Azalea

I sat in the front hall, listening to Junior and Leo recount their school days. I held Leo on my lap as he chattered incessantly. A wave of relief washed over me; they remained blissfully unaware of the unfolding events. I loved Liam with all my heart, but sometimes worried about our children one day facing the harsh realities of being Alpha and Luna. I knew it was inevitable, but that didn't lessen the ache in my heart knowing my sweet, innocent children would be thrust into it before they were ready.

When Lyssa arrived, Leo hopped off my lap and ran to her. She scooped him up, clearly delighted to spend time with them. He asked if he could fetch Missy, and she set him down. He raced upstairs without a word. Liam entered the hall and kissed his mother on the cheek. "Junior, let's put your things in the car for Gramma," Liam said. Junior eagerly accepted the "big boy" task with his father.

"Has the culprit been found yet?" Lyssa asked once Liam and Junior left. I turned to her; she knew, of course. I schooled my expression.

"We're handling it," I replied.

"Are the rogues under investigation?" she pressed.

"Lyssa, please. Liam and I will take care of it," I warned. The former Luna wasn't as forceful as her mate regarding pack matters, but she still seemed to doubt Liam and me.

She eyed me critically. "You've surprised us in many ways since becoming Luna, Azalea. But Robert and I still worry that our son's focus on your safety and well-being might cloud his judgment as Alpha," she said condescendingly, her words jarring my nerves.

I stood, ignoring the pain in my side. "Lyssa, I've been leading this pack alongside Liam for over six years. I appreciate your concern, but it's unfounded. We're doing everything possible to find the culprit. The information is in the right hands. I would appreciate it if you would allow Liam and I to do our jobs as Alpha and Luna," I finished, just as Liam re-entered. He carefully observed Lyssa and me as he approached.

Missy and Leo entered simultaneously, Vlad trailing behind.

"All ready!" Leo announced.

I looked at Missy, who was holding hands with Vlad, who also carried her small bag. I raised an eyebrow, and he set the bag down, whispering something in her ear before releasing her hand. "Alpha, Luna," he said, bowing. He hurried past and out the door.

I glanced at Liam; his face was tight. I knew seeing Missy so attached to Vlad bothered him intensely.

"Why don't we get going? You kids can help me make dinner for Grandpa tonight," Lyssa said pleasantly, reverting to doting grandparent instead of disapproving mother-in-law. I bent down and hugged both boys tightly.

"Have fun," I said, kissing their cheeks.

"Bye Mommy! Keep my baby safe!" Leo exclaimed, rushing to his grandmother. I smiled; he was excited about his baby sibling. I turned to Missy.

"Please behave," I said softly. She nodded. "Be good for your grandparents this weekend, and I'll let you spend a whole week at the Inn this summer," I promised. Her face lit up.

"I can stay with Lemon?" she asked excitedly. I nodded. She grabbed her bag and dashed towards the door. "Bye!" she called. Liam chuckled.

"Is she really that easy?" he asked, putting his arm around my waist.

"Of course. Lemon is far cooler than I am," I joked. Liam rolled his eyes. Lemon always had a dreamy look when she saw him, and I suspected a not-so-secret crush, even after all these years. She once casually asked if he had a brother. I'd had to stifle a crazy cousin joke. She and Amy knew bits and pieces about my kidnapping by Kol, but not the full story.

"We'll be off. See you in a few days," Lyssa called, guiding the boys out the door. Once the door closed, Liam turned me to face him.

"Alright. The children are taken care of. You need to lie down," he said sternly, cupping my cheek. His calloused thumb gently rubbed my skin. My phone rang, interrupting his touch. I retrieved it and answered quickly.

"Hello," I said.

"Luna, we need to speak with the Alpha immediately," a gruff voice responded. It was Axel, a pack warrior stationed in the human town where the Inn was located. We'd helped relocate some wolf families there, including warriors, as we expanded the Inn. Liam wanted increased protection in the area if I were to be there. The town had grown significantly over the last few years, and now about fifteen percent of our pack resided there.

Liam didn't give me a chance to ask why before snatching the phone. "Yes, what is it?" he said. I strained to hear their conversation, but Liam stepped back, earning a scowl from me.

