LIAM

“What is going on?” Austin asked.

“He took Maddox away!” Missy yelled as she sunk to her knees. Lily was immediately over the top of her, trying to calm her down.

“Something may have happened with Maddox and Langston. I cannot reach them, and she says that her wolf has been off all day,” I explained quietly.

“You tried calling them?” he asked in a hushed voice.

“Yes, twice,” I said.

“They aren’t supposed to check in again until tomorrow, and we expect them to be headed home,” Austin said.

I nodded. I watched as Lily got Missy to her feet and led her out of my office. I sighed. “I can’t say I am not worried, though,” I told Austin.

Austin looked contrite. “What can we do?” he asked. He didn’t like seeing Missy that upset either, but he wasn’t the one she was blaming.

“Let’s call all of the allied packs between us and the coordinates they were headed to,” I instructed. “Let’s see if they have tried to find refuge anywhere before we really panic.”

“And if we get nothing?” he inquired.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” I said.

–

Austin went to get Damien, Jacob, and Gentry to help him make calls. I found Beta Meadow’s number and called her.

“Yes?” she answered shortly. Generally, we waited for her to contact us and not by phone. She was keeping her association with us away from the prying ears of her Alpha.

“I need your help, and I wouldn’t be calling if it wasn’t critical,” I told her.

“How exactly?” she asked. She was keeping her words short, probably to prevent anyone from hearing her intentions.

“I need a trace on our search party. My daughter’s mate is one of the pair, and she believes something is wrong. We cannot contact them,” I told her. “Can you do it?”

“That is within my capability,” she answered.

“We just need to know if they are alive or not,” I said. “I know you are unmated, but I have to make sure that boy comes home.”

“Understood. I will see what I can do,” she agreed before hanging up. I moved over to the couch and slumped down, leaning my elbows on my knees. Today was turning out to be a train wreck from top to bottom.

Thirty minutes later, I got an email. Meadow came through. I shot up and gravitated to my desk, turning on my computer. Getting the email pulled up, I opened the attachment. I scanned the screen only to have my shoulders fall in disappointment. The last know location for either phone was about a mile from the coordinates, and it was very early this morning. Neither phone had connected to a tower since they were headed to Warwick’s hold.

Now I had reason to be worried. They should have been headed away from there by now. We should have some trace on them unless something happened to them or the phones.

Damien knocked on the door frame, garnering my attention. “Anything?” I asked.

He shook his head as he stepped into the room. His posture was rigid; he had to be frustrated with me still. “Austin and Jacob are still calling, but the ones Gentry and I contacted haven’t seen them.”

I collapsed into my desk chair. “This isn’t good,” I whispered.

“I know she is hurting right now and scared, but you and I both know we can’t jump to conclusions just yet,” Damien said.

“I shouldn’t have sent the kid,” I said.

“You didn’t make a mistake in sending him. Maddox is a strong kid with a good head on his shoulders. With Langston by his side, they will be fine,” he said.

“It doesn’t matter,” I said. “Missy is right. I put her mate in danger. I’m no better than my grandfather.”

“Give it time. They may be trying to get to a safe place. The phones could have been ditched. We don’t know anything yet,” he said.

“Twenty-four hours. That’s all I can do. If we don’t have any word in twenty-four hours, we’re sending a search party,” I told him.

Damien shook his head. “We’ll discuss that tomorrow,” he said, sounding disappointed. “Lily is taking Missy home. She already called Sol and told her to bring all Missy’s friends over. Your mom is bringing all the kids to me. You need to go sort your s**t out with your mate before she can’t forgive your behavior.”

“I’ll handle my mate how I see fit,” I growled, irritated with his implications.

“I might have my own s**t going on, but I have told you before I will not let you f**k up with Azalea. You had your one pass, and I am telling you what you did was out of line. Go fix it and stop arguing with me,” he threatened.

I clenched my jaw at his reminder. I was vividly aware of every mistake I had ever made with Azalea and did not need his guilt trip. Azalea was out of line, and that was between us.

“Damien, don’t overstep your bounds,” I said in a low voice.

“f**k you, Liam,” he said before storming from my office.

I let out a heavy breath. Before I could even think about dealing with Azalea, I needed to call Emma and let her know what was happening.Belongs to - All rights reserved.

AZALEA

It’s been hours since Liam locked me in our room. After a while, I crawled off our bed and moved to the couch, wrapping myself in a blanket. I cried for a while, upset with myself for being so foolish.

I knew this could all end up at a dead-end, that Liam would be furious and lash out because of it, but I charged ahead anyway.

“I can’t trust you now.”

I broke that. I pushed it so far that I broke the trust he had for me. I felt like, in some way, I had damaged our bond, and I had no idea how I could fix it.

