Page 61 of My Shy Alpha

“So she can strip me of my title?” Lilian snaps, intending to silence us, but Noah doesn’t miss a beat.

“You mean like you did when you mated with Dad? That’s how it usually works, yes.”

Noah’s stoic stare is icier than usual, leaving no room for questions. Not even Rainn gives her room to budge, meeting her with a rare straight face.

Lilian falls silent, turning to her food.

I feel too sick to keep eating. I don’t even know what to ask, this time.

“It’s a lot of work, being Luna,” Lilian mutters. She says nothing more.

I try not to visibly dissolve, wishing I could hide beneath the table.

But Lilian clears her throat. “However, it’s manageable for the right person, considering much of it just requires some compassion for those who need it.”

Okay, I can work with this. I give her my preschool teacher smile. “That’s wonderful. Thank you for sharing that, Luna.”

She nods, shoving more food into her mouth without meeting my stare. I bite back a smile; with her flushed cheeks and short, fleeting glances, I recognize a little bit of Noah in her now.

“Luna, I’m curious, when you say those who need it, which pack members are you referring to? Do you feel like certain groups need more support lately?”

She softens her glare, still gluing her focus to her plate. “The Rogues. Noah is like his father, seeing the majority who suffer over the few who create chaos. I’m grateful for our family’s long-term values in that.”

Rainn glances over my head at Noah, her voice soft and sincere. “Me too. You still have no idea how much you help the pups I meet.”

Noah’s tense jaw finally loosens, allowing a sweet smile to shine through his eyes. “I-I’m glad. They have the best teacher, so they should be happier during the day, at least.”

Rainn laughs. “Oh, stop. You’re too sweet to me.”

I gasp. “Rainn, you’re a teacher too?!”

Rainn’s chest lifts. “I am - Greenfield’s Forest School daycare teacher! I was so excited to hear that we had that in common!”

I peek at Noah, surprised by my shy mate. “You didn’t tell me Rainn was a teacher!”

Rainn laughs. “Because I’m not his mate. Once you get Noah talking about something he adores, he’ll never stop.”

My heart flips.

Noah sighs, his focus buried into his plate over burning cheeks, but he’s still grinning. “Never?”

Rainn grips his shoulder over the back of my chair to give him a playful shake. “No, never!”

I can’t stop smiling as the two siblings beam at each other, Noah rising into a playful giggle that lifts my heart.

But Lilian isn’t smiling. “My heart genuinely aches for those Rogue pups. Your Alpha is right; they’re lucky to have you as their role model, Rainn.”

Rainn bites her lip, but she’s smiling softer than I’ve seen all day, her eyes glassy with emotion.

From what I’ve gathered, Rogues are Lycans outcast from a pack. They have a bad reputation in most places. But I had to find that out through Amy and Kira; Noah never says a single disparaging word about Rogues. In his eyes, they’re displaced refugees. Abuse survivors, stuck without resources to move like I was – if my parents didn’t die and leave me everything they ever owned.

I clear my throat, not expecting to get as choked up as I am. “I’m so grateful for your family’s compassion in that too, Luna. You have no idea.” But she must have some idea of how much I really mean it, holding my stare a fraction longer with a surprising burst of warmth.

Lilian fiddles with a meat scrap, passing it back and forth across her plate. “But I believe you initially asked about my personal opinion, yes? About who needs a bit more compassion?” She only meets my eyes for a split second - just long enough to see me nod before zipping back to her plate. “I have to admit I have an extra special place in my heart for those who have lost a loved one. A mate.” Lilian chews on her lip. “Well, if they survive. There’s only a few survivors every decade.”

Noah’s overwhelm spikes. I grip his hand harder, attempting to stabilize us both, but I’m shocked too. Lilian is offering this information herself, and it’s deeply personal. Not only to Lilian, Rainn, and Noah but to my parents too.

She swirls the meat scrap around her plate faster, her voice quieting into a delicate purr. “Maybe I’ve become more jaded with age, but being Luna didn’t feel like a job when I was Noah’s age. And certain tasks still don’t feel like work, so I hang onto those moments. Let them carry me through the rest.”

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