Chapter 13
T he next time I stir, my wolf growls at Noah for trying to exit the bed. He doesn’t listen, attempting to slip away from me, just slower—as if I wouldn’t notice. I growl deeper, not entirely conscious as my lips lift in warning to flash my incisors.
When I crack open one eye, I find Noah barely containing a laugh. “O-oh, Goddess. You’re totally turning into a mother wolf.”
My jaw tightens. “Don’t laugh at me. I want to hold you.”
Noah bites back an even heavier threat of a laugh. “I know, and I-I love you. But I also need to pee.”
I gasp, retracting my claws. “Oh. Sorry.”
“Shh. Go back to sleep.” Noah struggles to contain himself with a shaking voice as he pries his body from my limp arms.
The next time I open my eyes, my wolf growls through me again, pawing Noah’s gentle touch away from my face.
“God, you’re the cutest wolf I’ve ever fucking seen. You don’t have to get up, and I won’t disturb you for much longer. Just open those scowling lips to drink some water for me, my love.”
I fumble for the cup with my eyes closed, downing the whole glass with how thirsty I am. As I catch my breath, I groan. “This bed isn’t right.”
Noah’s breath hitches. When I pry open one eye, almost all color has left beyond blues and yellows, my furiously attractive mate biting his lips in grayscale. He stares back, wide-eyed. I shut my eyes again, grumbling at the glimpse I caught of the disastrous state of my bed.
“Mate, help me. I need more blankets.” I huff, shoveling armfuls of the comforter around me to plump up the mattress.
“Oh, shit. Are you...?” Noah whispers.
His hand brushes my forehead, and it takes everything within me not to snap my jaws at him, barely opening one eye again to glare and growl.
“Sorry, sorry— Blankets, you said?” Noah backs up quickly, flinging open the cabinet behind him and grasping for anything soft he can find. I close my eyes, satisfied with his efforts.
“I’m so tired,” I groan, unable to stop my arms from digging, digging, digging, not willing to stop until everything around me feels plushy enough.
“I know, Luna. Listen to your maternal instincts. Are you almost done?” The laughter in Noah’s voice deepens my frown.
“Don’t make fun of me, Alpha. I really am tired. It hurts.”
“Oh, sweet Omega. I’m so sorry. I’m not laughing at you, my love. I just find you so endearing. You’re going to be such a good mom.”
Purring, I nuzzle my face into the blankets, unable to lift my arms a single time more—not even to drop my body back into bed, my ass left high in the air.
Noah purrs back, easing me onto my side until my body droops into the mattress in submission. “There you go. Crawl back in and go to sleep, okay? I won’t disturb the bedding again.”
Growling at the thought of my blankets being disrupted, I burrow deep into the fresh blankets Noah supplied me with, cocooned by squishy fabric.
“Good girl,” Noah purrs, sending a tingling warmth between my legs. I wiggle my hips, too tired to fully invite him into bed to mate, but Noah shushes me gently. “No, no, sweet Omega. I’m not meaning to get you riled up. Get your sleep.”
“But don't I need to get up soon?” I mumble.
“No, my love. I’d make the whole world wait for you if I had to, yeah? But there’s no pressure at all today. Just rest.”
I’m so exhausted that the only thing I can sense is Noah’s giddy adoration. His gentle touch on my cheek lulls me back to sleep with a weak smile.
The next time I wake up, my bladder is about to explode—as if our baby is sitting right on top of it. I scramble to the toilet just in time, sighing in relief.
That’s weird. Noah isn’t in our room or the bathroom. Maybe he had something to do?
It’s silly, but I miss him already. I have a feeling we’ll be mushy around each other the entire Summit—like proper newlyweds.
Hey, cutie. Where’d my big, scary Alpha go? I mindlink.
Noah’s wolf perks up in our bond with a floppy tail wag. My laugh echoes throughout the marble bathroom.
I didn’t think you’d wake up just yet. I just bought a few things, and I’m on my way back, Noah says.
You bought a few things? Is there something we forgot to pack?
N-no, it wasn’t that. I know you were feeling like we researched human pregnancy too much when this one’s turning out to be pretty Lycan, so I was cross-checking the differences between Lycan and human pregnancy at the beginning of the second trimester and grilling my mom about it while you slept. She had some more ideas for your dizziness, other than forcing my poor Luna to eat a shit ton of red meat.
I’m tempted to cry. Noah, that’s so sweet.
