Page 5 of Freeing My Alpha

Noah doesn’t just like kids, he loves them.

But does he want to dedicate every waking hour to kids as a parent? That’s a whole separate question, forcing me to swallow my excitement.

Rainn finally catches her breath, pulling pup after pup off Noah with rapid precision only for them to run right pack and pounce on the pile. “Alright, enough, enough! You found him already!”

Rainn herds the pups back into the clearing around the deer tracks, but some kids stick by Noah, their hands miniature against his wide palms. They tug on him with all their might, and he chuckles, unmoving as if he’s only brushed by a light breeze.

When he meets my eyes, his genuine, erupting smile flips my heart.

“Hi.” His soft, deep voice rumbles through my chest, and we’re not even touching.

“Hi,” I breathe.

His eyes fall to Sarah in my arms, tracking my thumb softly rubbing her as she drifts deeper into sleep. But Noah’s gaze stirs my scent into a mushy, sweet explosion, begging me to tackle my mate with a hard kiss. Instead, I bite my bottom lip, unsure how else to contain myself. Noah’s eyes brighten as he breaks into a wider smile.

“Are you joining our lesson or not, Alpha Noah? You’re our biggest distraction today.” Rainn crosses her arms with a grin.

Noah pulls his focus from me with a chuckle. “Okay, okay, I’m joining the lesson for today.”

The pups around us cheer, and Noah and I laugh. He allows them to guide him toward the clearing, widening his stance to dodge the pups cluttering his feet.

Before I can follow after them, multiple pups stop Noah; they turn around, extending their hands for me.

Noah and I meet eyes and smile.

But there's an extra warmth and giddiness in our bond that wasn’t there before, giving my heart a workout.

As our class settles onto a rare patch of dry leaves beneath a heavy canopy, Rainn’s bright voice enraptures everyone’s attention.

So far, Rainn has managed to include every core subject in her lesson while keeping it hands-on, and I can tell the pups genuinely care about her teachings. Some pups climb trees as they listen, fiddling with bugs, sticks, or leaves, but I know better than to think they’re distracted. Rainn seems to understand that every kid is different, allowing them to pay attention in their own ways.

Noah and I might actually be the only ones having trouble focusing; I can’t stop feeling the eyes on my right cheek.

Biting the inside of my cheek, I stop myself from erupting into anxious, excited giggles. The different, novel sensation in our bond only grows with my smile, expanding by the second in my chest.

Everything in me wants to pounce on my mate.

For now, I settle on teasing him.

Just when I nod along to Rainn’s question, I shoot Noah a quick glance to catch him staring. His focus zips back to Rainn, but excitement sparks in our bond, loving the silent game of chase. I hold my breath, containing my laugh.

But Noah’s eyes drift back to me. They’re stark yellow, just like his shifted wolf.

My stomach flips. He’s more excited than I thought.

His eyes glide down my body, tracing the baby still nestled in my arms, then dart back to my face. His breath heightens, and then I feel it: an uncontainable ache spills from Noah, sharpening his breath.

I have to swallow twice, my throat constricting with emotion.

Noah hasn’t said a word, but I can feel the answer I’m looking for. I just can’t believe it’s real. That my life actually brought me here after so much disappointment around this very subject.

When Noah found our class today, he wasn’t just adoring how sweet it was to see me interacting with kids; he was agonizing over the thought of us and our kids, just like I was.

But is now the right time?

I can’t bear to keep looking into Noah’s eyes, my heart racing out of control and dampening my palms. I duck my head, busying my focus on delicately wiping Sarah’s drool before it slips down her squishy cheek.

“Would you like to answer this question for us, Alpha Noah?” Rainn asks.

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