Chapter 110

Noah & Hannah

Noah’s POV

Noah burst out of the restaurant and into the cool night air, his gasps of breath mingling with the sound of his shoes on the pavement and the screech of the cab’s tires.

There, up ahead, was Hannah—already in the back of a taxi that was pulling away from the curb at breakneck speeds.

“Hannah!” Noah cried out, skidding to a stop in the middle of the sidewalk. “Hannah, come back!”

But it was no use; Hannah was already gone, the cab up ahead disappearing around a corner. Noah watched, breathlessly, as the last vestige of the garish yellow car faded away completely.

“Dammit!” he cursed, whirling around and kicking a stone on the sidewalk. He watched it clatter into a nearby sewer grate, his nostrils flaring and his heart pounding. Why had she run off like that? And, more importantly, why had she vomited?

Noah took a deep breath to steady himself as he tried to ignore the prying eyes of the other diners inside the restaurant. Squaring his shoulders, he yanked open the front door and strode back inside to pay the bill.

Hannah hadn’t just thrown up because she ate too much, had she? No, Noah was sure it was something else.

Gritting his teeth, he walked back into the private room they had shared; Hannah had left her velvet shawl on the back of her chair, and he picked it up and clutched it tightly. It smelled like her: sweet but not floral, more like sage.

His wolf growled inside of him at the scent of her perfume.

“Something is going on with her,” his wolf said.

…

Hannah’s POV

Viona opened the door just moments after I knocked, her hair askew in a sloppy bun and a glass of wine in her hand.

“Hannah?” she gasped. “What are you doing here?”

“I… Um…” I could barely even speak—my throat felt too constricted after everything. Viona, noticing this, stepped aside to allow me entry.

“Come in, honey. Tell me what happened.”

Taking a deep breath, I stepped into Viona’s small apartment; it was a cute little loft downtown, not far from Amici’s, and it was the first place I thought of going when I climbed into that cab. I couldn’t bear to go back and talk to Noah, and I certainly didn’t want to go home because he would likely get there before I did for all I knew.

“Thanks, Vi,” I said softly as she fluffed a pillow for me on her large sectional. Kicking off my shoes, I sank down onto the plush couch and pulled my knees up to my chest. “It’s been a rough night.”

“Tell me what happened.” Viona settled onto the cushion next to me and sipped her wine, watching me intently.

For several moments, I couldn’t bring myself to say anything—not that I even knew where to begin. How was I supposed to explain why I had run out of that restaurant when I hadn’t even told her that I was pregnant yet?

Finally, though, when Viona’s gaze didn’t waver, I knew I couldn’t keep it in any longer.

I had to tell someone. I was tired of keeping everything to myself, and… Viona was my best friend. I needed her support. To hell with it if she thought I was crazy. I couldn’t fucking take it anymore.

Swallowing hard against the lump in my throat, I turned to her and grabbed her free hand. “Viona, I have to tell you something,” I said, fixing her with a stern gaze, “but you have to promise not to tell a soul.”

Viona chuckled and sipped her wine. “Alright. Sure.”

“I mean it.” I gripped her hand even more tightly and leaned in. “You have to swear. Swear on… on your mother.”

My friend’s eyes widened fractionally. Her mother was easily the most precious thing to her, seeing as how Viona’s father had died when she was young and she had always cared for her mother since then.

“Hannah, what’s going on?” she whispered.

“Just… Promise me, Vi,” I pleaded. “Please, I need you to swear you won’t tell anyone what I’m about to tell you.”

A muscle ticked above her eye as she strained to search my face for any hint of a prank or deception. Of course, she would find nothing; I was being utterly sincere.

Finally, she sighed and set her wine glass on the coffee table.

“Alright. I swear on my mother that I won’t tell a soul, Hannah.”

I let out a breath of relief and leaned back against the cushions. “Thank you.”

Viona raised an eyebrow. “Now, are you going to tell me what this is all about?”

