Azalea

Last night, after the party, I returned Missy's phone. She hugged me so tightly I thought she might burst! I told her she wasn't completely off the hook, but her excellent behavior was loosening her restrictions. This morning, I was relieved to find her chatting with the other children about swimming instead of isolating herself to text Vlad. I hadn't missed him at the party—we couldn't exactly exclude him. I suspected she'd been up all night talking to him, but she seemed normal, so I let it go. I was happy she was finally spending time with kids her own age, other than Vlad.

My office phone rang. "Hello," I answered.

"Lea, have you decided when you're coming back to the Inn?" Lemon asked, frustrated. "The contractor's coming Monday with the designs for approval."

I checked my computer calendar. "Hmm, it's Saturday. Let's come tomorrow evening. That'll give me Monday morning to be ready. I can bring the kids and stay a few days," I said.

"Great. I really need to go over some things with you," Lemon replied, all business.

"Lemon," I interrupted, "have you taken any vacation time yet?"

"No," she admitted guiltily.

"I told you to! It's summer, and you're still young. Go lay on a beach and sip fruity drinks!" I teased. She chuckled.

"What boss encourages their supervisors to take vacations?" she challenged.

"One who knows her valued employee is still pining over the loser who dumped her nine months ago," I said pointedly.

"I am not!" she denied.

"How about taking Missy shopping? Can you take an afternoon off for that? She could use some girl time," I suggested.

"That, I'll happily take time off for!" she laughed.

"Okay. See you tomorrow night," I said.

"You, the kids, and your muscle?" she asked.

"Yes. Liam will probably stay home; he's swamped," I replied.

"Okay. See you then," she said, hanging up.

I looked up to find Felix watching me. "No, I'm not asking him for permission. Everything's calm now, even without finding Gwen's killer. Besides, I have to take you everywhere, right?" I said, returning to my paperwork. I neatly stacked the papers before standing. Felix opened the door as I approached. "Does my all-knowing bodyguard know where my daughter is?" I smiled sweetly, but his expression didn't change.

"Pool," he grunted, as I left my office and headed downstairs. I decided to check with Missy before telling Liam. We went downstairs and out the back door. A large group of children were in the pool, with some sitting at the edge. A couple of adults were chatting nearby.

I quickly spotted Missy. She saw me and waved. Some of the older children bowed respectfully as I approached. "You all seem to be having fun," I said. "Missy, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure," she said, getting up. I noticed Maddox watching her from the pool. We moved away from the pool toward the lawn. "What's up?" she asked.

"I'm going to the Inn tomorrow evening. I'll be taking the boys, but you can choose to stay here or come along. Lemon said she'll take you shopping if you want."

Her eyes widened. "I can go out with Lemon?"

"Yep," I said. "Your grades were excellent, and you've been behaving."

She squealed. "Yes, I want to go!" She paused, glanced at the pool, and then back at me. "Can I bring someone?"

I was surprised. She'd become more independent lately, but she'd never asked to bring a friend on an outing with us. "Can I ask who?" I asked carefully.

"Maddox and I have been having fun, and he doesn't seem to have other friends here. I was going to ask Liam if we could go for a run tomorrow so I could show him the area, and I feel bad about leaving him out," she admitted.

I smiled, feeling proud. "I'll talk to Liam, okay?" She nodded.

"Thanks, Lea. I'm going swimming now," she said, returning to the pool.

"What's my Little Luna so happy about?" Liam's voice interrupted as I watched Missy rejoin her friends.

"Our daughter's making new friends," I told him.

"That's something to celebrate," he said happily. "Maybe you should come to my office, and we can celebrate before I meet with Abraham." I rolled my eyes, heading toward the packhouse.

"I'll come, but no sex," I replied sternly.

In his office, Felix waited outside while I entered without knocking. Liam was on his couch, surrounded by reports. He looked up, giving me a sad puppy-dog look that made me giggle. I sat on his desk as he stood and came to me.

"The kids and I are going to the Inn tomorrow. Felix is coming too," I told him.

"Like that was up for discussion," he frowned. I knew he wasn't happy about me leaving without him.

"Missy has a request," I said, changing the subject.

"She just got her phone back. What else could she want?" he asked.

