Azly's sweet little face scrunched up as she began to fuss. "She's hungry," I said. Liam nodded behind me.

"I'll have them bring us a bottle," he said softly.

"I wish you'd spent more time with her," I whispered. Liam buried his face in my neck. The longer I was awake, the more clearly I could feel our bond. I could tell Liam was a maelstrom of conflicting emotions.

"The important thing is that I have you back, and I won't stop until nothing threatens you or our pups ever again, Little Luna," he said in a low voice.

Azly fussed more; I bounced her gently. She seemed to like it, although only slightly. A nurse entered, bringing a bottle. I quickly settled Azly with her food. She drank readily as we watched.

"She's perfect, Little Luna," Liam murmured, watching Azly over my shoulder. "You did amazing."

"We did," I corrected. Liam kissed my cheek, and I closed my eyes, enjoying the touch. "Liam, I want to know what happened."

Liam sighed. "If I promise to tell you everything, can we just be tonight?" He sounded tired.

"If you promise to tell me everything," I agreed. He snuggled closer, and I closed my eyes, breathing deeply. I was tired and weak, my body aching from surgery and the coma, but I desperately wanted to know what I'd missed and to spend time with Azly and Liam.

We sat in comfortable silence, watching our little pup eat. When she finished, I put her to my shoulder, and she burped almost instantly. Missy was right; she was a perfect baby. She settled down and fell asleep cradled against me. I could feel Liam's smile on my shoulder as we watched her sleep.

Time passed quickly; Doctor Ron soon returned. "I see she's adapting well," he commented, looking at Azly. I nodded. "My apologies, Azalea, but I think it's best if I take her back to the packhouse tonight. You and your mate should rest, and Azly would be most comfortable in her crib."

I frowned, feeling sad. I knew Azly would need to go back, but I wasn't ready to let her go yet. Liam nuzzled my head.

"It's okay, Little Luna. We can see her first thing in the morning. You're still healing, baby," he whispered, soothing me.

"I'll personally take her back," Doctor Ron smiled. He took Azly gently from me, rocking her. "This will be the last Alpha baby I get to bring into the world," he sighed. "And she might be the most beautiful yet. The nurse will be along shortly. You'll be on a few monitors tonight. We want to watch everything. If all is well, you can go home for dinner tomorrow and sleep in your own bed, but I'll be checking on you and Azly frequently. Young Missy and Maddox have done a great job."

"Thank you," Liam said. I could only nod, watching my daughter.

"You both get a good night's rest," he said, heading for the door. The curtain remained drawn between Lily and Damien and us. I breathed heavily, feeling incomplete without Azly. Liam's arms tightened around me.

"I know, baby. But your body needs time. I want to take you home. One more night, and she can stay with you all the time," he consoled. I turned in his arms, mindful of my stitches. Burying my face in his chest, I breathed deeply, letting his scent fill me. Liam gently rubbed my head, threading his fingers through my hair. His touch quickly lulled me to sleep.

MISSY

Maddox and I left the clinic, heading back to the packhouse.

"We knew he survived…" I said quietly.

"Yes, but this is worse. We angered him; he knows you were rescued," Maddox said. His tension was palpable.

"He can't get to me as easily now that Vlad isn't helping him…" I tried.

Maddox balled his fist. Whenever Vlad or our capture was mentioned, his rage was barely contained. "Austin and I can't handle things," Maddox said. "We need Liam and Damien back. I've never run a pack, Missy. I'm only so much help."

"I know," I said. "Lea just woke up, so hopefully, we can get his attention soon. He's probably feeling better now that she's awake. Imagine if it were me."

"I did, and I never want to again," Maddox said quietly. I grabbed his arm, stopping him. He sighed and looked at me.

"Things are different now. Warwick won't get to me again. And I won't go down without a fight," I promised. His hand came to my cheek, his thumb stroking it softly.

"I've only had you for a short time. Even if it were years, it wouldn't be enough. I was lost when he had you. The world was upside down. I'm going to make sure we kill him this time so no one ever threatens you again," he said.

"I'm sorry it happened," I apologized. "It wasn't how I expected to spend my birthday…"

Maddox hugged me tightly. I hugged him back. Finally, he said, "Let's get back to the packhouse. We need to strategize. It might be a good idea to call Alpha Langston." I nodded, and we continued back.

"That got us nowhere," I lamented, back in the bedroom. I went to my dresser for Azly's bottles and formula. Doctor Ron brought her to the packhouse as we finished the meeting about Warwick.

"Langston will come tomorrow and talk to Liam. We'll figure this out," Maddox said, sitting on the bed with a fussing Azly. I grabbed a diaper and wipes and tossed them to him while I made a bottle. When we first got back, I tried to prevent him from helping with Azly. I didn't want him responsible for my baby sister. He insisted until I finally let him help. It was easier when we worked together.

I finished the bottle and handed it to Maddox, who'd already changed Azly's diaper. He fed her while leaning against the headboard. I ran my fingers through my hair. I don't know how Lea and Liam do this. Running a pack is stressful, especially with vampires to worry about.

Maddox smiled. "You're cute when you're frazzled," he joked. I rolled my eyes, earning a laugh. "Go shower," he said. "I'll get her fed and settled, and we'll cuddle when you're done."

"Alright," I said. A shower sounded good. From this morning's argument to Lea waking up and Warwick's threat, I felt wound up. I grabbed clothes and headed to the bathroom after kissing Maddox's cheek.

The scalding shower was a relief. My shoulders relaxed, and my worries began to wash away. Maddox makes fun of how hot I like the water. When I'm done, I'm pink, like I've burned all the dirt off. He hasn't showered with me, but he almost jumped out after entering. I wouldn't mind him showering with me, and I wondered when we'd talk about mating. I wasn't ready when he rescued me, but since then, I've thought about it.

As I washed, an uncomfortable warmth bloomed in my stomach. Lowering the water temperature only slightly helped. My heart raced; I didn't know what was happening. Holland was urging me to go to Maddox, which didn't make sense. He was right outside.

A pounding sounded on the door as a cramping pain shot through my abdomen. "Missy?" Maddox called. He sounded urgent. "Missy," he called again.

I turned off the water, breathing heavily. "Yeah?" I called back. I was too hot.

"Missy, what's going on?" Maddox yelled. "Tell me what's happening, so I don't come in."

"I-I'm fine. Don't yell; you'll wake the baby!" I called back. I clutched my stomach, focusing on my breathing.

"Missy, something's wrong. Tom is losing it," Maddox said. His voice was rough. "Tell me what's happening."

"Come get us. Come get us now," Holland purred in my head. I stumbled out of the shower, grabbing a towel. I was sweating.

"I'm fine, Maddox. Just stay out there a second," I yelled.

"Holland, what's happening?" I asked her.

"We can't wait, girl. It's time," she said.

"Time for what?"

Maddox answered. "Missy, I think you're going into heat."