Page 49 of King Luna

“Please, tell me what’s wrong,” he says.

“I will, but I want you to know I didn’t mean to shame you or make you feel embarrassed, just now.”

Noah stiffens. “No, that’s not why I just told you that. Don't stifle your upset for me. I want you to be honest with me about what you’re feeling, no matter how I feel.”

His rising frustration makes my cheeks burn hot. “Why aren’tyoubeing fully honest with me then?”

Noah’s eyes widen. “W-what? Are you saying I’m lying about something?”

“No—well, actually, I don’t know. How can I know if you’re lying or not when you’re avoiding telling me important information?”

“Okay, let’s slow down for a second—”

“No, I’m really hurt.” I huff, barely suppressing tears. “We’re really deep into this Alpha Summit thing already, Noah. I wish you told me more about the dangerous things you're dealing with here, especially before we already got here today.”

Noah shuffles in his seat. “Which dangerous things?”

“Like with Viktor. I don’t want you to be overprotective of me by lulling me into a false sense of peace.”

“Overprotective? You mean when I snapped at Viktor?”

“You didn’t tell me about this ‘King’ thing with Viktor, which turns out to be a pretty big deal. It scared me to see one of our main allies butting heads with you so badly and not having a clue why, or what to do if he stopped being lighthearted about it. How can I support you properly if I’m left in the dark?”

Noah gapes in genuine surprise, leaving us in silence. After a painfully extended five seconds, Noah’s knee bounces. “O-oh. I’m sorry. I guess I didn’t realize there was something to tell.”

My chest stings. “How could that be true? You remember to tell me a lot of things. I thought you trusted me as your partner in our pack. That was confusing and frightening to have thrown at me. Not to mention I—” I grip the hem of Noah’s shirt I’m wearing. “I felt really left out.”

“Luna...” Noah’s breath shakes as he stares at me in my peripheral vision. When I don’t say anything more, he drops his head into his hands. “Goddess, I never thought about how I'd feel it in our bond when I hurt my mate. This ishorrible.” Noah shrinks into himself, scrubbing his face as he sits on the bed’s edge. “I-I know it’s not an excuse, but I’m really not used to having anyone by my side with pack things yet. And when things are tense with other Alphas, I feel like it’s my job to deal with, and my job only.” He grips his knee hard enough to turn his knuckles white. “They're all aggressive as fuck, so I don’t like putting it on anyone else. Especially not on you.” He takes a few short, hot breaths until he freezes. When he speaks again, his voice cracks. “You’ve been around enough aggressive men.”

My heart drops. “Noah, I didn’t realize that's what you were thinking...”

“Fuck, I know, and I'm sorry. I just fuckinghatehow so many Alphas are like this. It makes me so irrationally mad, and—”

As he growls beneath his breath, my shoulders soften.

I sweep my nails down his spine. “Okay. I can see that. I think I took this way too personally.”

“No, you were right; I fucked up by not talking about it with the wolf I trust the most. I just don’t know what else to do in these types of situations.” He looks up at me for the first time in minutes. His vivid, teal eyes ignite a flame in my belly. “Which is also why I should turn to you. Because it's true. You’re my partner in leading this pack.”

My tight stomach muscles finally relax.

But Noah isn’t finished. “I see you as my equal.”

My heart jolts into my throat. “Yourequal?”

He furrows his brows. “Of course. Do you not feel like you are?”

My head spins, but Noah doesn’t seem to realize the depth of what he just said.

I wouldn’t call us "equals." He’s the top Alpha, guiding the whole pack, including me. And with every hour we’ve spent away from home, the more I’m convinced he’s not just a top Alpha in the Pacific Northwest, and not even just the United States, but also aglobalLycan leader. Isn’t he?

Before I can keep thinking it through, Noah launches into another mood entirely.

“What’s really causing problems is that my wolf clashes with what I want. He gets so fucking agitated around aggressive Alphas. But I don't like that. I don't want to be like them.” He shakes his head, but our bond stumbles into panic. “But you’re also pregnant, so he has a point. What if I can’t protect you from dozens of powerful Alphas at once, and—”

Noah huffs hard and fast, gripping the bed’s edge hard enough for it to creak. My eyes widen as Noah’s emotions shift faster than I can keep up with, each one spiraling darker.

“Hey, hey, Noah—”

---