Liam

Just as I feared, our second round of interviewing guards was fruitless. Damien mostly stood in the corner with his arms crossed and a murderous glare towards everyone that we spoke to. There was simply no convincing him to take the day to deal with his feelings before joining me in the investigation. I had Gwen’s body taken to my Uncle to be looked over. He promised to have her body examined and any findings to me by the morning. We had been down in the prison for a few hours now and I wanted to go check on Azalea. Damien left to go check on his mother and Lily as I made my way back to the packhouse.

Azalea had linked me a while ago that she was sending the kids with my parents this weekend and I thought that was best. I didn’t want the harsher realities of being an Alpha to affect them until it was necessary. My father had never given me that courtesy. I saw my first execution at age 10. I would spare my own children that horror for as long as I could. They didn’t need to spend their entire childhoods preparing to be Alpha.

“Where is she?” I linked Felix as I came through the front doors. I was still worried about her apparent void of emotion today and her lack of sleep last night.

“Office. She refused lunch today, Alpha,” he informed me. I looked at my watch. The only thing she touched this morning when breakfast was brought up to my office was the orange juice. Now it was late afternoon, the kids would be arriving any time, and she still hasn’t eaten anything.

“Nothing at all?”

“Just some tea,” he confirmed. I quickened my pace to her office. Felix stood outside the door and I wondered if she actually managed to throw him out today. Most often, he refused to leave the inside of her office but occasionally he relented and stood outside.

He gave me a nod and left down the hall. I opened the door gently. I didn’t immediately see her sitting at her desk, so my eyes scanned the room and I relaxed when I saw her on the couch. She sat on the end of the couch, leaning against the armrest. Her feet curled underneath her and a blanket over her lap, she held a mug in her hands and her head was laid back against the back of the couch.

I moved inside, closing the door behind me. That got her attention and she looked up at me. “Hi,” she whispered.

“You didn’t eat lunch,” I said, jumping straight to my concern.

“I know,” she said.

“Do we need to go see my uncle?” I asked moving toward to her. I sat on the couch and she shifted to lay against me.

“No,” she said. “I’ll be okay. I just don’t feel well,” she admitted.

I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her head. “You should go lie down, Little Luna,” I said.

“Your mother will be here soon to get the kids. I should see them off,” she said.

“Let me handle the kids and my mother. You need food and rest,” I told her.

“I need my bodyguard to stop being such a tattle tale,” she joked. I gave her a small smile.

“That’s never going to happen. I pay him handsomely to protect you just as well as I would,” I told her.Belongs to © n0velDrama.Org.

She sighed. “I know…”

“Let me take you upstairs, Little Luna,” I said.

“Abraham came to see me,” she said, throwing me off.

“Vlad’s father. About what?” I asked.

“He wants to help with the investigation. Apparently, there are already rumors speculating as to why the pack house got locked down last night,” she said. I rolled my eyes. That was the last thing we needed right now.

“What did you tell him?” I asked.

“That I would speak with you about it…” Azalea’s voice was soft and airy now. She was starting to relax against me. I grabbed the mug from her hands and set it on the table in front of us. Her arm snaked around my waist as she cuddled closer to me and I could feel her breathing deeply against me.

I considered letting her fall asleep right here and nap in her office for a moment. Then I knew she would wake up uncomfortable and decided to take her upstairs. “Let’s go upstairs,” I whispered to her.

“I want to see the kids,” she whined a little.

“Okay,” I acquiesced. “Let’s go down and see the kids before they go with my parents. Then I am taking you to bed.”

She nodded and sat up a little. She leaned up and kissed me. I stood up to help her stand. She grabbed my hands but as soon as she began to stand, she winced. She tried to hide her reaction from me, but I knew better. I immediately had her in my arms, no longer standing on her own.

“Are you in pain?” I asked her.

“I’m okay,” she said.

“That’s not an answer,” I said.

“Liam, it’s just a little growing pain. I am okay, I promise,” she tried to reassure me. Gavin stirred in my head, not really believing her words. She brought her hand to my face. “Let’s just go see the kids. They went off to school this morning without us and I miss them.” I sighed knowing she was trying to distract me.

“If this pain doesn’t go away after you get some sleep, I am taking you to get checked,” I told her while walking to the door.

“That’s fair,” she said softly, cuddling herself into me. I knew she wasn’t going to argue with me or try to make me let her walk. She was wise about picking her battles and I think right now she was too tired to battle.

