Page 37
Story: King Luna (My Shy Alpha #3)
T he following morning marks six months into my pregnancy, and Noah’s presence has nestled deeper into my heart than I imagined possible. I can’t absorb every single emotion he has all day—that’d be way too overwhelming—but if I wanted to, I could listen in to find every minor flicker of feeling within him.
And with how open we’ve become with each other, I’ve reached an unexpected roadblock in our lives: I’ve hit my limit of tolerance with Lilian’s needless blame and cruelty.
We’re sitting across from each other in the Community Center kitchen, having just finished prepping tonight’s dinner for the pack. Noah’s mother shares his sharp, deep-set eyes, and more mannerisms than I can count, but the longer I listen to her soft voice chatting with me about the near-complete Greenfield Daycare we’re building together, the less I can understand why she never speaks this gently to her son.
Lilian pauses, her brows furrowing. “How are you feeling, Luna? I know you’re starting your third trimester, so I hope we didn’t work you too hard. You look stressed.”
I swallow hard. Her words stoke a fire in my gut, intensifying my breath.
As my heart pounds faster, I cup the base of my belly, gritting my teeth. I can hardly bear to look at her staring back at me so kindly, knowing what she’s done—how she’s tormented Noah for years .
Noah should be rejoining us in a few moments, but he’s likely stopped on his way out of the bathroom by excited pack members. He doesn’t say it out loud, but I know he needs her guidance right now; he’s about to become a parent too.
And I don’t think I can bear to see Lilian reject Noah a single time more. Not while I’m carrying his baby, knowing how deeply my soul has bonded to them already—and how deeply Lilian’s soul must’ve bonded with Noah’s too. How can she bear to break his heart?
It’s too late to calm the fire in my gut. My true thoughts snap from my lips like a red-hot iron brand. “Why did Ritchie let Jack go after what he did to your son? And why are you still blaming Noah for it?”
Lilian’s eyes harden. She sets down the napkin she’s been fumbling with, clasping her hands in her lap. “We didn’t think he’d live. Jack’s mate licked his wounds until he survived, even though she still had his bruises on her face. We realized their bond hadn’t fully broken, and we didn’t want his death to kill her. But that was after we found Mason in the bushes, watching his father be attacked half to death. Ritchie couldn’t bear to break Mason more than Jack probably already did, so no matter how pissed he was for Noah, he couldn’t kill Jack.”
My throat runs dry. When I speak, my voice is darker than I’ve ever heard it. “You’re telling me my ex almost saw his father get killed, and he still shot my dad dead?”
Lilian drops her head, her forehead contorting through the start of tears.
I shake my head. I have no tears left, only rage. “I still don’t get this. I love you, Lilian, and so does Noah. So why do you blame him for Ritchie’s death when you know how badly this hurts?”
When her eyes meet mine, I stiffen; her irises shine a furious golden, just like her shifted wolf. “It’s not your place to question how I relate to my son.”
Gritting my teeth, I shake my head. “You’re not turning your aggression on me. And it’s absolutely my place. I won’t have you treating my mate like this in front of our pup.”
“Now you’re threatening me with my future grandchild? All because your mate allowed mine to die?”
I can hardly breathe, my eyes widening. “No, it’s because none of this has ever made sense. How the hell is it Noah’s fault? What could he possibly have done to deserve this treatment, Lilian, truly?”
“Nothing, okay?” she snaps, her face scarlet. “That’s the problem. Ritchie knew Noah was stronger than him—that he could beat him in a traditional top Alpha challenge to take his place. But after all that training that hurt Noah to begin with, he let his father grow old and stressed instead of using his skills for good. My son didn’t want to be top Alpha anymore.”
My blood runs cold. Knowing the hell Noah has been through due to his top Alpha status, that thought terrifies me. I grip my belly with both hands, struggling to catch my breath. “What?”
“He was too damaged by Jack. But top Alphas don’t usually live very long, Luna. I hate to say that to you because it killed me my whole life to know, but it’s true. They’re targeted until they forfeit their title, so if our pups wait to take over, we just grow weaker. Which made his dad a target past his prime.”
I grip my forehead, struggling to unpack her words. “Hang on—Ritchie was shot, not challenged to death!”
