Azalea

“Gwen was killed,” Liam said in a somber tone. My brain stopped, my mouth dropped open, and I tried to formulate any type of speech. Gwen was killed? How? She has been locked up in the pack prison for years now. Liam held my face in his hands, worry now clouding his handsome features. “Azalea…” he said softly.

“I-I… what?” Coherent thought was escaping me as my mind reeled.

“She was murdered. When I got there, the entire prison was already locked down and the guards on her floor detained for questioning. Someone snapped her neck and left her to be found,” he explained gently.

“How? How did they get in past the security? How long was she like that before she was found?” I questioned. Liam’s face searched mine.

“Let’s sit down,” he said. “I’m worried about the pup and you.” I looked into Liam’s eyes only to see so much conflict. He had to be angry this happened and worried about what it meant. He was also clearly concerned about me and the pup. He probably felt sad for his best friend and I am sure he was also feeling some grief over Gwen’s death. I nodded and we moved over to the couch. Liam pulled me down onto his lap and nuzzled his nose into my disheveled hair. His hand came to my little bump, his fingers spreading over it protectively. He breathed deeply for a moment before answering my questions.

“We don’t know how they got in yet,” he said. “She was checked hourly and was fine during the previous check. They changed guards during the new shift and the new one is the one who found her. There were no disturbances elsewhere to indicate someone coming in. Whoever did this evaded everyone.” Liam was frustrated. He worked so hard to make sure the pack was protected well. He didn’t take anyone’s safety for granted.

A numbness had settled over me as the initial shock of his words was wearing off. My nerves were entirely fried after worrying for the last few hours about what was happening and being in his arms was soothing me physically. Liam’s other hand began to gently skim across my lower back. We both sat there silently, lost in our own thoughts.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you what was going on,” he finally croaked. His voice was hoarse. “I wanted to be with you when you found out and didn’t want to bring you down there to see. Are you alright?”

I sighed. I nodded slowly. “I’m okay. Just stunned. I don’t understand how this happened. Or why now?” I mused. I cuddled myself closer to Liam, hoping his warm body would warm the numbness in my body.

Of course, I had forgiven Gwen long ago for her actions. I wasn’t capable of holding ill-will towards anyone for their wrongs thanks to my wolf’s gift. But I had discovered over the past few years that it allowed me to consider things without the emotional influence. I was responsible for making the decision as to whether Gwen was ready to re-assimilate into the pack. I talked to her therapist regularly as well as some of the guards in the prison that watched her. I listened carefully to their observations of her and still wasn’t convinced she would not be a threat to me or our children. I avoided talking to Mrs. Hale about the situation because she wanted her daughter back more than anything. Damien seemed conflicted about the whole situation; I could see it on his face every time he returned from visiting her. I didn’t want to complicate things further for him, so I also refrained from speaking to him about it too.

My biggest concern with Gwen was her retaliation for being kept locked up for so long. After about 12 months of incarceration, she grew agitated for a period having assumed Damien and Mrs. Hale would eventually convince me to let her go. I knew she thought I was weak. She thought I would cave to her mother’s emotional pleas. But I had Missy to consider. Then Junior and Leo. And now I have another pup to consider. Her reckless actions that led to her imprisonment made me concerned that she would have no moral qualm about hurting my children to hurt me.

“I don’t know…” Liam gritted out. He sounded so tired and upset. His fingers tightened just a fraction around his pup in my belly. I wanted to soothe the ache I knew was brewing inside him. I pulled away from him and looked into his eyes. I brought my hand to his face and caressed his cheek.

“Take me to bed, Liam,” I said. I knew he would oblige my request. Without words, he gathered me in his arms and stood. He carried me over to the bed and set me down. Silently, he went to the closet and emerged moments later wearing only shorts and carrying a shirt in his hands. I lifted my blouse over my head and discarded it on the floor as he returned. He leaned down, kissing me as he unhooked my bra. I pulled it away from my body and tossed it to the floor with my shirt. Liam gently pulled his shirt over my head and I threaded my arms through the holes. I laid back and started pushing my leggings down when Liam grasped them and peeled them off my legs. He climbed onto the bed and hovered over me. Neither of us needed s*x right now. We just needed comfort.

“The rogues are going to stay under observation for the time being,” he whispered.

“I understand,” I told him. I hated the idea because I doubted they had anything to do with this, but I knew it was for the safety of the pack. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he sat himself up, pulling me with him like I weighed nothing. His arms wrapped around me and he laid us down. He wiggled himself down my body and rested his head over my bump. I ran my fingers through his soft hair, letting my nails skim the skin of his scalp. He drifted off after some time, holding me tightly.

Missy

Lea texted me early in the morning asking me to get my brothers up and ready this morning. Junior was a brat but eventually got going and Leo clung to me for dear life all morning. I forget how small they are still sometimes.

“Can we play after school, sissy?” Leo’s sweet little voice asked as I helped him into his shorts.

