Azalea

I woke up the next morning wrapped in a quilt. I didn't remember Liam leaving last night, nor the last time I'd slept so well. This was a vast improvement over the past few days; the ache in my chest was so slight I could ignore it completely.

I got up and went to the kitchenette for a glass of water, then checked the fridge for fruit. I planned to have breakfast at the inn.

A note was on the fridge:

I couldn’t stay all night; I didn’t think it was safe. I’ll come back tomorrow with the pack doctor. I’ll fill him in on what happened three years ago; he may have more questions for you. No one will know besides us. We should arrive around noon. Please call me if you need anything, or if we need to arrange a different time. Here’s my personal cell phone number, so you don’t have to call the packhouse. –Liam

That worked for me. I had plenty to catch up on at the inn, but this was important. I’d get there and start as soon as possible, and I didn't mind working late after seeing the doctor.

A good night's sleep had renewed my energy. I wondered why I'd slept so well; maybe it was his warmth or the faint forest scent clinging to him.

I got leggings, a loose-fitting shirt, and new underwear from my dresser, then showered and dressed quickly in the bathroom, pulling my hair into a messy bun. I don't wear makeup; I never learned how to apply it.

I went to the inn and entered the kitchen. It was early; Amy wasn't there yet. I went to the front desk to check my tasks for the day.

I began cleaning rooms for today's check-in, forgetting breakfast completely. Last Christmas, Amy had given me an MP3 player loaded with music. I brought it along; it made the work go faster.

After finishing the rooms, I went downstairs. The dining room was full, so I started in the sitting rooms (the inn had two). I dusted shelves and knick-knacks, wiped tables and chairs, cleaned windows, and vacuumed the rugs.

I lost track of time. While dusting shelves with my back to the front door, I felt a hand on my waist and a face near my ear. I froze as he pulled out one of my earbuds.

“Now don’t you look tempting, kitten,” he whispered. Kitten? I turned slowly, finding myself practically in Liam's chest. Realizing who it was, I jumped back, bumping into a bookshelf.

“Owww…” I groaned, clutching my head. Liam's expression changed from cocky amusement to panic.

“Azalea, I’m so sorry! Oh, Goddess, are you okay? Are you bleeding?” he asked anxiously.

“Ow, um, no, no. I think I’m okay. Just a bit tender,” I said.

“Why don’t we go to the kitchen and put some ice on that, just in case, young lady?” an older gentleman said from behind Liam.

“Oh, sure,” I said, surprised by his presence.

Before I could move, Liam grabbed my hand, pulling me to the kitchen. Luckily, Amy had gone shopping. I didn’t want to explain this to her yet. Once there, Liam turned me around, put me on the prep table, and found three ice packs in the freezer. He brought one over, positioned himself in front of me, and gently pressed the ice pack to the back of my head, his eyes fixed on mine.

“I am really sorry for scaring you, Azalea. I should have just waited to get your attention,” he said.

“I’m okay. I promise. This probably isn’t even necessary,” I replied, reaching for the ice pack.

“No. Just let me,” he said sincerely. Why was he trying so hard to care for me? I'd been taking care of myself since I was five.

“Alright, big bad Alpha. Let me look at her,” the older man said from behind us. Liam growled. “And hush your growls. You know I won’t take any of that. I can go back to my clinic anytime. Remember, this is a favor.”

“Yes, sorry, Uncle,” Liam said. Realization dawned as the man stepped forward and Liam moved away.

“Hi, Miss Simmons, as you’ve probably guessed, I am Dr. Ronald Blackfur, brother of our former Alpha Robert and this nitwit’s uncle. I am pleased to meet you,” the doctor said. I looked at Liam.

“It’s okay, Azalea. Just because he’s my uncle doesn’t mean he’ll tell anyone. No one in the pack knows we’re here,” Liam said reassuringly. I hadn't considered him bringing his uncle. I nodded and looked back at Dr. Blackfur.

“How about you just call me Ron? Now, before we get to the pressing matters, let me see that head. I understand you never got a wolf, so you heal as a human would?” he asked, feeling the back of my head. I winced slightly.

