Page 27 of King Luna

I gasp. “Oh, my gosh, I’m so sorry! I totally forgot. My legs are so weak that I can’t even think.”

Noah just laughs, flopping back into his pillow as I pat his stomach dry with tissues. “It’s fine. I don’t even care if I’m soaked in us all night. Just hurry back to me, please. I’m about to fall asleep, mid-sentence.”

All I can do is giggle; he’s not joking. I’m loving the absolute bliss and relaxation on his slackening face as his head droops to the side, especially since he’s been so stressed lately.

As I rush to the bathroom to pee, my wolf spins in giddy circles, dying to top her mate again. Not only that—to show off her newfound musk that made him whimper and writhe against the sheets. She chases her tail, unable to contain her excitement. My human side flexes at the delicious memory of him coming hard inside me, my knees pressing together as I settle onto the toilet seat. My wolf only inflates in deeper pride of herself, clinging onto this new, enticing challenge we’ve created.

From the other room, Noah lets out sleepy chuckles.

Giggling, I open the bathroom door, calling down the hall as I reach for the toilet paper. “Sorry! I can’t calm her down.”

“Want to hold her. Now,” Noah grumbles in the distance.

I sputter out a laugh at how precious and soft his demand sounded, nowhere convincing, whatsoever. After hurriedly washing my hands, I wring out a wet washcloth, dashing back to his side.

Warmth fills my heart when I find Noah spread out on the bed, his chest slowly rising and falling—as if his body was so heavy with pleasure that he couldn’t move a millimeter from where I last left him.

Tip-toeing to his side of the bed, I soften my whisper. “Here I am. Let me clean you up, gorgeous.”

As I run the warm washcloth over his bare torso, Noah sighs. That sweet, gentle sound fills my heart to the brim with the purest love for him.

My eyes sting hot; with Noah’s guard fully down, I’m hit with how deeply held he feels—knowing I accepted his Omega side this intimately. How long has he been begging to show every side of himself, too afraid of how everyone would treat him?

I thought I’d panic about what this all means about us once the lust wore off, but all I’m left with is a deep need to cuddle up to my mate. Especially this hidden, raw side of him. I don’t care if I never find out what it means. All I know is that I love him.

And we both needed this breakthrough—more than I ever realized.

Tossing the used washcloth on the nightstand’s glass table top, I snuggle into bed with Noah, burrowing into his warmth. Not only his warmth, but a potent cloud of our lingering scents in our bedroom.

As I breathe us in, it really hits me: the depth of what we just did. There’s a reason why I’ve never seen Noah like this before. Why I’ve never let myself top him this freely before.

Noah was terrified of this part of himself. I could feel it, even when he worked up the courage to tell me I helped him feel safe. Lately, he’s been wound up, tense, and more hypervigilant than I’ve ever seen him—afraid to show a single second of vulnerability around anyone, thanks to these asshole Alphas.

But he braved it all tonight. I thought it’d take him months, maybeyearsto open up, but the freedom in his breezy, purring breath tells a different story.

What if this is only scratching the surface of Noah’s inner depths? How incredible will it feel to only seemoreof this hidden, tender side of him? To chase our inner freedoms together in only the way we can, and to heal suppressed parts of ourselves in the process?

I knew I loved Noah to death, but at the sight of him showing this hidden piece of himself to me? I’m beyond smitten for life. I want to embed myself in his joy, again and again, as long as it takes for him to free every side of him. I want to show him he’s still loved, no matter what, until he roams free, his wolf prancing through the fields in our inner world without fear of who sees him.

A part of me is still tempted to analyze this: what his Omega-like smell really means, and my Alpha-like musk.

But I don’t think it changes anything between us, regardless of what I discover there. Whatever that side of him really is, it wasbeautiful. And my wolf wants to not only protect this side of him, but to cherish this part of her mate too, forever. As if he can feel it, Noah nuzzles in closer, breathing in my hair as I hold him tight.

Chapter 7

In the morning, I can’t stop smiling; Noah keeps stealing glances at me as we scurry around the cabin, gathering our remaining toiletries and chargers before our flight. Every time I catch him staring, his focus zips away, but he smiles wide.

We giggle as we pass each other, Noah leaving me with a soft pat on my ass.

“Wild wolf,” he mutters. “What did I get myself into?”

I laugh, zipping up my suitcase. He’s saying that now, but he has no idea what devious items I have in here. I double-check that my surprise won’t be visible if Noah opens my bag for me when we land; he’s been sweet enough to gather a change of clothes for me in the mornings when I feel too nauseated to move, and I definitely don’t want to spoil this treat I’m packing for him.

Shoving a fuzzy, faux tail into the depths of my clothes, I call out down the hall from our bedroom. “Don’t speak too soon.”

“Oh, Goddess.” Noah chuckles in the kitchen. But as his car keys jangle, I can hear his sharp inhale from here. “Oh,Goddess.”

My eyes widen; whatever he’s reacting to, it doesn’t sound good. Heaving myself to my feet with a grunt, I attempt to dash for Noah. Instead, I’m forced to stoop over the wooden dresser beside our bedroom door, struggling to retain my vision as a flurry of lights waves across it.

---