Page 61 of King Luna

Gritting my teeth, I try my best to stay centered, quieting my scent. But I can’t help it; my eyes burn hot at how frustrated I am, replacing my furious Alpha musk with a hint of terrified urgency.

But as Noah fidgets, gripping his palm at the front of the room, his puppy-dog stare pulls at my heartstrings, loosening my wound shoulders.

“Can we talk? Outside?” he mutters.

I sigh. “Sure. Sorry.”

As I step away from the table, I wobble a little—my knees quivering beyond my control in response to any and all conflict. Noah freezes, eyeing me closely. When I regain my balance, straightening my back and striding for the door, Noah drops his gaze, holding the door open for me to step out.

My heart pounds into my ears. I don’t know why I’m so upset, I just know I don’t like how this is going. Not only how Noah didn’t tell me what he’s decided to be true about me, butthis is only a day after I discovered he neglected to mention this “King” debate with Viktor, adding insult to injury.

But with the workload we have left to accomplish, we better sort this out as soon as we can. I stop only a few steps into the hallway, facing Noah’s wide-eyed stare. “Overpromising what I can do is not safe for any of us. What if I can’t protect everyone, but they’re trusting me now, all because of what you’re claiming about me?”

“Aliya, can we take a step back?”

“No.” I fight back panic, my chest rising. “I’m not dropping my upset for others anymore.”

Softening his features, Noah lowers his voice. “I know. I won’t ask you to, okay? I know I fucked this conversation up, so let’s just take a second to reset ourselves. I don’t feel like you’re sounding like yourself.”

I grip my forehead, my heartbeat frantic. “Oh, God. I’m fighting with you like you’re him, aren’t I?”

But Noah reaches for me, and that’s all the invitation I need; I cling to him, desperate to be by his side again.

“You’re okay, sweet Omega. We’re okay. I’m still here with you, just like you reminded me last night.”

As Noah wraps his arms around me, I suck in rapid, shaky inhales as the true depth of my emotions come crashing in, stinging my heart with an icy vengeance.

“Shit, I’m so sorry, Noah. I know you’re not my enemy, but I don’t want to be wrong about someone I love again. The second I thought about losing the honest person I know in you, I got so scared. I overreacted, jumped to conclusions, and—”

“Hey, hey, don’t explain yourself. Like we talked about, it’s not right of me to keep important information from you. And I want you to feel like you have room to stand up for yourself, even around me. I’m proud of you.” Noah strokes my head as I quiverin his arms. “It’s going to be okay. We’re going to talk through this, okay? You can be upset with me.”

“I don’t like being upset with you,” I whisper. “Why didn’t you talk about this with me directly first?”

Noah slumps. “I didn’t do it on purpose. I didn’t realize it wasn’t clear enough to you, and I thought you were already under so much pressure to begin with.”

I groan. “Avoiding it like it’s a secret won’t help.”

Noah leans back, looking me in the eyes. “There aren’t any secrets here. It would be weird of me to go around, declaring you my strongest wolf. I don’t have to declare that Yasmine or Dave are strong, so why do I have to declare that about you? Just because you’re an Omega? Plus, I already kind of did announce that you’re my strongest wolf. Why do you think you’re running this pack with me?”

My jaw drops. I gaze into Noah’s eyes, waiting for the punchline.

But Noah’s expression warps into sadness, a fresh, stabbing pain rippling through our bond. “Who’s been telling you you’re weak? Do you really believe that about yourself?”

I step back from him, gripping my arms. “I don’t feel like we’re talking about the same person—especially not after seeing you, Viktor, and Tane making that huge room feel so small. Not only are you all two or three times bigger than me in size, but I’m not like you guys at all. I don’t fight well, and I don’t want to, whereas you’re all batting at each other playfully like it’s nothing. What if I’m just a sad copycat of an Omega or Alpha? I’m not even a full Lycan.”

Noah’s expression hardens. “Youarea Lycan.Andyou’re a human. They don’t cancel each other out.”

I drop my head, pain striking my gut.

Stepping closer, Noah lowers his voice. “Are you sure there isn’t anyone telling you these horrible things? My mom?”

“No, no, I just—” I swallow hard, my eyes stinging hot. “I just figured, that’s probably what everyone still thinks of me, right? Beneath the surface? And who am I to come in here, suddenly acting like I have power? Who am I to think I’m good enough for any of this?”

Huffing out each word, I gaze deep into Noah’s eyes. He stares back, his fierce stare not giving me an inch of room to continue disparaging myself.

“So you’re defending yourself from others’ abuse in advance—committing it for them in the hopes they’ll spare you.”

His words strike deep into my core. My wolf shudders, enraptured by him. But even my wolf feels disconnected from me, unsure where she stands to exist.

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