“Well, sort of,” I said. “My wolf came at thirteen, like everyone else’s, I guess. Although, we never shifted. But about two months later, she stopped talking to me,” I said with a shrug. He finished examining my head and handed back the ice pack.

“Better hold that there a bit longer,” he said. “That’s very unusual for a wolf. On the first full moon after your thirteenth birthday, how did you feel? Did you feel any shifting in your body, pain in your extremities, anything of that sort?” As he spoke, Liam came to my side, took the ice pack, and held it to my head.

“Uh, no, I don’t think so. I can’t remember, honestly,” I said. I don’t even remember my wolf’s name.

“Hmm. Your wolf spoke to you, right?” “Yes, she did.” “Did she ever take control of your body?” “How would I know that?” He looked at Liam; a silent conversation passed between them. Liam smiled tightly.

“Azalea, when I touch you, what do you feel?” Liam asked.

“Warmth, I guess. It feels really nice because I get cold a lot. Why?”

“And when Liam rejected you three years ago, what did you feel then?” Dr. Ronald asked.

I sighed, reluctant to revisit that night. But this was important. “Well, I didn’t know what was happening. I was already feeling a little sick from the drive. I didn’t get in cars often as a kid; I always walked to school. When he said he was rejecting me, it felt like someone was squeezing my heart and trying to rip it from my chest. I couldn’t breathe properly for a while. It was worse than breaking my wrist or ribs,” I said. I felt Liam’s gaze on me. I didn’t want his pity.

“I see,” Dr. Ronald said. “And Liam said you weren’t feeling well when he got here yesterday. Can you tell me about that?”

“Well, I guess I was just feeling really under the weather. My chest felt very heavy, and my body ached all over. I couldn’t sleep comfortably, so I hadn’t slept much for a few days. I don’t really know why, but my body felt better when he hugged me. He’s really warm, and it felt nice,” I paused. The rest felt too personal.

Dr. Ronald looked from me to Liam. “Please go on, Azalea. You seem much better today.”

I blushed, looking down at my hands. “Well, I asked Liam if we could stay like that for a few more minutes. He, uh, he picked me up and laid me in my bed. When he laid down with me, it felt like my whole body was relaxing. He was warm, and my bed was comfortable. I fell asleep. When I woke up, I was feeling a lot better.”

Liam and Dr. Ronald conferred again. “I was probably just drained and overworked. I haven’t been taking much time off lately. I also haven’t been sleeping well, so I’m sure Liam’s warmth just made me sleepy. My apartment can be a little cold sometimes,” I said, looking between them.

Dr. Ronald looked at me. “Azalea, I do have more questions, but I need to ask you an important question about the night Liam rejected you. Did you accept his rejection?”

“Yes, I let him leave me here. I found his note and did as he asked. I didn’t see a reason to go after him. I knew he hated me. I knew he needed to do it to be happy. He couldn’t ever be happy with someone like me. Plus, I don’t think Alpha Robert would have ever allowed it.”

“But specifically, did you say that you accepted his rejection?”

“I didn’t say anything that night. Liam did all the talking. Why?”

“Azalea, Liam and I need to discuss something. Would you mind if we stepped into the dining room?”

“Uh, sure, but uh…” I looked down. The prep tables were high. Liam helped me down. “Can I get you anything, Liam, Dr. Ronald? I could make some coffee, and there should be some pastries around.”

“That would be lovely, thank you,” Dr. Ronald replied. He and Liam left. I watched them go; Liam looked back over his shoulder for a second.

Liam

I couldn’t decide if this was fantastic or the worst. Hearing her explain things to my uncle was gut-wrenching.

“So, your mate bond was never severed. Although, I’m not sure any mates have ever left a bond damaged for so long. But that’s where things get difficult. I cannot be sure, but based on observations of her growing up and some of the things she’s told me today, her wolf is suppressed. It’s not common for a wolf to have never shifted; I’d hazard to say she may be the only one,” my uncle explained.

