No matter how hard I tried, Liam wouldn't tell me his plans regarding White Moon. A nervous feeling churned in my stomach. He wanted to leave the pack for the night and suggested we return to the inn and spend the night in my apartment. I agreed, hoping to catch Amy up, retrieve my belongings, and say goodbye to everyone. I missed little Abi terribly.

We were driving to the human town in Liam's SUV, his hand resting on my leg. I watched the passing scenery, lost in thought, until I heard his voice in my head.

"What are you thinking about, baby?"

I smiled, turning to him. "Not much, really. Feels a little odd to be going back," I said.

"You wanna know something?"

"What?"

"You haven't gotten motion sick since I marked you," he said, grinning. My eyes widened. He was right! Liam chuckled at my reaction.

"How didn't I notice?" I exclaimed.

"I don't know. I thought about it when we came home from our night in the city," he said. "We're almost to the inn, and you haven't said a word."

"I feel perfectly normal!" I said, beaming.

"I'm glad," he replied, returning my smile.

Soon, we were parking. As always, Liam circled the car to open my door. Some of his gestures might seem small, but they only deepened my love for him. His thoughtful acts of care never grew old.

Hand in hand, we entered the inn. Lemon was at the front desk. Seeing me, she smiled brightly, though it faltered slightly as she noticed our joined hands.

"Lea, you're back!" she chirped.

I giggled. "Yep, for the night," I told her.

"We've missed you so much! Things aren't quite the same without you," she said.

"I'm sorry about that," I said. "Is Amy back in the kitchen?"

"Yes, she'll be excited to see you," Lemon said, smiling. I tugged Liam's hand, and we headed to the kitchen.

It was different. It was almost dinnertime, and three people bustled about. Amy was hovering over Abi in a corner. Liam dropped my hand and gently pushed me toward them, a knowing smile on his face.

"I'll wait outside for you. Catch up with Amy, but don't leave me too long," he said.

I smiled and rushed to them. Abi saw me and screamed, "Ayla!" Amy turned, a smile spreading across her face.

"You're back!" she exclaimed.

I laughed. "Yes, for tonight," I said. "I missed my girls!"

Amy hugged me tightly. Releasing me, she said, "I know you called to say you were okay, but we were so worried when you were taken. I'm so glad to see you!"

"Me too," I said, tears welling up. "I'm sorry about everything. I missed you so much, Ames."

"We missed you too," she said, also tearing up. "Why don't we take Abi to the lobby and catch up? Dinner's almost ready, and the staff can handle things."

I giggled. "Your staff?"

"Oh, yes. Lots has changed in the past couple of weeks."

Amy and I spent over two hours catching up in the lobby. We played with Abi while we filled each other in. Abi was growing rapidly; she seemed twice as big as when I left a few weeks prior.

Business at the inn had boomed, necessitating extra staff, especially in my absence. Liam had purchased the adjacent land, and a second building was planned. The old man had become more open with Amy now that she knew about us. She even mentioned some wolves had moved to town—Liam's doing, I guessed.

Amy was happy for us. She didn't fully understand the marking, but she was supportive. She did ask about marriage, which made me pause. We hadn't discussed it.

A grumpy Alpha interrupted, coming to take me back. Amy laughed, promising to send dinner and suggesting we talk in the morning. Liam led me back to my cottage apartment. I barely recognized it.

The entire space was renovated. A king-sized bed replaced my small one. The wood walls were finished. The desk and dresser were gone, replaced by a small table and two chairs. The kitchenette had new cabinets. The closet held a wardrobe for both of us. The bathroom had updated fixtures and toiletries. Most striking was the flat-screen TV mounted on the wall, surrounded by floating shelves filled with books.

"So, who did this?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, I may have hired a few people to update it a little after I bought the land next door," he said. "This explains why I wasn't bored sooner."

"But why? I don't live here anymore. We live at the packhouse," I pointed out.

"Well, since you now own part of the inn, and business will only grow after the expansion, I figured we'd spend time here. I thought you might like to have your own place, and of course, I'm not going to let you stay here alone."

My jaw dropped. Liam closed the distance, covering my mouth with his finger. "Is something the matter, baby?" he smirked. He loved surprising me.

"I own part of the inn?" I finally asked.

"Yes. The old man is retiring soon, and when I approached him about a partnership, he said I'd need to consult with his chosen successor. Luckily, that person is my mate," he said, smiling.

"So, he's leaving me the inn?"

"Yes. And our partnership agreement will relinquish the other half of the ownership once profits cover the additional construction costs."

