Missy
Ding. Ding. My phone goes off next to me as I lay on my bed writing in my diary app. I look over to see a message from Vlad.
V
| HeyContent rights belong to .
| can we talk?
ME
| right now?
V
| yea
ME
| I guess
V
| come meet me at the cabin
| please?
Biting my l*p, I look out the window. It’s starting to get dark, and there is probably no way of me getting out of this packhouse unnoticed.
ME
| I dont know if I can get out
V
| just slip out
With a heavy sigh, I locked my tablet and set it under my pillow. V and I needed to talk instead of this awkward pleasantry thing we have been doing. I should also probably tell him that Maddox will now be around pretty much all day for the foreseeable future. I wouldn’t be surprised if Liam kept someone watching me until he passes over the Alpha title.
I don’t want to get him in trouble, but I hoped that Maddox is still outside with Junior as I set out down the hall. I have no such luck as Junior is climbing the stairs towards me, looking dirty and grass-stained. “Hey, bud. Where’s Maddox?” I ask.
“He went to shower. He made me fall,” he said grumpily. He pushed past me without another word. If Maddox is in the shower, then I can probably get out of here on the down-low. I silently descend the stairs, making myself as small as possible. I slip out the back door and towards the tree line. Just when I thought I was in the clear, someone clears their voice behind me. I stop dead in my tracks and turn to see Maddox standing behind me with his arms crossed.
“I thought you were staying in your room the rest of the night,” he said with a raised eyebrow.
“I am just going for a run,” I said, not completely lying.
“You know Alpha doesn’t want you going anywhere alone,” he said.
“It’s fine. Go shower. You look like a mess after training with Junior,” I said. I did not need Maddox tagging along to meet up with Vlad.
“Missy, no. I already let your dad down once, and I am not going to do it again. If you’re going out, I am going with you!” he said, getting irritated now.
“I don’t need to be babysat,” I feebly argued.
“What has gotten into you? What is with this weird 180?”
“I’m going to meet Vlad, okay?” I admitted. I looked away from him, suddenly not able to meet his eyes. I could feel the air thicken between us; we were both silent for a moment.
“Fine, I’ll go with you,” he finally said, his voice somber now.
“No, it isn’t necessary. I wouldn’t ask you to do that,” I said quietly. Heavy footsteps stopped in front of me, and I looked up slowly to see Maddox giving me a steadfast gaze.
“You aren’t going by yourself so, it’s me, or I call a warrior to escort you. It seems to me you don’t want anyone to know where you are going, so the choice is yours,” he said.
I weighed my options for a moment. I didn’t want anyone to know where the cabin was, but Maddox was sure better than anyone else. I sighed, “Fine. Come with me, but I need to be alone with Vlad.”
“Fine,” he said, sounding a bit bitter. “Lead the way.” He walked past me, into the trees in the direction I was initially headed. I wondered if I should text Vlad that Maddox was going to be following along. He would be irritated, I’m sure. I didn’t get much time to think it over when Maddox called, “Coming?”
I jogged to catch up with him. “Sorry,” I muttered.
“Where are we going?” he asked.
“Somewhere no one else knows about,” I said.
“And where is it exactly?” he asked.
“We’ll get there faster if we shift,” I told him. He nodded his head and turned around, pulling his shirt over his head. When he started to drop his shorts, I got the hint. I hurried behind a nearby tree and pulled my own clothes off quickly. I left them in a pile and shifted. When I stepped out from the tree, Maddox was waiting for me.
“Lead the way,” he said. We both took off deeper into the trees.
“When we get there, can you maybe stay outside?” I asked.
He gave me a sideways look. “I guess. Where is there?”
I was quiet for a minute. He was going to see it when we got there, so what was the harm in telling him? “An old cabin we found,” I told him.
“Are you sure it’s safe? It doesn’t belong to someone?”
“About as safe as anywhere else, I guess….”
“Fine, I’ll stay outside, but you are going to let me check everything out first.”
“Alright,” I agreed. As we ran, Maddox was scanning the woods. His cautiousness was making me feel uneasy as we went. Before long, we were nearing the cabin. “It’s right up ahead. I need to shift and dress,” I linked him.
“Wait,” he said, slowing down. Maddox started circling closer to the cabin, sniffing the surrounding area like he was searching for something. “Stay close,” he said as he moved. I followed behind him, trying to figure out if he actually smelled something or if he was just checking around the cabin.
We made a wide arching path around the cabin before he started moving closer. “Maddox, what is wrong?” I asked him.
“I smell something. It’s faint, but it’s…. I don’t know, wrong somehow,” he told me. When we got close to the front again, Vlad was standing by the front door, looking around. When his eyes landed on me, he looked a little relieved until he saw Maddox.
“What’s going on?” he called. I moved away from Maddox, heading for a tree to change behind. I changed quickly, pulling on clothes and dashing out from behind the tree.
“Sorry,” I said, stopping in front of him. “I can’t leave the packhouse alone.” His eyes moved to Maddox before coming back to me.
“Is he staying then?” he asked.
I nodded. “Yea, but he’s going to stay out here.”
“Missy, I don’t think we should be here. I can’t figure out what this scent is, and it’s barely there,” Maddox linked me. I turned to him now.
“No one knows this is out here. We have been out here a dozen times,” I told him.
