Chapter 134

Hannah

My heels clicked on the pavement as I marched around the festival grounds, clipboard in hand, barking orders left and right. The Lunar Festival was today, and although most things were in order, there were still a few hiccups that needed addressing—and some things that couldn’t be addressed at all.

For instance, the weather seemed ominous; dark storm clouds had gathered on the horizon, darkening the sky. The wind was beginning to pick up, and the temperature was growing humid.

A storm was the last thing we needed today; and while we could potentially move the festival somewhere indoors, it was all so last-minute that I felt as if I might collapse from the weight of it all.

“No, no, no!” I called out to a group of workers who were struggling with a banner that wouldn’t stop whipping in the wind. “That goes over there, by the main stage!”

One of the workers looked at me and threw his hands up in the air, exasperated. “But Luna Hannah, you said—”

“I know what I said,” I cut him off, waving my hand dismissively. “But plans change. The wind is too strong here, so could you just move it, please?”

As they grumbled and began to take down the banner to be moved, I turned my attention to one of the nearby food vendors. “Is everything set up here?” I asked, approaching a nervous-looking woman who was quickly arranging pastries.

She nodded quickly. “Yes, Luna Hannah. We’re all ready to go.”

“Excellent,” I said with a tense smile as I made a check mark on my clipboard. “Remember, we’ll start serving food in exactly three hours. Not a minute before, and not a minute after. And if it starts raining, you know the drill: cover everything and move to the dance hall.”

“Yes, Luna Hannah.”

Just as I was about to move on to check the sound system next, I felt a tap on my shoulder. Turning, I found myself face-to-face with my makeup artist for the day—a petite redhead named Lila.

“Luna Hannah,” she said, a hint of urgency in her voice. “We need to get you ready now. The ceremonial opening is in less than two hours.”

I glanced at my watch, cursing under my breath. How had time slipped away so quickly? It felt like I had just woken up five minutes ago, and it was already four o’clock in the afternoon.

“Alright,” I sighed, handing my clipboard to a nearby assistant. “Let’s get this over with.”

The next hour and a half was a whirlwind of hairspray, makeup, and intricate ceremonial robes. By the time Lila declared me ready, I felt like a completely different person.

The ceremonial garb, traditionally worn by the Alpha and Luna during the Lunar Festival, was heavy and ornate. It was nothing like my usual choice of clothing, although I couldn’t deny the fact that it was beautiful.

“You look stunning, Luna Hannah,” my makeup artist said as she took a step back and smiled at me in the mirror. “Just one little flyaway here…”

I forced a smile as she fussed with my hair. “Thank you. Is Noah ready?”

Her smile faltered slightly. “Alpha Noah is... getting there,” she admitted, then lowered her voice. “I think he’s having some trouble with his robes, but he sent his assistant away.”

Sighing, I stood up and shook my head. Leave it to Noah to send his assistant away because Goddess forbid he ever let anyone help him with anything. “I’d better go check on him,” I growled. “We can’t be late for this.”

I made my way to the waiting room where Noah was supposed to be getting ready. As I approached, I could hear muffled cursing from behind the door. Taking a deep breath, I pushed it open.

Noah stood in the center of the room, fumbling with his sash and muttering angrily to himself. His usually perfectly coiffed hair was disheveled, and his face was flushed with frustration. I cleared my throat, and he snarled, “I told you to go away,” not realizing it was me.

Rolling my eyes, I strode up to him anyway.

“Damn it all to hell,” he growled as he tugged at the fabric. “Who designed this ridiculous outfit? Dammit, I told you to buzz off—”

Without a word, I grabbed his arm and turned him to face me. His eyes widened as he saw that it was me and not his assistant, but I ignored his surprised expression and reached for his sash. My fingers worked quickly, adjusting and tucking the fabric into place.

“It’s not that hard,” I muttered as I worked. “It’s just under, then over, then through the loop…”

Noah stood frozen under my touch, his breath catching audibly. As I smoothed down the front of his robe, my fingers accidentally brushed dangerously close to his crotch. My eyes widened, then, as I felt something there—something hard. Erect.

Before I could pull away, his hand shot out and he grabbed my wrist tightly.

I looked up at him, stunned. His green eyes bored into mine, filled with a knowing sort of intensity that made my heart race. No…

Did he know? He hadn’t heard me last night, had he?

The memory of my late-night… session from last night suddenly flooded back, making my cheeks burn. I had tried to be quiet, but in the throes of pleasure, Noah’s name had escaped my lips more than once. I recalled hearing the floorboards creak, but no one had been there when my eyes had snapped open.

Or so I thought…

The air between us felt thick and heady. Noah’s grip on my wrist didn’t loosen, and I found myself unable to look away from his gaze. Time seemed to stand still as we stood there, frozen just inches from each other.

“Noah…”

Whatever else I was about to say quickly died on my tongue. Noah blinked at me, his gaze wandering first to my lips, then to my fingertips, and then down, down toward my…

“You’re hurting me.”

Finally, Noah seemed to realize how tightly he was holding my wrist. His eyes flickered down to where his fingers dug into my skin, and he abruptly let go.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, taking a step back. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

I rubbed my wrist, still feeling the phantom pressure of his grip, but I was more focused on the strange, charged sort of tension that had just been thrumming between us. I quickly looked away and cleared my throat. “It’s fine,” I said, although my voice was barely more than a whisper.

Noah ran a hand through his hair, messing it up further. “Hannah, I—”

Before he could finish his sentence, there was a sharp knock at the door. We both jumped, the tension in the room suddenly shattering like a pane of glass.

“Luna Hannah, Alpha Noah,” a voice called out from the other side of the wood. “It’s time. We need you at the ceremony grounds now.”

Noah and I quickly parted, the space between us lengthening once more. He nodded and smoothed down the front of his robe, the sash now firmly in the correct position. “Thanks,” he muttered.

I quickly nodded and turned on my heel.

“You’re welcome. Now let’s go.”