“I know that, Aliya.”
“And you really believe this? You believe your badass, powerhouse of a son, our world’s King Alpha, who went through all of this bullshit even though you’re telling me he never wanted to, still wouldn’t have stepped in to protect his father from anyone and everyone he could? Of course he would’ve, Lilian!” I hiss, and Lilian’s focus drops to her lap. My heart wrenches with her watering eyes. “You know what really would’ve happened if Noah was there? We’d never have to have this conversation because your son would be dead. ”
As Lilian slumps in silence, I cough, my lungs aching with how out of breath I’ve become lately. But when my eyes catch movement behind Lilian, I freeze.
Noah stands across the room, just as wide-eyed as I am.
The second his heart drops into pain with his mother’s sharp scent, I wince.
Fuck. Maybe this wasn’t my place, after all.
But Lilian straightens, her shifted irises desperate as they race across my features. “I just don’t want him to give up! I want him to be a top Alpha who lives!”
Lilian stands, and I scramble to my feet with her, afraid she’ll blow up once she sees Noah behind her—my mate shell-shocked, judging by his unmoving form.
But Lilian squeezes her eyes shut tight, tears spilling down her cheeks. “Of course I want Noah to be okay. Noah and Rainn are the only reason I lived, at all!”
My heart tears as Noah’s emotions somersault. Lilian’s warped expression shifts to confusion when she sees my eyes flick to Noah, but I’m more concerned about the genuine horror on Noah’s face. When he melts into grief, I mourn with him.
“Oh, no—” Lilian whips her head away from her son, hiding her tear-stained face. “You weren’t supposed to—”
Noah strides across the room, reaching for her. I have to press my fingers to my lips, suppressing tears at his empty arms outstretched for her like a child.
Lilian gathers her belongings, her voice quivering. “S-sorry, I didn’t mean to— I didn’t think—”
Noah’s expression warps further. “Please, Mom.”
She tries to pull away, and it sets off my final fuse. “Lilian!”
Both mother and son freeze, staring at me.
I don’t know what’s come over me. I don’t raise my voice like this. But as Noah’s bruised heart only worsens, my cheeks flush with upset. “If you think you’re going to lose your son someday too, enjoy him while he’s here!”
All at once, Lilian crumbles. I expect her to turn away again, but for the first time since we’ve all met, she drops her forehead against Noah’s chest, letting out a heavy, despairing cry. Closing his eyes, Noah shields his mother’s face from the world, his big arms curling around her head as his cheek settles on top of her hair.
Drooping into my chair, I attempt to pull my gaze away from them—to let them have their moment—but as their quiet, shy voices kickstart a raw, whispering conversation, I can’t help but stare. They’re opening up before me by the second, reforming their relationship in ways I’m positive they never have since Ritchie's death.
As they dive into an extended series of talks, I leave them be at the table, returning my focus to cooking tonight’s pack dinner while still remaining at arm’s reach to mediate, if needed. Most of their conversation is calm, and sometimes it flares hot, but after an initial awkward period, I’m stunned by what I’m witnessing.
Within the span of an hour, they laugh together. As I witness this shift from the corner of my eye, a flurry of electricity shoots up my spine; they’re not just laughing. They’ve scooted closer, Lilian daring to gather her son’s hand in hers.
As I watch their relationship reseed itself, I slip from the kitchen as quietly as I can. Pressing my back against the closed door, I hitch through silent, hot tears, caressing our growing baby.
I didn’t realize I was furious for another reason, but as Little Wolf kicks beneath my palms, I close my eyes, cherishing every second with them. I wish I could hold my mom’s hand too, to hear Dad’s goofy jokes about my pregnancy, and to watch them both cry the first time they hold Little Wolf. I’ll never have that with Mom and Dad, but every inch of me craves the possibility for Noah. Watching Lilian throw that away insulted me to my core.
But as Noah’s tumultuous heart gradually softens in our bond, he proves my fears wrong; it’s not just possible, it’s happening. Not only does he still have his mom on this earth, but Little Wolf will have one surviving grandparent—one whose claws can defend them from the greatest of enemies, and whose gentle tone can heal a steeled heart.
Table of Contents
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- Page 37 (Reading here)
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