Page 101 of Freeing My Alpha

“It’s– It’s about the wolf pheromone thing.” He swallows hard, dropping his forehead against me to hide his eyes. “I trust you, but I don’t tell a lot of people about it. Especially since so many Lycans can’t even accept the most basic thing of all of us deserving equality.”

I don’t want him to feel pressured, so I stroke his hair, giving him a soft hum so he knows I’m listening. But the longer we sit in silence, the bigger his incoming confession feels. When he draws in a breath to speak, my stomach flips with his rising nerves.

“Maybe she saw something in me that I didn’t when I was a kid. I was really shy then too and only got worse later on, but when she was alive, she had a huge part in raising me. But she didn’t see wolf sexes the same way as everyone else, and between us—” He takes a sharp breath before softening his voice even further. “She let me in on a huge secret about how Lycans actually work. She’d let a lot of Omega pheromones out when it was just us, even though she was an Alpha. I didn’t really understand it at first; our sexes seemed so set in stone. But then I realized my Alpha grandma could control her pheromones as easily as she could control her smile, letting out certain vulnerable scents only around the people she trusted. She was an Alpha around everyone else, but an Omega around me. It made me realize that—”

My heart pounds. I’m not sure where this is going next, but Noah’s hesitation amplifies my nerves.

“That I was controlling my pheromone output too. And it wasn’t just me altering how I presented: every wolf I knew would change themselves when other people were around, acting a little different and putting on airs depending on the company. It made me realize we’re not as straightforward as we all want to seem. But like I said, most Lycans aren’t ready to take that in.”

The more he explains, the more ridiculous it feels that Alphas hold so much social dominance over everyone else. And now that Noah’s trying to change that, they’re clinging to their final semblance of power. It makes me wonder if deep down, they know they’re wrong, attacking my mate who speaks too much truth for their comfort.

I don’t realize I’m gripping Noah’s shirt until he sits up. Stroking my hair, Noah traces my eyes in search of my thoughts. For some reason, my heart aches enough to stiffen my voice.

“Is that why you were okay with my—” I flush hot. I didn’t realize how much shame I carried around this subject until it floods my throat. “My Alpha weirdness?”

Noah’s eyebrows soften. He gives me a gentle smile. “No. It’s why I think having some Alpha in you isn’t all that weird in the first place.”

A hidden tightness in my chest loosens on its own. Noah’s smile relaxes into a full grin. The longer we gaze at each other, the freer I feel. He really loves me for who I am, just like I love him.

I dive for his chest, hugging him as tightly as I can. “Then I guess Grandma Greenfield raised you into the most beautiful man I’ve ever met.” Noah’s wolf melts into a giddy puddle in our bond, spurring me into adoring laughter. “I wish I could’ve seen you two together.”

Noah’s human side chuckles with me, kissing my cheek. “Me too. I really felt her loss when she passed, especially since my parents had to jump into action to take her place. Your dad was my hero when my parents were too busy, Omega.”

The unspoken ache in Noah’s words guts me.

“Oh, love...” I take his hand, breathing through the past with him. “You were alone a lot as a kid?”

“Yeah. But Takahiro tried to keep Rainn and I company whenever we hadn’t seen my dad for a while. He was—” Noah scratches the back of his head, his choppy hair blocking his eyes from my view. “Well, whenever I think of the type of dad I want to be, I think of your dad.”

There’s no way I can keep from crying now. But I’m beaming from ear to ear at Noah's shy stare. “What type of dad was he to you?”

He clears his throat. “Someone w-who made time for what he cared about. Someone thoughtful about the earth, the pack, his loved ones...” Noah fiddles with my fingers, his soft and rapid breath the only clue as to how excited his wolf is internally. “No matter how busy I am, I want to make time for us. A-and eventually, for our family.”

I rub his chest until he flashes me a soft smile, still too flustered to meet my eyes.

“I love my dad, but he couldn’t time-manage for the life of him,” Noah mutters.

My hand slows, only my thumb tracing the center of his chest. I wish it could soothe the ache in my heart, knowing it must feel ten times worse in Noah’s.

Noah continues. “I know he felt bad about that, and jealous of Takahiro at times... But I know he loved Takahiro for it just the same. Your dad would take me through the forest, teaching me all about the plants and insects—” Noah scrunches his nose. “Especially the weird bugs. Rainn loved that part more than me, honestly.”

I help him wipe away my tears as I laugh, and Noah seals it with a kiss.

“God, that sounds just like him,” I breathe. “He did that with me too. I feel like it made me much more sensitive to the world around me, and my impact on it. Our forest walks are some of my best memories.” I sit up with a gasp. “Wait, did you ever smell me there?”

“No. Whenever I was really curious about your scent on their clothes as a kid, Takahiro made it extremely clear I was never to speak to or witness his daughter in my lifetime.” Noah bites his lip. “Looks like I sort of broke my promise.”

Noah gives me a sheepish look, and I bust out laughing.

“You're not sorry at all, you sly wolf!”

His bright laugh sends flurries of sparks throughout my chest.

“No, I'm not sorry. And I think he was right to be fiercely protective of you. You’re so fucking incredible, I could eat you alive in my lap.” Noah’s eyes suddenly widen. “Oh, Goddess, I would’ve been a mushy, rutting mess if we knew each other when we were teenagers. We’d probably have ten pups.” He grips his forehead with a groan. “Okay, no, I don’t ‘think’ he was right, I ‘know.’ I would’ve made a mess of our lives.”

I can’t stop giggling between kissing Noah softly. “Still. I would’ve loved that mess.”

“Me too, sweet Omega.” Noah’s voice softens as we draw closer on instinct. “But what we have now is more beautiful than I ever imagined.”

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