WARWICK

"Did you find out what was in the stupid wolf's deposit box?" I asked.

"No," my useless minion answered. "But the former Alpha is dead, sir."

"Where is the Luna?" I asked.

"She got away. The two weren't enough to overwhelm the former Alpha," he replied.

I rolled my eyes. Incompetence. I stood. "Is there anything else? I have a meeting to attend."

"There are two of them traveling together," he said. "We've been able to follow them, but our latest trackers went missing."

"And?" I asked, bored.

"We think they might be getting closer to finding us."

I laughed. "Let them come. Two little puppies can't stop me."

"We just aren't ready yet. If they were to find us—"

"I could just snap their necks," I interrupted. This conversation was boring me. I headed for the door, ending the report. I only needed one more piece on my side before my victory was guaranteed.

AZALEA

When we returned to the packhouse, Azly was still sleeping, and Leo went to bed immediately. Junior wasn't so easily persuaded, though.

"What happened?" he demanded as I tried to tuck him in. His eyes were fixed on my bandaged hand.

"Nothing you need to worry about tonight," I lied. I didn't enjoy lying to my children, but I wanted to tell them all together, and let Liam control how that happened.

"Grandma was hurt. Was it Grandpa? Was it their bond?" he asked.

I sat on the bed beside him and brushed his floppy hair from his face. He was a spitting image of Liam and far too intelligent for his own good. "Can you trust that your dad and I will tell you everything tomorrow?" If I couldn't get him to drop it, a bargain might work. I resolved to ask Lyssa if Liam had been the same at this age.

"I'm going to be Alpha, and I need to know these things," he argued.

"Yes, you will be Alpha," I agreed. "And it is an enormous responsibility. So big that sometimes it feels like a boulder is on your back, making it impossible to move." He tilted his head, listening intently. "Being Alpha can be a tremendous burden for many reasons. It doesn't necessarily disappear when you're no longer Alpha, either. It will be very important that you know these things one day, but right now, you get to enjoy growing up. So, for tonight, you let me worry about Grandma and Grandpa, and you let your dad be Alpha. Tomorrow, we will tell you everything important; I promise."

He frowned, his little eyebrows furrowing in thought. "Okay," he said, exhaling heavily. He pulled his blanket up and lay back on his pillow. I stood, leaning forward to kiss his forehead. "Mom?" he stopped me.

"Yes, sweetheart?" I said.

"Would it make it easier to carry the boulder with someone?" he asked.

I smiled. "That's why every Alpha has a Luna and a Beta. They help make that boulder a little easier to carry."

Junior nodded, accepting my answer.

When Liam finally came home and got into bed, I could feel only sadness emanating from him. I lay on my back, and Liam climbed in, resting his head on my abdomen. He hugged me tightly, and I ran my fingers through his hair, hoping to comfort him. We lay still, and fell asleep in that position.

When I woke up, Liam was on the couch with a cup of coffee. "Hey," I said, sitting up.

"I didn't want to wake you," he said. I got out of bed and went to him.

"How are you feeling?" I asked. He frowned; Azly began to fuss on the baby monitor.

"I'll get her," he said, standing. He left the bedroom to get our baby girl.

When Liam returned, I was getting dressed. He sat back down on the couch, cradling Azly. "Do you want me to call Missy home so we can tell them all together?" I asked softly.

"That's probably best," he sighed. Azly's tiny hand clutched Liam's finger as he gently moved it back and forth.

"Do you want some breakfast?" I asked. He shook his head.

"Not today," he whispered.

Knowing he wasn't ready to face anything yet, I left him alone with Azly to call Missy and ask her to come to the packhouse. She didn't answer at first but called back almost immediately.

Liam came downstairs after breakfast with Azly, and Missy arrived soon after. She looked more tired than usual. We took all the children into the lounge and sat on the couches.

"What's going on?" Missy asked, looking between Liam and me.

"Something happened yesterday," Liam said.

"You all know that bad people are trying to hurt our pack," I said, looking at Leo and Junior. I wasn't sure if they fully grasped the concept of war, but it wasn't something we could hide.

Leo nodded, and Junior gave me a discerning look. "These bad people will stop at nothing to hurt our family," Liam continued. "Yesterday, they tried to hurt your mother."

"Wait, we were attacked?" Missy asked, eyes wide.

"Not exactly," I answered.

"Grandpa and Mom went into the city to take care of some things," Liam explained. "And while they were there, those bad people tried to get to your mom. Grandpa stopped them."

Liam paused, and I could see Missy processing this. Leo waited for Liam to finish. Junior seemed deep in thought.

Missy gasped, covering her mouth. "No," she whispered. I looked at Liam, who seemed unable to speak.

