Page 76 of Freeing My Alpha

No, I’m coming to protect you!

I expect to feel relieved when I spot Noah pinning Mason to the ground, surrounded by familiar, safe wolves—Rainn, Yasmine, and Dave at his flanks with an army of Greenfield allies—but a sickening growl bubbles up my throat at the sight of Noah wrapped up with Mason.

Noah is so agitated that his fur is fluffed all the way out, making him appear twice as large. Even worse, Mason is gloating at the reaction he’s creating in Noah, baring his teeth with an irritated tail wag.

What’s going on here? I mindlink our closest allies, dashing for Noah.

But multiple wolves swoop in, forcing Amy and me to a scrambling halt.

Dave’s hulking wolf blocks our view in particular. His stocky, brown-and-black striped wolf pants like he’s been sprinting as hard as us. No, Luna. It’s not safe.

Yasmine rushes to my side, herding away other wolves except Amy, Dave, and Rainn. Your Alpha has lost his shit. I've never seen Noah this angry, but whatever Mason mindlinked, it locked Noah’s jaws.

My throat tightens. Mason is still taunting his pack Alpha, even after losing this badly?

I'm assuming, but I’m not fully sure. Yasmine growls, including Noah in our mindlink. Your Alpha is just as stubborn. We can’t separate them to talk it out.

And we won't separate if this asshole won't shift back to show me his human face. It's suspicious as fuck. Noah only seems to grow larger, his fur rippling with each growling breath.

Mason’s mindlink makes me shiver with the anger coursing through its force, each word shoving its way into my mind. I guess you don't know what it's like to have a deadly animal pinning you down, Alpha. How can I shift if I feel unsafe?

That was completely insincere. Mason obviously feels safe enough to keep baiting Noah.

When Mason glares at me, his scent reveals utter distaste, blaming everyone else for the mess he put himself in. My muscles spasm on instinct, jerking me backwards.

Noah snarls loud enough to make me quiver. His jaw tightens until saliva leaks onto Mason’s neck, and Mason yipes in pain.

But when Noah pauses, Mason still chooses to glare at me. With my ears slicked back and body curled, my paws sneak back a few steps.

Until I get a good whiff of Mason's scent.

Oh. He’s just scared, deep down, Noah.

He should be. Especially if he tries anything else around you.

Around me?

Yes. The day you and I found each other, I beat the shit out of him for trying to keep me away from you. But now he's upset I went "beyond necessary measures" to protect my mate, and says he has it out for vengeance.

My heart pounds hard enough to make my wolf pant. Wait, Noah, this is freaking me out. I knew he found us that day, but you think he was being possessive over me? Why didn’t you tell me this before?

It’s not like that. My dad always warned me about the day I’d find my mate. You and I were omitting a mating call scent, and it's the best time to challenge an Alpha. Noah’s growling heightens, raising the fur on Yasmine’s back. If he kills the pack’s top Alpha before I mate with my Luna, he ends my lineage, replacing it with his. His ears flick back, irritation and dismay tensing every fiber of his shoulder muscles. So once again, you’re just caught in my mess.

Noah, it’s not your fault. I whine, my tail tucking harder. But what if he's not actually Mason? What if he's someone else you know, plotting to hurt you? Shoot you?

Trust me, this is Mason. His dad was one of the only Rogues my dad ever created, and Jack's obsessed with Alpha domination, just like this asshole. But Mason hasn't done enough to justify kicking him out. With how much other packs hate Rogues, it's basically like issuing a death sentence.

Oh, God... So you really do think this was just a dominance thing?

I want to think that, but now that he's going with that story too, it's hard to fully believe it. Noah’s snout curls into a tense snarl. I think he’s hiding something else he did. But the way he's challenging me pisses me off. No one should use you to get to me.

I think back on the night I met Noah. Mason attacked Noah in front of me that night, just like Mason attacked Noah at my first Welcoming Ceremony. Both times, Noah was vulnerable. The only times I can remember Noah letting himself have an opening is when I’ve been upset.

Guilt and anger burns my lungs, forcing my wolf to let out a heavy huff. It’s a clever tactic, Noah.

What? His deep snarl makes Mason flinch between Noah’s teeth.

It worked, twice. He saw an opening to dominate you while your sole focus was on me, and he took it. His motivations make perfect sense. But now he's distracting you from the real problem: why isn’t he shifting back?

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