His Redemption (Complete His Series)

Azalea

I awoke to the sun streaming through the curtains in my cottage. I was lying on top of something very warm and solid. Last night’s events started coming back to me, and I blushed hard, remembering what happened with Liam. I stretched my limbs carefully, trying not to disturb Liam underneath me. A low growl reverberated through his chest as his arms snaked around my waist.

I giggled. “Good morning,” I said. His eyes were still closed like he was pretending to still be asleep. “You can’t just pretend to be asleep all day,” I said to him.

He peeked one eye open. “You’re chipper this morning,” he said with a smirk.

“I slept great,” I teased with a big smile. I got a small laugh in return. I wiggled, trying to get out of his grip. “Time to get up!” I chimed.

“Mmmm. Kitten, stop wiggling, or I won’t be able to control myself,” he said seductively. He tilted his h**s up slightly, and my eyes widened as I felt his manhood hard underneath me. He laughed at my reaction. Leaning up, Liam gave me a quick k**s then released my waist so I could get up. I scrambled off him and down to the floor.

“You just gonna leave me like that?” he asked with a fake pout.

“Yes, because I have work to do. And if we don’t get moving, we’ll miss breakfast.”

“What if I want you for breakfast?” he said with a smirk. I could feel my cheeks heat up instantly. He giggled and continued, “I’m just kidding, baby. But you do look scrumptious,” he said, winking. “And you don’t have any work today; I already took care of everything.”

“What do you mean you took care of everything? Amy, Lemon, and I are the only staff for the Inn other than the waiters,” I asked him, confused.

“Well, the old man is a wolf and understood when we explained that we needed to take you somewhere safe. We found a couple of replacements while you are gone. Don’t worry; the Inn is in good hands,” he explained.

I fell silent. I hadn’t forgotten about going to the Alpha Family Lake House with Liam, but I was hoping to put it off. Liam stood up from the bed and came over to me.

“I know this is all terrifying, but I won’t leave your side, okay? You are my whole world, Azalea, and I won’t let anyone hurt you,” he said earnestly. I nodded my head.

“So, when do we need to leave?” I asked quietly.

“We have time still,” he said. “It is ready whenever we are.”

I nodded my head. The thought of going back into wolf territory was making me queasy; it was almost worse than the thought of a hunter coming after Liam.

Hunters chased down and executed supernatural creatures like us. They loved taking down the head of any group, Alphas, Sires, etc. It was known that they liked to take the head of their prey as a trophy. I didn’t realize I was shaking until Liam wrapped his arms around me.

“Please try not to be scared, baby,” he tried to console me. I tried to relax in his arms. I let out a deep breath. “I have an idea,” he said, trying to change the mood.

“What is it?” I asked

“Ever had cake for breakfast?” he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

“No,” I giggled

“Well, I want to try this amazing cake you made me, and we need to eat some breakfast. Two birds, one stone,” he said with a big smile.

“You are a child,” I said, still giggling.

“Oh kitten, you just wait, and I will show you how much of a man I am,” he said, his voice laced with l**t.

“Oh my,” I whispered. I turned around before he could see me blush and went over to my small kitchenette to get some plates. I cut us some cake, giving him a larger piece than me, and we sat on the floor against the bed.

He dug in immediately. Moaning in delight, he said, “Goddess Azalea, this is the best cake I’ve ever had. What is this?”

“It’s a peanut butter cake with a chocolate ganache filling. I topped it with fudge icing and some peanut butter fudge roses and peanut butter icing.”

“You are a gift from the moon,” he said, shoving more cake in his mouth. I smiled at him, taking a small bite. I still felt queasy with everything that was about to happen.

After he finished, I got up to clean our plates. Once the dishes were clean, I figured I should probably get ready for the day.

“I am going to get dressed for the day, be right back,” I said to him, heading to my closet. Once inside, I found a clean pair of capri pants and a plum button-down short sleeve shirt. I pulled my hair down before I fixed it up into a neater bun on top of my head. I exited the closet to find him dressed and typing something on his phone.

He looked up at me with a smile. I smiled back before heading to the bathroom to brush my teeth. After I finished, I walked back out and went to the kitchenette to make some tea. I needed something to ease my nerves.

Liam came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. Being in his arms made me feel warm and less nervous. I closed my eyes, enjoying the feeling of his body around mine.

“You look gorgeous,” he said softly. I smiled.

“Thank you,” I said softly.

“We should get you packed. No rush, but it will take a good five hours to get to the Lake House.”

“Why so long?”

“Well, it’s about 30 minutes from the packhouse through the territory, but I figured you wouldn’t want to go near there. We can go around; it is just a long drive.”

I nodded my head. Thank Goddess, he thought to go a different way. My nerves eased a little more.

“Do you need help packing?” He asked.

“No, I got it. How long will we be going?”

“At least a week….”

“Okay,” I said.

“You’re amazing; you know that?” He said, kissing the top of my head. I turned to face him, and he kissed my lips.

