Page 53 of My Shy Alpha

My heart must be throbbing against his ear, but I can feel how badly he needs this. I hope he takes it in.

Lowering my voice, I nuzzle into his sweet scent. “I’m sorry you can understand. I wish you weren’t hurt so badly too.”

Noah curls into himself, digging his arms behind my back to squeeze me hard. He holds his breath, and my heart rate increases. Is he too uncomfortable? Maybe this wasn’t a good idea.

But then Noah’s shoulders shake us both. He lets out a soft sob. The fragile, crackling sound stabs deep into my heart.

I hug his head, cuddling him with my whole body. “I know you’ve got me, but I’ve got you too, okay? You don’t have to be alone anymore.”

Noah holds his breath again, so I rub his back, and he lets out another whimper.

“Good job,” I whisper. “Keep letting yourself feel it. You’re doing so well, gorgeous.”

I close my eyes, riding Noah’s emotions with him as I breathe out my own heartache. It tears me apart to hear him softly crying, but it’s also such a relief he’s letting himself go with me. Offloading his heavy heart. I hold him through it, allowing him to cry for minutes upon minutes.

By the time Noah stills - his arms drooping behind my back - his heavy body lulls me to sleep with him.

20

When I stir in the middle of the night, I’m somewhere new. My half-asleep brain sends panic signals through me, popping me upright in an unfamiliar bed. How could I miss something this huge? Did I learn nothing from–?

Noah rises from a dead sleep beside me, placing his hand on my abdomen with his eyes still closed. Sleep roughens his voice. “You’re okay, Omega. I’ve got you.”

Tension drops from my body, flopping me back against the pillows. As my breath slows, my mate’s scent floods my nostrils, and I know exactly where I am.

Despite the darkness, Noah’s room glows with diffused, crystal-blue moonlight spilling in from massive windows. The panes are just tall enough to reveal the top of the pitch-black forest’s silhouette.

Noah keeps his space tidier than I imagined, only a stray sock flopped underneath his stocky relic of a wooden vanity. But beside it, his closet is propped open, revealing an odd pattern.

I blink a few times, struggling to grasp what I see in the dim light until the black and white blobs morph into real objects: Noah has at least two copies of every shirt, jacket, and pants, planting an instant vision in my mind of his wolf leaping from his human form without warning and tearing his clothes into incomprehensible bits.

I sputter out a sleepy giggle, glancing over at him. He’s already peeking up at me with bleary eyes. But what startles me is the moonlight reflecting in them like a true wolf; I’ve been sleeping in a nocturnal beast’s den.

Yet every millimeter of me feels safe. He even moved my body, and something within my flighty nervous system knew I could trust him enough to stay asleep. I bite my lip, peeking into his eyes with an uncontainable smile.

Noah groans. “No, stop. That’s too cute.”

I laugh, plucking his tousled hair from his eyes. “What–?”

With the opening my raised arm gives him, Noah takes his chance to tangle our limbs, cramming his face into my pillow beside my neck with a purr. It feels so good that I don’t even question my desires, rolling onto my side to bury myself deeper into him.

He adjusts for me, curling me into his chest until no side of me feels untouched by his heavy warmth. Comfort washes down my spine, and I let out a sleepy purr. Noah shifts to encompass more of me, scooping the back of my head in one palm.

Once I lie still for a while, slipping back into sleep, Noah softens his voice into the gentlest whisper.

“I adore you already.”

Butterflies erupt in my stomach.

I rub my leg between his. “Noah...”

“Sorry. Stay asleep.”

I drop my head back, reaching for his face. When I press my lazy, relaxed lips against his, he sighs, cuddling me tighter.

As my lips part, Noah kisses me long and slow, his scent flourishing with longing. The second our tongues meet with soft, slick pressure, my groin flexes with desire. I wiggle my body into him, craving to get closer even if it’s physically impossible. He seems to feel the same, massaging my back with heavy, rolling pressure. His touch compresses my abdomen against his, and I moan into his mouth.

That’s when I realize I’m still in my favorite dress. I urge Noah’s hands beneath my skirt, kissing him through a satisfied purr as he grips my bare thighs. But when he can’t roam any higher beneath the fitted bodice, he strips me of my uncomfortable clothes, cool air shocking my skin compared to his hot chest.

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