"I'm very sorry, everyone. Grandpa was badly hurt, and he passed away," I said.

Leo's eyes welled up. "So he's dead?" he asked.

"Yes, baby, he's dead," I answered. He scooted closer to Missy, who put her arm around him. She was crying too. Junior stood, fists clenched. He stormed out silently. I placed my hand on Liam's back as we watched him go.

"How is Grandma?" Missy asked softly.

"Your grandmother is a strong woman. She'll be fine in time," Liam said. Missy nodded.

I looked at Leo, who was fighting back tears. "Leo, are you okay?" I asked. He nodded.

"Junior says I have to be brave when bad things happen because we're Blackfurs," he explained. "Grandma will need us to be brave."

"It's okay to be sad, sweetheart," I said.

"Can we go to Grandma's house and give her hugs?" he asked.

"Let's give Grandma some space. Maybe tomorrow?" I said. Liam nodded.

"Missy?" I said.

"Was it…" she trailed off.

"Yes," Liam answered. "They figured out where your mother was and came after her."

"And you still think it's safe for my mate to be on your little research mission?" she asked sharply.

"Missy!" I scolded. "This is not the time." She was holding back tears, fear etched on her face.

"Wake up. You lost your adopted father. Now our grandfather is dead. Who's next?" she retorted. She kissed Leo's head. "I have to go, okay, buddy?" She left the room.

I sighed and looked at Liam. "I'll go talk to her," I said, standing.

I found her sitting at the bottom of the stairs, wiping away tears. She glared at me as I sat beside her.

"I don't want to talk," she mumbled.

"I know this isn't easy," I said. "Maddox is gone, so you're feeling incomplete. Now this happens, and you're not only sad, but more worried about him."

Missy hugged her knees and rested her head on them. I could hear her sniffling. I rubbed her back gently. "I'm sorry you have to go through this," I said. "You're allowed to feel. Let it out."

"How does this end?" she asked, her voice muffled.

"I don't have the answer," I admitted. "I can only hope we can end this soon."

"This sucks," she said. I laughed.

"Yes, it does suck," I said. I moved closer and wrapped my arm around her. "It sucks when things feel completely out of your control, and it's a lot to handle alone. You haven't exactly had a break since before your birthday."

She shrugged. An idea struck me. "What about taking a few days off school?" I asked. She looked skeptical, making me laugh.

"Yes, school is important, and I want you to graduate," I said. "But I also know that with everything going on, you're probably struggling to get through class. What if I call Lemon and see if you can stay with her for a couple of days? Help out around the inn, have some girl time?"

Missy's eyes widened. "Really? That would be okay?" she asked.

"I think it will be fine for a couple of days. Maybe some time away from the pack will get your mind off Maddox," I said. Her expression fell. "Okay," I laughed. "Maybe not. I bet Lemon can still help distract you, though."

"Thanks," she said.

"Go home and pack," I said. "I'll see if Austin or Felix can drive you there. You can stay in the cottage or with Lemon."

Missy hugged me tightly. "Thanks," she whispered.

"Thanks, Lemon. She really needs a getaway," I told Lemon on the phone. "I'll have her dropped off at the inn by dinner." I hung up and opened the bedroom door. Liam was sitting on the bed, looking at a photograph.

I went to him. It was a picture of him and Robert. "When was this taken?" I asked.

"My Alpha ceremony," he said quietly. "It was one of the few times I can remember my dad looking proud."

I took the photo and placed it beside him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and straddled his lap. "I think Robert was proud of you, but had a hard time showing it," I said.

"You don't have to defend him. He wasn't exactly warm to you, even after years of marriage," Liam said.

I shook my head. "We had our problems, and he had his doubts, but he didn't mean me any harm. He just felt strongly about the safety and perception of the pack."

I thought back to our first dinner with Lyssa and Robert. I stood between Robert and Liam, trying to mend their relationship. There was a flicker of recognition, of validation as Liam’s mate that night. Liam had a uniquely strained relationship with his father, but there was still love between them.

"He was emotionally stunted," Liam said.

"Maybe," I said. "But he was your dad, and you still loved him."

Liam buried his face in my neck, his arms around my waist. "What would I do without you?" he sighed. We were quiet, holding each other.

"What can I do?" I asked.

"Kiss me," Liam said, looking into my eyes. "I want to feel the sparks." I kissed him; we spent the next couple of hours lost in each other, escaping the world.

This revised version improves grammar, punctuation, and flow, making the narrative clearer and more engaging. I have also removed the censored words, replacing them with appropriate alternatives. Remember to be consistent in your tense and point of view throughout your writing.