Chapter 191

Hannah

I picked up my phone, my heart racing as I dialed a number I hadn’t called in months. As it rang, I paced back and forth in my bedroom, my free hand nervously fidgeting with the hem of my shirt.

My sister, Lily, still lived at home with our parents. We hadn’t spoken in some time; after I got married to Noah, I rarely saw her outside of our occasional visits. But it didn’t mean that we loved each other any less; it was just that… life got in the way.

But not anymore. With my father’s birthday coming up soon, Noah and I would be making our annual trip to Silvermoon. Once we got there, I would tell my sister everything; and I was certain that she would help me escape.

And I wouldn’t be returning to Nightcrest.

“Hello?” My sister’s voice came through after a few rings, sounding a bit surprised.

“Hey, Lily. It’s been a while.”

“Hannah! Oh my goddess, is everything okay? It’s so late!”

I sighed and sank down onto the edge of my bed. A quick glance at the clock revealed that it was well after midnight, which I hadn’t realized. But lately, after that dinner with Noah—even though it had been nearly a week now—I was finding it harder and harder to sleep at night.

“Yeah, everything’s... fine,” I lied, unsure of how much to tell her just yet. “I just wanted to catch up. Is Dad throwing a birthday party this year?”

“Yes,” Lily replied, sounding a little incredulous; our father always threw an enormous birthday party every year, so it was a bit of a ridiculous question. But she continued, “I’m so excited to see you. I’ve missed you so much.”

“I’ve missed you too,” I said softly. More than you know.

She paused, and I could hear her infectious smile through the phone. “And from what I understand, you have a lot to update me on.”

My face paled somewhat, but then I realized she wasn’t talking about the pregnancy; she was talking about my eating disorder campaign, my gala, and all of my recent public strides.

“Oh. We’ll catch up when I get there,” I said. I bit my lip, hesitating before asking the question that had been gnawing at me these past few days: “Hey, Lily... how are things at home? I mean, with Dad’s businesses and all?”

Another pause, longer this time. “What do you mean?” Her voice sounded strained.

“I just... I heard some rumors that things weren’t going so well. Is that true?”

Lily’s sigh crackled through the phone. “Hannah... I don’t know how you heard about that, but... yes. Dad’s been having some trouble lately.”

My stomach dropped. “What kind of trouble?”

“He made some bad investments,” Lily explained, her voice low. “He had to liquidate a few businesses. It’s... it’s not great, Hannah. A lot of people lost their jobs.”

I cursed under my breath. So Noah wasn’t bluffing after all. I had hoped that he had just been making it up to manipulate me into not trying anything, but he wasn’t. I couldn’t decide which was worse: the idea of him lying to control me or the fact that it was all true and that he might actually have some leverage over me.

“How bad is it?”

“Bad enough that you shouldn’t bring it up when you visit,” Lily warned. “The pack’s upset, and Dad’s stressed enough as it is. Just pretend you don’t know, okay?”

I nodded, even though she couldn’t see me. “I won’t say anything, I promise. I just... I needed to know.”

“Why the sudden interest?” Lily asked. “No offense, but it’s not like you to care about Dad’s businesses.”

I cringed a bit at that, because it was true; even before the marriage, I had always been a bit… disconnected from our father’s pack life, even though I possessed the female Alpha gene that allowed me to be his heir.

I just… never cared before. All I cared about was marrying a handsome man and becoming his Luna. I was weak before. But not now; now, I intended to take up my birthright and put that weak, simpering girl behind me.

“Oh, you know, just... worried about the family,” I replied, perhaps a little too quickly. “It’s been so long since I’ve been home.”

“Right,” Lily said slowly, not sounding entirely convinced. “Well, don’t worry too much. We’re managing.”

I was about to respond when a sound in the background caught my attention. It was faint, but unmistakable—the cry of a baby.

My eyes widened. “Lily... is that a baby?”

There was a sudden rustling on the other end of the line, and the crying became muffled as though she had slipped out of whatever room she was in. “What? No, no, that’s just... that’s the cat.”

“The cat?” I repeated, incredulous. “Lily, that sounded like a baby.”

“Well, it’s not,” Lily insisted, her voice strained. “Look, Hannah, I’ve got to go. We’ll see you in a couple of days, okay?”

Before I could protest, the line went dead. I stared at my phone, my mind racing. A baby? In Silvermoon? And why would Lily lie about it?

…

The next morning, I started packing for our trip to Silvermoon. I pulled out every suitcase I owned, filling them with clothes, books, and personal items—everything that was too precious to leave behind.

If Noah thought I was coming back to Nightcrest after this visit, he was sorely mistaken.

As I lugged another heavy suitcase down the stairs, Noah appeared in the foyer, his eyebrows raised.

“Planning on staying a while?” he asked, eyeing the growing pile of luggage.

I shrugged, not meeting his gaze. “Just want to be prepared.”

Noah crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. “Prepared for what, exactly? It’s just a birthday party.”

“You never know,” I said vaguely, heading back upstairs for another load.

When I returned with two more bags, Noah was still there, his expression a combination of amusement and concern. “Hannah, seriously. What’s going on?”

I dropped the bags with a thud, straightening up to face him. “Nothing’s going on. I just like to have options.”

“Options,” Noah repeated, his voice flat. “For a weekend trip.”

“Yes, options,” I snapped. “Is that a problem?”

Noah held up his hands in surrender. “No problem. Just... curious.”

I turned away, busying myself with reorganizing the luggage. “Well, don’t be. It’s none of your business.”

Noah stared at me incredulously as I continued going through the luggage, and I ignored him. Finally, seeming to grow tired of watching me, he turned on his heel and strode off.

“For what it’s worth,” he called over his shoulder, “as your husband and the father of your child, I’d say it is my business.”

“Not for long,” I muttered under my breath.

Noah suddenly stopped and glared at me over his shoulder. “You’re planning on staying in Silvermoon, aren’t you?”

I lifted my chin defiantly. “And what if I am?” I asked. I didn’t care if he had a suspicion that I wasn’t coming back to Nightcrest with him, or that he might even try to drag me back kicking and screaming.

I wasn’t coming back. I’d die again before I let that happen.

“Hannah,” Noah sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Hannah, Hannah, Hannah…”

With that, I pursed my lips at him and scurried past with my arms full of bags. Noah sighed but didn’t argue. In fact, he even picked up a couple of bags and headed out to the car with me.

Once the last bag had been packed, I flung the car door open. Without looking at Noah, I slid into the passenger seat, slamming the door behind me.