Missy

When we got back to the pack house, Liam met me in the front hall. “Hey Liam,” I said as Vlad and I walked inside.

“Missy, your grandparents would like you to come stay the weekend. Junior and Leo will be going as well,” he said.

“Oh, um, alright,” I said. It didn’t happen often, but I had a feeling we were being sent to the former Alpha and Luna’s house because Liam and Azalea needed to handle something dangerous.

“Your grandmother will be here shortly. You should go pack,” Liam said. He gave Vlad a measured look.

“Okay,” I said. I turned to V and grabbed his arm to pull him with me. He had a slightly worried expression as Liam watched me drag him along with me.

“Maybe I should go,” he said.

“No, don’t,” I said as we climbed the stairs. “I want you here.”

“Alright. But if Luna’s brutish bodyguard shows up, I am gone. I like my face in its current configuration, princess,” he joked. I rolled my eyes and kept going towards my room. When we got upstairs, V flopped down on my bed while I went to my closet and grabbed a bag to put clothes in. I came out to get a few things from my dresser and eyed him humorously.

“Comfortable?” I asked. He was lying with his hands behind his head right in the center of my bed with a placid smile on his face. He shrugged, not moving a bit. I ignored him and went to my dresser, pulling out some pajamas and underwear. I set the bag on my dresser while I retrieved my toiletries. When I came back in, V had my tablet and was scrolling through something. I grabbed my phone charger and shoved it in the bag before I got curious.

“What are you looking at?” I asked him.

“Something very interesting…” he said. His voice was playful, almost mischievous. “So, I am handsome in a dark brooding way?” He looked at me with a huge grin on his face. My face dropped. He was looking at my diary. I didn’t keep a handwritten one because that’s dumb. I wrote on my tablet and the app was usually locked.

“How…” I started to ask. He waved the tablet in the air.

“It was open when I grabbed your tablet,” he taunted. I dove at him on the bed, trying to retrieve it. V laughed and caught me easily, rolling us right over so he was holding me down. “Ah, ah, ah, princess. I wasn’t done reading this,” he teased me.

“Please don’t…” I begged.

“But you have such a way with words,” he said. His expression was haughty and triumphant. My face was getting warmer as the seconds passed.

“No, V, please stop,” I said, trying to make a grab for the tablet from under him.

“What do I get in return?” he taunted.

“Whatever you want. Just give it back!” I exclaimed.

“Sneak out of your grandparents house tonight,” he said. His face was amused and serious as I stared at him in shock.

“You want me to sneak out of the former Alpha and Luna’s house while I am still supposed to be grounded to the pack house?” I clarified.

“Yes. I want to take you out,” he said. “I won’t read any more of this if you agree.” He waved my tablet just out of my reach.

“But…” I started.

“It will be way easier than sneaking out of here and everyone’s attention is on the pack house right now. Alpha and Luna aren’t even worried about you for now,” he reasoned.

I sighed giving him a scowl. He took the opportunity to peck my lips. “Come on, princess. Live a little,” he whispered.

Sneaking out to hang out with V sounded a lot more fun than hanging out with my adopted grandparents. Alpha Robert had always been cool towards me. He was never outright mean or unwelcoming, but I could tell he wasn’t in love with his son adopting an orphan so easily. Now that I was a teenager, going to their house didn’t hold the same excitement as it had when I was younger. And he was right, it wouldn’t be too difficult to get out.

“Fine,” I conceded softly. “Just give it back!”

He gave me a giant, victorious grin and handed the tablet back. I exited out of the diary app and locked the screen, setting it next to us. V was still over top of me, looking at me hungrily. I reached up and brushed his floppy hair out of his eyes. I c****d my head, wondering what he was thinking about.

“The prettiest, most daring princess in all the kingdom…” he said in almost a whisper. His voice was husky and hot. “And she is all mine.” His lips came to mine in a heated k**s. Butterflies erupted in my stomach as I let him k**s me.

It didn’t last long when fervent knocking at my door stopped him. “What?” I called frustrated.

“Missy, Gramma is here! Let’s go!” Leo’s tiny voice called.

V hung his head. “Okay, I’ll be down in a second buddy!” I called back to him, nicer this time.

“I guess this is goodbye for now,” V said.

I gave him a small smile. “A gentleman would at least walk me downstairs,” I said.