Page 62 of King Luna

“How did you put that into words so well?” I whisper.

Noah’s eyes soften. “We’re not too different at heart, my love.”

Dropping my head, I blow out a slow, pained breath. I can’t bear the thought of Noah perpetrating his own hurt in advance to protect himself, but it’s true: I see it in the way he treats his wolf.

And in the way I treat myself.

“What do you think a true pack leader looks like?” Noah mutters. “It’s not a quiz, I’m asking for your honest opinion.”

Furrowing my brows, I study the uneven, old tile beneath our feet, tracing my thoughts. “Historically, an Alpha man has almost always been in power, right? But morally, hypothetically? I’d hope—”

My chest tightens as I dare to dream, afraid it’ll only raise my hopes to fall that much harder. But as Noah stands here with me, shouldering the discomfort alongside me, I whisper my thoughts—even if they might sound cheesy.

“I’d hope they were someone who loves their pack so fiercely, they’d do anything in their power to improve their lives and safety.”

Noah hums. “Everythingin their power.Not everything in the world.”

I swallow hard, lifting my gaze. Noah gives me a soft, somber smile, taking my hand.

But I can’t accept this. “So you think I’m just not giving myself enough credit? But that’s not what we’re really talking about, here.”

Noah nods. “We’re talking about strength. And do you know what stood out to me about what you just said?”

I furrow my eyebrows. “Someone who loves their pack fiercely? I agree, that’s important, of course. And I know you guys like to tell me I’m good at that. But when it comes to you calling someone your ‘strongest wolf,’ aren’t we talking about physical strength?”

“Partially. And you have a lot of it. But that’s notallof what I’m talking about. Not with Lycans.”

I bite back tears, unable to stop my voice from quivering. “So this is another cultural thing I don’t understand?”

“No, this is something I think applies to humans too. All species.” Cupping my cheek, Noah catches my tears with his thumb as I growl, annoyed with myself. “Do you want a leader who thinks they’re invincible? One who lives to prove themself as the strongest in the world?”

I swallow hard, thinking about someone I know like that. The person who comes to mind bitters my throat, forcing me to swallow hard. “No. Not at all.”

Noah slides his hand down my jaw, cupping his palm over my mark. “Me neither. What if true strength came from someone willing to question herself, no matter how powerful she is? What if she’s someone who loves so deeply that she’s afraid she couldnever measure up to protect the people she vowed to protect—and yet she still shows up. What if she even shows up to one of the most terrifying meetings of her life, shaking where she stands, in order to save a world she didn’t even grow up included in, all while knowing she’ll probably never get recognition for it in a world made for Alphas, not Omegas?”

My breath catches in an attempt to hold myself together, but I can’t help it; tears stream down my cheeks. Noah’s words hit deep in my soul—from a trauma standpoint, a grief standpoint, and so much more. How deeply I’ve longed to be a part of a community like this, to the point where I’m willing to uninvite myself before anyone has a chance to—otherwise, it’d hurt too much to bear.

But I also couldn’t see myself giving up on our pack, even if they didn’t want me here. I just happened to be Noah’s fated mate.

My voice comes out shattered. “Wouldn’t other people do this in my position?”

“You and I both know they wouldn’t.” Noah gives me a sad smile. The second I see the pain behind it, I hitch through a harder sob. “We’ve had horrible, awful examples we’ll never forget that prove it... And yet you still show up.”

“You’re right,” I whisper.

“I don’t want to speak for you, so you can absolutely tell me I’m wrong. But from what I can feel in your heart, I think you’re just so in love with our fellow wolves that the thought of failing them terrifies you. Which is why I never, ever, intended to put more pressure on you than I thought necessary by drilling it in your head that youhaveto be the strongest—because honestly, Aliya, you don’t need anyone to instruct you to stand up for us. You’re the type of wolf to just do it. But at the same time, I absolutelywilltell our allies where your heart is, because whether you mean to or not, your wolf stops even seasoned,powerful leaders like Tane and Viktor in their tracks, inspiring them to look at you, hear you, whenever you speak—providing a beacon of hope for their survival, no matter how petrified you are.Thatis raw fucking strength.”

I suck in a sharp breath, their earnest stares returning to my mind. I hadn’t realized it, but maybe Noah is right about how warped I still have the order of things: when I envision a leader, I still picture someone slamming their subordinates into submission, claiming their dominance. But that’s not what I want in a leader, at all.

What if there was another way? What if, together, Noah and I can create something new?

Swallowing hard, I grip Noah’s hand on my cheek, tugging it to my pounding heart. “Goddess, you’re freaking me out. I want a new reality for us, so badly. And you think we—” My voice tightens, afraid to admit my thoughts out loud. “You think we can actually make a difference? That I have some say in our future?”

Noah breaks into a genuine smile—wide enough to crease his cheeks. I huff, hugging his hand tighter to my chest.

“Seriously, Noah. You don’t think I’ll fail you all somehow? Let everyone down, possibly at the cost of their lives?”

He laughs. “Those are questions I ask myself every day, my love. And I’m so sorry to say it, but I don’t have the answers. I think we just have to keep doing what we can to help, even if we end up failing at it. Which we probably will.”

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