Missy

I stood at the edge of Lea's birthday party on the packhouse's back lawn. Liam, of course, was throwing a big bash. Most of the pack was present. Lea and Lily sat at a table on the small stage, with Felix standing nearby, as always. I swear that guy was everywhere. I tapped my foot impatiently, checking my phone again. V was late. He'd promised to save me from this torture. I loved Lea and Liam like my real parents, but I was tired of being the adopted Alpha kid. I'd never be Alpha; that responsibility belonged to Junior. But the expectations and endless gossip were exhausting.

V was different. He and his father had joined the pack two years ago, and he didn't care about all that. He didn't treat me like an Alpha kid or pay attention to the gossip. He was cool and down-to-earth. I checked my phone again. No text, no call. Where was he?

The popular girls walked by, giggling and glancing at me. I rolled my eyes and walked away, heading toward the treeline. Maybe I'd go for a run instead of waiting for Vlad. Letting my wolf take control for a couple of hours seemed like a great escape.

My phone dinged as I neared the treeline. Hoping for a text from V, I saw a message from Liam: "Where did you go? It's time to sing."

I sighed. I knew Liam and Lea didn't deserve my attitude, but I couldn't help it. Being me was suffocating sometimes. Now that baby number three was on the way, the pack talked about nothing else—except how, if it was a girl, Liam and Lea wouldn't care about me anymore. As much as I tried to ignore the hateful rumors, it wasn't easy.

I stopped a few yards into the treeline, buried my phone in my pocket, and started to undress. Movement in the forest stopped me. I looked around. Someone was walking toward me. I smiled as I recognized the familiar silhouette.

"You didn't want to wait for me?" he said fondly.

"You couldn't even text that you were going to be late?" I said, irritated.

"Sorry. My dad held me up. But I'm here now," he said, stopping a foot away. "Want to get out of here?"

"That's what I was about to do," I said.

"Come on. Forget shifting. Let's go somewhere," he said.

My wolf was excited. I was sure Vlad was my mate. In a few months, we'd know for sure. My wolf wasn't as certain; for some reason, he disliked shifting, mentioning something about their old pack, but never elaborating. "Alright, let's go," I said. He held out his hand. I grabbed it, and we headed toward his car.

Azalea

Liam texted Missy but got no reply. "I'm sorry, Little Luna. She isn't answering, and I can't link her. I think her block is up," he said tenderly.

I rubbed his arm soothingly. "It's okay. She seemed upset earlier," I told him.

"That's no excuse. She should be here," he said, agitated. He and Missy had been at odds lately over her boyfriend, Vlad, whom I hadn't seen at the party. I wasn't the best judge, as I'd been on "light duty" due to my pregnancy, and Liam was taking it very seriously. Last night, he'd stopped me from helping Leo pick up his toys because I was bending too much.

"Let's just cut the cake," I said. "It's really okay." He gave me a sad look. He always tried so hard to make me happy. Junior came over, tears in his eyes. "What's wrong, sweetheart?" I asked, concerned.

"What happened to my boy?" Liam said, scooping him up.

"Delilah tripped me," he sniffled, pointing to a badly scraped knee. Poor thing hated blood; even the smallest cuts were devastating.

"Why did she do that?" Liam asked gently.

"We were playing, and I won. Lucas teased her for losing, and she got mad," Junior said.

"Junior, was it maybe an accident?" I asked. He shrugged.

"Let's clean this knee up," Liam said. "We can sing to Mommy when we're done." He gave me a sympathetic look before leaving with Junior. I sighed as they left. Across the yard, Damien was talking to an angry Delilah, who was stomping her foot. She was a daddy's girl, and Damien was putty in her hands. He and Liam were amazing fathers; Lily and I had hit the jackpot with our mates. Lily walked toward me, rolling her eyes.

"Some days, these kids really test my patience," she said. I laughed in agreement.

"Who lost this time?" I asked.

"I think Delilah and Leo. She's over there complaining to Damien about how it was unfair, and someone cheated," she said.

"When Liam gets back, he wants to do cake," I told her.

"That'll calm the kids down temporarily," she said.

Damien came over with Delilah on his back. "Where did Liam go?" he asked.

"To get a Band-Aid for Junior. How's Delilah?" I asked.

"She's fine," he said.

Liam finally called the pack to attention. We sang "Happy Birthday," cut the cake, and passed it out. Even though it was my favorite flavor, the smell made me nauseous. I tried to hide it, but Liam knew better. He rubbed my back soothingly, apologizing.

"Liam, you couldn't have known. It's okay," I told him. "Let's just wrap this up and go to bed." I wanted some alone time with him after putting the kids to bed. "Have you seen Missy?" I asked.

He gave me a guilty look. "No. Maybe we should send out a few warriors to look for her…" he trailed off, probably linking with the patrol leader. I turned to Felix, who was still at my side.

"Have you seen her since the party started?" I asked.

He nodded. "She went toward the woods about forty-five minutes ago," he said.

"Liam," I said, "maybe she went for a run. Felix saw her go toward the woods."

He sighed. "Okay. If she isn't back by eleven, we're sending someone to find her. And she better not be sneaking off with Vlad," he said, spitting out the name. He really disapproved.

"Okay, my Alpha," I said, giving him a sweet smile. His eyes darkened, and his posture relaxed slightly.

I sat on our bed waiting for Liam. He was tucking Leo in. I texted Missy: "Please let me know where you are and that you are okay."

A few minutes later: "I am fine. With V."

I sighed. Of course. Vlad and his father had joined the pack two years ago, under murky circumstances, but Liam and I had let them in. Missy had immediately liked Vlad. Something always felt off about him and his father, but they'd been model pack members, so we dismissed it.

I texted: "Please be home by midnight. We were worried."

