Chapter 217

Hannah

Noah pulled me close, his arm draped protectively around my shoulders as we made our way out of the doctor’s office. The familiar scent of him enveloped me, calming the remnants of my panic attack. I leaned into him as we waited for my driver to pull around.

Glancing around the parking lot, I noticed that I didn’t see Noah’s car anywhere.

“Where’s your car?” I asked, glancing up at him.

He dragged a hand through his hair, looking a bit sheepish. “I didn’t bring it.” When I shot him a confused look, he added, “I, uh... I ran here. In my wolf form.”

I pulled back slightly, looking up at him in surprise. “You what?”

“I didn’t even think about taking a car, if I’m being honest. I just... ran. Straight to you.”

The mental image of Noah sprinting through the streets in his massive wolf form, desperate to reach me, filled my heart to the brim. “But how did you know I needed you?”

Noah’s expression grew serious, his green eyes intense as they met mine. “I felt it. This... tug in my heart. The same one I felt when you were kidnapped. I just knew you needed me, and I couldn’t sit there in that stupid meeting and leave you on your own.”

With that, the car pulled up. Noah opened the door for me, ensuring that I was safe and comfortable inside before he climbed in and sidled up next to me.

As we drove home, the city blurring past us, I allowed myself to lean against him. Having him here with me, those strong arms wrapped securely around my shoulders, filled me with a sense of safety and peace that I hadn’t felt in a long time.

Suddenly, Noah shifted, turning to face me more fully. “Hannah, I... I can’t bear the thought of letting you go.” His voice was low, but I could hear the emotion in it, see it in his eyes. “I don’t want the divorce. I want you to stay.”

My breath caught in my throat. “But... Silvermoon…”

“I know you feel obligated,” he said quickly, his hands finding mine. “But if you stay, I promise I’ll help you find a way to protect Silvermoon from Alvin. We’ll figure it out together. We’re stronger as a team, Hannah.”

I was frozen, unable to speak, hardly even able to think. Noah’s thumbs traced circles on the backs of my hands, sending shivers up my arms. “Will you stay with me, Hannah? I want to work on our marriage, not just for our child, but for us. I’m sorry I’ve been so distant and cold throughout our marriage, but I genuinely want to be better, to become a better person.”

He paused, taking a deep breath before speaking his next words. “I… I love you, Hannah. I’m sorry I didn’t realize it sooner, but I realize it now. And I want to right all of the wrongs.”

My breath hitched at those three words. I love you. Had I ever heard them from him before? I couldn’t remember a time when he had said it throughout our marriage. Perhaps this was the first time.

In that moment, I felt my wolf stirring inside of me, not with the panic and rage that I’d felt earlier, but with a deep, primal certainty.

I loved Noah too.

The realization washed over me like a crashing wave. I couldn’t leave him. I didn’t want to.

“I… I don’t want a divorce either,” I said softly. “I want to work on our marriage too, and on myself. I know I haven’t been a good partner in the past. I was obsessed with appearances, selfish, cruel even. But I want to become a better person, a better Luna.”

I looked into his eyes, my heart pounding. “And I love you, Noah. I really do.”

His cheeks reddened slightly, a boyish grin spreading across his face. “So... it’s settled, then? We won’t get divorced?”

I couldn’t help but smile back. I leaned against him, burying my face in the warm, buttery skin of his neck.

“No. We won’t.”

As soon as we arrived home, I made my way to the closet in our bedroom where I had been keeping the box with all of our papers. I pulled out the sex contract and the divorce papers, holding them for a moment before turning to Noah, who was standing in the doorway.

“Let’s burn them,” I said decisively.

Noah’s eyebrows shot up, but he nodded, following me to the fireplace. We knelt together on the plush rug as I placed the papers in the grate. Noah struck a match, and we watched as the flames consumed the documents that had once symbolized the end of our marriage.

As we watched the papers curl and blacken, Noah’s hand found mine. He intertwined our fingers, gently tugging me closer to him. Neither of us spoke, although we didn’t need to; we just watched, leaning against one another, as the flames licked at those damning documents.

Staying together. We were staying together.

And it felt so, so right.

When the last of the papers had finally turned to ash, Noah turned to me. He cupped my cheek gently, his thumb tracing my cheekbone.

“I promise,” he said softly, his eyes reflecting the flickering flames, “that I will do right by you and our baby. No more coldness, no more distance. I’m here, fully and completely.”

His other hand came to rest on my swollen belly, and I covered it with my own. We pressed our foreheads together, breathing each other in. His scent enveloped me, and I felt almost dizzy with love.

“I love you,” I whispered, the words feeling both new and familiar on my tongue.

Instead of responding with words, Noah’s lips met mine in a tender kiss. It was different from our recent passionate, desperate, hungry encounters—this was slow, sweet, full of promise. Full of love and full of history.

When we finally broke apart, Noah scooped me up in his arms, carrying me toward the bed. I laughed, wrapping my arms around his neck, feeling suddenly giddy and lightheaded.

“What are you doing?” I asked, although I had a pretty good idea.

“I’m about to make love to my wife,” he said, his voice husky. “Any objections?”

I pretended to think for a moment, tapping my chin. “Hmm... nope, can’t think of any.”

He laid me gently on the bed, his hands and lips exploring my body with reverence. This wasn’t the frenzied passion of our recent encounters, driven by the terms of a contract and our own need for release.

This was something deeper, more intimate.

Noah’s touch was gentle, almost worshipful as he undressed me. His fingers trailed over my bare skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake.

When he climbed between my legs and slipped into me, it felt like coming home after a long time at war. We moved together beneath the sheets, tongue and lips and teeth grazing each other’s skin.

I clung to him as we ground our hips against one another, my legs wrapped firmly around him as if he might slip away. But he didn’t pull away, didn’t once pry his warm body away from mine.

For the first time ever, I felt whole. Complete. This was what it meant to be truly mated, truly in love. The pleasure built slowly, a warm glow that spread through my entire body until I finally splintered on him.

When I did go over that edge, he cupped my face in his hands and peppered gentle kisses across my cheeks and nose. He peaked not long after that, soft growls and groans brushing against my ear as he finally let out one last gentle shudder.

I tangled my fingers in his hair, listening to his ragged breathing as he slumped on top of me. Even then, in the wake of our heat, he didn’t pull away. I wouldn’t have minded if he just stayed there forever.

And the words he uttered next made me want to never let go.

“I love you, Hannah…”