“I need to run out for just a few minutes. Do you think you can stay here and pack?

“Yea can do,” I said with a smile. I didn’t want him to leave, but I thought better of asking him to stay.

“Okay. Call me if anything happens, alright? I’ll be back soon, I promise,” he said, kissing me once more. With that, he left me in my apartment all alone.

I sighed. Once my tea was made, I went to my closet and got my suitcase down. I moved around my apartment, grabbing the things I would need as I slipped my tea. I had just grabbed a book from the unread stack beside my desk when there was a knock at my door.

“That sure was quick-” I started opening the door. I expected it to be Liam, but it was John. “Oh, hi. What are you doing here, John?”

“Good morning. I came by to apologize. Miss Amy said you were still back here,” he said, looking behind me into my apartment. “Are you taking a trip, Miss Lea?” His gaze found my open suitcase.

“Oh, uh sort of. Apologize for what?” I said, turning his attention back to me.

“About the way I have acted towards your gentleman friend. You are right; I judged him. Truth is, Miss Lea, I care about you,” he said.

“Oh,” I replied.

“It is just a little jealousy, I guess,” he said, running his hand across the back of his neck. “But as long as you are happy, then I am,” he finished.

“Oh, John, that’s very flattering….” I said, a little lost for words. Why was he here telling me this now?

“Don’t worry. I am a big boy; I can handle a little rejection if it is the right thing to do. Have fun on your trip now, Miss Lea. I hope he keeps you safe,” he said. With a nod, John turned and left. That was strange. I closed the door and returned to packing. I decided to push it out of my head for now. I had too many other things to worry about.

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I was so happy the little pharmacy in town had exactly what I needed. I shoved the bag in the glove compartment before getting out of my SUV. Damien had already messaged me that the Lake House was all set for us. Hopefully, Azalea would be ready soon so we could get going.

I walked back around the Inn towards her cottage. To my dismay, John Henry was walking towards me away from Azalea’s place.

“It seems we just keep running into each other,” he said with a dark look on his face.

“What are you doing here?” I questioned.

“Just checking on Azalea. She is a pretty little thing after all, and no one out here to protect her,” he said smugly.

“You don’t need to concern yourself with her safety any longer,” I said in a threatening tone.

“Don’t be so sure, now,” he said. “Y’all have a safe trip,” he said, walking past me.

My mind was racing. How did he know we were going on a trip? Did Azalea tell him? Did she mention where we were going? We needed to be as discreet as possible. The more people that knew where we were going, the more likely it was for the hunter to find out. We didn’t even tell the old man exactly where I was taking Azalea.

I rushed across the lawn to Azalea’s front door. I knocked rapidly and waited for her to open the door. Soon enough, she peeked through a crack and then opened the door for me.

“Hi,” she said with a small smile.

“Did you tell anyone where we are going?” I asked quickly with no preamble.

“No,” she said with a questioning tone.

“Then how does John Henry know we are leaving on a trip?”

“He saw my suitcase. It’s no secret that I never leave the Inn other than occasional errands around town,” she explained.

“Hmmph,” I responded. I believed her, but at the same time, people knowing she was leaving wasn’t in our best interest.

“It isn’t like he is going to go around town gossiping that I am running away with you. John isn’t a gossip,” she said, stepping back into her apartment. I followed her in. On the bed sat a packed suitcase.

“It’s just important that no one knows where we are going. I didn’t even tell the old man exactly where we would be. The only ones who know in the pack are Damien and Lily. The patrols being sent to the Lake House do not know you are there.”

“Patrols?” she asked nervously.

“Yea, we will have warriors patrolling the area around the Lake House while we are there to make sure nothing sneaks up on us.”

“Oh,” she said timidly.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Nothing… it’s just… what if they see me and recognize me? Gwen isn’t the only one who would be upset to find out that we are mates.”

I walked over to her. She peered up into my eyes with her large green ones. “Azalea, if the other pack members can’t forgive you for something that happened 15 years ago and you weren’t even a part of, they don’t need to remain in the pack. You are my mate, and I hope that you will be my Luna one day. When we decide to tell the pack, they will either get on board or not. I will not let any of them hurt you, though. The Moon Goddess made you my mate and their Luna for a reason.”

She nodded her head before wrapping herself in my arms. The more she did this, the happier I became. It felt as if she was accepting me more and more as she sought comfort in my embrace. We stood like that for a few minutes before I broke the silence.

“Do you need anything else before we go?” I asked.

“I want to go say bye to Amy and Abigail. I know I shouldn’t tell her I am leaving, but she is my friend, and she will worry. Plus, I am going to miss sweet little Abi.”

“Alright. Why don’t I take your stuff to the car and you go up to the kitchen? I will grab you in a sec?”

“Sure,” she said, smiling.

I grabbed her bag from the bed. “Anything else?”

“No,” she said with a small purse in her hand. We walked out of her apartment. She locked the door as I made my way back to the front to put her bag in my SUV.