It’s the least I can do while you carry that huge wolf baby for us. Wait for me, Luna. I’ll be right there.
After a quick brush-through of my hair, I exit the bathroom to find Noah entering our suite.
I can’t help it; I break into the widest smile my cheeks can manage. “There he is.”
Noah drops his stare to his feet with a grin. He accepts my glomping hug with just as heavy of a kiss, wrapping his arms around my waist to snuggle me in close. I didn’t realize how tense I felt to be alone in a different country until my entire body slackens, content to be immersed in Noah’s scent once more.
Hi, Luna. When Noah releases me with a happy purr, greeting our baby with a soft stroke on my belly, my heart skips a beat. “And hi, Little Wolf.”
My face flushes until I’m certain I’m beet red. Noah laughs, drawing me in for another kiss—or five.
But when Noah pulls back, my eyes widen at the bag in his hands; it’s stuffed to the brim. “What’s all this?”
“Just a few things.” The bag hits the table with a solid thunk despite Noah carrying it with one finger.
I laugh. “A few, huh?”
“Mhm.” Rummaging through the bag with a tucked-away smile, Noah pulls out the usual morning sickness snacks for humans: crackers, ginger candies, and peppermint tea.
But my eyes widen when Noah hoists a hefty variety pack of Swedish baby food onto the table—a clear answer to why the bag sounded so heavy.
“Um... Wow, those are—” Biting my lip, a wave of nerves crawls over me, eating up my adoration at how sweet Noah is for trying. But how the hell am I going to explain this to him without crushing his pride? It’ll be over a year before our baby can eat any of those, and my wolf already tenses into a protective stance at the thought of not doing the proper research on each brand’s ingredients first to find the right fit.
Noah chuckles, kissing my cheek. “Cute. So fucking cute. I know it’s weird, but my mom, Rainn, and Annika swore by baby food for Lycan pregnancies, and so did the Pack Doctor. They think you need way more nutrients and salt, beyond more iron—especially on days you feel like you can’t stomach solids. I can try all the flavors with you if it feels too ridiculous.”
“Oh, that’s— That’s for me?” My heart hammers, tears pricking my eyes. “Y-you did all this for me?”
“Oh, sweet Omega. Of course I did.” He cuddles me into his warm chest, settling my eager wolf with luscious strokes of my mark. I hum, and Noah sighs with me, our bond swirling with love for each other. “So, are you feeling up for dinner with our friends in an hour, or should we sit this one out?”
I gape at Noah, struggling to grasp his words. “That’s supposed to happen on Tuesday evening!”
“Ah, um— It is Tuesday afternoon, my love. 4:30, to be exact.”
“I slept that far into the next day?! What was that, twenty hours?” I cup my mouth, muffling a panicked groan before gripping Noah’s forearm. He simply shrugs. “Oh, God, this is terrible. After Annika and I planned to make things better today, I just blew her off? What’d I miss?”
Noah’s sweet laugh softens my pounding heart. “Nothing, Luna. No one’s flying in until tomorrow, except for Tāne and Waimārie who arrived this morning, and they needed a nap before meeting us after flying across the entire world. Annika and I agreed you also needed your rest. She told me a lot more about Lycan pregnancies too, actually.”
I groan, wrapping my arms around my mate to cuddle into his warm chest. “Did she say anything about why I could eat the equivalent of three wolves’ meals, five times a day?”
“Actually, yes.” Noah digs into his bag, his wide back obscuring my view. I try to wedge my head beneath his arm to peek, but he turns his hip, blocking me with a giggle.
As a thrill crashes through our bond, I smile. “Hey, what else do you have in there? Something to hide?”
“Maybe. You’ll see later, when you’re feeling better.”
I quirk one eyebrow at Noah when he briefly glances at me over his shoulder, and he chuckles. When he turns around, he’s holding an aromatic, rustic loaf of bread, packed with colorful crunchy bits. I gasp, grabbing it before I even know what’s in it; my nose knows, and that’s all that matters.
Fuck, yes, this smells heavenly. I have no thoughts, only a deep, snarling urge welling up in my belly as my mouth gushes with drool.
I smash my face into the loaf, crumbs cascading down my cheeks as I cram it into my mouth.
“U-um...” Noah’s voice fizzles out. I give up on raising the loaf to my mouth, opting to bury my face into it where it sits in my palms. “I-it’s pumpkin bread,” Noah mutters. “Pumpkin soothes wolves’ stomachs, but Annika has this recipe with extra nutrients... And... It’s gone.”
