

“I will take care of this. Ani, I know you don’t understand—”

“I understand just fine. It was strange, but when the Pack was in the room, it’s like I could see who was good and who wasn’t,” she whimpered and both men moved to bracket her on either side.

“Ani, I am so sorry,” Brody grumbled.

“Me too. We never meant to put you in danger.”

“I want my sisters,” she said in a small voice.

Brody nodded his head, releasing her only after he dropped a kiss to her forehead. Mayne did the same, kissing her on the cheek instead.

“We will give you some space, but know we will never let any harm come to you.”

“I believe you,” she answered. The small phrase was like a salve to his bruised heart.

Mayne and Brody left Ani alone in the bedroom with her cell phone and retreated to their office. First, Brody issued a command to the Pack Beta to maintain a position outside her room. Once he shut the door, Mayne spun around and snarled.

“This is bad, Brody. Really fucking bad.”

“I know. This stinks like Dark Witches.”

“And your stepfather.”

“That bastard too,” growled Brody.

Mayne disliked Sam Greeves since the moment he met the prejudiced Wolf. He was sneaky and a coward to boot. He also suspected he was stealing from the ranch. Odd how the invoices from the seed bull management offices of Big River Ranch never seemed to match the accounts.

“Motherfucker,” snarled Brody. “This was meant to hurt us. To hurt her. When I find the Witch responsible, I will not rest until he or she is in chains and hauled before the tribunal!”

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