…

When I was finished telling Viona my story—everything from my pregnancy to my death to my rebirth, all of it from beginning to end—the room was utterly silent. Down below, the sounds of the bustling city rose into the air, but I hardly heard any of it. Only the sound of my blood rushing through my ears filled that space.

Viona said nothing for a long time, her mouth working uselessly. Her face had gone pale, her eyes blown wide like she had just seen a ghost.

I’m sure I looked much the same as her.

And then, suddenly, she… started laughing. “Hannah, this is ridiculous,” she crowed, smacking me on the arm and rising from the couch to walk to her kitchen. “Did Amber put you up to this?”

I furrowed my brow and followed her, watching incredulously as she began casually preparing two cups of tea. “Viona, I’m serious,” I said.

She chuckled again. “Yeah. Sure.”

“Viona.” Stomping my feet, I circled around the counter island and gripped her shoulders to force her to look at me—so she could see my sincerity. “I’m serious.”

For a few long moments, Viona blinked at me, her face slowly blanching once more.

“Hannah…”

“Look, I know how it sounds,” I said, releasing her and stepping back, “but it’s true. All of that stuff that happened at the acceptance ceremony with Zoe? Yeah, in my past life, I didn’t handle it well and faced a lot of public scrutiny. That was why I took it so well this time; because I knew it was coming.”

Viona swallowed, hastily shaking her head. “Oh, honey,” she breathed, “you need help. I’m sorry, Hannah, I know you’re going through a lot, but it’s simply not possible.”

“When have I ever lied to you, Viona?!” I snapped.

Her eyes widened even further, if that was even possible. Her mouth waggled as she tried to come up with a retort, but clearly there was none.

Finally, gripping her hair, she whirled around and strode over to the window. “Okay, okay… So let’s just say, for the sake of the argument, that this really did happen…” She paused, and I could hear her audibly gulp. “...What about Noah? He doesn’t know any of this?”

“No. And he never will.”

“Even the baby?” she asked.

I felt my chest clench at the mention of it. “I might tell him about the baby when the divorce is finalized. But not a moment before. And likely not at all.”

Viona whirled around, her mouth hanging agape. “Hannah, you can’t keep his child from him,” she breathed. “The whole… rebirth thing is one thing, but your baby? His heir? He’ll find out anyway!”

“And if he does, then I’ll be protected,” I said. “I already made him promise that once we’re divorced, I can take anyone or anything that I want from Nightcrest back to my own pack. That includes our child, although he doesn’t know it yet.”

Viona continued to stare at me incredulously.

“Look, Vi,” I continued, “I know how it sounds. But I can’t tell Noah about the baby; I just can’t. Because if I do, he’ll make me stay in this marriage. And…” I paused, my throat constricting. “...I can’t do it, Viona. I can’t stay in a loveless marriage forever. If I do, then I know I’ll just wind up dead again.”

After I spoke, I looked away and clenched my jaw hard. No, I wouldn’t cry. I needed to be strong, but damn, it was hard.

Viona sighed softly and crossed the room again, gripping my hands in hers. “I understand,” she said gently. “But… is it really so loveless?”

“Wh…What?”

She shrugged. “I mean, it seems like he’s trying. Maybe you two could… I don’t know, rekindle what you once had.”

I let out a wry laugh. “Fat chance of that happening.”

There was a long silence after that—long enough for Viona’s words to sink in, at least. Maybe she was right… Maybe there was a way to rekindle our love. Unlikely, but there had to be at least a shred of a chance.

“Hannah,” Viona finally said, “I won’t tell anyone because I respect you and love you. And if you decide not to tell him, then I’ll support you through that.”

“Thanks, Viona.”

“But…” She paused, fixing me with a stern look. I braced myself for what was to come. “At least consider telling him,” she said softly, her hand coming to rest on my belly. “Just consider it.”

I swallowed hard and looked away. “I’ll think about it, Viona. I will.”