Missy

"How have you gotten so much faster in only a couple of weeks?" I asked Maddox as we emerged from the trees, both fully dressed. I was still panting from my struggle to keep up with him.

"I told you I was serious about protecting the Alpha family," he laughed. We strolled across the lawn, heading towards the packhouse for lunch. Both of us were starving after our morning run.

When we woke up this morning, I was immediately struck with fear, realizing we had cuddled all night. We'd stayed up late talking. I confided in him about what happened with Vlad, and he was a good friend, simply listening to my troubles. Surprisingly, there was no awkwardness. We both woke up and started our day as if it were normal for teenage kids to sleep together. At my request, Maddox was taking the day off, but wanted to let his wolf out, so we went running. A warrior was sent to watch me, but he kept his distance, and we ignored him.

Maddox's hand brushed against mine as we walked. "We aren't racing anymore. You now have an unfair advantage, especially after all those private lessons with Felix," I told him.

"And your dad," he said with a cheesy grin. His fingers slowly intertwined with mine, taking advantage of my momentary shock.

"What? You trained with Liam?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"Yeah. Before everything happened, he showed up, watched Felix and me for a bit, then stepped in himself. He's incredible," he said casually. He acted as if taking private fighting lessons from the Alpha and holding his daughter's hand while openly walking into the packhouse was perfectly normal.

I bit my lip as my eyes darted down to our intertwined fingers. I was slightly conflicted because V and I had left things unresolved. His words felt like a breakup, though he didn't explicitly dump me. Plus, Maddox made me feel good in a different way than V did—a more effortless way.

"I think my muscles could use a dip in the pool. What do you think, lunch then some swimming? We can do a movie marathon after dinner to round out the day?" Maddox said as we entered the dining room. I looked up to see his face fall into a scowl, and his hand release mine. I followed his gaze to see V waiting at the opposite side of the room.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. I had focused all my energy on making sure Maddox was okay; I hadn't dealt with my Vlad dilemma.

Maddox bent over to whisper in my ear, "I'll grab us some lunch. Meet me outside when you're done." He walked away, leaving me alone in the dining room. V pushed off the wall and sauntered towards me.

He stopped a few feet away. Luckily, few people were in the dining room, and no one was paying attention. "Can we talk?" he asked.

"Sure," I managed to squeak out. I turned and walked out of the dining room. In the hallway, V grabbed my elbow and pulled me towards the laundry room.

He stopped about halfway, dropping my arm. I stared at the ground, unsure where this was going.

"I'm sorry," he began. I stilled but didn't look up. "I crossed the line. You aren't a slut, Missy." I clenched my jaw, anger rising. "I was just frustrated. I want to be the one you rely on, the one who holds you when you cry…" he trailed off. I felt his eyes on me, knew he was waiting for a response, but my anger blinded me.

"So what? You say sorry, and I just fall back into your arms?" I spat. Vlad blanched.

"No, I just…" I looked up. His face looked contrite, but this wasn't easily forgiven.

"Just stop. Vlad, that was the scariest day of my life. My brothers were kidnapped! One of them got hurt! But all you cared about was who got me into the safe room. Not that it matters, but I can't remember much from that time. I have no idea where you even were. But I blame myself!" I was shouting. It was probably good we were away from others.

"You aren't to blame. I know you were afraid. I hated seeing you like that," he tried.

"Then what were you doing?" He looked away, his eyes blinking rapidly.

"I know you aren't going to forgive me right away, but I didn't mean any of it. I was frustrated, and it isn't your fault. You aren't a slut. I shouldn't have said that. I'm really sorry," he said quietly, avoiding eye contact.

Silence stretched between us. "I'll let you get back to your lunch," he said, pausing. He gave me a brief, hurt glance before turning and walking away.

I remained rooted to the spot, trying to calm down. "You okay, Missy?" Maddox appeared.

With a heavy sigh, I headed back. That sure resolved everything. "Yeah. Be there in a sec."

Azalea

With all the amazing technology we have, one would think doctors wouldn't require pregnant women to have full bladders for ultrasounds. Shouldn't we have evolved past this terrible practice?

