Chapter 165

Hannah

The sound of cutlery against china mixed with quiet music drifting from the cafe’s speaker. I took a sip from my coffee to wash down the decadent taste of chocolate from my croissant and looked over at Viona and Drake, who had come out for lunch with me.

“So, I finally did it,” I said as I set down my cup. “I wrote up a formal invitation to the Luna Queen and mailed it this morning.”

Drake froze, his fork halfway to his mouth. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked with confusion. “I could have invited her myself. She is my aunt, after all.”

I shook my head and patted my mouth with a napkin. “Thanks, Drake, but I want to achieve this on my own merits. No special favors, even if she is your relative.”

“I can respect that,” Drake said around a mouthful of cobb salad. “I think it shows real character.”

Viona snorted from across the table. “Or stubbornness.”

I shot her a playful glare. “Hey, I prefer to call it determination.”

Now that the invitations to the charity gala had been sent out, we just had to focus on other things—like decor and a menu. I wanted it to be perfect, not only to end my eating disorder campaign on a high note, but also to impress the Luna Queen.

After all, I hadn’t forgotten about her invitation to her council. And I intended to find my seat there.

As we continued eating, I couldn’t help but notice the way that Drake’s eyes kept flicking to me every so often from across the table. He had been looking at me in a strange way a lot lately, not at all like his normal self. Maybe the events of the night at the waterfall were still plaguing him. I could safely say that they were still plaguing me, for one.

Suddenly, Viona gasped, her eyes glued to her phone. “Oh my god, Hannah. You need to see this.”

She thrust her phone across the table before I could even answer, nearly knocking over her water glass in her haste. I leaned in, curious, only to feel my face flush as I recognized the image on the screen.

“Is that…?”

“Yep,” Viona hissed, thrusting the picture a little closer.

On the screen was a photograph of Noah and me, asleep together in the hospital bed. The caption read: “True love overcomes all obstacles. How cute are Nightcrest’s Alpha and Luna?”

“What the hell…?” I hissed, suddenly acutely aware of Drake’s eyes boring holes into the side of my head. I wracked my brain, trying to think, but then it hit me: the morning after Noah and I had fallen asleep together, I had awoken to see two nurses fawning over both of us.

Viona shrugged, taking her phone back. “It’s all over social media. It’s basically viral.”

I felt a surge of anger take over me. “Those damn nurses…” I grumbled. “That’s a violation of privacy. They shouldn’t have been taking pictures of us; we were scared and vulnerable that night.”

“They could get in so much trouble for this,” Viona muttered as she scrolled through the comments. “But people are eating this up. Look at this one: ‘Relationship goals! I wish my mate looked at me the way Alpha Noah holds his Luna.’”

Drake cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable. “Hannah’s right. It’s a breach of privacy.”

“You could probably get those nurses fired for this, you know,” Viona suggested, finally putting her phone down. “Something like this goes directly against patient privacy. They posted it on a burner account, but if you remember their faces…”

Despite my anger, I shook my head vehemently. “No, I won’t take it that far,” I said.

Viona and Drake both raised an eyebrow in unison. “Why not?” Drake asked.

I shrugged and took another sip of my coffee. “It was a lapse in judgment. I’m not happy, but I’m also not going to ruin someone’s career over it.”

“Suit yourself,” Viona said, leaning back and folding her arms across her chest. “Although, with the divorce coming up, this could be used against you…”

“Yeah,” Drake added softly. “The Alpha Council could use the picture to claim that you’re still in love with Noah.”

I didn’t know what to say to that. The implication in Drake’s words was clear: he wasn’t just talking about the Alpha Council. He was talking about himself.

The rest of lunch passed by as usual, although I couldn’t take my mind off of those pictures—and Drake, for his part, couldn’t seem to take his eyes off of me. I kept avoiding his gaze, pretending to be fascinated by the layers in my croissant and the foam in my coffee.

After our meal, we paid the bill and headed our separate ways. Of course, Drake caught my elbow just as I was following Viona—who was still staying with me—to the car.

“Hannah, can we talk for a moment?” he asked, glancing at Viona. “In private?”

Viona huffed, placing her hands on her hips. But before she could come up with a retort, I nodded to her. “I’ll be right back, Vi.” She huffed again and stepped into the car, and Drake pulled me a few feet away.

“What’s up?” I asked once we were out of earshot.

Drake took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair. He looked nervous, a quality that was uncharacteristic for him. “I just wanted to let you know... I never found any evidence of Noah and Zoe cheating. I really don’t think he is, Hannah.”

There was no helping the strange combination of disappointment and relief that washed over me. “Oh,” was all I could manage.

“And since I failed, you don’t need to go on that date with me after the divorce,” Drake continued. Then, more hesitantly, “If there even is a divorce.”

“What do you mean?”

He shot me a strange look. “Hannah, it’s clear that you still have feelings for Noah.”

“Drake,” I said incredulously, “there will be a divorce. Nothing has changed.”

He looked skeptical, placing one hand on his hip. “That picture—”

“Was taken during a vulnerable moment when we both needed comfort after a harrowing experience,” I finished for him, feeling my proverbial hackles raise. “And I thought you agreed that it was a breach of privacy.”

“I did. And I still think it was,” Drake replied calmly. “But you can’t deny the chemistry between you two; the way he was holding you… I don’t think that was just out of necessity.”

My mouth opened and closed a few times as my mind whirled to come up with a response. Finally, I thought back to that night and how still, after everything, Noah didn’t remember our past. He was my hero, and I cared for him, but at the same time…

“There is no love between Noah and me, Drake,” I whispered. “Not anymore.”

He sighed, but didn’t seem to want to press the matter. “If you say so. I just... I care about you, Hannah. I want you to be happy. That’s all.”

“I appreciate that,” I said, softening slightly. “But my happiness isn’t your responsibility.”

Drake nodded, and there was a sad smile on his face. “I know. But you can’t blame a guy for caring.”

I watched as Drake walked away, a whirlwind of emotions swirling inside of my chest: relief, frustration, sadness, yearning. The busy street seemed to fade away as I lost myself in thoughts of what it felt like to have Noah’s arms wrapped protectively around me.

I didn’t love Noah anymore... right?