28
I’ve eaten more meat in the past three days than I have in two months. Natalia was right: I stopped feeling nauseated with a hefty, iron-rich meat intake, eating small portions every two hours. Even though it has helped, the sight of fibrous, tender meat still makes me a little queasy. As Noah drops another plate of steak in front of me in his cozy office, I sigh.
He breaks into a smile. “Sniff it before you judge it, at least.”
I frown, leaning in to sniff the meat sitting on Noah’s rich-brown wooden desk. As soon as I catch a whiff of the sharp, iron-filled beef, my mouth gushes with drool. I swallow hard, desperately grabbing my fork and knife. As I shovel three bites into my mouth, I turn to find Noah pressing his fist hard into his lips, doing nothing to hide his shaking shoulders as he silently laughs.
I cover my stuffed mouth so that I can safely laugh without flashing my half-chewed meat. “Don’t make fun of me!”
“I’m not, I’m not!” Noah raises his open palms, rotating away from me in his black, cushy rolling chair. He whips open his laptop, clearing his throat. When he speaks, it’s barely above a whisper. “You’re just so pregnant, that’s all.”
Shaking my head, I pretend like Noah hasn’t spiked my heart into my throat for the millionth time this week at the thought of carrying his baby. I’m leaning towards agreeing with Noah, but with our rising stress from the potential risks involved, it hasn’t been the celebratory time period I’ve imagined. My heart shreds at the thought of it being a chemical pregnancy and losing Noah’s daily smile over my symptoms.
But as Noah fetches a link for our vital video call, he grows silent. It’s been three days since Noah was injured on patrol and we met with Natalia at the Pack Doctor’s Office. Since then, Noah has had worse and worse disagreements with the Alpha-domination cultists. I haven’t had a single second to mention my theory on our fathers’ murders, especially when Noah comes home to me dog-tired every night.
Thankfully, Noah’s closest global allies agreed to meet online to discuss the rising issue. Even though Noah vowed to include me in his important meetings from now on, I’ve been both surprised and nervous to join him for this one—with the world’s top Alpha of top Alphas, the King Alpha, in attendance. I don’t know what to expect. Is it even normal for Lunas to be in attendance?
I only have two minutes until I’ll find out; it’s 11:58 PM here, 8:58 PM the next day in New Zealand, and 8:58 AM in Sweden, the only time we could find where we’d all be ready and awake.
I shovel the rest of my midnight “snack” into my mouth, chewing ferociously. Hot, salty liquid floods my tongue, curling my toes in bliss. With my delighted hum, Noah loses some of the tension in his shoulders, breaking into breathy giggles. The steak reinvigorates me, sending bright, fluffy gratification throughout my core for my mate’s warm meals. I huddle into Noah’s side, and he wraps one big hand around my thigh, pulling me closer in my rolling chair.
With my cheek squished against Noah’s bicep, I beam at him. “Thank you. That really did hit the spot.”
Noah breaks into the sweetest smile. “Yeah? Good. I know it’s hard to force yourself to eat while you feel sick, but you’re doing such a good job taking care of yourself. I’m so damn proud of you.”
Kissing my forehead, Noah leaves me a flustered mess. His devilish grin inspires fresh laughter from me, even as we pull up the video call.
But as Noah gives me another kiss, he sucks in a sharp breath, jutting back. “Fuck, I’ve been so busy, I forgot to explain the Alpha Summit!”
I glance at the clock. “Well, you have one minute left.”
Noah laughs through an anxious groan. But as he drops his stare, my heart springs into action. What is this Alpha Summit, really? If ever-stoic Alpha Noah looks this worried, that’s a bad sign. A terrible one, in fact.
I lose control of my thoughts before I can manage them. Is Noah going to be safe? Will I be safe? What if I really am pregnant, and the three of us die together at the event?
Noah’s eyes return to mine, sensing my rising anxiety.
I swallow hard. “Give me something, at least—before we talk to the people we’ll meet there. I think I have the wrong idea that it’s just a conference for top Alphas.”
“Fuck, I— Well—” Noah huffs, scratching the back of his head. “It’s not a conference. It’s an annual event where Top Alphas across the world meet once a year, but the main event is that we compete in friendly... ish ways.”
I blink a few times, struggling to find what I’m still missing here. “Um... That sounds... nice?”
Noah bites his bottom lip, struggling not to look at me. No matter how worried I am, I melt at the sight of my shy, goofy Alpha.
I let out a loving sigh. “Noah Greenfield...”
He bites back a smile, peeking at me with his best puppy-dog stare. “Y-yeah?”
I laugh, drawing in closer. “You’re a terrible liar.” Noah sputters into giggles with me, flipping my heart. “What type of competitions are these, exactly? ‘Friendly-ish’ doesn’t sound the most friendly, to be honest.”
Noah chuckles, rubbing his forehead. “Uh, yeah, well... We kind of... Go at it fighting in our wolf forms until someone comes out on top. For sport.”
I close my eyes. “Okay, let me get this straight.” When I open my eyes, Noah is wide-eyed and horribly guilty. “We’re going to be hosting a modern-day gladiator contest?”