I crossed my arms and waited. He nodded occasionally, muttering words as Axel informed him of the situation. "I'll update you shortly," he said before hanging up. I gave him an expectant look. "There's been a problem," he said.

"Is it related to our current situation?" I asked, annoyance evident in my voice.

"Possibly. It's hard to say. They've encountered another group of rogues. Peaceful, requesting acceptance into our pack, just like the others," he said. My eyes widened.

"Really? We just found this group a few days ago," I said.

"And we haven't confirmed they had nothing to do with…" he trailed off.

"I know, but Liam, I really don't think they did. I have a feeling this is unrelated…" I said quietly. He sighed, running a hand through his hair—a common stress response.

"What do you want to do?" I asked.

"I should go, but I don't know if it's wise to leave now," he said. "And I'm not sure Damien should be left in charge with everything going on…"

"Why don't you go, and I'll stay?" I suggested. Liam's face hardened.

"If you think I'm leaving you here, even with Felix and Damien, you're crazy. Azalea, I haven't ruled out this being a threat to you," he said harshly.

"Then what?" I asked timidly. His face softened slightly; I didn't think he meant to snap. He pulled me close.

"Let's get you to bed. I'll talk to Austin, Jacob, and Gentry and see what we can figure out," he said. I nodded, accepting his request. I was exhausted from lack of sleep and worry. Liam held my hand and led me upstairs.

Liam

After getting Azalea to lie down and fall asleep, I carefully left the bed. I'd already contacted Felix to watch over her while I met with Austin, Jacob, and Gentry to discuss the new rogue group and the overall situation. When I left our room, Felix was waiting. I nodded and went to my office, sending messages to the others en route.

Upon entering, I was surprised to see Damien. I raised an eyebrow as I moved behind my desk. "Why aren't we interviewing the rogues?" he growled.

"We have no evidence of their involvement," I said. I knew we didn't need evidence, but I agreed with Azalea; I didn't think they were connected.

"They're rogues. We don't know their true intentions," he retorted.

"Damien, we haven't finished verifying their claims about their pack. And does anyone strike you as someone who could get in and out of a guarded prison undetected?" I reasoned. He simmered silently.

"Look, we have another problem. Everyone else is on their way. Another group was found in the human town. Axel called. They're holding them for now, but we need to decide quickly," I said.

"Don't you find this suspicious? All these groups of pack-less wolves?" he said.

"I do. Very suspicious. But if what the others said is true, it adds up. You know as well as I that normal rogues are cast out for their crimes. Their minds are already skewed against their packs, leading to aggression. But these wolves don't seem like that. They're acquainted, traveling in groups, and have similar stories to others—with no apparent connection," I explained.

Damien sighed in frustration. "I want this fucker found," he ground out.

"Me too," I assured him. The others arrived, and it was time to brief them on the situation.

I held Azalea in my lap as Felix drove us to the human territory to handle the rogue situation. There was no ideal solution, so I decided to address the rogues myself while the search for Gwen's murderer continued.

Azalea wouldn't wake when I went to get her, so I had Felix take our things to the car and carried her down. She slept soundly in my lap. Marci had packed plenty of food for us, including options for Azalea. I gently stroked her coppery hair as the car sped along.

Last night's events replayed in my mind. Something didn't fit. Gwen had been imprisoned for years. Many pack members had forgotten about her; others stopped asking questions long ago. Declan and his mate focused all their energy on Lily, Damien, and their pups, almost as if pretending Gwen didn't exist. Attacking her now, after all this time, made no sense. The timing, coinciding with the new group's arrival, was suspicious. It felt like a deliberate distraction.

Blood Eclipse wasn't without enemies, but in recent years, Azalea had helped forge agreements with rival packs. We hadn't faced major conflict or threats for years.

Azalea stirred. "Shhh," I murmured, trying to soothe her back to sleep.

"Where are we?" she asked groggily.

"Almost to the Inn," I said. "It's okay, you can sleep."

"You're worried. I can feel it," she said, her eyes meeting mine. I nodded.

"I have a feeling whoever did this to Gwen, if it was more than just her…"