Chapter 199

Hannah

The ballroom was alive with music, laughter, and the clinking of champagne glasses. The chandeliers glittered overhead, catching the sequins on my emerald green dress. I floated from group to group, trading gossip and pleasantries with people I hadn’t seen or heard from since last year.

I should have felt excited, surrounded by family and Silvermoon pack members. This was my father’s birthday party, after all; a yearly event that I looked forward to months in advance.

But instead, I felt strangely out of place this year, caught between two worlds. My smiles felt fake, the gossip thin and meaningless.

Silvermoon had once been where I felt most at home, but now I was an outsider here, just as I was in Nightcrest.

“Hannah, darling,” my mother’s voice cut through my thoughts. She appeared at my side, looking beautiful as usual in a sapphire blue gown that complemented her silver hair. “Walk with me, won’t you?”

I nodded, grateful for the distraction, and fell into step beside her. We made our way to a quieter corner of the room, passing by groups of chattering guests and a string quartet playing softly.

“How are you feeling?” she asked, her eyes searching my face.

“For the millionth time, I’m fine, Mom,” I replied with a chuckle. “Really.”

She had asked me that question countless times today; ever since I had told her I was pregnant, it was like I had a bomb strapped to my chest. But I wasn’t lying; I felt fine. I was still me, still Hannah, just occasionally… nauseous. And maybe a little morose, but that had nothing to do with the pregnancy.

She nodded, then lowered her voice. “And... How are things with Noah?” She raised an eyebrow and wiggled it knowingly.

I froze, my eyes widening. The champagne flute in my hand, filled with sparkling juice, suddenly felt slippery. “Did Lily tell you?” I asked through grit teeth, my eyes scanning the crowd for my sister, who I intended to throttle.

My mother shook her head and caught my arm before I could storm off. “No, dear. A mother can tell these things. There’s tension between you two. I’ve seen the way you avoid each other’s gaze, the stiffness in your posture when you’re together.”

I sighed, my shoulders slumping. Leave it to my mother to always see the truth, no matter how much I tried to hide it from her. “It’s true,” I admitted. “We’re... having issues.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” Her voice was soft, non-judgmental.

I hesitated, then nodded. The words tumbled out before I could stop them. “We’re staying together for the pregnancy, but... we plan on divorcing after. It’s just not working, Mom. We’re like strangers living in the same house. It’s been that way for years.”

My mother’s face fell. “Oh, Hannah... I had no idea it was that bad.”

“Will Dad be angry?” I asked, suddenly feeling like a child again, afraid of disappointing my parents. “About the divorce, I mean.”

She shook her head, squeezing my arm reassuringly. “No, sweetheart. We’ll support you, no matter what. Your happiness is what matters most to us. But... there’s something you should know.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“Your father plans to abdicate his role as Alpha within the year,” she said softly, her eyes darting around to ensure no one was eavesdropping. “If you intend to take over the pack as female Alpha, your chance would be soon. Before your cousin, Alvin, gets the role instead.”

I felt a flash of annoyance, hot and sudden. My eyes scanned the crowd until I spotted Alvin lounging in an armchair across the room, surrounded by beautiful women hanging on his every word. His laughter carried across the room, loud and boisterous. I grimaced at the sight of his head of golden hair.

“Alvin?” I hissed, turning back to my mother. “He’d be a terrible Alpha, mom. He’s a playboy, not a leader. Just last month he was claiming he had found his fated mate, and now look at him.”

My mother nodded, a look of resignation on her face. We both knew what Alvin was like; his head was constantly in the clouds, and always had been. He was more interested in women and money and expensive cars than running a pack.

He’d run Silvermoon into the ground if he took over at this point in time. He needed to mature first, grow up a little bit.

“Why is Dad abdicating now?” I asked, turning back to my mother. “Why so soon? He’s not that old.”

