Alpha Nocturne’s Contracted Mate by A E Randell
Chapter 178 Two Men
Bartholomew sighed heavily as he poured fresh coffee into their cups and they took them gratefully. “Well, it seems that Lexi has found herself at the center of a love triangle, which unfortunately resulted in a brief scuffle in the common dining area for guests.” He explained carefully.
‘Oh she’ll hate that…’ Maeve sniggered sarcastically as Ann frowned.
“Already? But she hasn’t been here that long…” Ann said, a little awestruck at how easily Lexi seemed to find herself in these situations.
“I understand that Lexi is quite a colorful character, but…does she often find herself in these situations?” Adam asked incredulously as he stared at Ann slightly open-mouthed.
“I think you are both getting the wrong idea here.” Bartholomew interrupted quickly as they both refocused their attention on him. “It appears that both males involved seem to be underthe impression that they have some sort of claim on her.”
Adam snorted.
“Good luck with that. I can’t see Lexi allowing anyone to claim her.”
“No, me either,” Ann said as she chewed on her lip briefly. “Were you there when it happened?”
“No, but news travels fast, especially regarding someone as interesting as Lexi. The fact that she has both Allen and Greyson seemingly fighting over her…”
“Wait, Allen?!” Adam said before swearing loudly as he spilled his coffee over his leg and hastily wiped at it. ‘Ha! I knew it! There was no way that Allen wasn’t that riled up about her without her being his mate.’ Maeve yelled jubilantly, causing Ann to wince.
‘I didn’t see Greyson jumping in for a bit of three-way action though,’ Maeve continued excitedly, ‘Oooo girl is gonna be sore with two men.’ Maeve whistled lowly.
‘Shut up Maeve, she’s going to be distraught.’ Ann snapped.
‘I beg to differ.’ Maeve chuckled, ‘There’s no way that one man will ever be able to keep Lexi settled or satisfied.’
‘That’s not true!’ Ann snarled a little defensively.
She didn’t see herself as a prude but she knew just how complex Lexi was. This was going to be devastating for her emotionally because she had always been so proud that everything she had achieved, she had done by herself. She had never had to rely on a man for anything and had always pitied the fact that Ann would have to spend the rest of her life with one man, knowing that her mate would complete her and no matter what Ann had said, she wouldn’t change her mind.
She was adamant that she would live her life her way, without being told what to do or who to see by any man.
If what Bartholomew was saying was true and they were mates, and this wasn’t all just down to male jealousy and posturing, then the Goddess truly had a twisted sense of humor giving someone like Lexi, not just one mate, but two.
“Did she come here afterward then?” Ann asked urgently.
“No, I found her in a secluded area of the garden. She was quite clearly struggling with her emotions so I thought the best course of action was to bring her back here and take her mind off it until you came.”
“Thank you.” Ann said gratefully, “Underneath that fiery persona and impenetrable shell, she’s a softie and fiercely loyal. I’m so mad at myself for not being there for her.”
“I’m furious at Allen for not doing as he was told.” Adam fumed broodily as he picked at his wet trousers. ‘I mean… if you think about it… he did do what you asked, just not in the way either of you thought he would…’ Maeve sniggered.
‘I think this is the polar opposite of what either one of us expected Maeve. Going from despising someone to claiming them and then having a punch-up in the middle of the sodding enclave is not a good look for Allen.’ “I can’t have this. I don’t know what’s going on with Allen, but I’m going to have to seriously address this.” Adam said, standing suddenly and placing his cup firmly on the table, the anger evident in the abruptness of his tone and actions.
“Adam, wait…”
“No, there’s no excuse for it Ann. He was explicitly told…”
“To accept her as part of this family.” Ann interrupted impatiently, “Although it goes past what we asked of him…claiming her is, in a sense, also accepting her as family. Wind your Alpha ego in for a second and think about it rationally. Do you think your wolf would let you sit by idly if you saw me getting cozy with another male?” The growl that tore from Adam’s chest at the mere prospect of that happening proved Ann’s point without another word.
“Now sit down and behave. If they are mated, you know full well that how he reacted is most likely the same way that every male wolf would react to the same situation. This is an issue between the three of them. All we can do is be there to support them if they need it.”
Adam’s lips curled back in a slight snarl as he paced backward and forward for a minute or two, watched closely by Bartholomew and Ann as his anger slowly dissipated. Eventually, he sat down with a sigh and chuckled ironically. “I guess it’s just another issue that has to be worked through.” He said wryly, glancing up at Ann. She chuckled in response and smiled softly.
“It is indeed. Now, Bartholomew. What do we know about Commander Greyson? I want to make sure that I know as much about him as possible. Lexi is practically my sister, and I want to make sure I know exactly what she is getting herself into.”
‘Don’t you mean who is getting into her?’ Maeve countered with a perverse smile, her eyes glinting with unspoken meaning.
Ann rolled her eyes in disgust and shook her head despairingly.
‘Shut up Maeve.’ She said half-heartedly as Maeve chuckled darkly and settled in to listen to what Bartholomew had to say.