I moan with my mouth stuffed, sucking off the crumbs from my fingertips. Thank you, Alpha.
When I finally have a spare second to look at him, Noah’s eyes are almost as wide as his gaping mouth. He presses his closed fist to his lips, losing the battle not to laugh at me. I hum in recognition of how wild I must look, hiding my reddening cheeks as I continue to chew.
But a muffled grunt of surprise escapes me when I take a closer look at our room. The bed sheets are wrapped into a beehive-like tower, my pillow has deep claw marks, and empty plates litter the floor.
I gulp down the last of my bread, gripping Noah’s arm for stability as I struggle to catch my breath. “What the hell happened in here?”
Noah bites his lip, collecting the crumbled food wrappers at the bedside. “Y-you were nesting. Making a new den.”
“What? No, I’m pretty sure I would remember that.”
“You—” Noah can’t contain his giggles now, his shoulders shaking hard enough to vibrate his voice. “You had your eyes closed.”
With one bewildered look at each other, we burst out laughing.
“Noah, what am I putting you through?!”
He scoops my cheeks into both huge palms, his beaming smile stirring warmth through my heart. “Everything I’ve always wanted. And I’m loving every second of it.”
My full belly flutters as Noah’s smile grazes my lips, my sweetheart of a mate kissing me softly enough to stoke an aching heat in my groin. I’d need all the time in the world to thank him how I’d like to—dragging him back to bed until he’s the one groaning in delight.
But I grip Noah’s shirt with a gasp. “Shit, the dinner!”
Noah springs into action with me, turning on the shower as I strip my pajamas.
When he approaches my suitcase to fetch my dinner dress for me, I yelp. “Wait, don’t!”
Noah freezes, his eyes wide. Then he melts into a mischievous smile. “So I’m not the only one hiding things in my bags.”
I flush down to my chest, gripping the icy glass shower door. “I told you: I have a surprise for you in there.”
Noah’s smile curls into a sultry, teasing grin, flashing his incisors. “Then I better behave myself so you’ll still want to give it to me.”
He flusters me speechless. All I can do is laugh, scrubbing myself down beneath the warm water as fast as I can.
By the time I’m braiding my wet hair, my stomach churns itself into a rocky sea. I’m about to meet Tāne and his Luna, Waimārie, in person for the first time, before I’m honored by Viktor and Annika tomorrow as Noah’s new Luna. I’ve never met other pack leaders before this Summit, so I’m grateful we at least had our video call with Viktor and Tāne over the summer, and the limo ride from the airport yesterday—otherwise, I’d be even more of an anxious mess.
Thankfully, my moonstone necklace elevates anything I wear—and distracts from the dark circles stuck beneath my eyes throughout this pregnancy. Zipping my navy blue dress behind me, Noah eyes me in the mirror as I decide to ditch the bra, sighing in relief as I slip it from the bodice. A wave of Noah’s loving pheromones wash goosebumps down my skin, enticing me to inhale deeply.
But as his eyes drift lower, his scent changes.
He’s enjoying how I look lately, and I know it, but his eyes aren’t focused on my body tonight; I didn’t realize it, but I’ve been rubbing the base of my belly, unable to keep my hands off Noah’s baby.
As our stares meet in the mirror, my heart flips. Our bond whirls with an emotion so deep and complex that I’m struggling to place it. Is it awe, gratitude, admiration, or all three? Whatever it is, it ignites my cheeks bright red, the effect of Noah’s gaze spilling down my chest with how flustered he’s made me.
“Goddess, the way you hold them so lovingly is—” Noah ducks his head, his voice coming out soft. “I fucking love you.”
Flipping around, my breath is stolen at the sight of my mate; he’s wearing a lean black suit jacket that sculpts to his muscles, and beneath it, his dress shirt matches mine in a dark navy blue. The color draws out the blue in his irises, turning them an oceanic teal. I step closer, snaking my hands around his waist—embracing him beneath his jacket. Wrapping me in his warmth, Noah purrs, his nose ruffling my hair with his affectionate nuzzling.
All my nerves wash away. Pulling back with a smile, I smooth Noah’s suit collar, relaxing my bump against him. “Dammit. I really can’t believe my wolf took over me like that for so long. I wanted more time to talk to you before we went.”
Noah stiffens. “R-right. Are you still upset about last night?”
