Chapter 11

I tried to pull away from Noah, but his grip tightened. His face contorted in anger, and a wave of fear washed over me. Surely, Noah would never hurt me—and definitely not in public—but I didn't know how he would react to me dishonoring him like this.

I stared at Scott, silently pleading for help. He nodded reassuringly. Then, cautiously stepping forward, he slumped slightly, lessening his perceived threat to the irate Noah.

“Alpha Noah,” Scott said, placatingly raising his hands, “release Luna Hannah gently.”

Noah remained motionless for a minute. He breathed slowly through his nostrils, like a bull facing a matador. Then—I suppose realizing we were still in public—he released me.

I rushed to Scott's side, striving to stand tall, refusing to cower like a submissive Luna. I would not be that person anymore.

“You really should be kinder to your Luna,” Scott remarked, taking a protective stance slightly in front of me. Apparently, Noah didn't miss it either. I had never seen such darkness flash in Noah's eyes before.

“Scott, what is going on?” Noah asked, his nostrils flaring.

Scott defiantly raised his chin and squared his shoulders. “You started this conflict,” Scott argued. “Luna Hannah did not. I warned you to discuss Zoe’s return with your Luna, but you didn’t listen.”

Noah’s hand curled into a fist, but he forced it to relax. “Do you no longer obey your Alpha?” he asked.

Scott remained silent. Noah motioned towards the door. “Leave,” he commanded. “I need to address some issues with Hannah.”

Scott glanced at me, as if checking if I would be alright. I nodded. We were in a public place, and I felt certain that would prevent him from doing anything rash. Scott took one last look at Noah before leaving the bar, the other patrons watching him go. One glance at Noah's furious expression was enough to send them back to their own business, pretending we didn't exist.

Once he was sure no one was watching, Noah grabbed my arm and forced me to sit at the table Scott had just vacated. I let him, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of thinking he could bother me with a little physical force.

“Now,” he said, releasing my arm, “why don’t you explain to me what just happened?”

I shrugged nonchalantly. “I had low blood sugar and couldn’t stand properly,” I lied. “Scott was just there to catch me when I needed a little help. That’s all.”

Noah huffed but didn't argue. “What did you mean by ‘playing hard-to-get’?” I asked.

Noah slammed his fist on the table and pointed an accusatory finger at me. “You used my brother to get my attention,” he said through gritted teeth. “You’ve gone too far.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Scott is merely aligning with the side that supports me and my needs.” I sat back, letting the implication that I needed Scott’s support over his sink in.

“I will not allow my Beta and my Luna to keep secrets from me.”

I crossed my arms. “Oh, really? Who were you with in the private room? Zoe?”

“It was an old friends’ gathering.”

This time, I huffed. “Yeah, right. You’re really old friends, all right.” I leaned across the table, getting as close to Noah as possible.

“Scott believed you shouldn’t have brought your fated mate back into the Pack without respecting my right—as your Luna—to know,” I growled. “You didn’t even bother to discuss her return with me and almost subjected me to great embarrassment and ridicule.”

“Enough!” Noah snapped. His brow furrowed in what seemed to be pain. This surprised me. What about this could be hurting him?

“My relationship with Zoe is not what you think it is,” he continued. “Zoe is divorced, with a child, and vulnerable. I cannot simply refuse my former family and subjects because it makes you uncomfortable.” He rubbed his eyes. “To me, Zoe is no different from any other new pack member. I’m simply trying to help her integrate better. I would think that you, of all people, would be able to appreciate that.”

I pursed my lips and shook my head. More excuses. He would always put Zoe over me.

Noah sighed. “Whether you believe it or not, it’s the truth,” he said.

“Whatever,” I mumbled.

Noah glared at me for a moment, then reached into his messenger bag and pulled out his schedule folder. Ugh. I used to think that folder was a uniquely antiquated way to keep track of all his events, but now I hated it. He flipped to a page listing events we had to attend together.

“We have a charity ball coming up in two days,” he said without looking up. “We must attend together. As long as we’re not divorced, you’re still obligated to fulfill your duties.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yes, I am well aware.”

“You’ll be ready?”

“Yes, I’ll be ready.”

Noah snapped the binder shut. “Just don’t forget.”

“Can I be excused now?” I said sarcastically.

Noah narrowed his eyes as he put the binder back in his bag. “Watch yourself.”

I watched him stand and walk to the door. He paused outside the private room, as though contemplating whether to go back in, then looked back at me. I raised an eyebrow, daring him to do whatever he pleased.

Noah shook his head and left.

Once I was sure Noah was gone, I returned to the table I had been sharing with Viona. The nachos were almost gone, as were Viona’s beer and my soda. Despite the tension, I chuckled. Viona tended to binge eat and drink whenever things got difficult.

“Are you okay?” she asked as I sat down. I motioned for the bartender to refill everything.

“Yeah…mostly.”

“What was that?” Her eyes widened, and her speech quickened. “I mean…the fall, the stand-off, that binder? What the fuck?”

I laughed again at her cartoonish antics. “I’ll tell you later,” I said. “For now, would you like to help me choose a dress?”

“What for?”

“A charity ball. It’s in two days.”

Viona stroked her chin. “That sounds like fun,” she finally said. “I’ll text Amber. We can set something up for tomorrow and make a whole day of it.”

A smile broke out on my face. A girls’ day actually sounded nice.

“It’s a deal.”

Chapter 12