Page 169 of King Luna

“So, with all this fighting at the Summit, you’ve just been trying to finish the job,” I mutter. “Because in your mind, it wasn’t Jack’s fault he got kicked out. It wasn’t Jack’s fault he abused the children around him and left you behind, and now it’s not your fault that you’re continuing to cause chaos either. Because you were trying to kill Ritchie, yes, but you were also trying to killNoah.”

Noah freezes beside me. My hands quiver as I grasp Noah’s hand, terrified to let go. I really could’ve lost everything and more that day. As Noah chokes out a furious growl, my chest puffs.

And Mason’s voice thins out. “Aliya— No, don’t look at me like that,please— It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. You were supposed to be my—”

“I’m done with you,” I say.

When Mason’s waterworks hit, his perfect jawline warping over his enthusiastic tears, I’m surprised; this used to always get me. Now, I laugh. It’s not my usual laugh—a darkness creeps from my core.

Noah stiffens beside me. I hold my breath, my jaw clenching tight.

But as Mason’s tears halt, I stand taller, lifting my chin as I peer down at him. “This will be the last thing you and I say to each other, you know that?”

His tears were artificial at first. I know this is true, because for the first time tonight, life reaches Mason’s eyes, his chest caving like he’s genuinely torn in two.

Reaching for me, Mason whimpers. “No, no— Come on, Aliya, you can’t—”

Noah smacks his hands away. Mason bounces on his ass, stunned that I haven’t crumbled with him—not a single apology escaping my lips.

I soften my voice. “Hey.”

Mason freezes, holding his breath.

“This isn’t working for you, yeah?”

“W-what do you mean?” His eyebrows warp, his voice shaking harder than mine.

“You’ve wasted so much time chasing after me, and after Noah, but at what cost? All this time, we’ve been healing. Even this morning, we’ve been laughing with our loved ones and holding them through the pain you caused as we healed, together.”

Eyes darting between mine, Mason continues to stare, his eyebrows twitching.

I grit my teeth. “I know this won’t make sense to you, possibly ever, but I hope you’re starting to hear what I’m saying: even if you took my life the night you broke in, it would’ve still been mine. Youcan’town me. I’ve been hurt by you, yes, andso have all of us, but you still didn’t get what you wanted. I’m hurt, but I’m so, so happy. And here you are, still chasing after something that can never exist. It’s sad.”

With these words, there’s an abrupt silence within my mind—one I haven’t felt for years. As I stare at Mason frozen beneath me, I suddenly realize I don’t need to hear his answer; there’s nothing he could say that will ever satiate me.

But that was never the point. I finally did it. I finally spoke my truth.

Noah’s palm covers our growing pup. His reddened eyes lock on mine in an unreadable flurry of emotions.

I grip Noah's hand, tugging him out of the cage.

But rather than following me, Noah scoops me into his arms, slamming and locking Mason’s cage doors shut. His shouts warble with pain. “Reid, Tane, Vik? Your turn.”

Wolves come pouring into the den, but Noah hugs my aching head to his chest, rushing out as fast as he can.

Noah doesn’t stop until we’re tucked into a secluded hallway of the stony basement, his ragged breath echoing across the walls. All wolves are out of earshot as they get back to work interrogating. But as Noah sets me down, I realize this privacy isn't only for me, but also for him.

Noah isn’t gasping for breath; he’s sobbing his heart out.

I spill over with him, crumbling against his chest. Noah squeezes me all over like he doesn’t know how to hold me. We settle onto our knees on the icy stone. Noah tugs me into his lap, holding as tight as he can without squishing my belly. I hold our child and mate alike, burrowing into Noah’s burning neck.

His grating cry breaks my heart. “You’re the bravest fucking wolf alive. I’m so proud of you, but I’m so sorry you had to do this at all. I’m so sorry he took so much from all of us. I wish I could take it away, I—”

I stop Noah with a heavy kiss, hiccupping through tears against his lips. Noah sucks back snot as he kisses me twice as hard, too stuffy to breathe through his nose. As we share frantic, breathy kisses, our love erupts just as fiercely as our shared pain until it overpowers everything else, intensifying with every kiss.

“I love you. You gave me strength to finally speak,” I breathe.

“Oh, Goddess,” Noah rasps. “No, you always had it, my love. I'm so sorry he crushed it. But seeing you stand up against him hit something raw inside me that I didn't know needed healing, and—” Noah frantically nuzzles his mark on my neck, whimpering through tears. “You make me feel so safe in this terrifying world, Aliya. Thank you.”

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