“No, my love. But I wanted to give us a chance to talk about anything that might come up at the dinner. And any last-minute ideas you might have about our team plan, especially when we move into talking Alpha-dom politics.”
“A-about that...” Noah plops onto the bed’s edge, tugging his tie off his throat. “I-I don’t know if you have this, but PTSD gives me some serious issues with memory recall, and—” He drops his head, digging his fingers into his hair. “Sometimes, when I’m already nervous or stressed, I can't remember fucking anything about these people in words, only my wolf’s impressions of them. I’m really afraid to tell most people that because they might think I’m not fit to be their leader, but— I don’t know. It’s brief when I do forget, but I can’t deny it happens. Especially around certain... triggers.”
The ache in my stomach is replaced with fire. According to last night, “certain triggers” means asshole Alphas.
So it was another Alpha who hurt him. It better not be anyone here.
Noah notices the uptick in my emotions, shrinking into himself. “I-I’m sorry—”
I gasp. “Oh, God, not you, Noah! I completely understand. I’m just mad someone hurt you, just like you were mad someone hurt me.”
“Oh.” Noah rubs his brow with one hand, staring at the other clamped on his knee. “W-well, anyway... Seeing everyone's faces on the blacklist tonight will help jog my memory, and even more so when they arrive tomorrow. I know it's not ideal, but—” He glances at me. “D-do you think I could tell you if there’s a- anything else I remember as we go? I really do want to tell you more.”
My shoulders soften. “Absolutely. I love that idea.”
I wanted to feel relaxed, at least. Now I’m quivering with nerves, arm in arm with Noah as we exit our room.
Noah’s pheromones are exploding, overwhelming me with his protective scent. No matter what happens this week, I’ll be with you through it all, okay?
I stop Noah in the hallway, drawing him down for a sultry kiss. As I bury my nails into the back of his hair for a soothing scratch, my Alpha musk shows itself. And I have your back before anyone else's. Goddess help anyone who threatens you.
Noah freezes, staring deep into my eyes. Gathering my cheeks into his hands, Noah closes his eyes. An overpowering wave of safety swirls through our bond as Noah’s hips fall flush with mine, pressing me against the wall with his deep purr.
But someone clears their throat. “Well, shit. We might need to postpone the dinner after all.”
Noah and I hurriedly pull away from each other; we’re face to face with the King and Queen Lycans. Decked from head to toe in black and white, Viktor’s and Annika’s forms are sleek and smiles immaculate, a perfect vision of elegant, powerful leaders.
Annika giggles. “Don’t stress yourselves, please! It’s so good to see you both!”
My shoulders slump. “Oh, Luna, I’m so sorry I slept for so long. I feel terrible about it!”
“No, mama, please don’t be sorry. I wanted you to rest!” Annika grasps my hands, but I pull her into a hug.
“Thank you. Your pumpkin bread saved my life.”
Noah’s soft chuckles rumble behind me.
Pulling back to face me, Annika grins even wider. “It’s good, isn’t it?”
Viktor's laugh echoes throughout the tall, arched hallway. “My Luna’s pregnancy pumpkin bread is to die for, that’s for sure. But if I ate it while she was pregnant, she’d maul me.”
Annika gasps. “Viktor! I would not!”
After a playful nuzzle, Viktor guides Annika down the hallway. “I hate to break up the love fest, but Tāne and Waimārie are probably excited and waiting for us, knowing them. Let’s get going.”
Like Greenfield, Viktor and Annika’s Kiruna Pack has a community kitchen, but it’s framed by vaulted, castle-like ceilings with old chandeliers dangling low. We have to sneak through a dim hallway reserved for staff, preventing ourselves from causing a stir in the dining hall, but I catch a glimpse through a small opening in the kitchen. Facing one another across round wooden tables, pack members chat happily in the dining hall, their pack just as expansive as ours with Lycans of all ages and ethnicities. People must travel from all over to find refuge here too. It settles my twisting stomach.
Viktor and Annika guide us out the kitchen’s back door, passing through another hallway until we reach a small alcove of the lodge—an old restaurant nestled beside the dining hall. Intimate, streamlined modern tables line the walls, immersing the surrounding brick with dancing candlelight. There are only about ten tables, and it’s reserved just for us tonight, the restaurant’s front doors shut tight.
Seated in the back of the restaurant, there they are: Tāne and Waimārie from Tawairauriki Pack. The second Tāne spots us, he leaps from his seat, arms outstretched. “Kia ora.”