K

Teenagers were so much fun. I wasn't looking forward to this with the younger ones, though I was sure Junior and Leo would be easier than Delilah. Liam came into the bedroom, looking tired. I opened my arms, and he came to me, crawling onto the bed, wrapping his arms around my middle, resting his head on my bump.

"How's my little girl doing?" he asked.

"Liam, we don't know if it's a boy or a girl yet!" I scolded.

"I just know. It's going to be a little girl, and she's going to be just as perfect as her momma," he said softly. He loved the idea of having a girl.

"Other than making me nauseous, your baby is fine," I told him. He snuggled into my belly. "Missy texted. She's fine and promised to be home by midnight," I told him. He sighed; he'd worked extra to help Lily with the party. I ran my fingers through his hair. He didn't want to stay up waiting. "Why don't I make sure she gets home tonight?" I said.

"No, Little Luna. You're growing my pup and still taking care of the boys. Plus, you're handling things at the Inn. I can stay up to make sure our miscreant teenager gets home," he said.

I laughed. "Miscreant? Hardly. She's just pushing our boundaries. We just need to hold firm and make sure she knows we'll always love her," I said. "Just get some sleep. You did a wonderful job with the party. I had a great time." He relaxed against me.

"Okay. Just this once. But if she's a minute late, you wake me up to go find her. You do not go out and look for her," he said protectively.

"Okay," I told him. I had no intention of waking him. I'd call someone to help me find her or wait for her to come home. I continued to rub my mate, and within minutes, he was asleep. I grabbed a book and settled in to read.

I texted Missy at 11:30. No response. Liam had rolled over. I went to the restroom, then sat on the couch, checking my phone. Missy hadn't even read my message. I went to Missy's room; her door was locked, but I used the master key. Her room was tidy, except for a few scattered clothes and books. I sat on her bed. I checked my phone again. 12:07. She had never been more than a few minutes late. She was a good kid.

I went downstairs for tea, hoping she'd walk through the door. The packhouse was quiet. I drank most of my tea, checked the time—12:36. I was worried. She still hadn't checked my message. I tried again: "You're late. Please let me know you're okay?"

No reply. I called Sean, a nighttime patrol wolf. "Yes, Luna," he said.

"Hi, Sean. Has anyone seen Missy tonight?" I asked.

"No, Luna. Is she missing?"

"She was supposed to be back by midnight, and I'm a little worried," I told him.

"I'll have the patrols check. Do you have any idea where she may have headed?"

"I really don't know. I know she was with Vlad. She never told me where she was going," I told him.

"It won't be easy tracking him; his scent is indistinct," he explained.

"What do you mean?"

"I talked to Alpha about this a couple of weeks ago. The boy doesn't have a discernable scent like wolves should. He doesn't smell of a rogue, but he's not identifiable in any way."

"Wow, that's strange."

"Maybe you should call the Inn. See if someone saw them around town?"

"Thanks. I think I will. Please let me know if you find them. And don't wake the Alpha. He was exhausted," I said.

"Of course, Luna." He hung up. Now I was really worried.

Missy

I splashed Vlad in the face and ducked under the waterfall. We were in our special place: a beautiful clearing with a small pond fed by a waterfall, flowers everywhere, and glowing fireflies at night. It was peaceful and away from the pack, but not too far.

"Oh no you don't!" he yelled, chasing me. I giggled and tried to escape, but he caught me. "You can't run from me, princess," he said, smiling charmingly.

"How do you move so quickly?" I complained. He held me in his arms; I wrapped my legs around his waist. He walked us back to the bank where our clothes lay.

"I guess that's my secret," he said. It was incredibly hot. He kissed my face, making me giggle.

"Okay, enough!" I said. It was late; I needed to get back. Lea and Liam would be worried.

Vlad brought us to the bank and set me down. He lay back, looking at the stars. "Come on, we should get dressed. I left my phone in your car, but we should be getting back. Don't you have a curfew?" I asked.

"Nope. My dad isn't like that. Come, lay with me for a bit. Let our underclothes dry," he said. I lay down next to him, resting my head on his shoulder. I couldn't wait to turn seventeen; Vlad's birthday was right after mine. We'd know we were mates. We'd even talked about moving away from the pack after high school. I hadn't told Liam and Lea yet.

"It's so peaceful here," I sighed.

"The view is pretty great too," he said, looking at me. I blushed and looked away.

"Missy…" Damien's voice floated into my head.

"Uh, what's up, Beta?" I linked back.

"Where are you right now? Do you know what time it is?"

I sat up. Vlad looked concerned. "What is it?" he asked.

"We have to go, now!" I said, scrambling up. I grabbed my clothes and started dressing hastily. "V, Damien just linked me, asking where I am. That means I'm late, and Liam will be looking for me. We need to go now!"

"Okay, okay. We'll go, princess. Just tell him you lost track of time. I can get us back in twenty minutes," he said calmly.

"Just hurry!" I urged.

I texted Damien: "Sorry. Totally lost track of time, and my phone died. Heading back now. Call off the search party."

"Your phone is ringing before it goes to voicemail," Damien said. I was busted. Vlad had set up a movie date here, and we'd fallen asleep. A patrol had found us, and I'd promised Liam I'd never be late again.

"Damien, please tell me Liam isn't out looking for me!" We were rushing to V's car.

"Luna let him sleep and assured him she would make sure you got home safely. She's now pacing the front hall distraught. She called the night patrol who informed me that you were missing," he linked.

"V, step on it. Lea is pacing and had to fight Doc on bed rest. Please hurry, I'm going to be in so much trouble if Liam wakes up!"

"Shit. I'm going," he said, speeding off.

This revised version improves grammar, punctuation, and flow, making the story easier to read. I also removed the asterisks from curse words; it's better to simply use them within the context of the story.