LET GO OF ME STEPBROTHER! I'M NOT YOUR LUNA

Carol wondered how he could see her when he had a lot of ladies buzzing around.

"How is that any of your business?" she retorted, turning to leave, but he grabbed her by the hand and pulled her closer.

"Have you forgotten? I am your guardian," he said sternly.

"And I am to be your Alpha," Carol replied with a snap. Her breath fell on his face, and she heard him inhale.

"I am not going to embarrass you," she told him and shook his hand off, but he held her again.

"Let me go," Carol muttered, but he resisted.

"Noah?"

He was still unwilling to let go, but others were starting to focus their attention on them, so he had to.

"Are you okay?" Lisa hurried to Carol's side as soon as Noah left her side.

"Yes, it was nothing," Carol replied and smiled.

Flynn had already gotten engaged with something else, and Carol stood alone again.

"Carol, right? I had no idea Alpha Lockhart 's stepdaughter is a beauty," someone walked up to Carol, tapping her on the shoulder.

"You are?" Carol asked gently, trying to be polite.

"Anthony, I'm Noah's uncle," he answered with a laugh, and Carol nodded calmly.

"You are so beautiful," he complimented again, and Carol muttered a thank you, feeling a bit uncomfortable by his intense gaze on her.

"Care to take a walk with me? I have something interesting to discuss with you," Anthony said, his gaze still roaming on her body, and he slid his hand behind her back.

"No," Carol whimpered, refusing him, but Anthony went on, acting indifferent.

"Aren't you curious about what I have to say?" He grinned, caressing her back forcefully.

"Don't," Carol said firmly and pulled away, but he suddenly gripped her arm, changing his tone.

"It's your good fortune that I am trying to woo you. You shouldn't be such a dimwit to reject me," he whispered and tried to kiss her, but Carol turned away, and his lips fell on her face.

"Get away from me!" Carol pushed him, her voice raised, and others turned to look.

Anthony immediately let go of her and pointed an accusing finger.

"How can you shamelessly throw yourself at me?!" he shrieked.

"What?!"

A few exclaimed, instantly believing his words.

"You sicko! It was obviously you who touched me!" Carol defended, but a lot of them weren't interested in listening to her.

"Is she already trying to seduce someone? She hasn't even been crowned the Alpha yet," Riki voiced from the crowd, and everyone else whispered.

"Really? I can't believe her."

"No, I wasn't," Carol made another attempt to defend herself, but no one was listening.

Lena, one of the guests, walked up to Carol and rested her hands on her waist.

"I can't believe how shameless you are to seduce a married man," Lena fired, looking really furious, and Anthony immediately held her hand in his.

"Honey, I had no idea she was like that. I only intended to acknowledge her as the new Alpha," he argued, and Carol scoffed in disbelief.

"Your mate is the one who came onto me," she snapped, but Lena wasn't ready to listen and scoffed in response.

"What should we expect from a female Alpha? She is sure trying to sleep her way to power like her mother," she accused loudly, and everyone laughed in mockery.

"Take back your words!"

Carol's eyes turned fierce, and she fumed at Lena, ready to tear off her mouth but restrained herself because of the doubts on everyone's faces.

No one among them truly saw her as their Alpha anyway.

"And if I don't, what will you do?" Lena challenged, ready to fight her but got shoved aside suddenly.

She turned to retaliate but shuddered when she saw Noah.

"I can rip out your tongue for a start," Noah responded and stood next to Carol.

Lena moved backward and stood behind Anthony, who also quivered and tried to give an explanation.

"Noah, you won't believe she came onto me," Anthony said again.

Noah's lips curled in scorn.

"You are not worthy," he sneered.

Carol turned, surprised at his defense, and exhaled slowly.

Lifting his eyes from Anthony, he turned towards the others, his eyes flashing with intensity.

"She is your Alpha. Any act of disrespect will not be tolerated," he said loudly so they could all hear him clearly.

Paul also stood at a distance, watching with satisfaction. He had merely stepped aside to discuss something important with Noah and didn't expect something to happen in that short space.

"Do you understand?"

"Yes!"

They all chorused in response, taken aback to see him defend Carol. If anyone should hate her more than anything in this world, then it should be him.

Everyone turned aside and continued the party while Anthony fumed together with Lena and went away from the party.

"Come with me," Noah said, pulling her along without giving her a choice to refute him.

Carol's eyes flashed with defiance as Noah dragged her further into the house, his grip on her wrist hurting her, but he wasn't paying attention.

"Noah, let go of me!" she protested, trying to wriggle free, but Noah's face was masked with anger, his jaw clenched, and his eyes blazed with fury.

"Are you dumb?" he spat, his voice low and menacing.

Carol's eyes widened with hurt, and she felt a sting from his words.

"No, I'm not," she replied, her voice steady despite the turmoil brewing inside her.

Noah's gaze bore into hers, and she shivered a bit.

"You..."

The equally upset look in her eyes made him pause, and he inhaled her scent without meaning to.

Noah closed his eyes briefly to resist and opened them almost immediately, controlling himself.

But she smelled so good.

"What? Weren't you going to scold me?" Carol snarled, letting out her anger.

"Yes. You should know how to behave and not ridicule my name," he said, his words dripping with disdain.

"Ridicule?" Carol mumbled, her face burning with anger and humiliation.

For a minute, she was grateful he spoke up for her and thought he wasn't like others who judged her without evidence, but it turned out he was only worried about his reputation being dragged in the mud because of her.

"I am so sorry for defending myself against that scumbag uncle of yours," she threw back at him, livid with anger.

Noah took a second to calm down, realizing she had interpreted his words the wrong way and tried to explain but wasn't sure how to make her understand.

His eyes fell on her lips as he made out the next word, and he couldn't help but notice how plump they were, and they were calling out to him.

Noah exhaled as he continued to stare at her in silence, unable to take his eyes off.

He had made sure to keep away and not think of her in that way for the past three years they had lived together under the same roof, always taunting her to keep the desires away.

But in the last six months, that method had become useless and rather seemed to make it more difficult to resist.

Both their even breaths filled the room, and Carol stared back, confused at his sudden silence. But Noah already imagined how her lips would feel on his, and he felt the urge to get that dress off.