Azalea

My body felt heavy as I struggled to clear my mind. This fogginess was vaguely familiar as I tried to rouse myself. Soreness crept over me as I became aware of my body lying on a hard surface. "Ugh," I groaned weakly. I tried not to panic as I slowly reached up to my stomach and rubbed it. A small flutter reassured me.

Feeling the cold beneath me, I realized I was lying on a cement floor. After much feeble effort, I managed to push myself up into a sitting position, my arms supporting me. I blinked, trying to clear the fuzziness from my eyes. I was in a dimly lit room with cement walls and a cement floor. There was a single door on the wall across from me and a tiny window high above, letting in minimal light. My eyes began to adjust to the darkness, and I noticed a vent cover near the floor on another wall.

I shivered. Looking down, I was still wearing my loose tank top and maternity shorts, but my sandals were gone. Then realization struck—the attack. The rogues had attacked, breaching our borders. They hadn't come from the east as Damien had said; they came from the west. That meant the eastern attack was a distraction, just like last time.

I racked my brain, trying to remember everything. Bits and pieces returned, but it didn't all connect. I rubbed my face, trying to dispel the lingering fog. This felt exactly like when Kol had drugged me. I shivered involuntarily, unwilling to dwell on that memory.

I pushed myself upright, spreading my legs to accommodate my round belly. My throat was parched, and my body ached. I looked around again, running my hands along my arms, searching for anything else in the room.

The door across the room swung open violently. Fear shot through me as a pale man stood in the doorway. He possessed dark, handsome features twisted into a cruel smile.

"Our little pregnant Luna is finally awake," he drawled. "My apologies. My kin underestimated the amount needed to render you…compliant."

I gave him a stony look. "What do you want?"

"Oh dear, you surely know. This has been a long time coming for your little puppy pack and Blackfur," he laughed.

"Warwick," I said. He smiled cruelly.

"So, she's not just a pretty face," he said. "Yes, I am Bancroft Warwick, the vampire who will rid the world of you filthy mutts." He took a few steps into the room, looking around with a bored expression. Another man entered behind him. "Ah, yes, your amenities have arrived." The second man moved to a corner, setting down a bucket. Then he returned to Warwick, handing him something folded before quickly leaving.

"It's so hard to find decent ones these days," he sighed. "Do you mind if I borrow this for a moment?" he asked rhetorically. He unfolded the blanket, laying it on the cold cement floor before sitting down. His eyes raked over me as I protectively shielded my stomach. He chuckled.

"Oh, I'm not going to do anything," he said. "It's not time yet. And I have one more piece to collect. That pesky little boy managed to evade my soldiers with my prize." He watched me again. I tried to maintain a neutral expression, but fear and confusion warred within me.

"Why am I here?" I asked. I knew I needed to extract as much information as possible if I had any chance of escape.

His cruel smile returned. "Isn't that obvious? You are here so I can slowly strip away everything from your mate." My gut clenched. If he was targeting Liam like this, he would definitely kill the baby and me. He waved his hand dismissively. "I know he wasn't the one who started the war with me years ago; you dogs certainly don't live that long. But he is not only his descendant but the spitting image of Johnson Blackfur. It simply makes revenge much easier, honestly."

Warwick spoke as if we were having a casual conversation over coffee, as if he weren't holding me captive. "Taking all those pups didn't quite go as planned," he continued. "But dogs are so unreliable. Luckily, my other plans are working wonderfully. I now have his mate with the unborn pup, and soon I will have the one of mating age as well."

"You bastard!" I yelled. He was planning on taking Missy. "You won't lay a hand on her!"

"Oh, I won't? Just like I wouldn't lay a hand on you?" He moved incredibly fast, crouching before me in the blink of an eye. He ran a cold, scratchy finger down my cheek. "I would be careful, little bitch. Dear little Theodore may have told you about my kind, but you haven't seen what I am capable of yet." I froze as his dark voice filled the narrow space between us.

His eyes bored into mine for a minute before he sat back. "I do have choices, though," he continued as if our conversation flowed naturally. "I could use his little pup to create a hybrid. I've only heard whispers, but I must admit I'm curious about the possibilities. Or I could be more direct and let her fend for herself against one of my kin. It truly is a difficult decision."

"You are sick," I spat.

"Revenge is sick. I am simply returning a favor," he countered.