Noah bursts out laughing, his cheeks burning red. “Listen, I-I’m— I’m sorry. But yes. That”s exactly what it is.”
“Oh, my love.” I shake my head with a groan, tempted to laugh no matter how irritated I am. “I need you to be safe, Noah. Especially now.”
He softens, rubbing my knuckles with a quick glance to my belly. It sends my stomach into fizzy knots.
“It is safe. We”re all allies, so we don’t fight to the death. Just... close.”
I sputter out a laugh. “Oh, my God. That’s not exactly reassuring!”
We laugh together, but Noah draws closer. Mischief is laced into his smile. “And we won’t be hosting it, so there’s no extra stress on us to plan. We’ll be flying to Sweden, where you’ll get to meet every other top Luna in the world. Plus, I’ll finally get more alone time with you.”
I perk up. “So, sort of like a reunion and honeymoon, combined?”
“If we ignore the fighting part, yes. We love to spoil the hell out of our Lunas, too.” He grins, kissing my forehead. “I-I’ve never had a Luna I’ve been mated to before, so I’ve been excited to introduce you.”
Dammit, he”s too cute. “Okay. Then, as long as you think you’ll be okay, I trust you.”
Noah chuckles. “Thankfully, it’s always planned during the new moon. We wouldn”t dare put a shit-ton of Alphas together during the full moon. Then I’d actually have to warn you about it.”
He giggles as my eyes bulge wider by the second. Eventually, I just have to laugh with him.
“Alpha!” A voice booms through the speakers, and I squeak in surprise.
Noah laughs, stroking my hair to soothe me. Poor Omega. It’s not the first time Tāne’s scared the shit out of someone with his happy yells.
I sit straighter, my heart hammering into my throat as I take in the golden-brown skinned, curly-haired Alpha on the screen. He’s so bulky that he can hardly fit into his webcam, his luxurious black hair eating up all the extra room around his head.
This must be the New Zealand Alpha. I thought his name would be spelled “Tani” by how Noah pronounced it, but the name at the bottom of his screen says, “Tāne.”
Noah rapid-taps his volume button down, breaking into a relaxed smile. “Kia ora.”
“Kia ora,” I echo with a wave.
The burly Alpha on the screen beams even wider, returning his own, “Kia ora!” Tāne grins, scooting even closer to his webcam. “Looks like I’ve missed some big news here, bro. Go on, then, introduce us.”
As I watch Noah glance at me through our webcam’s preview, his doting grin flips my heart. “Tāne, this is Aliya, my m-mate... A-and in a week and a half, my Luna.”
Tāne breaks into heavy, booming laughter, crackling Noah’s laptop speakers. Noah ducks his head, and I giggle, wrapping my arm around his back.
“We’ve got too much to celebrate! Dammit, I should’ve brought my little Omega. She’s finally getting some rest, though, so it’s for the best, ay,” Tāne says.
“How’s the baby?” Noah asks.
“Good, good! Already almost one. Lemme grab a pic.”
As Tāne whips out his phone, another person enters the call. Everyone snaps to attention as his name appears: Viktor Abrammson.
The King Alpha. My heart leaps into my throat.
But he’s not turning his video on.
Noah leans his full weight back in his office chair, prompting a pitiful squeak out of it. With a wavering chuckle, Noah’s gentle voice raises in volume. “Vik, the mic’s on the bottom left. Video too.” With no response from Viktor, Noah breaks into hearty giggles, popping up in his chair. He sends a push notification to Viktor about turning on his audio and video—with no luck. Tāne breaks into laughter with Noah, and I press my fingertips to my lips, not wanting to make a bad impression on the King Alpha who can absolutely see us laughing at him.
By the time Viktor finally pops up on screen, it’s only thanks to his mate, Annika. The strawberry blonde Omega leans over him in an unzipped hoodie, one hand on the computer mouse and the other on her baby’s back as she breastfeeds. Annika’s messy bun bounces as she bolts out of the room, but Viktor turns around, calling after her in Swedish. All I can pick out is, “Greenfield Luna.”
Annika gasps in the doorway. “Aliya is there?! Vik, you should’ve told me sooner! I’m not dressed!”
Viktor winces. “I’m sorry! I forgot we’d all be able to see each other.” Turning back to the screen, Viktor squints at us. “Are you guys still there?”
Noah and Tāne break into harder laughter.
“Kia ora, bro. We can see and hear you now,” Tāne says.
“Huh?” Viktor shouts. “What’d you say? Where’s the volume on this thing?”
Noah drops his head into his hands, his shoulders shaking through heartier chuckles. I can’t stop myself from laughing anymore, leaning against Noah as Viktor laughs along with us.
I guess the King Alpha isn’t as scary as I made him out to be. He is stunning, though; dark brown skin glimmers beneath his desk lamp, only adding to the warmth of his sharp, sultry smile. My wolf is scared to meet his hunting eyes, even through video chat.
But once Viktor pulls himself together, the Alphas launch straight into a serious discussion. Viktor and Tāne’s stark scowls deepen as Noah tells them all about the Alpha-domination cultists, including Mason.