My child was kicking incessantly in my uterus while I tried to focus on paperwork for the Inn. I tried to remain still and not squirm under Robert's irritating stare. Neither of us was happy with this arrangement. Although we're amicable, Robert and Lyssa will never be my favorites. They are good grandparents to my children, which is most important.

I groaned softly, dropping my head into my hands. I rubbed my belly, willing my child to calm down. I sighed, looking back at Robert, who just stared. For no reason, his presence irritated me. He'd stood at the door, arms crossed, since we arrived.

"What's wrong, Little Luna?" Liam linked me.

"You want the list?" I replied haughtily.

"Can I help, baby?"

"Removing your father from my office would be a great start."

"Azalea…" he groaned. He was almost as frustrated as I was, but likely for different reasons.

"Please tell me we can leave soon? If we don't get this over with so I can pee, I may burst," I whined.

"Why don't I call my uncle and see if we can come a bit early?"

"Please!"

He hesitated. He knew getting to our appointment early would remove his father and allow me to relieve my bladder.

"Alright, Little Luna. I'll come get you in ten minutes. The car will be waiting downstairs," he finally linked. I excitedly began gathering my things. Robert shifted.

"Oh, Robert. Liam will be here in a few minutes. Thank you for staying with me. You can head home to Lyssa now," I said sweetly. He rolled his eyes.

"Nice try. Those aren't the rules," he grumbled.

"Really? If something happened in the few minutes I was alone, wouldn't we have a bigger problem than my fragility?" I prompted.

He snorted. "You would, indeed," he responded.

I gave up and finished packing. Luckily, I didn't have to wait ten minutes before Liam rushed in.

"Ready?" he asked excitedly. His smile was infectious, even if I was still frustrated. I nodded. He turned to his dad. "Thanks, Dad. I appreciate the help. See you in a couple of days," he said. His father nodded before leaving.

"Can we go now?" I asked, pushing myself up. I came around my desk, and Liam offered his arm.

"Alright, Azalea, let's take a look at this pup," Doctor Ron said, running the ultrasound wand over the cold jelly on my bare skin.

Liam sat beside me, smiling, holding my hand while impatiently waiting. I don't know if I was more excited to see the baby or Liam so jovial.

Liam's eyes were glued to the ultrasound screen as Doctor Ron moved the wand, examining the baby from different angles. "So," he said after a few minutes. "Do we want to know the sex this time around?"

"Yes," Liam said.

"No," I said simultaneously. Doctor Ron chuckled. Liam looked at me incredulously.

"Little Luna, why don't you want to know the sex?"

"Because it doesn't matter. You said yourself; you'll love it either way, so why not let this one be a surprise?"

"Why don't I put it in an envelope, and if you change your mind, Azalea, you can take a look," Doctor Ron suggested.

"That will be great," I said with a smile. Liam was pouting.

"Alright, Alpha, how about some photos?"

"Yes, let's see that pup," he said, his mood improving.

Doctor Ron showed us the baby and gave us four photos. When he was done, Liam helped me up so I could finally urinate. Back in the room, Doctor Ron had more to discuss. I sat next to Liam, who wrapped his arm around me.

"So, I think it's about time you consider bed rest, Luna," he began. I blinked, my brain struggling to catch up.

"I feel fine!" I said.

"Yes, but I have a few concerns about both you and the pup," he explained. "The baby is a little small for this point in the pregnancy."

"What does that mean?" Liam asked.

"Well, it could be nothing, or it could be cause for concern. I just want to monitor the pup more closely. And it would be best if Azalea's body conserved energy for growing the baby."

Liam squeezed me. "We'll make sure she's off her feet as much as possible," he said.

We were quiet on the way back to the packhouse. I held the ultrasound pictures and the sealed envelope in my lap.

"This isn't the end of the world, Little Luna," Liam said as we pulled up to the packhouse.

"What if something's wrong with our pup?" I whispered. He parked and turned to me.

"We're going to do everything we can to make sure our pup comes into the world healthy, baby," he soothed. I gave him a tight smile and nodded.

Liam tucked my hair behind my ear. "Why don't we spend the rest of the night together upstairs? I'll have Missy watch the kids," he suggested.

"Alright," I said softly.

I've replaced asterisks with appropriate words and improved sentence structure, flow, and punctuation throughout both passages. I've also made some minor stylistic changes to enhance readability.