Chapter 257

Hannah

The air was abuzz with excitement as we gathered on the field. Wolves of all shapes and sizes were already milling about, their fur gleaming in the moonlight. I could feel my own wolf stirring beneath my skin, eager to finally be let loose after far too long in my human form.

“Alright, everyone!” the referee called out, blowing his whistle. “Men on one team, women on the other. You know the rules—Ultimate Frisbee, but in wolf form. First team to score ten points wins!”

I glanced at Noah, and there was no hiding the competitive glint in my eye. “I hope you’re ready to lose.”

He grinned, already beginning to shift. “In your dreams, Hannah.”

As my bones cracked and reshaped, I felt the familiar rush of power that came with the transformation. It had been too long, far too long, and shifting felt like itching a scratch that I hadn’t reached in months.

In mere moments, I stood on four paws, my chestnut fur ruffling in the cool night breeze. My senses were sharper, my muscles taut, my ears perked.

The referee tossed the frisbee high into the air, and the game began.

I darted across the field, weaving between larger wolves with ease. My agility had always been my strong suit, and now, as an Alpha, it seemed even more pronounced. I could hear the crowd’s gasps and cheers as I made impossible leaps and lightning-fast turns.

With one graceful leap, I spotted Viona near the end zone and sent the frisbee flying her way with a quick flick of my muzzle.

But Noah intercepted, his silver fur an icy blur as he raced toward the opposite end of the field. I growled playfully and gave chase, my paws barely touching the ground as I pushed myself to catch up.

The game continued well into overtime, both teams scoring point after point, neck-and-neck for the entire game.

It was exhilarating, feeling the wind in my fur, the earth beneath my paws, the camaraderie with my teammates. For a while, I forgot about being an Alpha, about all the responsibilities and worries. I was just a wolf, playing a game under the light of the moon.

As the score reached 10-10, the tensions mounted. This was the tie-breaker round, which meant that the next point would decide the game. Noah had the frisbee, dodging and weaving through our defense.

I saw my chance and took it, charging straight for him.

At the last second, I leaped. Time seemed to slow as I soared over Noah, my jaws snapping shut around the frisbee. We collided and tumbled to the ground, a tangle of fur and limbs. And then, just before we hit the ground, I threw my head back and hurled the frisbee in an elegant arc into the goal.

When we came to a stop, I found myself pinning Noah down, the frisbee floating down into the point zone behind us. But I hardly saw the frisbee, hardly cared that the buzzer had gone off.

In that moment, something shifted between us. It was like…

Like a string was attached to our hearts. One that had once been broken, but was now slowly reforming. I could feel Noah’s rapid heartbeat as if it were my own. Could smell everything he smelled, feel everything he felt. Like we were… one.

It was unlike anything I’d ever felt before.

Noah had told me that our mate bond had been cut before I had even known we had one. And because of that, I had never felt my fated mate’s soul intertwined with mine. I just thought I was one of the unlucky ones who had never gotten to experience that.

Was this what it was like? To feel the bond reforming?

“Goal!” the referee’s voice suddenly broke through the haze. “Women win!”

Cheers erupted from the crowd, but I barely heard them. As I shifted back to my human form, I realized I was still on top of Noah, our faces inches apart. His green eyes were dark with an emotion I knew only as desire, his breath warm against my cheek.

For a moment, I thought we might kiss right there on the field. But then I caught sight of the jumbotron, our tangled forms displayed for all to see. Heat rushed to my cheeks as I quickly scrambled to my feet, offering Noah a hand up.

He took it, a grin spreading across his face as he stood. “You really have changed, Hannah,” he said, shaking my hand formally. “That was impressive.”

I tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear, still feeling flushed. “Thanks. That was a lot of fun.”

As the crowd began to disperse, Noah gestured toward a quieter area of the festival. “Want to take a walk?”

I nodded, falling into step beside him. We walked in comfortable silence for a while, the sounds of the festival fading into the background.

Finally, once we were alone, Noah spoke. “How has it been? Being a female Alpha, I mean.”

I took a deep breath, considering my words. “It’s... intense. I love it, I really do. The sense of purpose, the ability to make a real difference for my pack. But…”

“But?” Noah prompted gently.

“But there are a lot of struggles too,” I admitted. “Sometimes, I wonder if I’m even cut out for this. It feels like so many people expect me to fail, and… I make so many mistakes. Like not having enough security around me and assuming I’ll be fine on my own, or doing stupid things that just make matters worse for myself. I want to be perfect, to prove to everyone that I’m not just some inexperienced baby playing at being an Alpha. But it feels impossible.”

“You know, I once thought I wasn’t cut out for being an Alpha too.”

I looked at him in surprise. “Really? But you’ve always seemed so... confident.”

He chuckled, shaking his head. “It was all an act, at least at first. I never told you, but when we first got married, I really doubted myself. Hell, I still doubt myself a lot now.”

“You do?” I couldn’t hide my shock. Noah had always seemed so sure of himself, so in control. The perfect Alpha.

“Of course,” he said. “Being an Alpha is being a leader, and leaders are not perfect. What matters is that we do our best for our people whenever we can. If we mess up sometimes, as long as we try our best to do what is right, our people will understand.”

His words settled over me, soothing some of the anxiety I had been carrying as of late. “I guess I never thought of it that way,” I murmured.

We walked in silence for a few more steps before I gathered the courage to ask the question that had been on my mind lately. “Noah... do you think we could ever be together and both be Alphas at the same time? I don’t want to go back to being a Luna.”

Noah was quiet for a long moment, and I felt my heart rate pick up as I waited for his response. I hoped I hadn’t hurt him somehow. Finally, he turned to me, his expression serious.

“I don’t know,” he said honestly. “It’s not something that’s been done before, at least not that I know of. But Hannah…” He took my hands in his, his touch sending sparks through my body. “If I had no choice but to give up my station to be with you again, I would do it in a heartbeat.”

His words, so sincere and heartfelt, broke down the last of my reservations.

Without thinking, I threw my arms around my neck and kissed him like he was the last man on earth. He smiled against my mouth and tangled his fingers in my hair and kissed me back just as fiercely.

And I swore I felt that invisible string reform just a little bit more.