Page 18 of King Luna

Until my phone alarm rings, pushing a surprised squeak from my lips.

Noah breaks into a delighted giggle as he fetches my phone for me. “Precious.”

I groan. “So much for being your tough Alpha.”

“Maybe you’re my Alpha mouse.”

“Noah!”

He lets out a deep belly laugh, spurring me into hearty cackling. I shut my alarm off before rolling over Noah, pinning him beneath me as I straddle his hips. “Alright, wild wolf. Let’s get ready for the day before your pregnant Alpha mouse pees herself.”

Noah’s bright laugh fills my heart and lungs with hope as he follows me to the bathroom like an excited pup.

As if Noah didn’t spoil me enough with the Moon Goddess’s blessing necklace—the most gorgeous, glimmering moonstone crystal hanging around my neck in the shape of a crescent moon—Noah insisted we follow at least one human tradition with an intimate courthouse wedding last month. That, and I insisted we do so for legal purposes, ensuring there are no human-world custody issues for our future kids.

Eloping in front of our closest family and friends, we gifted each other engraved wedding rings; an endless moon cycle circling our left ring fingers as our initials rest against our skin.

Spinning the ring as he holds my left hand in his lap, Noah settles into our forest drive out of Greenfield. I love to steal quick peeks at his profile as he drives, waiting for his stoic expression to soften as he spins the ring. We’ve never discussed it aloud, but a wordless sense of security within our bond tells me the rings remind us both of our forever connection, a quiet, soothing hum falling over us as we coast through the cozy autumn gloom.

Unfortunately, I can tell our peaceful silence is about to be broken; Noah’s emotions wobble in our bond. Despite his stoic expression, darkness creeps into our shared connection, allowing me to spot the slightest hint of tension between his brows.

When he catches me staring, I bite back a smile, and Noah’s forehead softens.

“Damn. I tried to keep it to myself, but I should know better by now,” he mutters through a smile as it spreads to his cheeks.

I laugh. “Let’s talk about it, love. We have a few minutes before we reach Jenny’s office anyway.”

Noah sighs, tipping his head back against his headrest with athud. “I don’t think you’re going to like it.”

My smile widens. “Too bad for me, I guess.”

With a chuckle, Noah comes to a stop at a red light. Meeting my eyes, he lowers his shoulders. It’s just enough to take the edge off my forming anxiety—no matter how lighthearted our conversation feels, my wolf will always be on edge when her mate is tense. Maybe he’s simply being considerate of the emotional heavy lifting I’ll have to do today in therapy between pregnancy anxiety and our upcoming overseas travel. But I can’t forget the truth: my mate never deliberately hides things unless it’sbad.

Noah’s smile fades, sadness overwriting his features. As he shuffles in his seat, returning his focus to the road when the light turns green, I can hardly stand the silence. But I know my mate by now, and I’m well aware he needs me to hold space for him to formulate his thoughts.

As soon as I release Noah from my stare, he slumps in my peripherals. If I didn’t know his voice better than anyone’s, I might not be able to pick out his pained, soft-spoken words. “I feel so bad that you haven’t been able to talk about Mason with Jenny.”

My focus zips back to him. Between all we’ve had to accomplish before the Alpha Summit, I had no idea Noah’s mind was still steeping in this deep of guilt beneath the surface over that jerk. My heart aches with Noah’s, pushing a soft groan from my lips.

I grip his hand. “Do you not believe me that I don’t blame you for what he did? Because I don’t think you could’ve stopped him, Noah. I know we can’t go back in time to know for certain, but it’s not your fault some power-hungry Alpha decided to useme to get to you. It’s Mason’s fault.” Noah lets out a tremendous, frustrated sigh. Nothing more. “And like we talked about, you wanted to give me freedom without being followed around all the time by security. I really appreciated that, especially with my history.”

Noah’s expression darkens. “It’s because of your history that I feel even worse. I’m sure you need to talk this out with her in greater detail, don’t you?”

I frown. “What makes you say that? Am I doing more compulsions without noticing or something?” Instead of answering, Noah bites his lips. My stomach sinks. “I have, haven’t I?”

Noah does a double-take, giving my hand a squeeze. “Not quite. Keep breathing.”

Drooping into the passenger seat, I sigh. Noah’s right; the second I suspected OCD had taken a stronger hold over me again, my whole body tightened up, preparing for the worst. As Noah slips his hand from mine, smoothing it over our budding pup, my chest swirls with excitement, loosening any remaining fears.

We’re about to turn into the parking lot outside Jenny’s office, a silent reminder we’re out of time to get too much deeper into our conversation. Noah rubs his thumb over my baby belly, stirring my heart muscles into action. “You’ve been so jumpy, my love. Ever since then.”

As the ache in Noah’s tone deepens, I bite my lip. “Dammit, I guess you’re right. I didn’t put two and two together until now, but Amy was still really upset about that stalking incident too—when she helped me nest a couple weeks ago.”

“Ah, I see. I was wondering why she seemed so distressed.”

“I know. She’s a sweetheart, like you.” I sigh. “Is that all you’ve noticed?”

Shifting the SUV into park, Noah meets my gaze once more. We share a sad smile, shuffling against the center console to drop our foreheads together.

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