“I wanted to share this with Aliya today too, but something one of them said to me this afternoon confirmed it for me: I think Mason Hart is the one leading this. Not just leading, but actively recruiting and convincing other Alphas in the pack to join him.”
“You said ‘Hart?’” It’s the quietest I’ve heard Tāne’s voice.
Noah’s nod silences the whole group. The tension pushes my shoulders to my ears.
With a harsh sigh, Viktor puts his head into one hand, scrubbing over his short fade. “You’re not going to like this, man.”
Noah’s sharp spike of anxiety in our bond churns my stomach. “Just say it.”
Viktor continues to scrub his head for a while. The longer we wait, the more I notice Tāne also tensing his jaw.
“It’s not just Greenfield,” the King Alpha says.
My stomach clenches, but Noah doesn’t move. He grips his chair, stifling his breath. “I’m not sure I’m following.”
“Bloody hate to say it, bro, but it’s true. I’ve got a few Alpha-dom cultists popping up here too. They’re organized. I don’t know if it’s global or not, but now that you’ve had issues too, I’m starting to wonder.”
I feel like I’ve been slapped. Both arms wrap around my abdomen in a protective fear.
But my mate’s heart settles in our bond. He lets out a low growl, dropping back into his seat. “Alright, then we’re moving the Summit up. We’ll remind them what they’re up against. If that doesn’t work, we’ll deal with them together, right there.”
Viktor and Tāne hum in agreement, affirming they’re mindlinking their allies and Elders of the change in plans to move the Summit a whole month sooner.
I’m shocked. Why isn’t the King Alpha the one deciding this? With a single sentence, Noah just altered the schedule of the entire set of global Lycan leaders.
The Alphas don’t seem as shocked as I am. They brainstorm with Noah, planning a number of spying and damage control tactics to carry out in the meantime.
But the horror of what Viktor and Tāne disclosed about the Alpha-domination cultists wins over my confusion. What if this is a global, widespread uprising of Alphas? Alphas have been provided better fighting and defense tactics for centuries due to strict Lycan gender norms. If these Alphas feel enabled enough to band together, aren’t we sending ourselves into a death trap at the Alpha Summit?
As the men shift into simple pleasantries toward the end of the call, I realize there’s no choice in this, for any of us. Whether the Alpha-domination cultists have organized or not, it’s our job to protect our packs.
And pregnant or not, I’m about to be included as another leader responsible for thousands of lives. I grip Noah’s arm, fear pounding through my heart.
Noah tenses. “Hey guys, I’ve gotta hop off. Thanks for meeting up on such short notice.”
Viktor deflates. “Aww, man, Annika wants to meet you, Aliya. At the Summit, then? We’ll have a proper hello.”
“Yes, absolutely! I can’t wait to meet you all!” I smile the best I can.
But once we say our goodbyes, Noah turns to me with taut shoulders and puppy-dog eyes. “Aliya, I— I’m so sorry—”
Noah drops his head into his hands. With his head by his knees, Noah’s breath speeds into a heaving sprint. It’s not until then that I realize he’s shaking.
I swivel in my chair to face him, tugging on his shoulders. “Noah? Noah, what are you thinking?”
My stomach drops as he breaks into sharp, quiet tears. The sound shreds through me, flooding my tear ducts with shared sorrow.
His voice comes out choppy. “I’m so sorry, Aliya.” He reaches for my waist. Placing his forehead against my stomach, a pulse of his panic shoots through my heart. My mate’s usual deep voice is replaced by an agonized, small whimper. “I’m so sorry for doing this to you—”
Noah can’t bear to speak another word, his voice stolen by another harsh sob. I close my eyes, holding his head through our shared pain. I thought I was afraid, but Noah is petrified. I don’t know what I’m missing about the Alpha Summit and Noah’s status in the Lycan world, but if I’m right, he’s the one holding the whole world together.
And I know what I want to do about it.
I rise from my chair, dropping to my knees beneath Noah. Softly pulling at his hands, I reveal his contorted, agonized frown. It rips through my chest.
But I close my eyes, pressing my lips into his quivering mouth. Noah, I’m choosing to be your Luna. To me, that means I want to be by your side, no matter what life throws at us. I’m right here, and I’m staying.
He sucks in a sharp breath. I open my eyes, holding his wet cheeks in my palms. Noah stares back, his reddened eyes shining a vivid blue.
“But what if I’m right? What if you’re—” He shakes his head, choking through a sob.
Noah rubs his hand over my back as guilt throbs through our bond. His emotions are so powerful that I can feel the reasoning behind them; he wishes he could take this all away, and let us start our family in peace.
I catch his tears with my thumbs. “I know. But if you don’t make it through this, our possible-baby won’t anyway, and neither will I. So no matter what it takes to support you and the other packs, I’ll be right here, protecting you too.”
Noah drops his forehead against mine. “Fuck... Thank you, sweet Omega.”
The air burns between us, ignited by stress and worry. But deep in my heart, my wolf settles us both. Like Noah’s wolf affirmed for us outside the Pack Doctor, she thinks we’ll be okay, and I want to trust her. Especially if Noah is right about this possible-baby.