Maddox

I was on cloud nine for the rest of the night. Bless the Moon Goddess for dropping me right onto this pack's land! All I could think about was Missy saying I was special to her. She could have asked me to do almost anything after that, and I would have readily agreed.

In truth, the only part of my birthday I looked forward to was knowing if she was my mate. If Missy wasn't, I knew I'd be pretty down about it. When I came to this pack, I never imagined I had a chance at finding my mate after my old pack was destroyed, but meeting Missy changed all that. Everything about her makes me happy, except, of course, Vlad.

Birthdays were always a big production in my old pack, especially 17th birthdays. It's probably the most important age in werewolf culture because you come of age and can find your mate. After everything that happened, I was disappointed to be celebrating alone this year. I thought I'd go to Missy's party, hoping she would turn out to be my mate, but that would be it. It was upsetting that my sister wouldn't be making my favorite strawberry cake and my parents wouldn't be singing "Happy Birthday" this year. But knowing Missy wanted me with her made it a lot better.

Missy questioned me about food choices and decorations, saying she knew Luna would ask her. At first, I tried to get her to pick what she wanted, but she insisted on telling her mom some of my favorite things as well. Leo interrupted us twice, trying to offer his thoughts on the party food and reminding Missy that she owed him the first slice of cake. I couldn't help smiling as I watched her patiently listen to Leo and tell him she'd think about it.

After Missy seemed satisfied with enough ideas for her mom, we built a fort for the kids. I was a little jealous of the Blackfur children's expert blanket-fort craftsmanship. When Leo immediately went to the closet, grabbed a step stool, and pulled out the blankets designated for fort building, I got the hint this was a regular occurrence. Once the fort—complete with multiple rooms—was erected, Delilah and Little Liam took turns reading books to their siblings.

I pulled Missy from the room and back to hers while they settled in. She offered no resistance, looking a bit tired.

"You're a really good sister," I told her when we were alone.

She shrugged. "No, really. My sister and I fought like cats and dogs. I know she loved me, and I loved her, but she always picked on me, and I'd do things to annoy her. Leo and Little Liam adore you. I can see it in their eyes; you're like a hero to them." Her cheeks flushed pink.

"I was an only child, and then around the time Junior was born, kids my age stopped wanting to be my friend. I spent more and more time with Junior and Delilah because I didn't have anyone else to play with. They were adorable babies, so it wasn't all bad." She sat on the bed, crossing her legs.

"They're lucky to have you," I said. Her face continued to flush, and I thought she was adorable. She looked away, wanting to change the subject.

"I'm tired. Are you sleeping in here again?" she asked.

I nodded. "If that's okay with you?"

Missy chewed her lip, looking back at me. "Yeah," she said softly.

"Still don't want to be alone?" I asked softly. She shook her head. "Okay." I didn't need to tell her I'd stay by her side as long as she wanted me there. After being left alone after the attack, I wouldn't make that mistake again.

"Two more, bud. You're doing great!" I encouraged Little Liam.

"Arghhhh!" he yelled.

"You gotta work hard if you want to be strong. One more!" I did push-ups with him, and he griped and growled. When he asked me to train him, I don't think he expected regular exercise. I wasn't hard on him, but I tried to get him to do simple things like push-ups, crunches, planks, and jumping jacks. "There, done!" I cheered. He dramatically fell to the ground. I let him rest for a minute after his ten push-ups.

Finally, he sat up, grumpy. "Can we fight now? I want to kick you," he asked.

I laughed and nodded. "Let's get some water, then you can fight me." He found another burst of energy and dashed to our water bottles, drinking greedily. I got up and walked over, looking for Missy. Felix, Leo, and Missy were playing Frisbee near the packhouse. It was mostly Missy and Leo, but he'd throw it to Felix occasionally, and Felix would grudgingly toss it back.

After drinking water, Little Liam and I moved to the sparring circle. "Alright, come at me," I said, dropping into a fighting stance. He mirrored me.

He attacked with all his might. I let him land a punch before stepping away from his next one. I shouldn't be surprised at his strength; he's an Alpha.

We sparred for a while. I let him land a few hits, but I also dodged and evaded to make him think about his movements. A throat clearing at the edge of the ring made me stop, my stomach sinking.