Warwick wanted to destroy Liam in the most basic way; he wanted to hit him where he was most vulnerable. Liam was right, too. Even if I gave myself to Warwick and he promised to leave Liam alone, it wouldn’t end there.

Warwick didn’t have honor behind his words. He lied and manipulated Vlad for two years. I shouldn’t have ever thought that he would honor a compromise I made with him.

I felt pity for Warwick. He lost his destined, and it turned him into this. He was consumed by rage and hatred after losing the love of his long life. In my heart, I knew Liam would be the same. If he lost me, something in him would break. He would be worse than his father or grandfather ever were.

If I were to die, the man I loved would die as well.

I had no idea what time it was as I sat in the darkroom. I never even tried opening the door, but I was sure Liam sent someone to sit outside it. When the door slowly swung open, light flooded in from the hall, casting Liam in a silhouette. He turned the lights on dimly and closed the door behind him. I sat up on the couch watching him.

He paid me no attention as he went for the closet. He disappeared for a moment, only to reappear with some pajamas on. He headed straight over to the bed, not bothering to glance my way.

“Liam?” I whispered. His steps stilled, and I could see the muscles of his shoulders flex. “Liam, I’m sorry-” I started.

His hand came up to silence me. I held my breath, waiting for him to say anything. “You went too far, Azalea.”

“I know. I am so sorry. I thought I could find a better way,” I tried.

Liam shook his head, still facing away from me. “I refuse to live in a world that you don’t exist in. I don’t know how to make that any clearer to you. I know you can’t help it, I know the Moon Goddess made you this way, but I am done with you trying to get yourself killed.”

My stomach churned at his words. “I’m not trying to get myself killed,” I said in a broken voice.

Liam whirled around so fast it made me flinch. “Tell me you wouldn’t have done it! Tell me you wouldn’t have handed yourself over to end this f*****g war!”

My l*p quivered. Liam’s eyes were practically bulging from his head, and a vein was popping from his neck. I couldn’t tell him that because if it truly would have ended things, I would have done it for him and my pack.

“You can’t! You can’t because you would walk right into death’s door without a single look back! You would sacrifice without so much as a thought as to what would be left behind, as to what you would destroy by doing so!” He was breathing hard again, and I felt a whole new wave of tears sting my eyes.

“Liam, I’m scared,” I shakily admitted. He didn’t say anything, only watched me with his pained eyes, so I continued. “I’m afraid you are going to leave to fight Warwick, and I will never see you again. That he will get what he wants then come to finish us off. I’m afraid that this won’t end with us, that we are going to pass this on to our children. I can’t bear the thought of our kids finding their mates only to lose them to a conflict they had no part in.”

I paused as my voice continued to tremble. “Liam, you are strong. If something happened to me, you would be okay. I’m not like you; I couldn’t physically recover if you died. If giving up my one life meant that I could save yours, our children’s, and all of those in our pack and the others that have pledged to help us, then I would make that sacrifice. I don’t want to die; I want to see our babies grow and find their mates. I want to watch Junior become Alpha and meet all of the grandpups they bring us. But I would do it to guarantee your future.”

Liam stood straighter and looked at the floor. “You can’t see the whole picture here. None of those things would happen if we lost you.” His fists clenched and relaxed at his side. “You’re wrong. I am not strong, Azalea. I have only ever been strong for you and because of you. When I rejected you, I made myself better because of you. I wasn’t worthy of you back then. Since I found you, I have only ever been strong to keep you safe. Without you, I am a weak wolf, and I can admit it.”

His eyes finally came up and connected to mine. The expression on his face filled my chest with pressure, making it unbearable to breathe. “I can’t play this game anymore, Azalea. I’m tired; I can’t keep trying to convince you to stay away from danger. I never wanted things to come to this, but I just don’t have the energy to fight with you anymore.”

He turned around and ran his hands over his face. I stood from the couch, letting the blanket fall from my shoulders. I closed the distance between us, my heart thundering in my chest. I moved so quickly that I slammed into him, my arms hugging around his center like I would lose him forever. I hid my face in his back.

“I won’t do it anymore,” I promised into his back. My nose was too stuffed to smell his forest scent, but his presence helped. “I won’t be so frivolous. Just don’t….” My hand fisted on his shirt as I gripped him tighter. His hands lifted to rest on my arms.

“I’m tired, Azalea,” he whispered as he turned in my arms.

I looked up at him, trying to blink away the tears stuck in my lashes. I shook my head. “I promise I won’t do it anymore, Liam.”

“Do you trust me to end this and come back alive?” he asked, bringing a hand to cup my cheek. I nodded. I trusted him more than anyone else. Despite my fear, I knew he would do everything in his power to come back.

Liam pulled me close and surrounded me. His lips came to the top of my head. “I’m sorry, My Alpha. I’m so sorry.”