CHAPTER 29

HAZEL 

Noah, with his piercing blue eyes and a mischievous glint, stood there, a contrast to the sombre wolves of the Shadow Moon Pack. I couldn't fathom how he had ended up in their midst. Was he, like me, a Brute? A creature of darkness like they call it, was he forced to live among the shadows? Or was there something more to his story, a secret yet to be revealed?

Noah's face lit up like a thousand suns. "I never expected to see you again," he said, his voice barely a whisper.

Thaddeus growled, a low rumble that made me jump. I hadn't even noticed he was standing right behind me. His big, furry body pressed against my back, and I could feel the vibrations of his growl through my shirt. It was like a tiny earthquake.

"I really wasn't looking forward to this, I thought I had escaped you, what do you want now?” I scoffed, crossing my arms defiantly. 

After our breakup, Noah was determined to rekindle our relationship. He tried every trick in the book to win me back but it was over between us. However, when his sister went missing, he disappeared without a trace. I was relieved that I no longer had to deal with him.

"Who's this?" Noah's voice was sharp, his gaze fixed on Thaddeus. I could almost see the wheels turning in his head, the jealousy and suspicion clear as day. It was so annoying, I wanted to roll my eyes.

Noah stepped forward, his hand outstretched for Thaddeus to shake. "Nice to meet you," he said, his tone dripping with forced politeness.

“I’m Noah, the ex boyfriend.”

Thaddeus's body grew even more rigid, a feat that seemed impossible. He seized Noah's hand in a firm grip, causing him to wince. Thaddeus's lips curled into a faint smirk as he noticed Noah's discomfort. "Alpha Thaddeus, the mate," he introduced himself, his voice low and commanding.

Now, I wanted to slap Thaddeus. Why was he claiming I was his mate now? It took him until my ex boyfriend showed up to act on it. I decided to wait till Noah left to interrogate him about it. The last thing I needed was Noah to try to use our relationship to his advantage.

"Mate, Alpha?" Noah's voice was filled with surprise, the information Thaddeus had given changed his facial expression instantly. "I thought people who were pushed to the Shadow Moon Pack were brute wolves... How did you end up here? What happened?”

“Yes, he is my mate. I don't think that's a problem and how I ended up here has nothing to do with you either.”

Thaddeus and Noah locked eyes, their gazes unwavering. I nudged Thaddeus gently, but he remained unfazed. Noah, sensing the tension, finally broke the silence. He turned away, a subtle acknowledgment of Thaddeus's superior status. It was a wise move; I knew Thaddeus could intimidate anyone, even make them soil themselves if he truly wanted to.

"Is there a problem, Noah?"

"Not at all," he replied, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "I once helped a member of the Shadow Moon, and he offered me a place to stay for a few days as a way of repaying my kindness. I never imagined I'd bump into you like this." He paused, his voice catching in his throat. "Congratulations," he added, his tone sincere.

“Thank you, and we are very happy as well.”

Right,” Noah cleared his throat awkwardly. “I should head on.”

I stared at him, utterly bewildered. Had he walked into a tree or something? He looked dishevelled and disoriented, his clothes rumpled and his hair a tangled mess.

"Nice wolf," Thaddeus drawled, his voice dripping with sarcasm. I spun around, my eyes narrowed into slits. "What was that supposed to mean?" I demanded, my voice low and dangerous.

“What was what?” He asked nonchalantly.

I put on my best serious voice and said, “Alpha Thaddeus, the mate,” trying to sound as tough as him.”

"Oh, that," he said, his voice trailing off.

"Yes, that," I replied, a hint of sarcastic smile playing on my lips.

“Look, I never for once said you weren't my mate before. I just haven't formally claimed you.”

“Then what do you call that? You just admitted to someone that I was your mate. I doubt anyone knows that I'm your mate except for Sparrow, Thea, Peter, Kara, Miranda and your parents.”

“You don't know this but my wolf was frantic.”

“You need some growing up left to do, Thaddeus. Your wolf isn't a puppet. He's just a part of you. You're the one pulling the strings, remember? You can't keep blaming your wolf for everything, I'm pretty sure he doesn't control your every move.” I pointed out.

“He’s worried that you would make him live with the rat!”

The glare on my face disappeared momentarily. “Rat?”

“Squirrels,” he corrected himself and rolled his eyes, “but it's the same thing anyway.”

“It's not!” I exclaimed, “Rat are way smaller than squirrels.”

He seemed surprised by my outburst, “who cares? The two run around the house and steal food that doesn't belong to them.”

Before I could correct him again, a new voice interrupted our conversation.

“And here I was thinking you were having a serious conversation with him. Instead, I come out here to discover the two of you fighting over rat. Since when did those furry creature become so important than a pup ready to enter this world?”

I turned around and gave Miranda a sheepish look. “I’m sorry, I would be right there.”

“I will end this argument for you. squirrels are bigger and have blunter heads, they have eyes that are proportionately larger. You both need to quit arguing and come help out because she is getting out of hand and the other midwives need all the help they can get right now.”

I nodded and glanced at Thaddeus, who had a surprised look on h

is face as he realised that Miranda had just corrected him blatantly and taken my side. 

“I think you shouldn't be here, why don't you go find out about those witches instead. We can talk later,” I muttered and followed Miranda inside.