Chapter 177

Hannah

I turned to see what Zoe was pointing at and instantly did a double take, my first instinct telling me that what I was seeing was absolutely not my husband. But it was.

Noah was in the middle of the dance floor, a child perched on his shoulders and two more clinging to his legs. His face was flushed and red, a broad grin spreading from ear to ear—an expression I hadn’t seen on him in years, or maybe not even ever.

My heart skipped a beat as I watched him twirl around, the children squealing with excitement. It was a side of Noah I wasn’t even sure ever existed—carefree, playful, full of joy.

“What the hell,” I muttered, turning fully now to face him. Who was that, and what had they done with the real Noah?

At that moment, the sight of him with the kids sent a pang through my chest, reminding me of the secret I was carrying. Our child.

Without realizing it, I had taken a step toward him, drawn by an inexplicable urge to be close to him. Even my wolf stirred inside of me. Mate, she seemed to growl. Yes, this was my mate—the father of my child.

The longer I watched Noah playing so carefree with the children, the more I felt my resolve weakening. It was as if seeing him this way was chipping away at the walls I had built around my heart.

Finally, I couldn’t resist the pull any longer. I handed my plate to Zoe with a mumbled ‘excuse me’ and made my way toward the dance floor.

As I got closer, I could smell the alcohol on him. His movements were slightly exaggerated, his laughter a touch too loud. He really was drunk, and so early in the feast, too.

Noah spotted me approaching and his grin widened even further. “Hannah!” he called out, setting the child down from his shoulders. “Come dance with me!”

Before I could protest, he grabbed my hands and pulled me into a twirl. I stumbled slightly, caught off guard, but Noah steadied me with a strong arm around my waist and pulled me flush against his body.

“Noah, what are you doing?” I asked, trying to keep my voice low. My cheeks were undoubtedly flushed a deep shade of red, although it would have been impossible to hide it.

He laughed and spun me again. “Dancing! What does it look like?”

I opened my mouth to reply, but no words would come. Noah spun me again, and again, until I was dizzy, breathless, and laughing.

Goddess, I thought to myself, if Noah has been replaced by a doppelganger, I hope they don’t give back the original. Because I had never, ever, in all my wildest dreams, imagined Noah acting like this. Not in public, at least. And certainly not with me.

“What’s going on with you?” I asked, giggling, as our pace slowed to a gentle sway. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you like this. At least not in public.” Or ever, I thought, but I didn’t say that out loud for fear of ruining the moment.

Noah shrugged, his hands warm against my waist. “I don’t know. I’m just in a good mood. The hunt really got my spirits up.”

I raised an eyebrow at that. “Well, maybe we should hunt together more often. Clearly, we could both use the outlet.”

His eyes darkened as they roamed over my body. “That’s not the only outlet I need,” he murmured, his voice low and husky.

I felt my face flush red at his words, my heart racing. “Noah,” I warned, but my voice came out breathy and weak.

Not that Noah could have heard me, anyway, because he was already spinning me again.

…

The walk up the front steps was a struggle, with Noah leaning heavily on me. By the time we reached the front door, I was practically dragging him.

“Come on, big guy,” I grunted, maneuvering him onto the couch. I helped lower him onto the cushions, my back cracking as I straightened. “Noah, you had too much to drink tonight.”

He waved his hand dismissively. “It’s the summer hunt. Getting drunk is half the fun.”

I couldn’t help but laugh a little at that. He was right, of course; but I had never seen him get drunk at the summer hunt. Never.

“Well, fun or not, you’re going to have one hell of a hangover tomorrow,” I said, heading toward the kitchen. “Let me get you some water and toast to help absorb the alcohol.”

When I returned with the water and toast a few minutes later, Noah was sitting up on the couch, looking a bit more sober. I handed him the items and sat down next to him, watching as he sipped and ate.

It was so strange to see him like this. Comforting, too.

And maybe a little frightening—because the way I had softened toward him during the feast, and the way that his words earlier about an ‘outlet’ had warmed my groin, was dangerous. He had acted like a perfect gentleman for the entire feast. For once, it had felt like I had a…

A husband.

“What did you mean earlier about needing an outlet?” I blurted out before I could stop myself.

Noah blinked for a moment as though trying to remember, and I felt my heart sink; maybe he had just said it in the moment and had forgotten.

But then, realization dawned on him. “You want the truth?” he slurred.

I nodded, and Noah sighed. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since we slept together,” he admitted, his eyes meeting mine. “It’s driving me crazy.”

I felt my heart rate pick up, but I forced myself to remain calm. “Noah, that was a one-time thing. We talked about this. We can’t complicate things, especially with the divorce coming up.”

“Why not?” he challenged, leaning a little closer so that I could smell the wine on his breath.

I swallowed, my voice faltering for a moment with him so close. Finally, I muttered, “Because our relationship… Our relationship isn’t deep enough anymore to warrant a lifelong marriage. We’ve grown apart, Noah. We’re different people now.”

Noah stared at me, confused. To prove my point, I decided to test him. “Do you remember that time we snuck out to the lake at midnight when we met for the second time? It was a full moon, and we…”

I trailed off, watching his face for any sign of recognition, waiting for him to finish the story. But Noah just looked confused, shaking his head slightly.

“See?” I said, trying to hide how much his lack of memory hurt. “You don’t even remember our past, and this isn’t the first time this has happened. We’re just… not in love anymore, Noah.”

The words stung as they came out, but I knew that they were true. And it seemed, to my surprise, that Noah knew it as well.

“You’re right,” he growled, looking away. “We’re not in love. But what’s the harm in some physical intimacy?”

I stared at him, shocked. “What? Noah, you’re drunk. You don’t know what you’re saying.”

With that, I stood up, intending to leave. But Noah was faster. He blocked the doorway, his body close to mine. Before I could react, he had my wrists pinned above my head against the wall.

My breath caught in my throat, a mix of fear and excitement coursing through me. I hated to admit it, but a part of me, the same part of me that had tasted the doe’s blood, was turned on by this forceful side of Noah. I fidgeted a bit beneath his touch as one hand slid down the front of my body.

“Noah—”

Whatever words I was about to say died in my throat as he grabbed the hem of my dress, hiked it up roughly, and thrust his fingers between my legs. Instead of words, only a tiny whimper escaped my lips as he swirled his fingers there for a moment, feeling the wetness, then pulled away to show me his fingertips—shiny and damp, proving his point.

“I know you need physical release too, Hannah,” he murmured, his face inches from mine. “Maybe even more than I do. We could come to an agreement—sleep together without the emotional ties for the remainder of our marriage. A release. For both of us.”

I swallowed hard, trying to ignore the heat building in my core. “Noah, let me go,” I whispered, but my voice lacked conviction.

“Tell me you don’t want this,” he challenged, his grip on my wrists tightening slightly. “Tell me you haven’t been thinking about me too. And then I’ll let you go and I won’t bring it up again.”

I closed my eyes, hating that I couldn’t deny it. I did need physical contact, and the thought of getting it from anyone else before our divorce was finalized made me feel sick.

My silence was all the answer he needed. With a soft growl, Noah released me, and my arms fell back to my sides like two leaden weights.

“I’ll… I’ll consider it,” I said, my voice trembling. “But right now, you need to sleep this off.”

Without waiting for a response, I turned and left the room. I could feel his eyes burning into me the entire way.