Azalea

I can’t feel anything. Missy, Junior, Leo. Delilah, Lucas. Oh, Goddess. They are so young and then Missy…. I can’t even think about what could be happening to my children right now.

Someone is leading me somewhere, but I can’t focus on anything around me right now. Liam and Damien will find them; they must. Their wolves won’t allow the kidnappers to survive either. But I can’t imagine what is happening to them in the meantime; they must be terrified. Missy will do whatever she can to protect them, but she’s only a 16-year-old girl.

I am pushed down gently onto a chair, and a blanket is draped over my shoulders. Why my children? They did nothing to deserve this. I knew something was wrong today, and I still left them.

“Azalea, darling,” a soft voice said in front of me. I blinked my eyes rapidly, trying to focus on what was in front of me. Emma was kneeling in front of me with a distraught look. “How are you feeling?”

“Um…” I whispered. How do I put this into words? Liam and my children are my everything. Growing up, I never really fantasized about having a mate and certainly never about having children. The Moon Goddess blessed me with both, but now my children were in genuine danger. If Liam couldn’t get to them in time or if he got hurt too….

“Your mate will find them,” Emma said, trying to reassure me. She is such a kind woman.

“We’ll have an escort ready to take them home soon,” I hear Langston say. I turned my head, looking around for Lily. She was probably just as upset as I was right now. She was also sitting in a chair with a blanket over her shoulders and her face in her hands. I could see her shoulders shaking.

Emma rubbed my shoulder softly. “Liam and Damien are very capable. And you guys have amazing warriors, thanks to them. They will find the children; I am sure of it.”

I turned my head back to her and managed a tight smile. She nodded her head. “I will go check on the car,” she whispered. She stood and left the sitting room we were in.

I needed to compose myself before we got back to the pack. We were just attacked, and my pack needs their Alpha and Luna to be strong right now. Even if my heart felt like someone plunged a knife right through it, I needed to show our pack that we would not tolerate an attack like this. I slid the blanket off my shoulders and stood up, trying to keep myself together.

“Lily,” I said, moving towards her.

“Lea, they are so little. Missy can’t protect all four of them. Who knows what they will do to her?” she sobbed.NôvelD(ram)a.ôrg owns this content.

“Lily, we need to get home. We need to make sure no one else is hurt at the packhouse. The guys will already be tracking the kids down. They will find them, so we need to be ready when our mates bring them home,” I said, trying to sound confident. Lily was usually good in a crisis; she was always right there to help me. But this was entirely different. Our own children were in very real danger, and if the rogues knew they were the children of the Alpha and Beta of the pack, it could only get worse.

Lily rubbed her face and looked up at me with a small nod. “Yea, we need to get back,” she croaked. She stood up, and without words, we hugged each other.

“They will find them,” I whispered. “They have to.”

“I know,” she agreed.

Langston and Emma came back into the room. “We have a few of our warriors to escort you back, Luna, Mrs. Hale.”

Lily and I pull away from each other. “Thank you, Alpha,” I said. He nods his head. Emma comes over to Lily and me.

“No more crying, ladies. Those pups will want their fearless mommas when they come home. Be strong for them, okay?” she said softly. We both nod, giving her tight smiles. Sadly, Emma could never fully commiserate with how we feel right now. She and Langston were never able to have children. Her efforts were genuine still.

–

Lily and I sat in the back of the car, holding hands while two of Langston’s warriors sat in the front, driving us home. There were also six wolves running along either side of the road just out of sight. Langston wanted to be sure no lingering rogues were waiting for us, thinking that they someone how knew Liam and I had left the territory. We pulled over just past our pack border so that Langston’s warriors could switch with our own. Sean climbed into the driver’s seat, giving Lily and me a sad look through the rear-view mirror.

“My deepest apologies, Luna, Mrs. Hale,” he said formally.

“We know you all did your best,” I said, not wanting my pack members to shoulder the blame for this. If I had just brought the children with me, we would not be in the same position.

“Alpha and Beta dispatched with a team about a half-hour ago,” he said as he started the car. The rest of the trip was silent.

When we arrived at the packhouse, Marci was waiting outside with Jacob. Jacob rushed to the car as I opened the door. To my surprise, he held out his arm to help me from the car, not letting go as we moved toward the front doors. I looked up at him, but he wouldn’t make eye contact with me, his face holding a solemn expression.

“Luna, Miss Lily,” Marci greeted us.

“Marci, are you alright?” I asked her.

“Yes, dear. Everyone inside the packhouse made it to the safe room. I don’t believe the rogues got inside,” she said softly. I looked up at Jacob, who nodded.

“What about the warriors? Was anyone hurt?” I asked.

“Only one severe injury, Luna,” Sean said from behind me. “He was taken to the clinic, and Doctor Ronald has him now.”

I nodded. “Good. I will visit him shortly. Marci,” I said, turning my attention back to her. “Can we get something hearty made up for everyone? I think some comfort food might be necessary right now.”

She gave me a warm smile. “Of course, Luna. There is something already being made up.”

“That’s great,” I told her, truly appreciative of the older woman in front of me.