“Maybe, bud. We’ll see, okay?” I told him with a smile. I ruffled his little orange curls, and he swatted my hand away. I carried him down to the dining room. When I got inside, Miss Marci had Delilah, Lucas, and Junior at a table together, but Damien, Lily, Lea, and Liam were nowhere.

“Good morning, Missy,” she said with a sad smile. This clearly had to do with the pack house lock down. I slid Leo down so he could get seated at the table.

“Morning Miss Marci. Where is Alpha, Luna, Beta, and Lily?” I asked her.

“Dear they are a little busy this morning. Would you help me get the pups off this morning?” She asked. I nodded and followed her after telling the group to sit tight for me. My phone rang in my pocket with a text message. I pulled it out to see it was from V.

-The pack house got locked down last night?

-How did you know?

-You expect rumors not to start? What happened?

-Whats the rumor?

-Murder

I swallowed. I don’t know how rumors had already started about all of this, but it worried me. Lily and Lea were more worried than I have ever seen them. It took a lot to get them both scared.

-I really don’t know. I got locked in with Lea for a while and then Felix told me I could go to bed. Liam was gone the whole time. Let’s talk at school. I need to get my brothers this morning.

I helped Miss Marci get the kids all some breakfast and ate with them. They all chatted animatedly while they ate, no wiser to whatever was going on. I managed to get them all off to school in barely enough time before heading to school myself. Leo and Lucas wanted me to come with them and wouldn’t let me go without the promise of a soccer game after school.

When I got to school, V was waiting for me outside the doors. “Hey, princess,” he said giving me an evaluated look.

“Hey,” I said trying to mask my worry. I knew I needed to act like nothing had happened last night so more rumors didn’t spread. Even if people liked to speculate about me, they still knew that the Alpha and Luna are my guardians and think I know what is going on with the pack all the time.

V grasped my hand, threading our fingers together, and squeezed my hand. He gave me a half smile. “Crazy rumor mill, am I right?” He prompted as we walked in the doors. A little relief came over me knowing that he understood.

“Yea. Where do people get these crazy ideas?” I laughed a little.

“Did you finish the math problems?” he asked. His eyes had something in them I couldn’t quite read but after that, we had a perfectly normal day and avoided the topic of the rumors. People at school were odd all day. There was a lot of whispering and some of the things I overheard were just ostentatious and ridiculous. The rogues have been completely forgotten now. People were saying that some long lost relative of Azalea’s was here to kill her. Some thought Felix had snapped and killed someone. I couldn’t blame them for that one. He was a quiet brute but anyone who knew him knew that he was way too loyal to Liam to hurt a pack member without reason. Admittedly, the only people that really knew him were the Alpha, Beta, and Delta families. One girl was even crying about vampires. I don’t think anyone in our pack has even met a vampire.

After school, V and I went to his car. He waited until we were safely inside before saying anything. “Do you really think there was a murder? Do you think the Alpha and Luna would even tell you,” he asked softly.

I sighed. I really didn’t know. Lea and Liam always told me stuff when they thought it was important for me to know but I had overheard them one day talking about my future.

“We don’t need to tell her so much, Azalea,” Liam said. I sat listening at the crack in his office door. I was going to ask to go to the Inn this weekend to see Lemon but stopped when I heard their conversation.

“Liam, you know just as well as I that from a young age, you were privy to pack information as the Alpha’s child,” she reasoned with him.

“I was only privy to that information because I was the heir. Missy isn’t my biological child, and she is a girl. She simply can’t be Alpha. The title will pass to Liam and she doesn’t need to be burdened with any of this. My father also insisted I start training as soon as I could read,” he told her.

“She’s smart and a good kid. As our daughter she should be aware of some things. Especially things that can affect her,” Azalea said.

“I don’t disagree with you. But I also know the effect some of these things had on me. I don’t want to subject her to things that she doesn’t need to worry about. She has her whole future ahead of her and we can let her be whoever she wants. I want to keep it that way,” Liam said irritated now.

“Liam don’t you think-“

“No Azalea. I’m putting my foot down. We did not have the same upbringing and this time, I am making the decision, ” he cut her off. I ran away after that, knowing it wasn’t going to end well.

“I don’t know V. When I got back last night, Austin was really worried and wouldn’t tell me anything. Then there were wolves everywhere patrolling the pack house. I got upstairs and Lea looked like she was going to burst into tears she was so distraught. I don’t think Liam or Damien told her and Lily anything,” my voice was shaky now. I had held it all in today and I could feel all my own emotions coming to the surface.

“No you don’t, princess,” he said pulling me towards him in the driver’s seat. He hugged me tightly. “Your dad is a good Alpha. I’m sure he’s going to keep the pack safe,” he said softly.Belongs to © n0velDrama.Org.

“No one was at breakfast this morning. That isn’t normal…” I told him.

“Do you want me to stay this afternoon? I don’t like leaving you so upset like this,” he offered. I nodded my head.

“Please? I promised the kids I’d play with them and it will be easier to pretend everything is normal with you there,” I confessed.

“Anything for you,” he said. After a minute he let me go and I sat back in the passenger seat of his car properly. He grabbed my hand and held it as he started the car and drove us out of the school parking lot.