Page 140 of King Luna

I cup his cheeks. “Youdidn’t let him near me;heforced his way in. As we’ve both said, this is entirely his fault.”

Noah chokes out an exasperated groan, burying his head against my shoulder. “Knowing this much, hehasto be Lycan. It makes way more sense why he's impossible to find. Packs will protect their own with their lives.”

“But if Steven has always been a wolf, what about all his hunting friends? Was he lying about that while we dated?”

“Many wolves still hunt for their food with their closest pack members, so ‘hunting friends’ is a human-sounding coverup.”

“Oh.Oh...” I deflate, shaking my head in disbelief. “So is that why you don't think Jack would be at a hunting event for humans?”

“The whole reason I met Jack was because he trained Alpha pups to fight. To hunt hunters and protect the pack. He’d joke that human hunters are free meals—even off-the-grid ones that hunt for food only. None of us ever thought it was funny.”

My guts churn. “So if Steven really is Mason, why would Mason frame his own father? Do you think Jack hurt him too?”

“Oh...” Noah opens his mouth, then closes it. “I don’t know. I didn’t think of that possibility... Either that, or Steven—Mason—really is the one who shot our dads.”

My head spins hard enough to make me wobble. Noah steadies me, an aching concern infused into his musk.

“I feel sick,” I whisper. “Is this all my fault? M-maybe I pushed back against him too harshly, and—”

“No. Absolutely not.” Noah scoops me into his lap, cuddling me to his chest. “I’ve blamed myself too. Do you remember what you just told me?”

I grip Noah’s shoulder, huffing into his collarbone. “We couldn’t do a damn thing. It was completely out of our control.”

“Yes, my love. But you know what? Now we're experts at spotting abuse. It doesn't have to repeat.” Noah kisses my forehead.

I sit up, cupping his scruffy cheeks in my palms. All I can do is sigh at the sight of my sweet mate. No matter how worn his poor heart feels, he’s ever-present with me, as usual.

And he’s right; if Mason shows up in front of me in the future, I won’t let him hurt a single soul more. I’ll do everything in my power to capture him, binding his hands so they’ll never have an opening to hurt anyone again.

Noah rasps out a haggard breath. “Fuck, this is fucking crazy. If you weren’t a badass mastermind, what if I never realized—”

I groan, kissing Noah’s forehead. “You’rethe mastermind who led me there, Noah. And I know you want to be King andchange the world, and I think you already are succeeding in that... But are you sure you can fight today? This is a lot, and...”

I trail off, gazing into my mate’s vibrant, teal eyes. He’s more present than I thought.

I’m amazed by him. He looks so solid—angry, but righteously so.

Maybe this is exactly what he needed to remember why this “King Alpha” title isn’t as superficial as it may sound. The King’s power influences how all packs treat one another—an opportunity I trust Noah will run with.

I drag my fingernails through Noah’s hair, giving his scalp a thorough scratch. “Sweet, sweet Alpha-Omega.”

Noah’s shoulders soften. He tugs me closer, and my lips ease against his, massaging my love into them. His big hand encompasses my lower back, pressing our baby tight to his stomach as my tongue slips against his.

I feel so safe with you. Thank you,I mindlink.

Thankyou.I can’t believe I get to spend my life with you.

Huffing through the loving ache in my heart, I dive back in for as many kisses as I can squeeze in, our desperate lips colliding with delicious pressure. I want nothing more than to be wrapped up with Noah, forgetting about this stupid Summit for a moment.

But someone pounds on the door.

Noah gives me one last reluctant kiss before heading for the door. I’m still sorting my dress with shaking hands when Noah finds Reid in the hallway.

Reid’s brows are furrowed. “They’re waiting to start the final battle. You’re not planning on backing out of the fight, are you?”

“Fuck,” Noah hisses, spinning in circles to search for his crest. “I didn’t warm up. But I may as well have with the fucking cardio I just did.”

Reid grips Noah’s wrist, halting him in place. “What happened? You both look devastated.”

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