Azalea

I walked into the kitchen to find Amy bustling away with lunch preparations and Abigail in her highchair. I went right over to Abi. She lifted her arms and scrunched her little hands to tell me she wanted to be picked up.

“Hey, cutie!” I said, scooping her up.

“Ayla!” she yelled. She hasn’t quite figured out how to say my name, but her nickname was adorable.

“How are you today?” I said, giving her a big hug. “What are you drawing over here?” I asked, looking down at her coloring book. She giggled at me. “It’s beautiful, Abi girl. You are a master artist,” I praised the sweet toddler in my arms. I sat her back in her highchair and turned my attention to a scowling Amy.

“So where have you been, and why are you glowing?” she asked.

“I don’t know what you mean,” I said airily.

“Oh my God, did you give it up last night? Was it Liam? How was it?” she began to question excitedly.

“No, Ames, we didn’t have s*x!” I exclaimed. “But I do need to tell you something.”

“You are so not fun. Okay, what is it?”

“I am going to leave for a bit. Going on a trip, I guess.”

“That’s sudden and not like you. Is something wrong?”

“No, nothing like that. Just going to do something spontaneous,” I lied.

“Wait, are you going on a trip with Liam?

“Uh, yea, actually.”

“What? Oh my gosh, this is so fast! My sweet little Lea is going on vacation with a boy!” she yelled. “Where is he taking you?”

I hesitated for a second. I knew I couldn’t explain it or really tell her. “It’s… a surprise,” I told her. “But hey, can you like not tell everyone I went somewhere with him? This is all new, and I just want it to stay close to home for a bit.”

“Fine, but you are giving me a play-by-play when you get back. You have my number on your phone, right?”

“Yea, you programmed it yesterday when you showed me how to use it!”

“Good. Promise you will text me when anything exciting happens?”

“Yea, I will. Send me pictures of my best girl while I am gone?” I said, looking over at Abi.

“Oh, she will be all over that,” she said with a smile at her daughter. Amy came over and hugged me. “Don’t be gone too long, okay? Nothing works the same around here without you. Plus, I think the Old Geezer is going to burst an artery over the new people he hired,” she giggled. I laughed as well. I guess she was talking about the replacements Liam promised.

With a swift k**s on Abi’s head, I headed out of the kitchen and to the front. When I got to the front lobby area, Liam was talking to someone at the desk.

I walked up behind him, his large frame blocking whoever he was talking to. I tapped him on the back, and he immediately turned his attention to me. A smile crept up his face.

“Ready to go, beautiful?”

“Yes,” I said, smiling back at him.

“Great!” he said excitedly. He grabbed my hand and led me to the door. I looked over my shoulder at who he was talking to at the front desk. There was a tall brunette standing there, giving us a curious look. I could not quite place who she was but knew that she had to be from the pack. I turned my head back around quickly, hoping she didn’t recognize me. Liam pulled us outside to his waiting SUV.

I g*****d. I do not know how I did not realize until now that we would have to drive to the Lake House, and it was going to be a long one. I could already feel the few bits of cake in my stomach churn.

“Don’t worry, I solved that problem,” Liam said knowingly. We reached the passenger side of his SUV. He opened the door, and without expecting it, he turned around, picked me up, and placed me on the passenger seat with my feet hanging out the door. I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes at him.

“Just because I don’t like to travel in cars doesn’t mean I was going to run away!”

He laughed. “No, kitten, I just am excited, is all. Plus, you’re very light,” he said, winking. He reached next to me and opened the glove box. He pulled out a small bag. “And I want to show you this.” He reached inside the bag and pulled out a small box. He showed me the small box, but I was still confused.

“What is it?”

“Motion sickness cure. They are called Sea-Bands. You put them on your wrist over the nerves in your arm, and they put pressure on the nerve. This will prevent you from getting sick!”

“Wait, really?”

“Yea,” he said with a genuine smile. My heart melted a little bit. He really did care and thought all this through. He knew I wouldn’t be able to get through a five-hour car ride and figured out how to stop the motion sickness. “I also got you some medicine, but the pharmacist said this would probably make you drowsy, so we should only use it if the bands aren’t working,” he added.

I smiled brightly at him. “Thank you,” I said.

“Of course, baby. I don’t want you to be sick every time we get in a car.” He removed the bands from the box. They looked like mini sweatbands with a button on them. He got to work adjusting them over my wrists. “Alright, you are all set. Try not to move them around too much. Ready to go?”

“Yep,” I said, leaning forward. His SUV was tall enough that when I sat on the seat, I was at eye level with him standing on the ground. I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around his neck. I pecked his lips quickly; he stepped closer and wrapped his arms around me. He kissed me back, sending a pleasurable warmth through me.

Pulling away, he said, “Mmmm, as much as I enjoy just kissing you, kitten. We should probably hit the road.” I nodded my head. He stepped away, letting me swing my legs inside the car. He closed my door and came around the car to get in himself.

I was a little bit excited to go away with Liam if I was being honest with myself. I don’t know why but I had a really good feeling about being alone together.