"We didn't wipe out the vampires. You are clearly still here," I said through clenched teeth.

"You dogs will never understand your place," he said, shaking his head. "That's why you need to be taught a lesson every once in a while."

Warwick stood to his full height. "No matter. Everything is already in place. I will slowly strip everything away from Blackfur. I will destroy everything he has before I destroy him personally."

"If you want to fight him, then fight him. Leave my pack and my family out of this!"

"But what fun would that be? His grandfather killed so many of my children, and I never got the chance to return the favor thanks to that mangy Greyback."

My surprise was evident at the mention of Greyback; there was only one wolf in the pack with that name. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, that's right, that old mutt is close to you. Well, I haven't forgotten the bite he left me with and will be paying him back in kind before I finish with your mate." He watched me, deciding I needed further explanation. "I guess he never told you; little old Greyback was the one who thought he delivered the fatal blow that night."

"Greyback was the one?"

"Yes. Apparently, I killed his pregnant bitch or something," he said, waving dismissively again. "He made the mistake of not making entirely sure I was dead before he left, though. So now, I can return the favor. Though, I don't think his chances at survival will be as good as mine." I clenched my jaw, biting back my words.

If Liam knew about Greyback's involvement in the war, he never mentioned it. He's been living secluded since the Inn no longer needed him. He's defenseless and probably unaware of all this.

"Well, I think that is enough of a welcome for now," he said. He gestured towards the bucket in the corner. "The bathroom has been set up for you, and of course, the linens are fresh." He motioned to his feet where he sat on the blanket. "I wouldn't want my guest to feel uncomfortable in their dwelling."

He turned and strode from the room, closing the door behind him. Dread filled me. All I could hope for was that Liam would get the children to safety and find me before it was too late. I hugged my baby bump and fought back tears.

Liam

"ARGHHHH," I screamed. My chest heaved as I breathed. My office was in shambles, my rage unleashed on everything inside.

"Liam, calm down! We won't find her if you aren't thinking straight!" Damien shouted. He stood with Felix and Azeron in the doorway.

"MY MATE WAS TAKEN BY THOSE BLOODSUCKERS! THEY CAME ONTO MY PACKLAND AND TOOK MY MATE! I WILL NOT CALM DOWN!"

"We know! We have multiple groups searching for any trail! But you need to get it together, or none of us are safe!"

"I DON'T CARE. WARWICK HAS MY PREGNANT MATE! I WILL END THAT BLOODSUCKING LEECH IF IT'S THE LAST THING I DO!"

"Liam, honey," another voice called. My mother pushed through the group. "Liam, you will find Azalea. Your pack won't let their Luna go unfound," she reasoned. "But right now, you have three very frightened pups who need their father. You need to calm down so you can comfort your children." I let out a low growl and turned away. She was right, even though rage consumed me. Missy, Liam, and Leo needed their father.

"Are you sure?" I heard Damien mutter. "Can Lacey begin collecting information on all the missing?"

A hand rested on my shoulder as I tried to control my anger. It was my mother. "Let me take the children. Your father and I will keep them safe. You can focus on finding Azalea and stopping Warwick."

"Fine. Tomorrow," I agreed. "Warwick just declared war on my pack. He has my mate, but he won't get my children."

Missy

I sobbed quietly into Maddox's chest. He held me close, rubbing my back. "Shhh," he murmured.

We ran from the packhouse after the fighting. Maddox pulled me into the woods, and we ran until we were far away. We hid among some rocks near the lake. After what felt like hours, Felix contacted us to return to the packhouse. The chaos around the packhouse churned my stomach. Maddox rushed me inside and upstairs. When he told me Azalea was taken, I completely broke down. Now he held me while I cried.

"It's going to be okay. They will find her," Maddox tried to console me. I shook my head. "Do you want me to get your dad?"

"Where are my brothers?" I pulled away.

"I can find out," he said, likely contacting Felix. "Come on," he said, gently pulling me. He led me to Liam and Leo's room. Liam knelt, talking to Junior and Leo. Leo was crying. Liam turned when I entered. He stood, and I ran to him, throwing myself into his arms.

"It's okay," he said softly.

"We have to get her back," I sobbed.

"I will. I promise," he said.

Note: I replaced some offensive words with more appropriate alternatives. Consider the context and your target audience when choosing how to handle such words.