Azalea

Amy and I chatted while Liam went to get ready. When he emerged from the bathroom, I couldn’t help but let my eyes raked down his body. Amy just laughed and made a joke about pregnancy hormones, if she only knew. Soon, Felix was at the door and I was supposed to go up to the Inn and speak with Maddox. I was curious as to what he had to say.

Felix and I worked our way up to the Inn. We headed in the back door to the kitchen. Now that breakfast was over, Maddox was supposed to be waiting for me in the dining room. I eased my way through the busy kitchen, the staff getting ready for lunch. We now had a decent number of staff at the Inn. We were no longer the small place that the old man had started with his wife. We felt less like a bed and breakfast and more like a functional Inn now. Felix had to try and make himself smaller and move sideways through the kitchen, so he didn’t disturb anyone.

When I pushed through the kitchen doors, I saw Maddox sitting at a table facing away from me. I could tell even at this distance that he had cleaned up well last night. His dirty blonde hair was far less brown now and he had on a clean shirt. I noticed the sling over his shoulder and gave Felix a questioning look.

“You almost got him completely. He will only need to leave it like that for a few days,” Felix muttered to me. I nodded. I approached Maddox as he turned to me. He nodded his head respectfully.

“Good morning, Maddox,” I said nicely.

“Good morning, Luna,” he said.

“I was told you wanted to speak with me?” I asked as I sat down across from him. He nodded his head and I waited for him to begin. Felix stood behind me and Maddox looked between him and I nervously.Content rights belong to .

I turned to Felix and said, “Would you mind giving us a moment? I am sure you can still perform your duties from the doorway over there,” I said motioning to the doorway leading to the sitting area and reception desk with a sly smile. He narrowed his eyes at me and stepped away. I turned my attention back to Maddox.

“I apologize. My mate can be… serious about my protection. He’s really a giant softy,” I said with a smile.

Maddox slowly nodded his head. “For some reason, I just don’t believe that…” he muttered. I stifled a small laugh at that.

“So, what did you want to talk to me about?” I asked him.

“First, I wanted to thank you for…” he trailed off looking down at his arm before looking back up at me. He cleared his throat and continued. “I also wanted to ask something of you,” he said a little more boldly this time.

I raised an eyebrow. “Okay,” I agreed. “And what would you like to ask of me?”

“I want to be trained to be a warrior,” he said, sitting up a little straighter.

“A warrior?” I clarified.

“Yes, Luna,” he said. I nodded my head thinking.

“Can I ask why you want to become a warrior?” I continued after a moment.

“I watched the Luna of my former pack be killed in front of everyone. That thing ripped my pack to shreds and there was nothing I could do about it,” he started. His teeth were gritted, and I knew this was hard for him to say. “My entire family is gone. I couldn’t do anything to protect them. I don’t want that to happen ever again. If I am lucky enough to find my mate, I want to protect them and my pack from harm.” He finished in almost a whisper. I peeked over my shoulder at Felix who had to be listening to our conversation but got nothing from the passive look on his face.

I reached across the table and clasped Maddox’s hand in both of mine. “Maddox, that is very noble, and I understand your reasoning. But I want to be clear about something: warriors risk their lives every day and risk not coming home to their mates. The pain of losing a mate often times kills the mates of our warriors. That is the choice you could be making,” I said. This reality was all too real for me as that is how we ended up adopting Missy.

He nodded his head. “There is a chance my mate died before I even got the chance to know her because I am not 17 yet. What are the real chances that my mate resides in your pack? I don’t think I will be lucky enough to find my mate, Luna. But if I do, I want to be able to protect her,” he said confidently now.

“Hmmm,” I said. I admired his confidence. I took in his appearance. He was a good-sized kid. He had broad shoulders but was a little on the thin side. He was pretty tall if I remembered from last night correctly. He probably hadn’t ever had any sort of combat training in his old pack if I had to guess. I bit my l*p thinking about our warriors. They start training around the time they get their wolves so by the time they come of age, they are strong and capable.

“Well, this is definitely something I will think about. If I am being honest with you though, our warriors start training much younger than you and it would be the Alpha who needs to give you permission,” I told him finally. His shoulders slumped a little for a fraction of a second.

“I will train harder than anyone else and I am a fast learner. I wouldn’t let you down,” he rebounded quickly.

I let out a small chuckle. “Alright. I will talk to my mate about it once we have verified your groups’ identities,” I said with a smile.

“Thank you, Luna,” he said bowing his head. He gave a look over to Felix. I stood from the table, saving him from awkward social graces.

“I need to be getting back. You will all be moving over to the main territory of our pack today I believe,” I told him. His eyes grew wide.

“This isn’t your pack land?” he asked.

“Well, it is but this is more of a human town on the edge of our territory. We support the town with some of our pack population, but the majority of our pack members live elsewhere,” I said smiling.

“Wow,” he said.

“We will talk soon,” I said in farewell as I moved towards Felix. He turned and followed me to the front of the Inn. “Shall we go collect Liam?” I asked him. Felix nodded. It was not until we were walking across the parking lot towards the SUV that Felix spoke.

“Kid has promise. He has a good heart,” he said in his low, monotonous voice.

