Azalea

Liam and I were returning to the packhouse after a relaxing evening. He watched TV while I read, nestled in his lap. He was a perfect gentleman, foregoing his teasing. I received plenty of affection throughout the night—his hand was constantly on me, holding my hand, waist, or gently rubbing my arm. Our time together clearly eased the stress and anxiety he'd felt since my kidnapping.

Now, in his SUV, we drove back to the pack. Our hands were intertwined, his thumb absently tracing my knuckles. We enjoyed a comfortable silence, listening to pop songs on the radio.

"Liam," I began, hesitant to break the spell of our wonderful day.

"Yeah?"

"I have a question…"

"Anything," he said, glancing at me.

I took a deep breath. "I think I should talk to Gavin."

He instantly stilled. After a moment, he asked, "Why, baby?"

I sighed. At least it wasn't a flat refusal. "Well, we know it wasn't entirely his fault at the lake house. It's only fair to clear the air. My wolf said the blame fell on her." I paused, unsure of his reaction to what came next. "Also, since I no longer have a wolf, he's essentially without a mate. That makes me his mate by default, and he can't be strong without a connection to his mate."

He contemplated my words. Finally, he said, "My Little Luna, you're far smarter than I give you credit for."

"What do you mean?"

"Gavin's been distraught since I marked you. I never considered him losing your wolf half. It didn't seem to affect you much, so I didn't think about it. But Gavin must have felt your wolf emerge and then disappear—that has to be affecting him." He paused. "I haven't wanted him near you. I know you said you forgive me, but I wasn't sure how you felt about him…"

"Honestly, I'm not entirely unafraid. Part of me still fears what he might do after our last meeting. But I trust what my wolf told me and want to try to forgive him."

He kissed my hand gently. "If it makes you happy, then okay. I'll make it happen," he said, smiling. I rested my head on his shoulder.

"Thank you," I said. Liam has quickly become the most understanding and thoughtful man I know. I'm truly proud to call him my mate.

When we arrived at the packhouse, Lily was waiting, radiating excitement. "What's that about?" I asked Liam.

He chuckled. "Oh, that. Lily helped me with a little surprise for you."

"What are you talking about?" I asked as he parked.

"Let's go see!" he exclaimed, hopping out and opening my door. He scooped me into his arms, making me giggle. He set me down, took my hand, and pulled me toward the packhouse and a waiting Lily.

"What's going on, you two?" I asked as we reached the door.

"Yay, you guys are finally back!" Lily jumped up and down. Damien appeared.

"Thank god. She's been annoying the hell out of me," he said boredly. Lily smacked his arm; he rolled his eyes.

"Can I please take my mate inside?" Liam said impatiently. Lily and Damien let us pass, Liam whispering something to Lily, who looked sad as Damien put his arm around her waist. Liam pulled me toward the stairs. "This will be faster," he said, surprising me by scooping me into his arms bridal style. I clung to his neck as he carried me up the stairs and into his bedroom.

"Lily helped me with this; I hope you like it," he said, opening the door. I looked around. The room was transformed. The bed had navy blue sheets and a comforter with grey pillows adorned with purple and white flowers. There were nightstands, a chest at the foot of the bed similar to mine (but matching the room's color scheme), floating bookshelves, and a large dresser. The sitting area featured a navy chaise lounge with white pillows accented with purple flowers. The TV had been repositioned for better viewing from the couch.

I slowly slid to my feet, examining the room. I went to the bookshelves—they were filled with books like those on my shelf at the inn.

"Are these…" I started, turning to him. He nodded, beaming.

"We had some of your things moved from your apartment. The closet and bathroom, too," he explained excitedly. "I wanted you to feel like this wasn't just my place, but our home." He drew closer, cupping my face in one hand, the other resting on my waist. "What do you think?"

"Liam, I love it. It's beautiful. You didn't have to do all this," I said, tears welling up.

"Of course, I did. You're making so many sacrifices for me; the least I can do is make this your home, too."

I kissed him. He kissed me back enthusiastically. His nervousness was adorable. We broke apart, and I smiled. "So, you let Lily ransack my apartment?"