“That was before rogues were pushing at our borders constantly,” he argued.
“Please, Maddox? Just give me a little bit, and I will go back with you,” I begged.
“What’s wrong?” V asked behind me.
“Maddox is worried. He smells something off out here,” I told him.
“He doesn’t need to be. No one knows about this, and nothing has been touched,” he said.
I looked back at Maddox. The look on his face, even in wolf form, told me he was nervous about this. I walked over to him and brought my hand up to the side of his muzzle. His eyes went wide like he wasn’t sure.
“It’s okay, Maddox. I trust you and him. Just howl if we need to leave, and I will come running, I promise,” I linked him. His head dipped once, and he turned away from me, moving into the trees around the cabin. I returned to the cabin doorway where V was waiting for me. He gave me a tight smile before stepping aside to let me in the door.
I stepped into the cabin that I hadn’t seen in weeks. Nothing had changed other than it looked like something had been thrown at the wall, making a small crater in the wood. V shut the door behind him and stood with his back to it, hands in his pocket as he gave me a sheepish look.
“So, what did you want to talk about?” I asked quietly.
“I miss you,” he said, his tone tender. He looked down at the floor, seeming nervous. Usually, he was so confident.
“I wasn’t really the one with a problem….” I replied. I missed him too, but I wasn’t sure if it was him I was missing or how certain I was about him before Maddox and everyone else arrived.
“I know, and I should have never made my problems yours,” he said softly.
“So, where does that leave us?” I asked, holding my breath.
He was quiet for a moment. “Where do you want it to leave us?” It was my turn to look away. I couldn’t answer him honestly because I didn’t know. After a minute, he continued, “I am sure all of this had made things a little more difficult for you. But, Missy, I really love you and never meant to hurt you. I have no doubt you are my mate and hate myself for letting you down that day.” He closed the distance between us, reaching his hand up to hold the side of my face gently. I brought my eyes to his, recognizing the sincerity in his gaze.
“V, I just….” I trailed off. How could I tell him that things weren’t the same and I wasn’t as sure as he was? I couldn’t just break his heart and push him away like that.
“V, I just….” I trailed off. How could I tell him that things weren’t the same and I wasn’t as sure as he was? I couldn’t just break his heart and push him away like that.
He brought his other hand up, completely cradling my face now. “It’s alright. I get it. It’s my own fault. But if you aren’t going to push me away, I will not stop fighting for you. I don’t care when your birthday is or when we will know; I love you, Missy.” He leaned his forehead against mine, and I closed my eyes. Where was this V when I was freaking out in the safe room or after when I was all alone?
We stood like that for what felt like ages, unmoving. Finally, he pulled back and placed a soft k**s on my forehead. “I’m sure he is anxious out there. I don’t know what he could smell out here…” he said. “I’ll let you get back. But before you go, can I ask you something?”
“Sure,” I whispered, my voice not working properly.
“Let me take you out before your birthday. I want to celebrate with you before it’s officially the day, and we know one way or another,” he requested.
I nodded my head. “Sure,” I said, trying to smile.
He smiled with a slightly relieved look on his features. “You should get back to the packhouse. I am sure your dad won’t be happy with you gone all hours of the night,” he said, releasing me. I nodded. He stepped aside, and I moved towards the door. When I stepped out into the cool summer night breeze, Maddox was waiting right outside, facing the trees around the cabin. His head turned, looking at me over his shoulder. I headed down the steps and strode towards the trees so I could strip from my clothes and shift.
Once I shifted, I met Maddox back in front of the cabin. V stood on the steps watching us. With one last lingering look at him, Maddox and I took off back to the packhouse.
Azalea
Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, I leaned against the counter with one hand on my belly. This child was really giving me a hard time today. The cramping along the side of my stomach was excruciating, and my stretching skin was making me itch all over. Liam entered the bathroom quietly; the only signal of him coming into the room was his scent growing more potent. He wrapped his arms around me and under my belly.
“Lean back,” he whispered into my ear. I did as he said, my body just obeying him. As I leaned back against him, his hands lifted the weight of my pregnancy, and I sighed in euphoric relief. “Better?” he whispered.
“Mmmhmm,” I hummed, enjoying the lessened weight and pressure from my back. He chuckles softly.
“How’s my pup?”
“Doing good,” I said. “She likes when her daddy holds her.” I could feel his smile grow behind me. He liked when I referred to the pup as ‘she.’
“Missy ran off with Maddox a bit ago,” he said, feigning nonchalance.
“Are you worried?” I asked.
“I’m not sure,” he admitted.
“Do you regret letting them stay together in her room?”
“No,” he said. “I think he is good for her.”
“Me too,” I said. “I really like him.”
“There isn’t much time left before her birthday,” he said. “She will be of mating age.” He said this like I didn’t already know. He and Gavin were probably upset that their pup was about to be an adult.
“Liam, why doesn’t Vlad have a definitive scent?” I asked him. I had been wondering if this was related to Abraham knowing about the vampire bite.
He sighed, cuddling his face into my neck. “Abraham came to the pack after his mate was killed and Vlad was hurt. Vlad was bitten by a vampire. Abraham hasn’t seen him shift since. After everything Theodore has told us, I would imagine he was bitten by an older vampire but has lost connection with his wolf.”
“How sad,” I mused. He nodded.