Page 75 of Noah

Fine.

With a savage jerk, I ended it.

Adrian went limp beneath me, the fight leaving his body in an instant. His lifeless form sagged into the dirt, blood seeping into the earth.

I stood over him, my breath heavy, my anger still raging inside me. But it was over.

It was finally over.

I lifted my head, letting out a low, rumbling growl, staking my claim on this victory. No one would ever threaten my mate again.

Behind me, the trees rustled, and I turned to see Noah approaching, his wolf form sleek in the moonlight.

His eyes met mine, and in them, I saw relief, exhaustion, and something else—something unspoken but understood between us.

It was done.

Adrian would never hurt him again.

I turned, shifting back into my human form as I staggered toward him. He was panting hard, sides heaving.

His fur was matted with blood, but his eyes—his eyes were locked onto mine, steady and strong.

I dropped to my knees, reaching for him. “Noah.”

A soft whimper escaped him before he shifted, collapsing against me, his human body trembling.

I caught him, wrapping my arms around him, feeling his warmth, his heartbeat against mine.

He was here. He was safe.

By the time Carter and Griffin found us, I was still holding Noah tightly.

His body felt warm against mine, though I knew he was still tense, still trying to process everything.

He lifted his head for a brief moment, his eyes flashing with a mix of emotions, but they softened when he saw his brother.

"I guess we came late to the party," Griffin said dryly, his gaze flicking from Noah to Karl’s corpse on the ground.

He had a blanket in his hands, and without a word, he handed it to me. I wrapped it around Noah’s shoulders, not caring how it looked to the others.

I didn’t want any other wolf, even his brother, looking at my mate like he was just another member of the pack. No, Noah was mine.

I could feel the weight of the silence between us as Carter took in the scene, his eyes falling on Karl’s lifeless body. His face remained impassive as he asked, “Adrian?”

“Taken care of,” I replied, my voice flat, my jaw tightening. I didn't need to elaborate.

Carter seemed to understand that, nodding curtly, as if he expected nothing less.

The tension in the air thickened, and Carter's gaze shifted to me, narrowing slightly. “What are you going to tell your packs?”

Noah and I exchanged a glance, the question hanging heavy between us. I’d already known it was coming. Carter had warned me about Noah’s kidnapping.

If it wasn’t for him, Noah might not be standing here right now, in my arms, safe.

Griffin scowled at Carter and I could tell he didn’t trust Carter or any of the remaining Thornebane wolves one bit.

“Not all the wolves in the Thornbane Pack are bad,” Noah finally said. “They don’t need to suffer because of their alpha’s actions.”

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