Liam

"I really can't thank you enough for your help, Langston," I said.

"Nonsense. If allies can't help each other, we don't stand a chance against enemies. You're a good Alpha, and protecting Azalea is important. I'd probably feel the same if Emma didn't have her own wolf," he admitted. Langston and I were headed to the training fields to spar. Being Alphas, we were evenly matched and occasionally trained together. We both trained with our Betas, but this gave us a chance to fight comfortably with each other.

"Well, I think Azeron and Azalea are getting along as well as she did with Felix, so it's a huge weight off my shoulder. Thanks," I said.

His eyes narrowed at the sparring ring, and my gaze followed. "Is that your son and your daughter's friend? Maddox, was it?"

It was Junior sparring with Maddox. Irritation rose as we approached, slowing our pace. Langston snorted as we stopped far enough away that they wouldn't notice. "That's pretty impressive."

Junior tried to kick Maddox—his form was correct, if a little sloppy. Langston continued, "I'm surprised you aren't training your son yourself. But the young man has natural talent. How long have they been working together?"

"That's a good question," I muttered, frowning. Maddox was naturally gifted. Before the attack, he trained with me and seemed to absorb everything Felix or I taught him. He worked enthusiastically, giving his best effort. He was driven and intelligent. I watched him patiently allow Junior to land a punch before pulling his leg out from under him. I expected Junior to fall, but he broke his fall, rolling smoothly back to his feet.

"I don't know if I've ever seen a six-year-old do that," Langston said, raising his eyebrows. "Maddox taught him that?"

"I guess so," I said, astonished and irritated. We watched for a few more minutes before Langston suggested we join them. As we closed the distance, I heard Maddox praise and guide Junior.

"Good," he said. "Stay on your toes. Just like that."

I cleared my throat, and they stopped. Junior paled seeing me. Maddox looked frozen. "Training?" I asked. Junior nodded hesitantly, but Maddox was frozen.

Langston clapped Maddox on the shoulder. "You have a gift, son. How long have you been training to be a warrior?"

"Um," he stuttered. "Only about a month, sir."

Langston chuckled. "Well, I'll be damned. I'd have guessed you were Damien's or Felix's son. You sure know your stuff."

"Thank you," Maddox said quietly.

Junior looked down, guilty. "Sorry, Dad," he communicated silently.

"You clearly remember me telling you you're too young to fight. Why are you out here with Maddox?" I asked silently while Langston spoke to Maddox.

"It's not Maddox's fault! I asked him, and he said if Sissy said it was okay, and I didn't tell her you said no! It's my fault. Don't punish Maddox! He's so nice to me, Sissy, and Leo—"

"I'm not going to punish either of you," I stopped his silent ramble.

"You're not? We aren't in trouble?"

"I'm not sure yet. You did this behind my back. Alphas are honest, Liam," I said.

"I'm sorry, Dad. I really am."

"Why did you ask Maddox to train you?"

"Because he's strong enough to keep Sissy safe. I want to be strong like him and you. I want to keep Sissy, Leo, Delilah, and Lucas safe like you keep us safe."

I sighed. This was about the kidnapping. I crouched to his level.

"It isn't your job to keep everyone safe yet," I said softly, placing my hands on his arms. "You're a kid, and your job is to be a kid. You have plenty of time before you need to worry about keeping anyone safe, okay?"

He nodded. "It's okay to be scared sometimes. I know it doesn't seem like it, but even I get scared."

"No, you don't. You're the Alpha, Dad. Nothing scares you," he said.

I shook my head. "Lots of things scare me. When those bad guys took you, I was scared. Training won't make you not scared; it will help you confront your fear."

"Then I want to do that. I want to overcome my fear," he said confidently. His steely gaze reminded me of Azalea.

"Okay," I agreed. "You can train with Maddox, but you can't interfere with his training. And school comes first."

He smiled. "Maddox is a good teacher, Dad. He made me fall a lot, but now I don't hurt my butt when he knocks me down."

"Did he? Well, that's pretty good," I said. I looked at Langston and Maddox, who were watching us. "How about some training with Alpha then?"