We smile, echoing the Māori greeting as Tāne dashes over to us. His bulky form is at least twice the size of Waimārie, the Luna known for her warmth and generosity. As she shuffles out of the curved booth, she pulls her long, black hair over her shoulder, allowing it to cascade down her flowing, hot pink dress.
But Waimārie winces as she rises, gripping her back.
I flinch with her, extending my hand to help her to her feet. “Oh, gosh, Luna. Are you alright?”
“Sorry, I reckon I’m just stiff from all that flying, and—” She blinks a few times before she recognizes me, but the second she does, the table’s candlelight shimmers in her eyes, complementing her wide, infectious smile. As if our wolves recognize each other as old, dear friends, my chest bursts with excitement.
“Luna Aliya!” Waimārie cheers, throwing her arms out for a hug—just like Tāne.
I catch her as she envelops me in the biggest, warmest embrace. When Annika piles on, we erupt into giddy laughter, the three of us snuggling in close. Waimārie douses me in her excited scent in the process, loosening any remaining tension in my limbs. But as Annika copies her, blanketing me in a nurturing comfort as they nuzzle me, belly laughter spills out of me from deep in my chest.
But their comfort also frees my honest scent—heightening it enough to break past my scent blocker.
“Wait, Luna , you’re—” As Waimārie pulls back with a loud gasp, her gaze zipping to my belly, I already know what’s coming.
Ducking my head, I cup Little Wolf with flaming cheeks. “Yes, Noah and I are about to be new parents.”
As Annika looks to Waimārie, eager for her response, I almost can’t believe what I’m seeing; they’re not even our packmates, but Annika’s beaming eyes shine just as vividly as if we were family, encouraging Waimārie into a cheer of pure joy. The two women make my eyes water in happiness.
At least until I jolt out of my skin, startled by Tāne’s resulting happy-scream.
I turn around just in time to see Tāne smack the hell out of my mate’s arm, Noah not bothering to dodge. Instead, Noah shoves Tāne back just as hard, unable to hide his face from us as he flushes just as red as I do.
“Bro! Your first pup!?” Tāne wraps Noah into a hug, and my heart dances along with Noah’s, unable to process such a display of joy in front of me alongside our bursting bond. Before I know it, Tāne reaches for Viktor and us three Lunas, gathering everyone for a group hug. As the empty restaurant fills with our celebratory laughter, Noah meets my eyes over our wiggling bundle of happy Lycan allies. His wide smile hits me to my core, bringing me to full tears; after all he’s been through, he’s genuinely, truly happy. Not only that, he’s so loved. We both are.
Before I can reassure everyone that my tears are a good thing, Waimārie strokes my arm, unfurling her fresh napkin from the table to dab at my eyes. “Oh, Luna, poor girl. Those pregnancy hormones really do a number on us, eh? Sorry to overwhelm you.”
“Isn’t she beautiful, though?” Annika whispers.
I blubber out a laugh, unable to respond. Bewilderment rattles me to my bones, forcing me to take in a shuddering breath.
But warm, wide palms sweep down my arms, embracing me in a scent rich with cinnamon-sweet comfort. As if my body knew who he was before my brain, I don’t panic at Noah approaching me from behind; I lean into him, allowing his presence to root me back into the earth. Both women soothe me with gentle touches as Noah leans over my shoulder, pressing a slow, loving kiss onto my cheek.
I sigh, steadying my breath. “Sorry. I wasn’t expecting anyone to be so excited for us tonight, but I could really feel it and— And it means a lot.”
“We absolutely get it, Luna. Come here—let’s all get settled.” Taking my hand, Waimārie guides me to sit beside her, followed by Tāne. With Noah on my opposite side, Annika and Viktor snuggle into the bench across the table from us.
The couples take turns showing us baby pictures of their pups as we get to know one another. Noah seems looser than I expected, smiling far more than he was yesterday during our limo ride. He sticks close to my side, so I keep getting distracted by him; he seems to shine from within with his cheery smile, now that he’s included as another dad.
Noah does a double-take, meeting my stare. I don’t avert my eyes, instead leaning in with an affectionate nuzzle. No one else seems to mind, sharing their own affections across the table as we chat. I’m still not used to it, marveling at the way Viktor and Tāne touch each other’s hands and arms as they chatter away, Annika and Waimārie pressing into Noah’s and my sides as they have a heated discussion about this new Lycan baby formula that I’m absolutely never buying based on the disgusting, clumpy sound of it.