Tangled Hearts - The Alpha's Baby Mama-Chapter 264: Noah’s confession...

Selene POV

I tried to sound casual, masking the anxiety thrumming in my chest. "I just woke up," I said, gesturing to the glass on the bedside table. "I was thirsty. Thought I’d get some water."

Noah nodded, though his eyes lingered on me longer than usual as if searching for something he couldn’t quite place. He closed the door behind him and walked over, sitting on the edge of the bed. His expression softened, and he reached out, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. "I was hoping you’d still be asleep," he admitted quietly. "I wanted to cuddle with you. It still feels like a dream that you’re here."

I managed a small smile, the guilt of Kragen’s presence still lingering in my mind. I touched his arm gently. "I’m here, Noah. You don’t have to worry."

For a moment, we sat in a comfortable silence, the weight of the past few days settling between us. But then Noah’s expression shifted, something unspoken lingering in his eyes. He took a deep breath as if bracing himself for what he was about to say.

"There’s something I need to tell you," Noah began, his voice tinged with uncertainty. He looked down at his hands, fidgeting slightly as he gathered his thoughts. "I’ve been keeping something from you, and I don’t want to hide it anymore."

My heart skipped a beat, my mind immediately racing with possibilities. The vulnerability in his voice was unsettling, a side of Noah I rarely saw. I nodded, urging him to continue, even as a part of me dreaded whatever he was about to confess.

Noah looked up, his eyes meeting mine with a mix of fear and determination. "I thought... I thought I was doing the right thing by protecting you, by keeping you safe from everything. But in doing that, I made decisions without you, and I should have been honest from the start."

I swallowed, my gaze never leaving his. I could feel the weight of his words pressing down on me, the anticipation of whatever truth he was about to reveal. "Noah," I said softly, reaching out to take his hand. "Whatever it is, we’ll face it together."

Noah squeezed my hand, a faint smile tugging at his lips despite the turmoil in his eyes. "Thank you," he whispered, his voice cracking slightly. "I just hope... I hope you can forgive me."

The room fell silent again, the air thick with unspoken fears and the promise of revelations yet to come. I squeezed his hand back, bracing myself for whatever confession was waiting on the other side of this quiet, fragile moment.

"Well, you see, Lucius brought back a fox that took on your shape and everything to the extent that was pregnant and we were worried about something happening to the baby. It’s a long story but the summary of it is, the fox that was you..." he trailed off again, wincing in pain. "I honestly thought it was you and we may have made love...." He trailed off, refusing to meet my eyes.

"You may have or you made love?" I asked, my tone still calm.

"We made love," he said quietly.

Noah’s confession hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. He hadn’t been able to look me in the eyes as he spoke, his voice strained and filled with regret. "I didn’t know, Selene," he said, his words shaky as he fumbled to explain. "I swear I didn’t know it wasn’t you until it was too late. She—she looked just like you. I thought it was you."

I sat frozen for a moment, trying to process the weight of what he had just told me. A storm of emotions swept through me: shock, anger, disbelief. But at the heart of it all was a profound sense of betrayal. I opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. I closed it again, forcing myself to take a deep breath, trying to find some semblance of calm in the chaos.

Noah’s eyes were filled with pleading, his usually strong demeanour now crumbling before me. "I’m so sorry," he whispered, his voice breaking. "I never meant for this to happen. I thought—"

I held up a hand, cutting him off before he could finish. I needed a moment to collect myself, to piece together my thoughts. I let out a long, measured sigh, finally finding my voice. "You didn’t know," I said, her tone clipped, more tired than angry. "If that’s what you’re worried about... then don’t. But Noah, you’re going to run every test possible. I want to be sure you’re not infected with anything."

Noah nodded immediately; his relief palpable even as his shame remained etched across his face. "I will," he promised, but his gaze lingered on me, searching for any hint of forgiveness. "I’ll do whatever it takes."

I nodded, but the words barely registered in my mind. I needed to move, to do something, anything that would distract me from the surge of emotions threatening to overwhelm me. I rose abruptly from the bed and began straightening the room, picking up items that didn’t need picking up, smoothing out already flat surfaces. It was busy work, but it was all I could think to do at that moment.

Noah watched me, his heart aching as he saw the strain in my movements, the tightness in my shoulders. He knew me well enough to recognize when I was struggling to keep myself together. "Selene," he said quietly, his voice almost a whisper. "Are you alright?"

I froze mid-motion, a small decorative pillow clutched in her hands. For a long moment, I didn’t respond, my back turned to him as I stared at the wall. Then, I let out a bitter laugh, tossing the pillow onto the bed as I turned to face him. "Am I alright?" I repeated, my tone edged with a frustration I hadn’t meant to show. "Noah, I’m trying to figure out how my husband couldn’t tell the difference between me and a fake."

He flinched at my words, but he didn’t interrupt. He could see the hurt in my eyes, the disbelief that was slowly morphing into something sharper, something that cut right through him.

I continued, my voice rising as I spoke. "I thought... I thought that when we’re together, it’s about more than just bodies. Isn’t it supposed to be about intimacy? About connection?" I shook my head, my hands gesturing wildly as if I was trying to grasp something that kept slipping through my fingers. "How could you not know? Or were you just so... so consumed with lust that none of it mattered?"