Page 124 of Freeing My Alpha

“Shit, okay. We’re getting you inside. Yas, can you spot me?”

“On it,” Yasmine says behind us.

Noah scoops me into his arms. “Fuck, you’re so pale, Aliya. What’s going on?”

“I-I don’t know.” My voice wobbles.

But as I drop my head against Noah’s bleeding chest, a deeper whiff of his blood stings my nose. For some reason, I breathe more of it in. A sharp, iron-stained scent pierces my nostrils, burying itself into my lungs. I expect it to make me nauseous, but I can’t stop sniffing as my wolf takes over.

I scramble higher on Noah’s chest to lick his wounds. Noah grips me tighter, leaning back in shock. “What are you— Oh. Uh— W-what’s going on?”

Making quick work of lapping up his blood, I purr as my gushing drool heals him twice as quickly as usual. When my licks deepen further, leaning hard into the deepest gash, Noah scoops his hand around my shoulder, tugging me off him by the chin like I’m a puppy stealing cake.

Noah stands frozen outside the Pack Doctor’s office doorway, gaping down at me in his arms with a mix of surprise and confusion in our bond.

Embarrassment flickers through my core. What the hell has gotten into me? I’m horrified to admit it to myself, but Noah’s blood tasted really good. As Noah continues to stare in shock, I lick the blood off my lips as my cheeks flame hot.

“Sorry. Hi,” I rasp.

Noah lifts one eyebrow, breaking into an amused grin. “Hey. You wolfing out, sweet Omega?”

“A little...”

“Your little fangs popped out and everything.” Noah chuckles. But when he nods to Yasmine to hold the Pack Doctor’s door open for us, he frowns. “Am I not cooking you enough meat? Maybe you need iron.”

It’s a good theory, but now my stomach kills from swallowing blood. I groan, leaning into Noah’s damp chest.

Except we’re not alone anymore. The Pack Doctor’s office overflows with Lycans waiting to be seen. There’s nowhere for us to sit, and hardly enough space to stand. Noah once mentioned they don’t have as many Lycans in the world who understand our biology enough to provide diagnostic care, but I didn’t realize it was this bad.

A nurse rushes out from the back to meet us. “Hi, Alpha. Right this way.”

She opens the door to guide us to a private room, but I stiffen in Noah’s arms. “Wait, it’s not our turn.”

Noah opens his mouth to speak, but the nurse laughs.

“Luna, it is your turn. You’re very unwell, so you’re high on the priority list.”

My chest burns. “No, I’m okay enough. Everyone else was waiting here first, and it’s not an emergency. I don’t want special treatment.”

I look to Noah, awaiting his backup, but his concerned frown melts into a touched smile. Within seconds, Noah and I are surrounded by a horde of concerned Lycans.

“Who’s next on the list to be seen after our future Luna?” An older Alpha woman asks.

“My question exactly,” a young Beta mom nods. “I’ve been waiting 20 minutes, so I might as well wait a few more.”

The nurse flips through her chart. “Actually, it was our top Alpha, for deep wound cleaning. But I don’t see any gashes on you anymore, Alpha Noah.”

“Oh, I—” Noah bites back a laugh. “My mate took care of that for me.”

The older Alpha scoffs. “Then she’s already made our wait easier for us! Please, Luna, you smell so uncomfortable. We all want you to be okay.”

My heart twists as I gaze at the concerned eyes around us. I know the pack takes care of one other, but I didn’t think about how much they’d take care of me.

Just as I brim in tears, the nurse rubs my shoulder. “I’ll just start you off with some bloodwork and vitals, then leave you to wait in a room for a while, anyway. I’ll call in whoever’s next as soon as I’m done. No need to worry, Luna.”

“Okay,” I mutter.

Noah gives the nurse a polite smile, carrying me through the open door. He sets me into a chair in the hallway, and the nurse hops into action, taking my vitals and preparing to draw blood.

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