Freeing My Alpha: Book 2 of My Shy Alpha

Chapter 23

CONTENT WARNING: discussion of past abuse, PTSD episode, flashbacks

***********

My screams shift from grief to panic, gripping my blankets to shield my body from his reach. But the man approaches me anyway, his voice barely registerable beneath my shrieks.

No! I can't let this repeat!

Extending my claws, I slash his outstretched arm as hard as I can.

"Fuck!" Noah backs himself up against the wall beneath my window, gripping his bleeding arm.

Guilt crushes my heart, pushing a sob from me. But as Noah stops the blood with heavy licks, he's only focused on me.

It's just me! I'm not going to hurt you.

I scramble off the bed after him, clinging to him so hard that my fingers hurt.

"I'm so sorry! I'm terrible, I–"

"Stop. Please, stop. I'm so sorry for scaring you so badly." Noah's voice shakes in agony, and it guts me. "I should've known better when you're already feeling so–"

My breath catches when I think I hear the front door squeak. "N-no! He's back! He's here—"

Noah releases a heavy waft of his Alpha musk, and before I can register it, my neck falls slack in submission. He licks my mark, heavy and wet strokes slinking me to my knees. He drops to the carpet with me, allowing my limp body to quiver in his embrace.

Noah's gentle voice softens even more for me. "I don't smell anyone else here. It's just you and me, sweet Omega."

"N-no... Please, he's going to—"

I wheeze as the memory pushes past Noah's effects on me, replaying like it's happening now. I squirm away from Noah's tongue, suddenly afraid of being touched.

He raises his empty hands. "Shit - okay. Let's try something else."

The panic is still so strong that I jerk back, attempting to sit up and away from Steven in my mind's replay. My back hits my mattress hard, smacking the air out of me. I yelp in pain, gripping Noah's chest.

"Oh, fuck, my poor, sweet mate." Noah rubs my aching back, allowing me to cower back into him despite pushing him away seconds ago. As I crawl into his lap, he welcomes me with gentle, soothing sweeps over my back. "What's he going to do when he comes back in? Let it out."

My breath sputters as I fight the memory back, trying to shove it down, down, down with angry shakes of my head.

"No, don't do that. Don't bottle it up. It's literally killing your heart to keep it inside - I can feel it." Noah hugs my head against his chest, grounding me. "Talk me through it. Tell me what you see happening."

I grip Noah's shirt until the seams crackle. My entire body shakes in his arms. "H-he's... he'll..."

"Good job. Keep going." Noah says.

"He'll... O-open the front door. I forgot to lock it." I swallow hard, making pathetic, weird cries between breaths. "But he has a key anyway. From when we dated."

Noah's heart sinks with mine, pounding harder against my ear.

"I should've made him give it back. I should've changed the lock, I should've made sure I locked it, I should've—"

"No, you didn't know he'd do this. That was his decision alone."

"Y-yeah..." My voice comes out small and fragile - almost childlike. It's unfamiliar to me, but it's also completely me.