Liam, Azalea, and I entered the packhouse. Azalea was quiet after I refused her suggestion of calling the vampire for help. He's still alive and in my territory because he saved my children, but if I find more vampires on my land, that courtesy ends.

Azalea paused at the bottom of the stairs, clearly fatigued. Without asking, I scooped her into my arms and carried her to our room. She sighed, slumped against me, and closed her eyes.

"We are going to discuss this," she muttered. Reaching the top floor, I saw Leo walking dejectedly toward his room. Lily had linked me earlier; she'd gotten all the kids to bed early, so Leo should have been asleep.

"Little L, what are you doing?" I asked. He looked up, pouting.

"Sissy's having a sleepover, so I can't sleep in her room," he grumbled.

"Is that right?" I said. Azalea remained still in my arms.

"Can I sleep with you, Daddy?" he asked.

"I don't think Mommy would be very comfortable with that," I told him.

"But Mommy napped with me today. She likes when I cuddle her!" he argued. We'd noticed the boys climbing into bed with Missy every night; we hoped this was a temporary result of the attack.

"Why don't you go to bed, and I'll come read to you? Let me just set Mommy down first," I suggested.

"Okay," he said, still looking sad. He went to his room. I approached Missy's room and peeked inside. Missy was lying on her side, facing the doorway, with a tanned arm wrapped around her waist.

"Let them be," Azalea whispered. I saw her watching them, too.

"There's a boy in my daughter's bed!" I hissed.

"And they're clearly just sleeping," she said, smiling slightly.

"And? They're teenagers, almost mating age!"

"I think you should trust her. You've raised a good girl, My Alpha. But what happened left wounds for all of us, Missy and Maddox included. They might just need each other right now." I looked back at the bed. Missy did seem to be sleeping soundly for the first time since the attack.

"Alright, but this isn't going to become a nightly thing, or he's moving out of the packhouse," I relented. Azalea patted my chest as I carried her to our room. I gently set her down on the bed.

"Go read to Leo; I'll wait here," she said softly, settling against the pillows. Her eyes were droopy as she reached for a book on her nightstand.

I wasn't surprised to find Azalea sleeping soundly when I finally got Leo to sleep. It took three stories before his eyelids finally drooped. Back in our room, Azalea hadn't moved; her book lay open in her lap. She was curled on her side, leaning against the headboard.

I went to her side of the bed, put her book on her nightstand, and removed her shoes. I went to the closet, changed into shorts and a shirt, and returned to the bedroom. She'd wake up grumpy and uncomfortable if she slept in her clothes.

I gently woke her. "Hey, Little Luna, let's get out of these clothes," I said softly.

"Mmmmm," she hummed. I shifted her slightly. Her sleepy eyes fluttered open, a smile touching her lips.

"Arms up," I told her. She sleepily raised her arms, and I removed her blouse. I quickly unclasped her bra and took a moment to appreciate her full, swollen breasts, heavier now with pregnancy. Before my thoughts wandered too far, I pulled my shirt over her head.

"Do you want your shorts off, baby?" I asked.

"Mmmhmm," she murmured. She slid down the bed. I gently pulled her shorts down her legs, kissing her thighs. I discarded her clothes and lay beside her. She rolled toward me, putting a leg over mine and wrapping her arm around my waist. I held her close, kissing her head and inhaling her scent.

I tried to relax, but Gavin was restless; neither of us was happy about the vampires among the rogues. In hindsight, I shouldn't have let Gavin decimate all the rogues or the vampires. We should have kept some alive, but Damien and I were both enraged. The vampires were a surprise; they were slow and unsure of themselves, suggesting they were relatively young. Older vampires are stronger, to my knowledge.

"I want Little Mate," Gavin griped.

"She's sleeping," I said.

"I'll make her forget about that," he assured me.

"No, let her sleep. She's carrying our pup," I scolded him.

"No reason we can't start on another one," he retorted.

"Not how that works…" I thought.

"I want Little Mate," he repeated. I sighed. With everything going on, neither of us was getting much time with our mate. Gavin even less so than me. And tomorrow, I'd be setting off a time bomb by telling Azalea that Declan and my father would be sharing responsibility for guarding her. My father and Azalea have an amicable relationship, but they'll never be close, and Declan will surely talk her ear off. She'll become irritated, eventually demanding they be replaced, and I hope I can find a permanent solution by then.

