Page 128 of King Luna

With slow, tender licks on my scent gland, Noah replaces every discomfort with delight, his scent seeping down to my bones.

Noah purrs. “Good girl. I’m right here.”

I smush my forehead into his chest, drenching myself in his adoring scent. But no matter what, my heart aches.

“Listen closely, okay? If I come anywhere close to being hurt badly, I’ll submit,” Noah says.

I freeze, gripping him tighter. “But you said you’d only submit to—”

“I don’t care what I said. As far as I’m concerned, it still would only be submitting to you. Because you’re right: you and our pup are my priority.”

My eyes water as Noah's fingertips skate over my stomach.

“I want to come home to watch you be the mom you've always dreamed of. I want to live to hold our pup with you. And I want to protect our pack by your side for years to come. I’d do anything to witness you in action.” He softens his shaking voice, pulling me closer as if he's telling me a deep secret. “Every time I look at you, I see the only wolf here who should be King.”

My heart soars higher than I expect with those words, unlocking a beautiful vision within me—as much as it terrifies me.

I grip Noah’s arms, my eyes tracing his. “If you win this competition and become my King, then I’ll be—”

I swallow hard, terrified to say something so extreme out loud.

But the look in my mate's eyes dares me to—begs me to—his claws extending in anticipation of my next words.

“If you'll be my King Alpha, then I'll be yours,” I whisper.

My heart hammers into my throat as I watch my words erupt behind my mate’s eyes, brightening them into sunshine.

Noah grows more alert by the second, his wolf’s chest puffing as high as his human form.

Cupping my cheeks in his palms, Noah gazes at me in pure awe. He eases his lips against mine, dragging a wave of pleasure down my spine. Then his voice rumbles deep.

“Feisty Luna.”

He's dead-serious. I freeze, unsure what he'll say next.

“One day, you’re going to change the entire world with nothing but your own paws, I know it. Youwillbe King.”

Noah pulls back. Determination radiates from him as he steps away—the ability to achieve anything set into his tight core.

But I grasp his hand, bringing him to a halt. “Wait, Noah, I need to tell you something else before you dive back into Summit chaos.”

Vigilant eyes flit all over me—as sharp and wolflike as they can be outside of his wolf form.

I grit my teeth. “I'm afraid if you don’t win tomorrow, the whole world won't be safe. Look how strong these Alpha-domination wolves have become. How frequent they are. Entire packs followallof them. It makes me so sick to think how many there must be.”

He growls, his half-shifted eyes roaming the field with detest.

Then I see it—the same wolf in him that I needed in my worst moments. The leader the world needs.

It ignites a fire in my core. I grip his biceps harder.

“There he is. I felt him out in the field, just now, too. The one who I needed to defend me.”

Noah sucks in a harsh breath, holding it. He meets my eyes, agony creasing his forehead.

But I hold my grip strong, even as my voice quivers. “Remember this feeling. Chase it, Noah.”

He blows out a slow, fiery breath. “I will. I’ll show them all it’s time to protect Omegas and Betas too, and that doing so protects all wolves.”

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