Chapter 34 ~ Blame Maddox

Maddox’s POV ~

I stared at my sister and she smiled “I killed him. That’s on me.. I am your big sister and it is my job to protect you. So I killed him. He was nothing to me.. nothing more than our mother’s murderer.. But.. For you.. regardless of how much you resented what he did.. He was still your father. I was not going to allow his death to haunt you. And don’t say it wouldn’t. It would. I want to spare you the guilt and grief that killing him would have caused you. I love you, Buddy Roe.. and I wouldn’t be able to live with knowing you suffered remorse.”

I pulled her into my arms.. once again thanking the Goddess for giving me this beautiful woman as my guardian angel.. She knew what she was doing! I whispered “Thank you! I love you.. to the moon and back!”

We started to walk out of the challenge circle.. when Venom stepped into it “Cabot Stone of Golden Lake, you are hereby challenged.. for your Alpha position. And for your pack. I. Alpha Tiberius Venom Stone, issue this challenge of my own free will.. and as the challenged it is your right to choose where.. when.. and how you die.” Everyone on of the club members laughed.. Venom just told his brother that there was no way in hell he was leaving this place alive.

Axe and Snake were on either side of Cabot… awaiting his acceptance of the challenge.. when he muttered “I refuse. I will not accept a challenge from my own brother!” Causing a grin to break across Venom’s face “Well.. in that case.. you forfeit.. the title and the pack. Does your refusal stand?”

At Cabot’s nod.. Venom grabbed his forearm with his own “I accept the Alpha mantle.. given by default.. Cabot Stone is no longer Alpha of Golden Lake.. and as of this moment.. shall be known as rogue.” As he felt the Alpha power drain out of Cabot… into him.

Delaney grinned and told him “You better trot your happy ass over to council headquarters.. and request lone wolf status.. I hear there have been hundreds of rogues coming down with lead poisoning.. seems they contract it by coming into contact with Hunters.. Just a thought..”

I ordered Cabot off our territory.. and he asked about his vehicle that was left at the motel. I laughed “I suggest you hit all four and run your way back. I, also, suggest you do that right now. In a half hour.. my men will have a kill on sight order for any rogues found in our territory.”

I reached again for Delilah.. breathing her in… she was in bad shape.. as I lifted her.. I walked straight over to Cabot and punched him in the face “I should kill you for what you did to her!”

Venom ordered Max detained in the cells.. by detained, he meant chained hanging from the ceiling.. As he was led away, he demanded to know what the fuck we thought we were doing.. that we didn’t know who we were messing with.. he is a government employee.

We all laughed as Venom told him. “I have already contacted the Department of Defense and Homeland Security.. They asked that we hold you.. until they arrive to take you into custody…you are being detained.. at their request. Oh.. and Max? They said it was approved by them to detain you… By Any Means Necessary!”

Delilah whispered “I am not feeling well..” and just as I looked down at her.. she lost consciousness. I ran for the infirmary.. with Delaney and Henri hot on my heels.

I laid her down on a bed inside an examination room.. and Delaney chased me out.. I started to argue but she let me know, in no uncertain terms, that I could either stand there.. wasting valuable minutes.. arguing with her.. or she could find out what’s wrong with Delilah.. But! She can’t do both. I shut up and walked out into the corridor..

Valerie was standing there, with tears in her eyes.. I opened my arms to hug her and calm her fears.. only to succeed in breaking down myself. Hunter wrapped his gorilla arms around us both.. That’s how Venom found us.. when he came to ask what we knew.

I had opened my mouth to let him know we had just been waiting.. when Delaney came out.. I rushed over to her and she smiled “She’s fine.. exhausted. A little dehydrated.. She doesn’t have any broken bones.. not even any major contusions now.. she’s healing rapidly. She’s awake.. Go see her.”

I ran.. I did not walk.. to Delilah’s room. She looked so pale.. and small in that bed. Her head rolled over and she looked at me.. smiling “I’m turning into a drama queen… “ I laughed in relief “You are definitely my queen.. But the drama hasn’t been your fault.. That came with me… Drama and me? Packaged deal!”

She giggled “Well.. I reckon I will just have to handle the drama.. I have to admit.. my life was a little boring…” Barking out a laugh “Boring? With that stepmother and stepsister of yours? And I don’t even know how Eric would be considered related to you.. I mean.. the husband of your stepmother.. would he be your step stepfather?”

She cracked up.. telling me to stop.. I had made her laugh with my nonsense.. and that’s all I could ask for. She scooted over and made room, while patting the bed beside her. I laid down and pulled her into my arms.

I whispered “Can you tell me what happened? We are still investigating how they got onto the territory.. and how they grabbed you..”

She sighed “They got in.. because they were determined to get it. That Cabot guy is a twisted fucker. He is so jealous of Venom it’s ridiculous. He kept saying he should have been the oldest.. Then he should have killed Venom when he had the chance. He paced around the room.. saying stupid shit like More like Ty.. Be more like Ty.. He bragged about killing his dad… Stealing Venom’s title.. his mate.. but when he talked about kidnapping Artemis.. or Aaron.. Well.. that’s how I got beat up. I attacked him.. and still pumped full of wolfsbane and verbena, I had no strength.. and I knew better.. I insulted him… threatened him.. even made fun of him. Seriously, Maddox.. I questioned my own sanity.. He hit me and I’d call him a coward. Kick me and I called him a poor excuse of a man. I questioned his masculinity.. maturity.. intelligence.. morals.. sanity. Maybe I should see a shrink.. The right side of my brain kept telling me to shut up.. and the wrong side kept egging me on like it wanted to see his head explode.”

I started laughing and I couldn’t stop. Because it is just like her.. being physically incapacitated… she resorted to her most deadly weapon.. Sarcasm.. and picked Cabot apart from the inside.

All our family came in to check on her one last time.. Delaney suggesting we stay overnight in the infirmary to stabilize her electrolytes.. and allow the bruises to heal..

Her dad kissed her forehead “Never again.. little girl! I will spend another five years in captivity before I will ever survive you being kidnapped again.” She laughed “Blame Maddox” I felt the need to hide.. when his eyes shifted to Amadeus and he growled…