Lacey

Miss Marci rushed into the room with an ice pack. "Here, put this on it. We should elevate that, too!" she fussed.

"I'm okay!" I protested. I'd tripped coming down the stairs and landed awkwardly on my ankle. Miss Marci was in the hall when it happened, so she helped me hobble back to Felix and my room before rushing to the kitchen for ice. She was making a big fuss over nothing; the pain was already subsiding.

"I told Austin to call your mate. I think he's with Miss Lea at the clinic," she said, attempting to arrange pillows under my leg.

"No? Please tell me you didn't…" I sighed. "Miss Marci, I really appreciate your concern, but I promise I'm okay. It's definitely not broken; it'll feel better in a couple of hours!"

"It would make me feel better," she argued. "Plus, Felix will want to know. You're his mate, and you're carrying his pup!"

My shoulders slumped. Miss Marci was the kindest woman I'd ever met, next to my mother. I didn't have to endure her fussing for long, though. Thunderous footsteps announced Felix's arrival; he appeared in the doorway, his eyes wide. He saw Miss Marci tending to my leg and me sitting helplessly on the bed, then crossed the room in two strides and scooped me into his arms.

I stopped him as he turned to leave. "Felix!" I snapped. "Put me down, for Goddess' sake. I tripped!" He stopped and looked at me. "I'm okay. Please, this is too much."

He glanced at Miss Marci, who was blushing. "I'll leave this ice pack for you two. You should be in good hands now, Lacey," she said, exiting the room quickly. I sighed and looked at my mate.

He backed up until he hit the bed and sat down. "Are you hurt?" he asked.

"I think I just rolled my ankle. It already hurts much less. I promise, I'm okay," I assured him.

"Let me look," he said. He settled me beside him on the bed and pulled my leg onto his lap. He knew which leg it was because Miss Marci had rolled up my pant leg. He carefully lifted it and gently moved and palpated the joint. It hurt a little, but nothing unmanageable.

He frowned when he finished his examination. "Don't look at me like that. I didn't tell anyone to call you!" I said quickly. He nodded and began gently rubbing my calf.

"Now that feels amazing," I smiled, earning a smile in return. I kissed his cheek. "Do you need to go back to Azalea?" I asked. He shook his head.

"Azeron was sent," he clarified. His gaze was intense, stirring my wolf.

"So, we have some time to ourselves…" I inquired. He nodded as his fingers moved down to my foot. My eyes fluttered closed, and a soft moan escaped my lips at his touch. When I opened them, he had a cocky smirk, and his eyes were darkening. He carefully lifted my leg, gently pressing his lips to my ankle before trailing them down my foot to my toes, kissing each toe pad. Shivers ran up my body.

He set my leg down, his hands rising as my arms snaked around his neck. He shifted, his body over mine as I lay back. His hands kneaded and massaged my sides as I moaned with pleasure.

"That feels good," I whispered. He bent over, burying his nose in my neck before leaving soft kisses below my ear. "Felix," I breathed. Every nerve ending was alight; he knew how I'd react and used it to his advantage.

Felix's kisses deepened as he moved along my jawline. Things were escalating when my phone rang in my back pocket. "Ugh," I grumbled, but Felix continued. "Felix, I should get that."

"Uh-uh," he huffed, continuing to kiss my shoulder. I giggled, trying to wiggle away.

"I should answer it," I said through laughter. He rolled his eyes and sat up, hovering above me. I leaned forward and kissed him before reaching for my phone.

He watched as I answered. "Hello?" I said breathlessly.

"Lacey bug, were you running?" my mother's voice came through.

"No, no, just didn't want to miss your call. What's up?"

"Oh, bug, your father and I wondered if we could visit next week? We really want to see you before the baby's born, and we'd love to meet your mate!" My mother was too nice. She was the epitome of those sweet old grandmas who bake cookies and sing happy songs.

"Uh…" I trailed off. Felix's eyebrow rose as he listened. "I'm in the middle of something super important, Momma. Can I call you back?"

