Chapter 179

Noah

As Noah walked down the hallway of the pack house there was an uncharacteristic spring in his step…

And a bouquet of flowers in his hand.

Noah couldn’t help but feel the tiniest smile tug at the corners of his lips as he meandered through the sunlit hallways, gently picking the occasional leaf or imperfect petal from the bouquet.

“You’re in a good mood,” his wolf muttered.

Of course Noah was in a good mood. His plan was working perfectly, and soon, he would get exactly what he wanted. Not just what he wanted, but what he needed.

Hannah wouldn’t divorce him. He was sure of it.

Ever since he had saved Hannah from Jake, Noah had realized just how much he didn’t want to let her go. Sleeping with her all those weeks ago, even though it had just been one night together, had only reinforced that feeling.

No matter how much time had passed, the memory of that night still sent shivers down his spine—the way her warm body had felt in his arms, the taste of her lips, the sound of her breathless moans as he moved above her.

It had been so much different than their monthly intimacy nights. So much more passionate, so much more… loving.

Love. Noah wasn’t sure how he felt about that word.

Did he and Hannah love each other? She had put it pretty well last night, when she had tried to jog his memory about their past. Once again, she had brought up a memory that Noah couldn’t recall in the slightest. If he was being honest, whenever she did this, he wondered if she was bluffing.

Because those memories… He had absolutely no recollection of them. Perhaps she had fabricated them.

But if she hadn’t, then maybe she was right; maybe their relationship wasn’t ‘deep’ enough for a married couple.

That could be changed, though. If only Noah had a little more time.

Maybe Noah’s reasons for wanting to keep Hannah around were a little selfish, he had to admit. She had taken on the role of Luna with the utmost grace lately, not at all like the way she had been during their marriage leading up to this point.

Before, she had hardly acted as anything more than a trophy wife. Noah had watched the cute girl he had married turn into a skeleton, a shell of her former self, with no interests, hobbies, or strength of her own.

But lately… Lately, she had been different.

With a Luna like her by his side, Noah was certain that Nightcrest would prosper even more than it already was. That was why he couldn’t let her go.

But, along with Hannah’s transformation also came a stubbornness that she hadn’t exhibited before; even though they had shared a magical night together, she still wanted a divorce. She had said that that night was a ‘mistake’, that it would only complicate things.

That was when Noah had decided to try a different approach.

First, he would show her kindness, remind her of the good times they had once had. Then, he would bring up the concept of ‘casual’ sex. A release for both of them. He did want her, that was no lie; and he knew that she wanted him, too.

Furthermore, he knew Hannah well enough to know that she would accept. And once she did, it would only be a matter of time before she caught feelings for him again. All he needed was patience.

Today, he was taking another step in his plan. He was going to take Hannah on a date, butter her up a little. The flowers in his hand—red roses and baby’s breath—were just the beginning. He had made reservations at her favorite restaurant, and planned a romantic walk in the park afterward.

“You’re turning into a schemer, just like her,” his wolf growled.

Noah pursed his lips. “I’m not scheming. I genuinely don’t want to let Hannah go.”

“Because you love her, or because she can serve a purpose?”

A soft growl rumbled in Noah’s chest at that, but he didn’t respond. Maybe his wolf was right; maybe he was a schemer who only wanted to keep his forlorn wife around for his own needs and wants.

But there was still a tiny part of Noah—the same part that had leaped over that waterfall, thinking only of holding her in his arms again—that did care for her. That wanted to rekindle their love, have children, grow old together…

As he approached Hannah’s office, Noah cleared his head and went over what he would say to her one last time:

“Hannah, I was thinking... Why don’t we go out tonight? Just the two of us. No pressure, no talk about the future. Just a nice dinner and maybe a walk?”

He could almost see her hesitation, the way she would bite her lower lip as she considered his offer. But he was confident she would say yes. She always had a hard time resisting his charm.

But then, just as he was about to knock on Hannah’s office door, he heard voices inside. He slowed his steps, not wanting to interrupt if she was in a meeting. But as he got closer, he realized it wasn’t a friendly conversation he was overhearing.

“Just take the serum, Hannah,” a male voice demanded from the other side of the door. Noah immediately recognized it as Leonard’s voice. “Prove you’re not lying, and then I won’t bother you about it again. But I need to protect our Alpha.”

Noah’s wolf stirred inside of him, bristling at the threatening tone in Leonard’s voice. Leonard had been a… problem lately, accusing Hannah of taking favors from Drake. Was he harassing Hannah?

Before trying the handle, Noah pressed closer to the door, straining to hear Hannah’s response.

“I’ve already told you, Leonard,” Hannah’s voice came, sounding exasperated, “I’m not taking any strange substances you give me. For all I know, it could be poison!”

Noah’s brow furrowed. What was going on in there? His grip tightened on the bouquet, crushing some of the delicate petals. He reached for the doorknob, but his hand faltered in the air as he heard Leonard’s next words.

“I can assure you, it’s not poison,” Leonard insisted. “It’s a simple truth serum. One sip, and you will have to tell the truth about you and Drake.”

Noah furrowed his brow at the mention of Drake. Once, he had only felt jealousy at the thought of him; but ever since that night at the waterfall, Noah had developed a begrudging sort of respect for Drake.

And Noah knew, now, that Drake really was nothing more than a friend to Hannah. She had even said so herself that night they had slept together, admitting openly that it was Noah’s name after all that she had moaned all those times she had touched herself under the sheets.

And even if she had been lying, why was Leonard harassing her? It wasn’t his place. She was still his Luna.

Noah grabbed the door handle, trying it, but it was locked. Leonard and Hannah, too engaged in their argument, didn’t seem to notice.

“There’s nothing to tell, Leonard!” Hannah exclaimed. “How many times do I have to say it? Drake and I are just friends!”

“Then prove it,” Leonard said, his voice low and threatening. “Take the serum.”

There was a sound of a scuffle inside, and Noah dropped the bouquet, reeling his leg back to kick the door down. He could hear his own heartbeat pounding in his ears. His wolf was urging him to burst into the room, to protect Hannah from whatever threat Leonard posed. But he held back, just for a moment…

Then, Hannah spoke again, and the words she said next nearly made Noah’s knees buckle from beneath him.

“I’m pregnant, Leonard! I can’t take that serum!”