Page 130 of Freeing My Alpha

Noah drops his head into his hands, his shoulders shaking through heartier chuckles. I can’t stop myself from laughing anymore, leaning against Noah as Viktor laughs along with us.

I guess the King Alpha isn’t as scary as I made him out to be. He is stunning, though; dark brown skin glimmers beneath his desk lamp, only adding to the warmth of his sharp, sultry smile. My wolf is scared to meet his hunting eyes, even through video chat.

But once Viktor pulls himself together, the Alphas launch straight into a serious discussion. Viktor and Tane’s stark scowls deepen as Noah tells them all about the Alpha-domination cultists, including Mason.

“I wanted to share this with Aliya today too, but something one of them said to me this afternoon confirmed it for me: I think Mason Hart is the one leading this. Not just leading, but actively recruiting and convincing other Alphas in the pack to join him.”

“You said ‘Hart?’” It’s the quietest I’ve heard Tane’s voice.

Noah’s nod silences the whole group. The tension pushes my shoulders to my ears.

With a harsh sigh, Viktor puts his head into one hand, scrubbing over his short fade. “You’re not going to like this, man.”

Noah’s sharp spike of anxiety in our bond churns my stomach. “Just say it.”

Viktor continues to scrub his head for a while. The longer we wait, the more I notice Tane also tensing his jaw.

“It’s not just Greenfield,” the King Alpha says.

My stomach clenches, but Noah doesn’t move. He grips his chair, stifling his breath. “I’m not sure I’m following.”

“Bloody hate to say it, bro, but it’s true. I’ve got a few Alpha-dom cultists popping up here too. They’re organized. I don’t know if it’s global or not, but now that you’ve had issues too, I’m starting to wonder.”

I feel like I’ve been slapped. Both arms wrap around my abdomen in a protective fear.

But my mate’s heart settles in our bond. He lets out a low growl, dropping back into his seat. “Alright, then we’re moving the Summit up. We’ll remind them what they’re up against. If that doesn’t work, we’ll deal with them together, right there.”

Viktor and Tane hum in agreement, affirming they’re mindlinking their allies and Elders of the change in plans to move the Summit a whole month sooner.

I’m shocked. Why isn’t the King Alpha the one deciding this? With a single sentence, Noah just altered the schedule of the entire set of global Lycan leaders.

The Alphas don’t seem as shocked as I am. They brainstorm with Noah, planning a number of spying and damage control tactics to carry out in the meantime.

But the horror of what Viktor and Tane disclosed about the Alpha-domination cultists wins over my confusion. What if this is a global, widespread uprising of Alphas? Alphas have been provided better fighting and defense tactics for centuries due to strict Lycan gender norms. If these Alphas feel enabled enough to band together, aren’t we sending ourselves into a death trap at the Alpha Summit?

As the men shift into simple pleasantries toward the end of the call, I realize there’s no choice in this, for any of us. Whether the Alpha-domination cultists have organized or not, it’s our job to protect our packs.

And pregnant or not, I’m about to be included as another leader responsible for thousands of lives. I grip Noah’s arm, fear pounding through my heart.

Noah tenses. “Hey guys, I’ve gotta hop off. Thanks for meeting up on such short notice.”

Viktor deflates. “Aww, man, Annika wants to meet you, Aliya. At the Summit, then? We’ll have a proper hello.”

“Yes, absolutely! I can’t wait to meet you all!” I smile the best I can.

But once we say our goodbyes, Noah turns to me with taut shoulders and puppy-dog eyes. “Aliya, I— I’m so sorry—”

Noah drops his head into his hands. With his head by his knees, Noah’s breath speeds into a heaving sprint. It’s not until then that I realize he’s shaking.

I swivel in my chair to face him, tugging on his shoulders. “Noah? Noah, what are you thinking?”

My stomach drops as he breaks into sharp, quiet tears. The sound shreds through me, flooding my tear ducts with shared sorrow.

His voice comes out choppy. “I’m so sorry, Aliya.” He reaches for my waist. Placing his forehead against my stomach, a pulse of his panic shoots through my heart. My mate’s usual deep voice is replaced by an agonized, small whimper. “I’m so sorry for doing this to you—”

Noah can’t bear to speak another word, his voice stolen by another harsh sob. I close my eyes, holding his head through our shared pain. I thought I was afraid, but Noah is petrified. I don’t know what I’m missing about the Alpha Summit and Noah’s status in the Lycan world, but if I’m right, he’s the one holding the whole world together.

And I know what I want to do about it.

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