Page 57 of Freeing My Alpha

“No, sweet Omega. You need to stay in bed and heal.”

“I do want to heal.” I break into a smile. “Surrounded by the pack.”

Noah’s raised eyebrow pushes a giggle from me. He sighs, leaning in to kiss my cheek. Then kisses it again. And again.

He’s trying so hard to be serious and stubborn about my recovery time, but his goofy, huge wolf spins in our bond, and my giggles overflow into belly laughter.

“Your wolf gives you away every time.”

He groans, stripping to his boxers in front of his closet.

I gawk at every rippling muscle in his back, even though I’m too sleepy to do anything but stare.

When he turns back around, he’s wearing a button-up white shirt, straining against his arms as he buttons its short collar. I follow his hands to his tightening belt, eyeing the bulge in his pants. He’s not aroused, he’s just that thick. And Noah knows I’m staring; that heavy bulge twitches to life before me, expanding by the second.

We meet eyes. A desirous flame ignites between us no matter how worn out my body still feels. I bite back a smile, dropping my shoulder to reveal just a bit of extra cleavage for him. Noah flushes, his stare darting over my breasts before he busies himself, picking lint off his embroidered ceremony vest.

But as his yearning scent stings my nose, Noah turns away, ignoring the lust in our bond. He doesn’t feel upset, so I don’t question it. He’s probably just as exhausted as I am and not in the mood.

Noah’s fingertips flit through my dresses in the back of his closet, stopping on the whitest one. It’s a flowy, white sundress, more casual than I would imagine appropriate for the ceremony tonight. But as I slip it on, warmth encompasses my heart; knowing Noah, he picked it because it’s far more comfortable than my other dresses, allowing me to relax as much as I can tonight despite my future-Luna duties.

I give Noah a gentle smile. “Thank you,” I whisper. He ducks his head, and I giggle. “Come here, my sweet, shy Alpha.”

But as Noah approaches me on the bed, he digs into his pocket to reveal a velvet box in his palm.

My eyebrows raise as Noah’s wolf paces in our bond. “What’s this?”

“It’s— It’s for you.” Noah’s voice is so soft and tender that I have to pinch my thigh to keep from squeezing him.

Lifting the box lid, I suck in a sharp breath. Glimmering softly in the moonlight, a crescent moon pendant hangs from a short silver chain. My heart spikes into my throat at how expensive it must be; the stone is so iridescent, even in the dark room, that it has to be a genuine moonstone. The necklace is double-layered, and the second, shorter chain is laced with sparkling crystals, so shimmery that they must dance spectacularly in the daylight.

“Noah,” I breathe. “Is this really a moonstone?”

He gently lifts the necklace from the box, unlatching it. As he scoots behind me on the bed to hook it around my neck, his deep voice hums through my chest.

“It’s the stone of our Moon Goddess. I thought it was fitting for my—” He hesitates at the sight of me in his mirror across the room. After a deep breath, Noah avoids my eyes in the reflection, running his hands down my shoulders. “For my Moon Goddess-sent Omega.”

My heart threatens to stop. As I gaze at myself in Noah’s mirror, the crescent moon flashes its light with every kiss Noah presses against my shoulder. The necklace elevates my plain dress, giving me an air of absolute importance.

But Noah just told me a white lie. This isn’t a necklace for Noah’s “Omega.” This was a necklace he bought for his Luna, and the way Noah still can’t bear to meet my eyes tells me we both know it.

“Thank you.” My whisper cracks, unable to contain my emotions. The sound draws Noah’s eyes straight to mine in the mirror. His nocturnal eyes gleam in the reflection, sending a thrill through my core.

When I stand from the bed to face him directly, Noah eyes me up and down. His fingertips trail my waist, leaving shocks of pleasure in their wake.

I can’t take it any longer. Tilting his chin, I draw Noah in for a slow, delicious kiss, dropping myself in his lap. As I caress Noah’s wide chest, it rises with desire beneath my palms like it’s begging me for more.

But Noah pulls back, breathless. His smoldering stare lingers on my neck, breasts, and lips, but when he leans in for more, all he does is kiss me.

My heart hurts; I have a sinking feeling of what’s really happening.

I sit back. “Noah, it’s perfectly okay if you’re not in the mood, but please don’t be afraid to be intimate with me because of what I told you.”

He slumps. “I’m not. I’m just tired. Mentally and emotionally. It doesn’t stop me from wanting you, but I don’t think I have it in me tonight to act on it. I'm sorry.”

“Hey,” I whisper. I stroke his cheek, kissing it softly until he’s willing to look at me again. “That’s perfectly okay, my shy Alpha. Please don’t be sorry. After everything I shared with you, every moment we’re together feels so intimate, with or without sex.”

“I feel the same.” Noah gathers me closer in his arms, squeezing me slowly but vigorously until I let out a delighted hum. Noah smiles. “There you go, gorgeous. Are you ready for tonight?”

---