Page 36 of Freeing My Alpha

Noah’s yellow eyes bulge. “Oh, fuck— Mom!?”

Lilian scowls with a disapproving shake of her tight, gray bun. “Watch your mouth when speaking to your Luna, Noah Greenfield.”

“S-sorry! It's just— We're... busy.” His cheeks burn as red as mine feel.

But Lilian doesn’t look like she’s leaving anytime soon, crossing her arms and settling into one hip.

“W-what’s going on?” Noah asks.

“I—” Lilian clears her throat, struggling to meet my eyes. She brushes a leaf off her shirt, busying her focus. “I have a proposition for our future Luna.”

My heart flips. I’m still not used to her admitting I’m the next Luna.

She hasn’t apologized to Noah for the day I met her, but she’s softening up around us. But no matter how nice she can be, I can’t trust her yet. Not until she apologizes to Noah—and means it.

Noah helps me to my feet, lacing his arms around me from behind to cover his naked body.

Lilian rolls her eyes. “It’s nothing I haven't seen. I raised you, didn't I?”

“That’s not the problem, Mom.”

My eyes bulge, feeling the very hard “problem” pressed against my back.

I can hardly suppress my laughter, my voice shaking as I smile at Lilian. “I’d love to speak with you, Luna. Please, give us a moment.”

I help Noah gather his clothes from his tree hole, keeping his back turned to his mom. Unable to help myself, I giggle at the ridiculousness of the situation. But Noah sighs. He’d normally laugh with me, but he seems extra frustrated today. I have no idea what’s going on with him. Has he already had to deal with more of those Alpha-domination jerks today?

Noah meets my worried stare, and his eyebrows soften. “Sorry, sweet Omega. I’m okay, I promise.”

He’s not, but I trust he’ll tell me when he’s ready. With a soft kiss goodbye, Noah leaves me to meet Lilian at the clearing’s edge.

I roll my shoulders back, stopping in front of her. “Is there something I can do for you, Luna?”

She frowns at my unenthusiastic tone, and my stomach sinks. Shit. I didn’t mean to come off like that.

“You’re still mad,” she says, and it’s not a question.

“Well...”

“It’s okay. I get it.”

My heart flips. “You do?”

She links her arm with mine, guiding me into a narrow path between the trees. Anxiety burns my esophagus.

“Yes, I do. You were right the day we met. I was... cruel,” Lilian says.

A hard lump forms in my throat.

Lilian sounds willing to grow and repair things. I have a lot to say, but if I’m not careful, it could damage any progress we’ve made.

“Thank you for hearing me out. It means a lot that you took my words in, even though I was a bit harsh that day.” I glance at her furrowed brows, bracing myself for her reaction. “But I wasn’t the only one there. And I’m not the one who needs to hear this apology the most.”

She gazes at my feet as we walk, her stoic eyes even more unreadable than usual. “I’ll repair this on my own terms. This is not what I wanted to discuss.”

“O-okay...”

Just when my hopes fall to the floor, Lilian stops, placing a hand on my shoulder. “You're hoping to become Luna someday soon, I hear.”

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