Page 11 of Freeing My Alpha

“Do you know how painful it must’ve been for these Omegas to have to question their mate bonds in the first place? Their abusive mates forced them to defy what they must’ve hoped was the Moon Goddess’s blessing, crushing their hearts when they’re left hurt instead of loved. Then, in order to escape, their souls have to be literally ripped apart. There’s nothing easy about how any refugees got here.”

The Alphas fidget a little, but not a single one of them meets my eyes more than a glance.

Except the man with auburn hair.

He laughs. “Now, that’s a reach, Luna. It’s unfortunate that a few of them have struggled, but a vast majority haven’t—”

Noah huffs out a dark, interrupting laugh. “Wow, that sounds so much better. So basically all of these abuse survivors are faking it, except a rare few that aren’t master-manipulators? What a fucking joke, man.”

“You don’t need to be a dick. This is a serious issue,” the auburn-haired Alpha snaps.

“Yeah? But you’re telling me that based on conspiratorial bullshit, I should exile pack members I’ve already vetted. If that’s not a big fucking joke, then you agree you’re threatening the livelihood of other pack members, and we’ve got a bigger problem here. And it’s not with Rogues. I hate to break it to you for the millionth time, but they already belong here.”

Spittle escapes the Alpha’s lips as his face blazes red. “I’m not talking about them all, just some. Enough to make a sizable dent in what you owe us.”

With his smile erased, the Alpha’s bared fangs look even longer. It sets my blood on fire. My wolf howls to run.

But Noah’s hand settles on my back. A gentle sweep of his fingertips soothes my pounding heart, but it’s not enough. The Alpha eyes me, and I swear I can feel his gaze burning my skin. I almost wish he had that snarky grin back.

“Big mistake.” Noah steps in front of me with a growl. “Do not intimidate your future Luna.”

My heart flips. I grip the back of Noah’s shirt, afraid of what he’ll do. But to my surprise, his show of dominance makes the Alphas relax, their focus turning to the trees or floor—anything but Noah’s stoic stare.

The auburn-haired Alpha sighs. “Alright, whatever. Here’s the thing, man. We’re cramped, so what the hell are you doing about it?”

“The Community Center is cramped, not our territory. It’s one of the largest in the US.”

“You won’t claim more land? We’d help you fight for it.”

Noah somehow grows larger, his chest expanding with each breath. “That will never be an option. This is its maximum size. I refuse to wage unnecessary wars with our neighbors to make it any larger, and I disagree with the packs causing so many Rogues to flee in the first place, so a merger is off the table. We can comfortably house our new pack members with proper materials and time. There will be no bloodshed.”

The Alpha scoffs. “But it’s an Alpha’s Goddess-given right to dominate—”

“Fuck, no. There will be no bloodshed, especially not in the name of Alpha domination. Do you understand me?”

The auburn-haired Alpha stares deep into Noah’s eyes, and every bird silences for miles. I hold my breath, afraid the slightest movement will set them all off.

But the auburn-haired Alpha drops his head with a scowl. “I understand, Alpha.”

As I struggle to catch my breath, my eyes race between the Alphas. Noah’s wolf stands guard over mine in our bond, and his human form tucks me tighter behind his back.

He must’ve seen it coming: from behind Noah’s back, I recognize the dark brown-haired Alpha’s growling tone as he invades Noah’s personal bubble. “What are you so afraid of? That one day soon, you’ll have to face the truth from the Alphas around you? That if you try to expand Greenfield territory, the other pack leaders will find out you’re more Omega-like than some Omegas we know? Are you afraid they’ll hunt you down, or deep down, do you think it’s rightfully so, because this isn’t your true place, Alpha?”

All I can do is gape wide-eyed into Noah’s back. What the hell is this Alpha talking about? If their philosophy is that Alphas are defined by pure-blooded muscle, no one is more Alpha than my mate. But for whatever reason, Noah’s wolf bristles, baring his teeth in defense.

I grip his shirt tighter. Noah was right, this is triggering; they sound exactly like Steven, but the Lycan version. And if these Alphas are like Steven, unpredictability is in their nature. I’m afraid they’ll be set off at whatever Noah says next. What should I do? Should I mindlink Yasmine? Dave?

No, Noah acted like this ambush was normal. He’ll know what to do, won’t he?

God, does Noah have to deal with aggression like this every day?

But as Noah’s wolf expands, his human form stands as tall as he can. His next words are quiet, but I can hear his dark grin in his deep voice. “Alright, so what if I really was an Omega?”

Noah steps forward, out of my hands. With one step, all seven Alphas take three steps back.

“You can’t handle being smaller than an Omega? Weaker than one?”

I grip my heart as it pounds harder and faster than I’ve ever felt it.

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