Page 95 of King Luna

Noah, what if they’re not afraid of you because you’re a powerful Alpha, but because you’re anOmega, period. An Omega who wasn’t held back by social confines, and learned how to fight alongside Alphas. You’re an Omega who broke through every mold they expected of us, and now you’re here to stop them from hurting us all, just by existing.

As Noah’s eyes dance across the sand, my lungs speed into an anxious pant.

But as his ears droop, swooping back against his head, he lets out the softest, sweetest whine.

I crash my forehead against his, whining with him.Oh, my love. I’m so sorry—

Noah huffs, his wolf whining in deep sorrow.I never thought someone would find my Omega-ness to be needed.

My heart flips as Noah buries his nose into my stomach fluff, whining with every breath.Oh, Noah...

Breathing through his emotions, my wolf cries with him. But as we snuggle, his wolf squishing his nose deep into my cheek in gratitude, I realize he’s not simply grieving the hurt he’s felt for his whole life; he’s relishing in how beautiful I find him. And it’s true; I’ve never felt so awed that another person exists, and so privileged to be able to exist alongside him.

I whine the entire rest of the break from the Alpha battle, my heart bursting with love.

As Noah presses his furry head to mine one last time before facing his competitor, he whines with me.Are you okay, Luna? You’re starting to worry me.

Sorry, I’m just—I shut my eyes, letting out another happy whine.My heart is aching with joy. I just can’t believe I’m going to get to see you raise our baby.

Noah smushes his fluffy forehead into me harder. Then he lets out the same, sappy whine.Fuck. That’s so cute. How am Igoing to kick wolf ass after this, Luna? You’ve turned my heart into happy mush.

My whine sparks into an excited yip, urging me to nip Noah’s scent gland until a shiver ripples down the fur of his back, ending with a flick of his tail.Show them no one will tear us down. For our pup’s sake.

Noah’s fur bristles, expanding him twice his size once more. As he steps back from me, his stoicism returns full force.Fucking genius wolf, I swear... Hey, wait. Maybe you could actually—

With a tilt of his head, Noah doesn’t finish his sentence; he turns his back to me. My wolf’s chest puffs, unbelieving he’d leave me hanging like this before going off to fight.

I scamper after him.Excuse me, mister?! Maybe I could what, now?

Noah gives my cheek a playful nudge, his tail swinging wildly.No, I changed my mind. I’ll have to wait a few days to say this, at the very least.

I blink a few times, so desperate to talk his thoughts through that I shift back into my human form. “Noah?! Where do you think you’re going?”

With a sassy tail wag, Noah only spares me a quick glance over his shoulder.To win this stupid fucking Summit... As your Alpha-Omega.

I stop in my tracks, a bright smile filling my cheeks. As he leaves, I see it: he’s still puffed out and defensive, but there’s a sleek, steady confidence to his paws, allowing our bond to soar in peace. He might not allow it to show in his scent, but his Omega side is here too, fighting this fight just as hard.

Noah’s wolf prowls onto the field, renewed energy in his paws leaving me on the sidelines to watch in awed silence. He beats every competitor, only sustaining a single claw scratch.This leaves him to battle amongst the other top nine Alphas tomorrow for the semi-finals: the night before the New Moon.

Chapter 22

Noah and I skip tonight’s official dinner, relieved to know Reid, Tane, and Viktor also ranked in the top ten for the semi-finals. As we huddle up in the disastrous bundle I’ve made of our “nest” bed, we can’t stop giggling, our excitement over each other at its peak.

Noah’s hair flops over his dark brow, still mussed from sweat. I breathe him in, tracing my fingertips over his bare chest as he lays beside me, stretched out for me to see. Swallowing the last bite of my dinner, I have to gulp harder, unable to fathom how this is my mate. He looks exhausted, dark circles under his slow-blinking eyes, but he’s exhausted for our safety.

Just like he said, he did it. He beat every Alpha thus far, not just as another Alpha, but also as a vibrant, beautiful Omega.

“I can’t stop looking at you,” I whisper.

Noah grins, his eyes softening as he plucks a stray hair off my neck. “I can tell. If I wasn’t also gushing over my gorgeous Luna, I’d be borderline-uncomfortable with how much you’re staring.”

Sputtering out a laugh, I grip Noah’s shoulder, stretching over our dinner plates to plant a heavy kiss on his mouth. As I lean into his relaxed, plushy lips, comfort fills my chest, pulling a pleased hum from my throat. Noah’s deep purr in response curls my toes.

Leaning into his elbow on his side, Noah slinks his weight into the mattress. He drags his eyes up my bare legs, my ass barely covered by another one of his shirts. As Noah meets my stare, his smile widens. I grin with him, figuring we’re thinkingthe same thing: it’s only a matter of time before we throw our plates aside, putting this bed to work.

But as his warm palm trails down my side, sloping over my hip, I catch his hand. “I think you’ve been a good enough boy to receive your surprise now.”

Noah blinks a few times before breaking into giggles. “Oh, I have, have I?”