He chuckled. "Just a little. But she got the important stuff. She even brought all your quilts," he said, pointing to the chest. "Although, if you're cold, I hope you'll just let me warm you up," he added.

"I'd like that very much," I said, kissing him again. He deepened the kiss, lifting me into his arms.

A knock interrupted us. Lily entered without waiting for an invitation. "Glad I got here when I did," she said, smiling knowingly. "Another thirty seconds and this would have been awkward. So! What do you think?"

Liam gently lowered me. I hugged Lily tightly. "Thank you," I whispered. "I love it so much."

"Okay, now. Don't strangle my mate," Liam said as we broke apart, laughing.

"So, does this mean we can announce you to the pack and start planning your Luna ceremony?" Lily asked hopefully. Liam looked apprehensive, but I smiled and nodded. "Sure," I said. "We have to do it sometime. Better sooner, I suppose."

Liam

My heart stopped. Azalea is ready for me to announce her as my mate and Luna? I stood stunned as Lily squealed and hugged her again. Azalea looked at me with her large, doe eyes. I scooped her up, burying my face in her neck and spinning her around.

"You really mean it? You want to be announced to the pack, baby?" I asked, incredulous. She nodded timidly, and I spun her again.

"I'll leave you two be," Lily said. I was focused on Azalea. I kissed her deeply, not pulling away until we both gasped for air. Her lips were swollen.

"When?" I asked.

"Um, I don't know. What do you think?"

"Mmm… How about tomorrow?"

Her eyes widened slightly. "Okay," she said softly.

I inhaled her scent. "Thank you so much, baby," I said.

Azalea and I went to my office afterward. I worked while she read on the couch. We had lunch together, but Lily arrived mid-meal, whisking Azalea away with my credit card, claiming she needed the perfect dress for tomorrow. Azalea reluctantly went. I used the time to talk to Gavin.

"Azalea wants to talk to you. She made a compelling argument," I said.

"And what was that?" He'd been withdrawn since she woke up.

"Her wolf is gone. She feels you two need to connect as she's your only mate now," I explained.

"I thought I'd feel her wolf once she was marked…"

"I know. I'm sorry, and I suspect she feels bad too. She's willing to forgive you."

"Are you?"

I paused. "If she's willing to forgive you and try to move past it, then I will, too. I'll do whatever makes her happy."

"You'll let me speak to her alone?"

"Can you control yourself?"

"Yes." He was resolute. I still worried about Azalea, but I felt less concerned about him.

"Okay. If she's comfortable with it, I'll let you spend some time with her. She's right; when we aren't working together, we are weaker." I felt his spirits lift. If Azalea accepted both of us, Gavin and I would be much stronger.

It was late. Lily had texted me not to wait up for dinner. I was on the couch, reviewing patrol reports, when Azalea entered with shopping bags.

"Hey, sweetheart. How was shopping?" I asked, setting down my files.

She put the bags down and climbed into my lap. "Long," she said. "Lily made me try on a thousand things. She said everything had to be perfect."

I laughed. "Yeah, that's Lily. But it's well-intentioned. At least you didn't have a grumbling Beta upset that his mate was gone all day."

"Aww, poor Damien."

"He'll be okay. He said he's locking her in tonight so she can't busy herself with anything," I laughed.

"How was your day?" she asked.

"Long," I said, smiling. She rolled her eyes. I pulled her close, burying my face in her hair. "I missed you," I said, inhaling deeply.

"I missed you, too," she said. "What's wrong?"

I sighed. "You can't even read my thoughts and you know. You're amazing."

"Liam, what's wrong?"

I inhaled deeply. "I talked to Gavin about what you asked."

She was quiet. "He doesn't want to talk to me, does he?"

"No. He was just hesitant. And I can't help but be nervous. I put you in danger before, and if he ever hurt you again…"

She looked into my eyes. "He won't. I know he won't," she said gently, resting her head on my chest. "Whenever you two are ready. I can wait."

"I am ready," Gavin said. "Let me out."