Page 63 of My Shy Alpha

Lilian scoffs. “You’re blowing me off, again? I forgot to mention he always leaves when it’s convenient for him. How can you lead when–”

It’s my turn to stand, glaring at Lilian. “Oh, he can leave whenever he wants to. But I’m not done talking to you.”

Noah freezes in the doorway. His breath is jagged as he glances between Lilian and me.

“I don’t see the point. I know you don’t understand why yet, but he’s not healthy. I’m just trying to warn you,” Lilian says.

Rainn is crying now, shuddering through hot tears. “Seriously, Mom? This isn’t what I came for.”

My stomach burns. Rainn is right. Lilian isn’t rubbing Noah’s trauma in his face for another second. No wonder Noah keeps his thoughts to himself.

I’m so angry that my voice shakes. “It’s obvious you’re bringing up something personal without his permission.”

“Something personal?” Lilian laughs. “You’re his mate, aren’t you? Or did you just bite him like a clueless pup?”

Her words burn, prompting Noah’s figure to tense in the distance. But after everything Noah promised me, I can’t let this go.

“Maybe I am clueless. But I sure as hell don’t own my mate.” I blink away the dizziness of my racing breath.

I know this game. She’s distracting me. Flinging personal insults until I forget myself and say something I don’t mean.

But this game is familiar. And I hate how familiar it feels for Noah.

I straighten my back, circling back to the actual problem at hand. “Trauma changes the brain. I can’t believe you’re acting like he changed on purpose.” My spine alights with electricity as my wolf speaks through me, warping my voice into a growl. “I’ll never be embarrassed by my mate experiencing trauma. I’m only embarrassed for you that you’ve held that against your own son.”

Lilian rises. Her infuriated pheromones shrink me. “You think I don’t care about Noah? Look at my face. I’ve protected him my whole life, and I have scars to prove it.”

“That doesn’t give you an excuse to be cruel now!”

“Come back to me when your mate dies and your big, tough Alpha son wasn’t there to do anything about it.”

I shudder as Noah’s emotions darken past anything I’ve felt in our bond. Noah bolts from the building, slipping from my sight.

23

Rainn’s lips warp through heavy tears. “I can’t believe you.”

She storms out after her big brother. But where Noah disappeared, Rainn takes a sharp turn, dashing past the windows down our side of the restaurant. Her shoulders shake as she trudges home with heavy stomps of her black boots.

When I turn around, Lilian looks like she aged ten years: cheekbones hollow and eyebrows contorted in sorrow.

I want to charge after Noah, but what Lilian said was personal. “I wasn’t there either! Did I kill my dad too by not going with him to lunch that day?”

Lilian’s eyes bulge. “Wait, what?”

“Ritchie and my dad were shot by a hunter, not Noah!” I suppress furious tears, my breath hitching. “Are you trying to kill Noah next? Because that’s all you’re doing by blaming him for it!”

“You’re Takahiro’s daughter?” Lilian’s eyes widen in horror, but I don’t stop to give her another thought.

I’m already sweating as I sprint out the door, Noah’s pain rippling through our bond and burning my heart. He’s fast, and he could be anywhere. Where would a wolf escape to?

Outside the restaurant, I veer for the forest. My chest clenches painfully tight; he’s nowhere to be seen. I try what I’ve seen Noah and other wolves do - sniffing the air for clues - but I still can’t trace scents like they can. Lilian’s words echo in my mind - I really am an outsider.

But I care about Noah, and he needs someone, outsider or not.

Where did you go? I mindlink Noah.

Even as I sprint deep into the forest’s mass of trees, Noah doesn’t respond.

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