Chapter 212

Hannah

A couple of weeks later, I found myself sitting in the passenger seat of Noah’s car, my hands fidgeting nervously in my lap as we approached the Luna Council meeting.

Noah had the day off, so he had offered to drive me, mentioning that he had some business to handle nearby.

As we pulled up to the Luna Queen’s personal estate, all white columns and perfectly-manicured lawns, I felt my heart rate quicken. Noah put the car in park and turned to me.

The silence in the car stretched on as I made no move to get out.

“You good?” Noah finally asked.

I nodded stiffly, unsure of what to say. My throat felt dry, and I swallowed hard.

Today would be my second time attending the Luna Council. And my first after… After the ‘deepfake’ scandal that had occurred a couple of weeks ago.

The news headlines had been relentless after that day.

“Luna Hannah accused of cheating on Alpha Noah in deepfake audio!”

“Luna Hannah… cheating on Alpha Noah? Deepfake tries to twist reality.”

“The new heir of Nightcrest does not belong to Alpha Noah, or so deepfake tries to claim.”

Noah had been right when he said that we were fine. We were fine. Hardly anyone believed the audio clip, even though it wasn’t actually a deepfake. And as the weeks passed, the voices of those who doubted whether it was one slowly faded.

Suddenly, the sensation of Noah’s hand on mine pulled me out of my roiling thoughts. I jumped at the sudden contact, my cheeks heating as I turned to him. Just last night, that hand had been in my mouth while other parts of him had been… elsewhere. Fulfilling our contract, of course.

“Hey. You’ve been working your ass off for today,” he said. “You’ll be fine.”

His words bolstered me immensely, sending a wave of confidence through me. I felt my shoulders relax slightly, and I managed a small smile.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

Noah nodded, pulling his hand away. My skin suddenly felt cold where his touch had been.

When I finally got out of the car, my heart was pounding for a different reason than the meeting.

It had been two weeks since I had… realized. Realized what had happened. To me. To us.

I hadn’t told Noah, or anyone for that matter, what I had realized that morning as I laid curled up in his arms. I didn’t dare to admit it out loud for fear of what I might do once the truth was out there.

I had fallen in love with Noah again. Hard, deep, and fast. I was utterly head over heels again, just as I had been when we were teenagers. I think Noah may have even begun to feel the same, and if not, then he was a good actor.

He had stopped slipping out of the bedroom before I had awoken for the day. Sometimes, I would wake up and we would instantly be on top of each other, unable to control our urges.

And then we would stumble down to the breakfast table, faces flushed, shoveling food down our throats to regain our strength.

Once, I walked into his office midday to bring him some paperwork and he had thrown everything off of his desk so he could have me right there.

But we never spoke about those moments. When they passed, we would go about our days as if nothing had happened.

I couldn’t decide if I was glad for that or not.

I made my way inside the estate, my heels clicking on the marble floor as I approached the council chamber. The other Lunas were already seated around the large, ornate table when I entered.

Luna Alanna, the Luna Queen, sat at the head, her silver hair gleaming in the sunlight streaming through the tall windows.

“Luna Hannah,” Alanna said curtly. “You have returned.”

“We heard about the deepfake,” one of the Lunas said abruptly, before I could so much as greet Alanna.

I flinched. The pain must have shown on my face, because another Luna quickly added, “These things happen to Alphas and Lunas. It’s alright.”

“You should be glad it was put to an end so quickly,” another said. “We have all had our share of scandals. Isn’t that true, Evelyn?”

Another Luna, Evelyn, a statuesque brunette, nodded in agreement. “I once had to endure a three-month smear campaign because a fangirl of my husband leaked nudes,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Now that was a nightmare. The press was relentless, and the online comments... well, let’s just say it was a dark time.”

Tell me about it, I wanted to say. I was instantly reminded of the three months I had spent before my rebirth. That, too, had been a nightmare—the constant fear, the isolation, the feeling of hopelessness.

A pang of loneliness hit me, then, as I realized I couldn’t share that experience with anyone. Only Viona knew, thank the Goddess.

Lately, I had been wanting to tell Noah; it was the one thing I still kept from him after our promise to be truthful with each other.

But the fear of his reaction held me back. Would he even believe me? Or would he think I’d lost my mind?

Luna Alanna suddenly cleared her throat, bringing the room to order. The chatter died down immediately, all eyes turning to the Luna Queen.

“Let’s get back on track. Luna Hannah, I believe you have a presentation for us?”

Taking a deep breath, I stood and made my way to the front of the room. My folder, containing the documents I had so painstakingly prepared, suddenly seemed to weigh a hundred pounds.

“Thank you, Luna Queen,” I began, my voice steady despite my nerves. “Today, I would like to present my proposal for a penpal program for children across our packs.”

As I delved into the details of the program, explaining how it would boost literacy, creativity, and provide an outlet for children, I could see the interest growing in the other Lunas’ eyes. I outlined the benefits of fostering connections across pack territories and how it could lead to stronger inter-pack relations in the future.

I didn’t, however, mention my own personal history with the subject. I couldn’t bear to talk about the countless letters I had sent to Noah as teens—the letters that he had… forgotten.

No matter how hard I had fallen for him again, that still stung more than anything.

…

The meeting was called to an end. My penpal program had been well-received, but we had quickly moved onto other matters as well. Finally, when the sun had risen high into the sky, Alanna dismissed the Lunas.

All except for me.

“Luna Hannah, might I have a word with you in private?” she asked, her tone neutral.

My heart sank. I remembered one of the Lunas mentioning once that being called to Alanna’s private study this early on could only mean something bad. But Alanna was already leaving the room, not waiting for me.

Nearly jogging to keep up, I followed Alanna to her study, a beautifully appointed room lined with bookshelves and adorned with elegant furniture. She was already seated behind her desk when I pushed through the doors.

“Luna Alanna, I—”

“Hannah,” she cut me off, “I called you here because I want you to know that I’m here for you if you need it.”

I blinked, taken aback by her abrupt and rather confusing words. “I... thank you, Luna Alanna, but I’m not sure I understand…?”

Alanna’s eyes met mine. All business, but not harsh. “I know that the audio was not a deepfake. And I know you’re preparing for a divorce.”

I felt the blood drain from my face. I didn’t confirm or deny her statement, but Alanna didn’t seem to expect me to.

“I’m not asking for information,” she continued. “I just want you to know that in the event of a divorce, I will vouch for you. Your work here has been exemplary, and I believe you have a bright future ahead of you, whatever path you choose.”

I felt tears prick at the corners of my eyes at that. “Oh. Thank you,” I whispered, not trusting myself to say more without breaking down completely.

Alanna nodded, a small, uncharacteristic smile on her face. “You’re welcome, Hannah. Now, go on. I believe your car is waiting for you.”

I nodded stiffly, rising from the chair on weak legs. That was… unexpected. Welcome, but unexpected. Alanna’s voice had been so matter-of-fact, so chilly. But her words had been warm, reassuring.

It was hard not to smile a bit as I made my way back to the car.