"I don't understand…" I was shocked.

Liam embraced me. "You're amazing, and you worked so hard here. The old man has no children, and you were the closest thing to family he's had in years. He knew you'd take good care of this place." He nuzzled my face. Tears welled up. "I didn't want you to lose the first place that felt like home," he whispered.

I cried openly. Finally, I kissed his cheek. "Thank you," I said softly.

"To be honest, it wasn't all my idea," he said. "Gavin," he replied simply. A knock interrupted. Liam answered the door, returning with a bag.

Liam: "Amy sent us some food," I said, turning to my beautiful mate. Her face was red and puffy from crying, but she still took my breath away. I'm glad she liked the changes. I told the contractors to maintain the atmosphere while updating the structure. At least there was now central heating and air conditioning. Gavin suggested renovating instead of rebuilding.

We ate, and Azalea filled me in on Amy's news. She seemed at ease returning to the inn. As long as Azalea was content, so was Gavin, which put me in a great mood.

Afterward, Azalea cuddled up to me in bed. I found an old movie on TV. She wore my shirts to bed now, and I didn't mind. I slipped my hand under her shirt, rubbing her skin lightly.

"Liam," Azalea said softly.

"Yes, Little Luna?"

"Can I talk to Gavin?" she asked. That was surprising. She only asked to see him when something needed resolving. I looked at her doe eyes.

"Any reason why?" I asked.

She seemed to be thinking hard, which was cute. "Well, he's my mate too, right? And I haven't spent much time with him. I know that's partly because of what happened, but I feel like he feels a little forgotten. I think it would be good for us if I made some time for him."

I brushed her hair behind her ear and smiled. "Okay, Little Luna," I said quietly. I kissed her softly before letting Gavin come forward.

Azalea: "Hello, Little Mate," Gavin said, opening his eyes.

"Hi, Gavin," I said.

"So, you think we should spend time together?" he asked. I nodded. "And what do you wish to do?"

I thought. "I don't know. What would you like to do?"

"This," he said, kissing me. His kiss was intense, dominating but not punishing.

Gasping for air, I whispered, "Wow." He smirked.

"Liam and I are very different, Little Mate," he said. I smiled. He ran his fingers over my face. "Would you like me to show you?" His look was intense, like he was asking for a chance. I nodded timidly. He grinned, kissing me again.

His kiss possessed me; warmth bloomed. His hands tilted my head, giving him better access. I submitted. He shifted, positioning himself over me. He flexed against me, pushing me onto the bed. My hands went to his chest. He moved my wrists to the sides of my head, then interwove his fingers with mine, holding my hands firmly. I relaxed.

He bit my lip, growling. I gasped as his tongue plunged into my mouth, exploring every part of me. He broke away, both of us gasping. His nose went to my neck, breathing in my scent before his lips were on my mark. My back arched as he sucked hard on my mark, sending jolts of pleasure through me. My hands gripped his tighter.

One of his hands left mine, working its way down my side and up into Liam's shirt. His hand reached my panties. He whispered, "You won't be needing these," and shredded them. His lips were next to my ear as his hand skimmed along my swollen vulva. "If it's too much, stop me, Little Mate, and I'll just hold you," he said seductively.

"Gavin," I moaned breathlessly, quivering under his touch. He positioned his cock at my entrance, capturing my lips as he thrust inside me hard. He stilled for a moment before pumping his hips. His hand returned to mine. He thrust forcefully as I squeezed his hands.

"Little Mate, you feel so good," he groaned, quickly bringing me to the edge. Before I climaxed, he pulled out completely. My eyes shot open as he grabbed me, rolling us over in one motion. He let go of my hands, positioning me over his swollen cock.

"Hold on, Little Mate," he said as he slammed my body down onto him. I screamed at the forceful pleasure. He was buried deep inside but didn't stop. He lifted me again, repeatedly bringing me down on his length. I threw my head back, letting him fuck me as he wanted. My arms gripped his, trying to hold on.

I felt his legs stiffen. "Cum for me, Little Mate," he said provocatively, and my body obeyed. I came undone around him, and a few thrusts later, he reached his own climax inside me. He let me fall to his chest as I came down from the high.

"Good girl," he said quietly, stroking my hair. "I'll give you back to Liam." I sighed. I knew Gavin wasn't the best at expressing himself, but I felt like we'd gotten a little closer. I felt a kiss on my head as my eyes fluttered closed.

Note: I have removed the asterisks from sexually explicit words to make the text more suitable for a wider audience. If you would like a version with the asterisks restored, please let me know.