“I agree,” I told him. “I think he would make a great protege for you.” I smirked as he opened the car door for me. I caught him stiffening slightly at my words but didn’t grace me with a response.

Liam

“What did she do?” I almost yelled at my mother as I spoke to her over the phone. We were on our way back to the pack house and I wanted to check on the kids.

“She snuck out, Liam,” my mother said. “Your father noticed. He was waiting for her when she returned. I finally got it out of her this morning that she went on a date with her boyfriend.”

I growled at that. “She snuck out of your house to go on a date with Vlad?” I gritted through my teeth.

“Yes, it appears she did. She told me she was tired and going to bed early. I thought nothing of it after raising you. You were always training or sleeping, especially the last few months of high school,” my mother prattled.

“Where is she now?” I asked.

“She is in the bedroom upstairs. Robert put an extra lock on the balcony door so she can’t leave, and we took her cellphone,” my mother informed me.

“Good. When I get back, I am going to strangle that good for nothing-” I was cut off by Azalea grabbing the phone from me.

“Lyssa,” she said. “Would you mind having Robert drop her off in about an hour? I would appreciate it if you could keep Liam and Leo one more night, but I think Liam and I should deal with Missy immediately.”

Oh, I was going to deal with Missy after I dealt with Vlad. I had half a mind to call Abraham right now and make him meet me in my office with his son.

“Thank you,” she said. “Talk soon.” Azalea hung up my phone and handed it back to me. Before I grabbed it, she pulled it out of my reach.

“You are not calling Abraham,” she warned.

“His son is turning my daughter into a delinquent! Sneaking out of her grandparents’ house? She is already grounded for Goddess’s sake!” I boomed.

“I will speak with Abraham as I seem to be the only one calm about this right now,” she said. “You will get yourself under control, Alpha,” she shot at me in an accusatory tone.

“I will not calm down!” I argued.

“Liam, are you telling me you never snuck in or out of the packhouse late or disobeyed your parents?” she retorted. She was giving me that look like I was being ridiculous.

“That was not the same. I didn’t have a girlfriend!” I said.

“Oh, let’s not even go down that road,” she sighed. “Look, you need to calm down because screaming at her is just going to make this all worse. Don’t you think it is a little bit punishing that she came back to your dad in her room waiting for her and then he will be the one bringing her back?” she asked. I rolled my eyes. “From the personal experience of a young girl, your father is terrifying when he is angry.”

“So am I,” I growled.

Azalea let another sigh and reached up to cup my cheek. “You’re her father. It’s not your anger that is going to get through to her. Your disappointment will be what gets through to her,” she said softly.

She was right but I didn’t want to tell her that. I pulled her hand away from my face and kissed her palm gently. “Fine,” I said shortly. “But I am still going to kill the boy.”

–

I stood outside Missy’s room, waiting for Azalea to speak to her. I haven’t been able to calm down enough especially after my father gave me some choice words on his opinion of my parenting. He didn’t have much room to talk. He wasn’t a parent to me. All he did was train me and try to prepare me to be Alpha. He was completely unaware of all the things my friends and I did growing up, good and bad.

Azalea told me she would speak to Missy first before we both decided what to do. Now I was impatiently waiting and cursing the soundproof doors of these rooms. Finally, Azalea emerged from Missy’s room, closing the door behind her softly. I gave her an expectant look.

“Don’t you have things to be attending to?” she said nonchalantly. I did have things that needed my attention, but I was sitting here fuming over my pup being a vagrant.

“What did she say?” I asked. Azalea moved passed me, walking calmly down the hall.

“She wanted to go out with Vlad, so she snuck out and he took her on a date. She was tired of only seeing him here at the pack house,” Azalea said with a shrug.

“That’s it?” I asked incredulously.

“Yes, Liam. That is it,” she said with a sigh. “I told her to stay in her room until we decide what we are going to do about this.” She gave me a scrutinizing look before halting her steps. She sighed and looked up at me. “Liam, go for a run. Let Gavin out. Clear your head and calm down. Drag Damien with you if you have to. Send Felix to babysit me and go get yourself together. We can discuss Missy tonight. Right now, I need to go finish the arrangements for Gwen.” I held her gaze for a moment before relenting. I was feeling cooped up and the stress was probably making my anger worse. It had been a while since Gavin really got to stretch his legs.

“Fine,” I relented. “I will go out for a bit. You are to stay in your office. I am not convinced you are fully back to it after last night.”

She gave me a soft smile. “I am perfectly fine,” she said. “Deep sleep will do wonders for pregnancy.” So, she has jokes now? I gave her an unimpressed look. “Really, I have enough stuff to do in my office. No reason to leave. I will see if Marci can send up lunch later as well. Go clear your head. I am sure there is plenty you need to deal with as well.” She grabbed my shoulders and tried to turn me. Although she was not strong enough to actually do it, I gave in and turned for her, letting her push me down the hall.

I entertained her attempts for about 20 foot before I turned around, surprising her. I scooped her up and carried her to her office, linking Felix on the way. By the time I deposited her on the couch and kissed her soft lips, Felix was already standing in the doorway waiting. I left Azalea in her office and headed out of the pack house towards the woods. I was barely undressed by the time Gavin pushed to the surface and shifted.