"She wants to bring Maddox, the boy I healed. They've been getting along well," I explained. Liam nodded thoughtfully.

"Is Vlad still her boyfriend?" he finally asked. I smiled, stifling a chuckle.

"All signs point to yes," I answered.

"Fine. But I want to speak with the boy, and I want extra warriors to come along," he said.

"Has Damien confirmed both groups' claims yet?" I asked.

Liam sighed. "No. He's so distraught over his sister; he spends half his time rage training, and the other half reviewing the same evidence we've gone over a hundred times"

"Please tell me he's not hurting anyone," I pleaded.

"Not too badly…" he said.

I sighed. I straddled his lap and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him close. He embraced me. "There's one more thing I should tell you before I leave tomorrow," I said.

"Hmm?" he hummed, not breaking the hug.

"Maddox wants to become a warrior. He was very passionate about it," I told him. Liam was quiet for a moment.

"He's sixteen, right? Didn't he have any training in his old pack?" he asked.

"I don't think so. But it seems the recent events have made him re-evaluate his priorities." Liam was quiet, and I waited. After a few minutes, I pulled away.

"If he's going to follow Missy around like a puppy anyway, maybe I should let him. Train her a bodyguard young," he joked. I rolled my eyes.

"Will you talk to him? He's a good kid, Liam. I believe him," I pleaded.

Liam tucked a curl behind my ear. "Yes, Little Luna. I'll talk to him when you return from the Inn," he agreed. He kissed me, silencing me.

Junior and Leo were sleeping peacefully in their car seats. They'd spent the day playing with Delilah and Lucas. Maddox and Missy sat in the back, each with an earbud in, watching something on Missy's phone. They looked happy together, and I hoped Maddox would help Missy see that Vlad might not be her mate. She was definitely more vibrant around Maddox.

Felix drove us toward the human town. He was quiet, as usual. Years ago, I'd tried to learn about his past, relentlessly questioning him for three months. That failed. Then I tried bribing him with sweets—another failure. He eats anything edible, regardless of taste. He's an enigma I've learned to accept.

I read my book, only half-absorbing the words. I looked forward to working at the Inn and spending time with the kids. I already missed Liam. He'd been hesitant to let me go, and I half-expected him to show up at the Inn. My phone buzzed. It was Liam:

MY ALPHA | Stop missing me, Little Luna. I can't work when I know you're sad.

Goddess, I love this man. I put my phone away and focused on my book.

At the Inn, I woke the boys. Junior cooperated, but Leo didn't. Missy offered to carry him. Maddox lifted Leo from the car, and Missy led the way. I smiled. I took Junior's hand, and Felix followed us inside. Lemon was on the phone at the front desk.

"Aunt Lemon!" Junior shouted happily. She smiled, ending her call. He hugged her.

"You're getting so big, little L," she said. He flexed his biceps.

"Yep. I beat Delilah at arm wrestling yesterday!" he boasted. We laughed.

"The cooks made you pizza. Are you hungry?" she asked. He nodded eagerly. "It's in the dining room," she said. He ran off. Lemon turned to me. "Where are the others?"

"Leo wouldn't wake up, so Missy is taking him to the cottage with Maddox," I said. Lemon's eyebrows rose.

"Maddox?" she asked. I smiled knowingly.

"Not a boyfriend, but definitely a boy friend," I said.

"She's still hung up on Vlad?" Lemon asked. I nodded. The door bell rang. I moved so Lemon could help the customer. Felix, usually unobtrusive, moved next to me, grabbing my arm.

"Felix, what are you doing?" I hissed.

"Let's go," he said quietly. I tried to pull away, and Lemon glanced at us.

"No. What's going on?" I whispered. He leaned in, close to my ear.

"Vampire," he said. My eyes widened. Who? I looked at the man checking in—average height, shaggy suit, and hat. He seemed harmless. I'd never seen a vampire, but I knew they were enemies of werewolves. Surely, he wouldn't be causing trouble here? The town reeked of werewolf, noticeable to any supernatural being. Felix pulled on my arm again.

"I'm not a fool. I know you're trying to protect the she-wolf. I mean no harm to your pack during my stay," a voice echoed in my mind. Felix stopped, looking bewildered.

"Yes, vampires have telepathy. You can hear my voice, just as your kind communicates," he answered our unspoken questions.