Gavin's irritation prevented me from relaxing, despite Azalea's presence. I closed my eyes, stroking her hair.

"Alpha," a voice in my head broke my peace.

"Yes?" I replied. It was late, but it was important.

"We found another group of rogues," Sean said. I stilled, careful not to disturb my mate.

"How many?" I asked.

"Eight. One adult and the rest are children," he said.

"Peaceful? Not attacking?" I clarified.

"No, sir. Should we bring them to the packhouse?"

I sighed—another group of displaced wolves. "Yes, bring them here. I'll meet you at the front doors." I looked at Azalea, deciding to let her sleep. I carefully extricated myself from her embrace and left to arrange for the new arrivals.

Azalea:

I woke to a full bladder. I rolled out of bed and waddled to the bathroom. The shower was running, momentarily distracting me.

I peeked in to see Liam standing under the steamy water, eyes closed. Tension rippled through his muscular body, and my heart ached. He saw me, turned off the water, and wrapped a towel around his hips.

"What are you doing up so early, My Alpha?" I asked. His hands found my hips.

"I never went to bed," he admitted.

"What happened?"

"We found another group of displaced wolves at our borders last night."

"You could have woken me," I scolded. He smiled weakly and kissed my forehead.

"No, Little Luna. You were tired and needed rest," he said. I cupped his cheek.

"So do you. You can't lead this pack if you never rest," I reminded him.

"How about I take this afternoon off when we go to your check-up?" he offered.

"Alright," I agreed. With a kiss, he left me to get dressed, and the baby's kicks reminded me of my urgent need to use the bathroom.

Liam and I sat in his office. He seemed nervous. I waited patiently while he read last night's patrol report, letting my mind wander. Felix and another warrior had taken the kids to the park; Missy and Maddox were on a run. She'd convinced him to take the day off from training.

Someone knocked. "Come in," Liam grunted.

Lacey poked her head in. "Luna, there you are!" she said, smiling.

"What can I do for you, Lacey?"

"Do we have any spare clothes for teenage girls? Two in the group that arrived last night," she asked.

"Yes, I'm sure we do. Ask Lily to take you to the storage room off the laundry," I said. Lacey had been helping with the new wolves, and I appreciated it. We hadn't given her an official position.

"Great, thank you," she said. "If you need help, please ask. I worked for my former Alpha for a long time."

"Actually," Liam said, looking up. Lacey turned to him. "I need help compiling information on some possibly related occurrences."

"Easy," she said.

"Lacey, you don't have to if you don't want to," I said.

"No, no, I'd love to. It'll keep me busy while Felix is working," she said brightly.

"I'll have Damien get you everything this afternoon," Liam said, returning to his report.

"Perfect," she said, leaving.

Silence filled the room. "Alright, what do you need to discuss? And we never discussed requesting Theodore's assistance last night."

Liam sighed, setting down his paperwork. I stood and sat on his lap; my belly made intimacy awkward. "You were asleep, so we couldn't discuss why I shouldn't invite a vampire so close to my packhouse and territory," he said.

I glared. "He's knowledgeable about both our races. He might know what to expect and how to help Hiram," I argued. Liam shook his head.

"Let's discuss this later. Your new bodyguard will be here any minute," he said. My eyebrows rose.

"And who is that? Do I know them?" I asked. Liam didn't answer; a knock sounded, and Robert stood in the doorway, stern-faced. I linked Liam, masking my shock and anger.

"Liam!" I linked him.

"I had no choice. My father and Declan will be taking turns watching over you," he replied.

"So, you waited until moments before I arrive to tell your mate?" Robert said dryly.

"Thanks for coming," Liam said. His father nodded. I plastered on a smile. Liam turned to me. "I'll see you this afternoon. I'll pick you up for your appointment."

"Don't think this discussion is over, Alpha," I linked him before leaving the room.

I have removed or replaced some potentially offensive words and phrases. I've also made the narrative flow more smoothly and consistently. Remember to always be mindful of your audience and choose your language appropriately.