"Oh, of course, bug! But don't keep me waiting too long! We're so excited after everything with Harry," she said.

"I know," I said. "I'll call you back. Love you." I hung up before she could say more. I hadn't mentioned my parents wanting to meet him yet, fearing his reaction, and also worrying about the ongoing war.

Felix looked at me expectantly. "So, that was my mom…" I said hesitantly. He nodded, prompting me to continue. "My parents want to visit and meet you. They're excited about a grandpup, and with everything going on, we haven't exactly done the 'family' thing yet."

He got up and sat beside me. I sat up, struggling until Felix supported me. "I didn't…" he said quietly.

"Didn't what?" I asked.

"Parents," he said, looking down. His face was screwed up in thought.

"Didn't know I had them?" I asked. He nodded slightly. "Felix, everyone has parents. Even you. I'd love to meet them, too." He shook his head. "Wait, you don't have any parents? Is that why you assumed I didn't?" Felix shrugged.

I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. I was used to his limited communication, but wished I could read his mind. "Do you want to meet them?" I asked.

I watched his face, but his eyebrows only furrowed. I couldn't tell what he was feeling. "Are you upset?" I asked. He didn't answer.

My mind raced. "Are you mad that I haven't said anything about my family?" I couldn't stop the outburst. "I haven't been the best daughter since Harry died, and yes, I left the pack to get away from everything, but they're still my family, Felix. I never thought my mate would be unhappy about that. I haven't pushed this, but you can't be upset that they want to meet you. We're having a child, and we're mates!" My breathing quickened; too many emotions swirled within me.

Felix looked up, wide-eyed. He grabbed my arms and shook his head. "I'll meet them," he said quietly. I nodded. I couldn't understand why, but my eyes watered. "I don't do family," he said.

"What does that mean?" I exclaimed. "We're starting a family!"

His eyes widened. "No…" he trailed off.

"No? Felix, I'm carrying your pup! Me, mom. You, dad. This," I said, pointing to my stomach, "baby. Family." He stared at me with the same wide-eyed expression. "Felix, you said you wanted this. You said you wanted pups; I thought that meant you wanted a family." I paused. Then a crushing thought hit me. "You aren't changing your mind, are you?" my voice broke.

He quickly shook his head and pulled me close, wrapping me in his arms and kissing the top of my head. "Never," he murmured. I tried to calm down by listening to his heartbeat, but a sinking feeling remained.

"Felix, I need you to explain. With words. I don't understand. I need to understand, please," I pleaded. He was quiet for a moment but didn't release me.

Finally, he spoke. "My mother was human. She died when I was six. My father was…" he paused, searching for words. "Strict. He didn't act like a father. He was a commander. We trained, we fought. When I reached mating age, he kicked me out for having no interest in fighting for our Alpha. I walked away and never looked back."

My heart lurched. He didn't do family because he couldn't remember having one. I leaned away, looking into his face. He looked vulnerable; I gently cupped his cheek. "You don't do family because you didn't have one?" I asked. He nodded. "Are you afraid you'll be like your father?"

He looked away for a moment before shaking his head. "I know what not to do."

"I'm sorry that happened to you," I said, placing my hand on his chest. "But this heart is too big to be afraid of family. Felix, you are an amazing man, and you will be the perfect father. My family will love you as much as I do because anyone who spends even an hour with you can see how wonderful you are."

He looked back at me. There was fear in his eyes. I leaned forward and kissed him gently. "I promise, you have nothing to worry about," I told him. He nodded, cupping my face. His thumb wiped away a tear I hadn't noticed. His gaze turned questioning, as if checking on me.

I laughed lightly. "Damn hormones," I said. He smiled gently. "I'll call my mom back later. But right now, I'd like to revisit our alone time. I believe your lips were…" I pointed to my neck near his mark. He smirked, his body relaxing slightly. He gently turned us and laid me on the bed. I pushed my fingers through his hair as his lips resumed their journey over my skin.

I have replaced asterisks with appropriate words throughout, improving flow and clarity. I have also corrected grammatical errors, improved sentence structure, and standardized punctuation.