Page 41 of My Shy Alpha
Once everyone is certain my heat has settled - for now - I prepare to spend the night at Noah’s top Alpha lodge. He thinks I’ll be safer there tonight after his pack meeting, but I’m nervous as hell to be around all those wolves who may or may not like me.
After packing an overnight bag, I change into my favorite pleated dress, blue and white stripes lining my frame with little ruffles peeking over my shoulders. Noah grins when he sees me in it, flooding our bond with excitement. I halt in my living room, in pure awe of my ability to feel someone else’s affection for me. He adores me.
Noah holds my hand until we stop on my porch, sharing one last kiss before Noah disappears into the woods to shift. When his massive black wolf returns, ears alert and tail wagging, my heartbeat restarts.
I still can’t believe how beautiful you are, I mindlink.
Alertness flashes through Noah’s eyes. My skin shivers. His ears shoot straight up and his paws splay, but that’s the last clear look I get. He bounds over faster than I can brace myself or dodge, so I cringe with a laughing scream.
Noah skims past me, doubling back to scamper to my side with a disrupting, skidding halt and forcing Yasmine to sprint from flying mud. Noah spits his clothes into the dirt before licking me from hip to neck, and I squeal.
“Noah, don’t! I just got cleaned up!”
He huffs against me, sniffing me all over. His tail makes so much wind that it ruins Amy’s hair.
Yasmine can’t stop shaking her head. “Honestly, what the hell. You turned into a goddamn puppy, Greenfield.”
Noah doesn’t seem to care, nuzzling my neck until he finds just the right spot to light my spine with pleasure.
“Alpha, no!” Amy snaps. “Don’t reactivate her heat!”
Noah shrinks. His shy glance darts between Amy and me before giving me one last, sneaky lick. I burst out laughing, burying my fingers into his fluffy cheek fur.
But Yasmine drags me away by the hand. “Alright, let’s head out before Noah gets any other ideas.”
Noah’s wolf circles the three of us, keeping guard as I walk on foot with Amy and Yasmine. I had no idea I lived in a territorial warzone - unclaimed land between Noah’s territory and Westview, the neighboring town. Otherwise, random wolves wouldn’t have been after what Noah called my “lusty Omega scent,” calling out to Noah to mate. It’s good he found me when he did. Now I can’t wait to pass into Noah’s territory, more like a safe haven.
But as we walk, I spiral down a mental road I haven’t allowed myself on since my heat cleared. I’m scared to think of what I don’t know. Was Amy right in that Ritchie’s pack was never able to accept Mom, and that’s why my parents lived outside of pack territory, or was it for other reasons I don’t understand?
Noah’s hulking wolf shoots me a subtle glance. Concern riddles his beautiful golden eyes, but I give him a placating smile. I’m not ready to talk about my parents’ hidden past, let alone play a guessing game on what they must’ve been thinking. Pain seeps through the base of my heart, no matter how hard I shove it down.
At the border, a boxy, off-roading, black SUV waits for us. Noah disappears behind another tree to shift and change back into his clothes. I’m itching to follow him, but Amy and Yasmine hang back, so I stick to Amy’s side, unsure what else to do. The second Noah reappears, reaching for my hand, the Betas spring into action, as does the driver.
I assume this means they wait for the pack leader’s call on when to do everything, right? I’m missing basic social cues. It’s so natural to them that they don’t think to explain.
Now that I can hear him out loud again, Noah’s rumbling, soft voice gives me chills. “Thanks for picking us up, Dave.”
The scruffy driver grins, his wavy hair and thick beard just as dark as Noah’s. “Welcome back, Alpha. And welcome home, new pack member.”
Goosebumps erupt across my arms. This is it. I’ll belong in a community soon. Not just any community, but a pack. Noah’s pack.
But I still have no idea how to act. They’re wolves, but not all-wolf, right? Does that mean they sniff each other or something in greeting?
Dave is staring. No, everyone is.
So I put on my brightest smile. “It’s so nice to meet you, Dave! Thank you so much for driving all the way outside Greenfield. I know my parents’ old cottage is far.”
Dave’s wide eyes zip between me and Noah before finally landing on Noah’s fresh, crimson bite mark. “Holy f–”
The bulky wolf tackles me into a hug, and I gasp. But whoever he is to Noah, I can feel his excitement for us in his heavy grip.
“No wonder he looks so fucking happy! I was wondering what was wrong with him.” Dave laughs, but my stomach flip-flops at what Noah must’ve seemed like before we met with how everyone’s acting. Was he as depressed as I was? “It’s so nice to meet you, future Luna!”
I try to brave a smile as I’m face-to-face with Dave again, but my heart lurches at those words. Future Luna?
My wolf, however, perks right up. Future Luna!
Dave tackles Noah with a similar hug. “I’m so happy for you, cuz. Your own Luna, damn.”