She sighed, her gaze drifting to where my father stood, chatting with some of the pack elders. “His arthritis has been getting worse lately. It’s making it harder for him to handle day-to-day Alpha responsibilities. Some days, he can barely sit without being in pain. Plus, with Lily’s new baby, he wants to be at home more to be a good grandfather.”

I chewed my lip, thinking. The idea of letting my cousin take over Silvermoon sounded like a nightmare. And Lily couldn’t take over; she didn’t possess the special gene that allowed one to be an Alpha. Only Alpha and I qualified for the role, since he was my father’s only nephew.

“So you think I should go after Silvermoon now?” I asked. I’d need to divorce Noah first, and I promised I’d stay for the duration of the pregnancy. If I left now, it might not be as amicable as we’d hoped.

My mother shrugged. “I’d be lying if I said you wouldn’t make a far better Alpha than Alvin,” she admitted. “But…” She paused, shaking her head. “Are you sure you two can’t work it out? You and Noah, I mean.”

I blinked at her for a moment before shaking my head. “I don’t… I don’t think so.”

She sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. “Once, you truly loved Noah. And I believe he loved you too.”

“What are you getting at?” I asked.

My mother pursed her lips, her eyes taking on a distant look for a moment as though looking back in time. Finally, she murmured, “Your father and I... you know we almost divorced when you and Lily were kids.”

“You… What?” I asked, my eyebrows shooting up. This was the first I’d heard of it.

She nodded. “We had been having marital issues for a while; we just weren’t… clicking. Like two ships passing in the night.” For a moment, I thought I saw her eyes mist over, and mine did as well. My parents had always adored each other as far as I could remember. I couldn’t imagine them being apart.

“But we went to therapy,” she said quickly. “We worked it out. We knew we loved each other, deep down. It wasn’t easy, but it was worth fighting for. And we’re still together today. Don’t you want that for you and Noah?”

“But what about Silvermoon?”

“I’m not asking about SIlvermoon. I’m asking about you two. And…” She paused, glancing at my belly. “Your little one.”

I shook my head and quickly looked away, feeling a lump form in my throat. “But that’s different. You and Dad are fated mates, so of course you were able to work it out. Noah and I aren’t. He already had one, Zoe, and I don’t think he ever fully got over her. How can I compete with that?”

My mother’s eyes twinkled, a knowing smile playing on her lips. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that. Love isn’t always about fate, Hannah. Sometimes it’s a choice we make every day.”

Before I could ask what she meant, her gaze shifted to something over my shoulder. I turned, following her line of sight, and saw Noah standing alone by the punch bowl.

He looked handsome in his tailored suit, the dark fabric accentuating his broad shoulders. But there was a sadness in his eyes as he watched the couples dancing, a loneliness that tugged at my heart despite everything.

My mother gave me a gentle push. “You could at least dance with him, you know.”

With that, my mother left me. I bit my lip, considering for a moment, before trudging across the room. Noah looked lonely, just as out of place as I felt tonight. A dance would be nice for both of us, I supposed.

“Hannah,” he said, straightening slightly as I approached. “Need something?”

I held out my hand. “Dance with me?”

He hesitated for a moment, his green eyes flickering down to my hand. Then, finally, he set his drink down and followed me. We moved to the dance floor, his arm wrapping around my waist as we began to sway to the music.

His fingers were warm through the thin silk of my dress, and I quickly occupied my eyes with the streamers hanging from the ceiling in the hopes he couldn’t see the sudden redness in my cheeks.

We danced in silence, the familiar scent of his cologne making my knees weak for the second time that day. Neither of us spoke, although I couldn’t decide if it was because we had nothing to say or if we were fine with the silence.

Suddenly, the sound of clinking glass cut through the music. The room fell silent as my father tapped his knife against his champagne flute, calling for attention. Noah and I separated, turning to face the center of the room.

My father cleared his throat, a broad smile on his face. “Friends, family, pack members... I have an announcement to make.”

My father’s eyes found mine in the crowd, his smile growing even wider, and my heart began to race. What was he doing? Surely he wouldn’t...

“My daughter... is pregnant!”