“Luna, would you like to see your daughter now?” Sean asked.

Lily and I both snapped our heads to him. “Missy is here?” I asked disbelievingly. We both thought the rogues got all of them. I felt a pang of guilt, realizing my mind had not once thought of Maddox.

“Yes, she is upstairs in her room,” he said.

“I thought all the children were taken,” Lily said.

“The younger ones were outside when everything began. Missy and Maddox were in the kitchen. I also believe Vlad was with them as well,” Sean explained.

“I want to see her now!” I said, trying not to choke up.

Missy

After Liam left, I stood in the doorway, staring at the place he just stood. ‘Please, please let them be okay,’ I prayed to the Moon Goddess. Maddox came up behind me after a few minutes of silence.

“I should go,” he said lowly. I could hear the defeat in his voice.

“Please, don’t,” I requested, turning slowly to face him. His head was hung low, and shoulders slightly slumped.

“Missy, Alpha is handling it now. You’re safe. I should go….”

“I don’t want to be alone,” I told him.

“I don’t deserve to keep you company right now.”

My l*p quivered; I reached out and grabbed his arm. “Please?” I whispered. He grabbed my hand gently and pried my fingers from his arm.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered before sweeping past me and out of my room. I stared at the doorway, not believing that he actually just walked out. Why would he leave me if he cared so much? I hugged my arms around myself.

For the first time in a really long time, I wanted my mom. My birth mom. I couldn’t help the nagging feeling that Lea would be upset that I was the safe one. Liam was so mad about everything he could still come back and be upset with me.

I don’t know how long I stood there wrapped up in my own thoughts, but I was interrupted by V clearing his throat. I looked up to see him leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed, his face angry.

“V,” I said. Had he been in the safe room with us? Where had he been when I was with Maddox? Everything after Maddox telling me the kids were taken was fuzzy.

“Just friends?” he mused, his voice full of venom.

“What?” I asked stupidly.

“You honestly expect me to believe you and that rogue are just friends after all of that?”

“V, I-”

“Save it. You can be upset that your siblings were taken or whatever. But clinging to another guy? Maybe you think about what you want before ‘slut’ gets added to the rumor mill. At least that one would have some truth,” he spat. My mouth dropped open. He looked me up and down once more before standing up and leaving.

I felt cold. I was so distraught with the thought of the kids getting taken by rogues that I forgot all about him. Maddox was just there. He was the one that pulled me back into the house and away from the fighting. Where was V during all of that?

Tears slipped silently down my face as I stood there, too numb to move. Everything was falling apart around me, and I couldn’t do anything to fix it right now. My brothers were gone. Delilah and Lucas, too. Lea was probably a crying mess while Liam is away trying to find them. Maddox thinks this is his fault, and V is mad at me.

“Missy, come downstairs,” Jacob linked me.

“Why?” I reply. What good am I to anyone right now?

“Because the Luna would like to see you, and we don’t want her to walk upstairs,” he said. That made me nervous. Lea shouldn’t want to see me; she should be upset the kids were taken, and I am safe.

“Are you sure? She wants to see me?”

“Yes, please hurry.” Jacob and Lea don’t see eye to eye. He respects her as Luna, but I guess he doesn’t like that she doesn’t have a wolf or something. He isn’t mean to her, but they also don’t go out of their way to talk to each other. He must be with her since Felix and Austin are gone.

“Missy, sweetheart. Would you please come down here? Your mom really needs you right now,” Lily linked me. Lily asking only added to my worry.

I dashed away the wetness from my cheeks and moved out of my room. I descended the steps slowly. I wasn’t sure where they were, so I tried to follow my nose. There were many wolves still in the packhouse, mainly near the dining room, but some were still coming and going. They all looked like warriors based on the dirt covering them and the lack of complete clothing. I went to the kitchen, thinking she may be sitting at the counter with a cup of tea.

When I opened the door, I heard a gasp and strangled sob. Azalea stood near the island counter, talking with Sean, Jacob, Lily, and Miss Marci. She pushed Jacob aside and hurried over to me. In seconds, I was wrapped in a bone-crushing hug.

“Oh, Missy. I am so happy you’re safe,” she cried.

Azalea

When Missy swung the kitchen door open, my heart leapt. She is okay. I pushed Jacob aside so I could get to her, not concerned with his annoyed grunt. I pulled her close and crushed her to me, never wanting to let her go.

“Oh, Missy. I am so happy you’re safe!” I exclaimed.

“Yea…” she said softly. She hugged me back, but I knew something was bothering her. I let go of her briefly only to take her face in my hands, looking her over carefully.

“Your father will find them. He will bring them home,” I told her, hoping to reassure her. She nodded at me, giving me a cautious look. “Are you okay? You didn’t get hurt, did you?” I asked her. Everyone fussed about me not going upstairs unnecessarily, and I didn’t get to ask what happened with her.

“No, I’m not hurt. Maddox got me to the safe room,” she said quietly.

“Thank Goddess,” I said. Missy still looked sad. I pulled her in for another hug. “Liam will find them, and they will be back here soon,” I tried to reassure her.