Page 155 of Freeing My Alpha

But then he drops to his knees, steadying my hips in his hands. As he kisses my belly through my towel, I suck in a sharp, sobbing breath.

Cradling his head to my stomach, I’m stunned as I meet my eyes in the mirror. They’re a hot, irritated red and my nose is swollen, but I look so in love.

Dropping to my knees with Noah, I smash my salty lips to his, inhaling his hot breath.

As he holds me, I can’t stop smiling, knowing tonight will only get better. “The best days of my life have all been with you, Noah.”

His smile breaks our kiss. We rub our foreheads together as we hold each other.

By the time we can stop crying, Noah and I have done our best to splash our faces with water and untangle my frazzled hair. When we finally make our reappearance in the living room, Amy’s eyes widen when she sees my irresistible grin.

“You two look like you’ve been through hell. But happy hell?”

Bursting into laughter, I reveal my positive test to Amy’s eager hands. “You’re going to be an aunt, A.”

Amy screams, sending Kira and Yasmine rushing into the room.

“What’s wrong?!” Kira asks.

Amy blubbers over Kira, gripping her arms. “I’m going to be an aunt, babe! So are you!”

Within seconds, Yasmine is playfully slapping Noah’s arm as he covers his bright red cheeks, Amy and Kira have me in a hug sandwich, and Rainn is sobbing happy tears in her mom’s arms.

I brush my fingertips along my aching abdomen, my cheeks hurting from smiling.

I love absolutely everyone here, even this little speck of our baby beneath my fingertips.

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I’m too delirious with happiness to feel nervous by the time I step into my Luna ceremony dress.

Everyone has given up on the human tradition of separating Noah and me before the ceremony, especially since Noah is glued to my hip. We’ve compromised by draping one of Noah’s massive ceremonial robes over my shoulders, hiding my dress from Noah with dark blue velvet covered in embroidered, celestial embellishments. Noah’s hands are already up both the robe and my slit skirt, but not for the reasons they will be later.

Noah has been stroking my belly in the back of Dave’s car, and my wolf has taken over my senses.

“I’ve been so scared we wouldn’t have this moment,” I whisper.

“Shh, I’ve got you both.”

The more he holds me and our tiny dot of a baby, the closer I huddle against his arm, loving his touch.

“My heart feels so much calmer when you hold me like that.”

“Yeah? Good. Thank you for letting me know.”

Dave clears his throat, and I know it’s from the downpour of mushy emotions we’re unloading in our collective scent.

Let yourself relax, my beautiful mate. We have a long night ahead, Noah mindlinks.

My eyes close as I hold his palm to my abdomen, allowing my body to soften in his arms.

But the second Noah guides me by the hand into the forest’s ceremonial clearing, everything becomes more real.

Eyes bore into us for miles—half the community shifted into their wolves from all the excitement in the air. I shiver as Yasmine, Dave, and Noah’s advisors neaten his ceremonial gear and Amy and Rainn remove my robe to fix my dress.

When our dearest friends and family step away, allowing us to turn and see each other in the moonlight for the first time, I’m stunned by Noah’s regal beauty in the moonlight.

The vest he’s wearing shines unlike any of the regular embellishments I’ve seen on his monthly ceremonial clothes. Vivid stones shimmer on top of every embroidered moon and star. Jewels drip down his wide form, cascading down his shoulders and chest from thin, bright silver chains that hug his wide form. I had no idea the body jewelry Lilian and Rainn draped over my shoulders would be worn by Noah as well, but they suit Noah better than anything I could imagine him in, allowing his inner beauty to shine on the outside in a way that twists my heart.

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