Page 12 of My Shy Alpha

I would’ve had sex with Noah in the forest, right then and there. I think he would’ve too. But his eyes aren’t hunting for sex as we gaze at each other. They’re relishing in me.

His wide thumbpad moves from stroking my hair to petting my cheek, pausing beside my lips. His cheeks burn bright red, but his stoic expression tells me he wants me. Especially as his eyes dart to my lips.

My lips part on their own, desperate to taste his. And I want him to know it.

Noah sucks in a surprised breath as my hand raises toward his neck. I wait for him to pull away, but he’s motionless, waiting despite his heart pounding against my ear.

But his eyes widen. “Wait.”

I freeze. “Did you not like it before?”

“N-no, I... I did.” He can’t bear to hold eye contact. “But I have to know if you realize what you’re doing so I know this is what you want.”

My lungs tense. Did I break some sort of wolf code?

His golden cheeks awash in red as he stares at my neck. I’m itching for him to touch me there, but he points to his neck instead.

“This is a scent gland.” His fingertips trail just behind his jugular vein. Goosebumps erupt down my chest just watching him, but they double when I’m hit with a fresh wave of his sweet, delectable scent. My limbs loosen, allowing him to hold even more of my weight against his chest.

Wait, his scent meant to soothe me, didn’t it?

I’m still reeling with delicious relaxation when Noah says something I don’t expect.

“It feels good because... B-because mates bite each other there, leaving a scarred mark to seal their bond.” His voice softens until he’s barely audible. But I heard him, latching onto every word.

As the gravity of that scent gland sinks in, my body ignites with an even deeper hunger to touch that place on his neck.

“So when I touch there, that tells you I want to feel bonded with you?” I whisper.

He bites his lips, nervous eyes glancing between mine. “Yes. But marking with a bite is a bit deeper than feeling bonded. Mate bonds are tangible. You’ll feel me, I’ll feel you. Kind of like sewing our souls together. B-but - um - for life.”

I’ve never made lifetime commitments to anyone.

But the urge in me screams, This is what I’ve always wanted.

If I went back in time and sat beside myself in Jenny’s office a couple hours ago, I’d never believe I’d fall for someone tonight. But me, considering committing myself to Noah, for life? Something has to be wrong with me.

But I have to be dreaming anyway, right? What if - just this time - I let myself chase my deepest desires? Follow them, instead of pushing them away to make others happy?

I lift my hand again, awaiting Noah’s permission to touch that luscious gland. His breath picks up, but as he stares into my eyes, he lifts the corner of his jaw. My heart skips. He’s certain about allowing me to do this. Bonding with me.

I trace a gentle line down the sensitive gland. Staring at him, I hope he can feel it. How risky it is to free my heart.

Noah’s eyelashes flutter in delight, which gives me butterflies. My cheek rises against his chest as he draws a slow, heavy inhale, indulging in every second of my touch. But before the third time I stroke him there, he moves in.

Noah’s hand scoops behind my neck, pulling me into a deep kiss. The lungful I have to suck in to stay upright makes me almost as dizzy as his lips - my stomach catapulted into my throat. A flurry of electricity shoots from his warm palm behind my head to my toes. I grip fistfuls of his stretched shirt, and Noah tilts his head to kiss me deeper, his lips’ full weight close to bursting my heart. A small moan escapes me, and Noah pulls back to look me in the eyes.

His pupils are huge, and his cheeks are flushed. What do I look like right now? I’m so turned on that I probably wouldn’t recognize myself.

But I want Noah. My mate.

I lean in to kiss him again, and Noah cuddles me tighter, squeezing our bodies flush as he kisses me back. My hips press against his thigh on instinct, eager for pressure, and Noah rasps through a tight breath.

He snaps back. His eyes are wilder than his hair, tracing my body in his arms. “Y-you smell too good. We have to go inside.”

“Wait, what–?”

Noah pulls me inside after him, dropping his broad back against the creaky cottage door to close it. I struggle to catch my breath from pure overwhelm, gazing into the eyes of the most beautiful man I’ve ever met as my lips buzz from his phantom touch.