Chapter 188

Hannah

I found myself standing outside Noah’s office door. The sun had begun its nightly descent, the shadows in the hall lengthening. I hadn’t seen Noah all day; he had abruptly canceled our daily bonding time that morning, and I wondered if my locking the bedroom door last night when I heard him standing outside had anything to do with it.

Good. Maybe he was finally getting the hint.

My heart raced as I raised my hand to knock, hesitating for a moment before finally rapping my knuckles against the wood. The sound echoed in the empty hallway, making me flinch slightly for no reason in particular.

“Come in,” Noah’s voice called from inside, muffled by the thick door.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the conversation ahead, before turning the handle and entering.

Noah looked up from his desk, surprise flickering across his face when he saw me standing there. The sunlight streaming through the window behind him cast a golden glow around his silhouette, outlining his sharp jaw.

Clearing my throat, I quickly looked away. No; now was not the time to be thinking about how damn handsome he looked.

“Hannah,” he said, setting down his pen. “Is everything alright?”

I nodded stiffly, hating the way that my fingers nervously played with the hem of my shirt like a frightened child. Quickly, I clasped them behind my back and squared my shoulders.

“I just wanted to let you know that I intend to visit the Luna Council tomorrow for my trial. I wanted to know if I’m allowed to go…” I paused, and couldn’t help the way my upper lip curled back ever so slightly. “...Despite being your prisoner.”

Noah’s expression shifted from surprise to exasperation. He sighed, rubbing his temples as he leaned back in his chair. “Of course you can go, Hannah. You’re not my prisoner. You can go anywhere you want.”

“Anywhere except home,” I replied bitterly, the words tasting like ash in my mouth.

Noah’s brow furrowed, his green eyes flashing first with annoyance and then with exhaustion. “This is your home.”

I shook my head, feeling a lump form in my throat. “Not anymore.”

For a moment, I thought I saw a look of sadness flicker across Noah’s stony face, but it was gone just as quickly as it came and I forcefully shoved the notion away. Even if he was sad, which I doubted, I didn’t care about his feelings.

To me, he was nothing more than my captor now.

“Thanks,” I said curtly, turning on my heel.

But as I turned to leave, Noah called out, “Hannah, wait.”

I paused, my hand on the doorknob. I debated leaving anyway, but then forced myself to wait and hear him out—without turning to look at him.

“Will you ever see me as anything but your jail warden?” he asked, his voice surprisingly soft and pained.

My fingers tightened on the doorknob, and he continued, “Even if I spend the rest of my life trying to become better, will you ever forgive me for denying the divorce? I’m sorry I locked you in your room. I was angry and scared that you would take my child from me.”

I turned slowly, my wide eyes meeting his. He was standing now, his fingers pressed into the wood of his desk. For a brief moment, I saw a flash of the boy Noah used to be: innocent, kind, and… scared.

My heart ached as I remembered the person that I had fallen in love with all those years ago—the boy who just needed a friend. I opened my mouth, ready to tell him that I might forgive him in time, that I was glad he finally wanted to work on our marriage.

But then, a thought struck me. I needed to know something first.

“Noah,” I said, taking a step forward, “do you remember the letters?”

He blinked, confused. “What?”

“The letters,” I pressed, taking another step closer to his desk. “Tell me you remember. Tell me you saved all the letters we sent during those two years we were apart.”

I waited, staring at him with wide eyes, silently begging him to remember—to have saved at least one of our letters, just like I did.

But Noah just blinked again, looking utterly devoid of emotion. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said simply.

I stared at him, astounded. He didn’t…

It felt like a knife twisting in my gut. I couldn’t take it anymore.

“No. I will never forgive you,” I said, jutting my chin out defiantly. “Unless you let me divorce you and return to my pack, I will only ever see you as my warden.”

Noah’s face flickered through another range of emotions—hurt, anger, frustration, and finally, resignation. “I understand,” he said softly, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

With that, I left his office. I didn’t shed any tears, because I had none left to cry.

…

The next morning, I woke up early to prepare for the Luna Council meeting. The sun was just peeking over the horizon as I stepped into the shower, letting the hot water wash away some of my anxiety.

I took extra care with my appearance, choosing a smart pantsuit that made me look professional and put-together. I applied minimal makeup and pulled my hair back into a neat bun, wanting to create the image of a Luna who had it all figured out.

Even though that couldn’t have been further from the truth.

My driver arrived promptly at nine, and as we drove to Luna Alanna’s home, I felt my nerves begin to fray. The Luna Council was a prestigious group, and their opinion of me could make or break my future. If I impressed them, then I would make it onto the council—and if I made it onto the council, then my chances at getting a divorce to go through were higher.

Needless to say, today was very, very important.

As we pulled up to Luna Alanna’s grand estate, I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. The mansion was imposing, all white columns and perfectly manicured lawns. My hands trembled as I approached the door, and I had to clench them into fists to stop the shaking.

To think that I was here, at the Luna Queen’s personal residence… It felt like a dream come true, but it could also turn into a nightmare if I wasn’t careful.

Before I could even lift my hand to knock, the door swung open. An attendant stood there, her face impassive as she nodded politely. “Luna Hannah,” she said, stepping aside to allow me entry. “Please, come in. The Council is waiting.”

I followed the attendant through the opulent house, my heels clicking on the marble floors. The walls were lined with portraits of past Luna Queens—Alanna’s mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and beyond. Their eyes seemed to follow me as I walked, like they, too, were judging me. Assessing me.

Finally, we stopped outside a set of ornate double doors, where intricate carvings of wolves and moons decorated the wood.

The attendant turned to me, giving me a questioning look as if to silently ask if I was ready.

I nodded curtly and smoothed down my shirt. My heart was pounding so loudly I was sure she could hear it, but I maintained a pleasant smile—the smile that I had gotten so awfully good at as of late that even I was almost beginning to believe it.

The attendant pushed open the doors, and I stepped into the council chambers. The room was grand, with high ceilings and walls lined with towering bookshelves. Sunlight streamed through tall windows, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. In the center was a large, round table, its surface so clean it gleamed in the light.

And seated around it were some of the most powerful women in the world.

I recognized a few faces from pack gatherings and charity events. Luna Alanna sat at the head of the table, her silver hair gleaming in the sunlight.

As one, they all turned to look at me, their eyes assessing and scrutinizing.

“Luna Hannah,” Alanna said, rising from her chair. “Sit.”