“But is she feeling the bond? I don’t feel warmth when I touch her. I feel sparks, the most pleasurable sparks imaginable. It’s amazing—”

“Woah, woah, woah. I know how mate bonds feel, boy. But I don’t know if she feels the mate bond. My theory—yes, but not to the same degree you do. Although I haven’t seen it personally, I have read similar descriptions of the mate bond in humans. When she was younger, do you ever remember her with injuries? Do you recall anything about her healing?” he asked.

I thought back to my seventeenth birthday, to the cuts on her feet. To the many times she’d fallen or been pushed. “She got hurt a lot, I guess. I don’t think she heals like a wolf. But if she heals and feels the mate bond like a human would, why did it hurt her as badly as me when I tried to reject her?”

“Because her wolf didn’t just leave her. At least, I don’t believe it did. Her parents were both werewolves, so the likelihood of them giving birth to a child who wasn’t is almost non-existent. Wolf halves ‘leaving’ you is actually a myth. They can decide to hide or block us out, but they cannot leave. Our wolves are a part of us. But the fact that she never shifted concerns me. Right now, my theory is that her body couldn’t handle the shift, so she never felt it happening. Her wolf retreated and lay dormant because it was never fully released.”

“But what would keep her from shifting?” I asked. It wasn’t something a wolf controlled the first time. On your thirteenth birthday, your wolf came to you. On the first full moon following that, you shifted. Mine happened on a full moon, so Gavin and I didn’t have much time to get acquainted.

“My best guess, and that is all I can do for the moment, was her body. She was clearly malnourished most of her adolescence. Her size is almost unheard of for a werewolf. Have you ever met another wolf that’s less than five and a half feet tall?”

His words stung. All those years she lived in the same house as me. There was always enough food. No one was hungry. We could raid the kitchen. I’d never seen her eating with us. Mom had once told me she was allowed to eat in the kitchen after meals. I’d thought my parents didn’t want a traitor eating with the pack.

I buried my face in my hands. How had I been so oblivious? I was so self-centered. My uncle sat beside me.

“Look, Liam—” he began, but the kitchen door swung open. She walked towards us, carrying a tray with coffee and snacks. She set it down.

“Don’t let me intrude. I can leave you guys alone,” she said.

“No, no. I think I’ll take my leave. Azalea, it was lovely to meet you formally. We’ll see each other again soon. Liam, I’ll see you this evening,” my uncle said. He left.

I looked at Azalea. She sat with her hands in her lap. I wanted to hold her hand. “So, uh, does Dr. Ronald know what to do about all this?” she asked.

“No, not really,” I said, looking away.

“Oh,” she said. She stood. I panicked. She grabbed the coffee pot and poured us each a cup; she added copious amounts of cream and sugar to hers. She handed me mine. I saw croissants on the tray and grabbed one.

She sipped her coffee, not looking at me. I was relieved she’d never said the words; our mate bond hadn’t been broken. It meant she probably knew about the other she-wolves. I imagined it felt as bad as the night I’d tried to reject her.

Gwen refused to accept her mate’s rejection. He immediately found other she-wolves. Damien was ready to kill him. Gwen screamed in agony every time he slept with another she-wolf. Lily finally convinced her to say the words and accept it.

“I should probably get back to work now, um, you know the way out?” she said. My heart sank. I hadn’t planned on her leaving.

“Actually, uh,” I said, “I was thinking; maybe, you might want to spend the day with me?” Goddess, I was lame.

“Actually, lover boy, she has things to do. But if Alpha duties can be ignored to spend time with girls all day, then I have a thing or two you can do,” my uncle said, appearing behind us. I turned to him, but then I heard a giggle. It was amazing; I’d never heard her laugh.

“I’ll leave you two alone. I’ll be in the laundry room! Bye!” she said, dashing out. I watched her go.

“Hey, you stop that now, Alpha boy,” Mr. Greyback barked. I raised an eyebrow.

“And what am I doing?”

“Now you’re cleaning my gutters,” he said, tossing me gloves. “Ladder’s in the shed.”

I rolled my eyes. I could use this as an excuse to have dinner with her later.

This revised version improves grammar, punctuation, and flow, making the narrative more engaging and easier to read. It also corrects some inconsistencies and minor errors in the original text. I have left the censored words as they were presented in the original.