Page 159 of King Luna

“I’m sorry too.” Urging me to turn back around, Noah snuggles me tighter, his chest pressing against my back with every inhale as we breathe through the ache in our bond. We hold Little Wolf together, our four hands encompassing the full surface of my swollen belly.

I’m grateful Noah hasn’t told me it’ll all be okay; what happened isn’t okay, and I’m relieved to not be alone in feeling this tremendous despair. His honesty nourishes me, allowing me to keep living through one minute of my grief to the next.

“I want to help everyone heal, but I’m so tired, Noah.”

“Go to sleep, my love. We'll all take care of one another. All you need to do right now is trust your wolf’s instincts on what you and Little Wolf need.”

The second Noah rubs my belly, I melt into him. But my eyes flush hot. “I can’t sleep. I wanted to be wrong about the Super Pack. I wanted to celebrate you. You saved us, Noah, just like you promised—my King.”

“Aliya...” Noah nuzzles into my hair, his breath hot with shared tears. “You have no idea of the depths of what you did today, do you?”

All I can do is weep. “It wasn’t enough.”

“No, my love. I love you, but you’re so wrong about that. You really have no idea...” Kissing my mark over and over, Noah strokes me until my lungs slow, my body sinking into our nest. “Let’s put this aside for now. I’m going to stay with you, all day and night, until you feel okay again. I’ll be by your side, for the rest of my life. Okay?”

Turning towards him, I press my forehead to his. “And I’ll be by yours. By the Moon Goddess’s blessing, please, let it be long.”

As promised, Noah remains plastered to me for hours, not budging an inch, even as wolves enter our room with soft-spoken questions about global decisions to make. Neither of us sleep, instead spending the entire night debriefing our pack and whispering about what we’ve just witnessed and experienced—refusing to allow their forced trauma to seep into our bones.

Processing my thoughts with the love of my life, I bounce between emotions with him: rage, grief, terror, and agony spinning us in a rapid cycle.

But after a full twelve hours, Noah’s soft smile finally meets his eyes. My shoulders loosen—we’re going to be okay.

Noah kisses my forehead. “My love, I have to do something important before the ceremony tonight. Can you sleep for me? At least for an hour?”

My smile fades. But I nod. “Come right back. Not because I won’t be okay without you—I will, thanks to you. But if I can do anything, I just want to make you smile again. I can’t let them take your joy from you. I won’t.”

One leg off the bed, Noah freezes, gazing down at me. His side of our bond wavers with emotion, his chest laboring through each breath as if he’s awestruck by the very sight of me.

Stroking the hair off my forehead, Noah softly kisses it. “They won’t. As long as you’re right here, I can survive anything.”

His voice is soft but deep enough to send pleased shivers down my spine. I curl around his pillow with a smile, nuzzling into his scent and obeying his request—falling into a deep sleep.

I awaken to soft, soothing whispers of two women in the corner of our bedroom. It’s not what I expected to hear, but something about the warmth in their near-inaudible tones sets me at ease, allowing me to stretch my arms above my head before prying my heavy eyelids open.

Annika and Waimarie are nestled into the chair in the corner of the room, the cushion just wide enough for the sweet Omegasto cuddle up together. Their relaxed shoulders and breezy smiles shrug away my concerns; with the Super Pack dismantled to such a severe degree, everyone seems to be calmer than I’ve ever seen them.

Waimarie meets my eyes, breaking into a beaming grin. “Good morning, gorgeous!”

“Hey, you two.” My groggy voice scrapes my throat as I hoist myself upright, cupping Little Wolf. “I’m still so relieved you’re both okay.”

Like a true mom, Annika stops at my bedside, handing me my water glass from the nightstand. “How are you feeling, mama?”

The gentleness to Annika’s tone brings it all back: the horrifying past two weeks and the terrible way it all ended last night. I groan, gripping my lurching stomach.

“That bad, huh? Ah, well, for now, I bet you’re desperate to pee, eh?” Waimarie says.

I break into a weary laugh. “You would be correct.”

While I drag my achy body to the bathroom, Annika and Waimarie shuffle around outside the bathroom door. I’m too tired to care, throwing on one of Noah’s discarded shirts I find on the tile floor so I don’t have to walk around naked.

“Don’t worry about brushing your hair or anything, and I mean it!” Annika calls out.

“Oh?” I laugh, setting my hairbrush down beside the sink. “And why not?”

Annika’s voice chimes closer. “We want to pamper you!”

Opening the bathroom door, I gasp; Waimarie and Annika stand with a fluffy white robe and a breakfast tray brimming with my favorite food cravings.

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