Chapter 22

Noah and I prepared to accept Drake into our home. Drake would be staying at Le Palais, the most luxurious hotel in the Nightcrest Pack territory, but for his first night there, we were holding an intimate dinner to welcome him to the area. It would only be Noah, Drake, myself—and Zoe and Adam.

“I don’t think you understand,” Zoe said as she helped me to set the table.

After the fiasco of the family banquet, Zoe refused to cook anything for Noah again (not that I could blame her), and Noah did not believe that I could even try to make anything acceptable, so Noah hired a private chef for this meal. That left Zoe and me to do nothing more than place plates and silverware on the table while we anxiously awaited our guest of honor.

“What don’t we understand?” I asked.

“Drake might say that he’s here on business and custody matters, but I know that he’s not,” she insisted. “He’s going to try and harass me. I’m just not sure how, yet.”

“We won’t let that happen,” Noah said from his seat at the head of the table.

I gave Zoe a tight-lipped smile.

“Of course, we won’t.” I paused. “It does make me wonder, though, why did you leave him in the first place?”

Before Zoe could open her mouth, Noah snorted.

“Everyone knows about Drake’s playboy reputation,” he said.

“Everyone knows about my what?” a deep voice startled us.

Noah, Zoe, and I turned toward the doorway to see the butler standing there anxiously. Beside him was a tall man—as tall as Noah—with broad shoulders, darker skin, and close-shaved hair. His white teeth flashed as he snarled at Noah.

“Alpha Drake,” Noah said flatly.

“Alpha Drake, Luna Hannah,” Drake replied. His eyes darted to Zoe. “Zoe.”

“Dad!” Adam cried, running up to Drake with his arms wide open.

Drake smiled and knelt down, stretching his arms out to accept Adam’s hug.

“There’s my big boy,” he said, squeezing his son with all his might. He pulled away, looking Adam in the eye. “Have you been good for your mother?”

Adam nodded enthusiastically.

“Do you like your new Pack?” Drake continued, a slight edge now in his voice.

Adam nodded again, though a little less ecstatically now.

“Luna Hannah gave me a new toy!” Adam exclaimed.

“Oh, she did, did she?” Drake glanced at me, a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye. “You’re going to have to show me.”

“Now?”

Adam’s eyes twinkled in a manner similar to his father’s as he ran over to where he had left the Transformer action figure.

“Maybe later, sweetheart,” Zoe said, her eyes set firmly on Drake. “Mom and Dad need to talk about adult things with Alpha Noah and Luna Hannah.”

Zoe turned her attention to Noah.

“Is there somewhere that he can play while we wait for dinner?” she asked.

Noah nodded.

“Of course.” Noah gestured to our butler. “Zachariah, please take Adam to play in the sitting room while we talk.”

Zachariah nodded and approached Adam, holding his hand out to the little boy. Adam looked from Drake to Zachariah to Zoe, as though asking someone for permission to go.

“It’s okay,” Zoe said. “Go with Zachariah, and he’ll bring you back when it’s time to eat.”

Adam glanced at Drake, seeming to expect a different answer.

“Go ahead, buddy,” Drake said, somewhat reluctantly. “I’ll be here when you get back.”

Adam timidly took Zachariah’s hand, and the butler led him out of the room.

As soon as Adam was out of hearing range, Drake turned on Noah, his eyes flaring.

“So, what were you saying about my ‘playboy reputation’?” he snarled.

Noah stood, and I quickly stepped into the space between the two men and raised my hands placatingly at both of them.

“Alpha Drake, I’m sure that Noah meant no offense by his words,” I said.

Drake sneered.

“Yes, I’m sure that the man that my wife rejected meant nothing by bringing up my reputation in front of my son.”

Noah growled almost imperceptibly.

“Your ex-wife,” he countered.

Drake’s hands curled into fists. The muscles in his arms tightened, and his jaw clenched. I could tell that it was taking everything in him to not spring at Noah and tear him apart just for the reminder.

When I looked over at Noah, I saw that his body language was mirroring Drake’s. Their eyes never left each other. If I had not been standing between them, I truly believed that the two alphas would have launched at each other to prove their dominance.

After a minute of this silent showdown, Drake lifted his chin defiantly, keeping his eyes on Noah’s.

“You know, you’re a very greedy man, Noah,” he said matter-of-factly.

Noah arched a brow.

“And how would you figure that?” he asked.

“Here you have such a beautiful Luna—” Drake gestured toward me— “and yet you’re still trying to get involved with other men’s wives.”

“Ex-wife,” Noah reiterated, “and I wouldn’t be giving anyone lectures on how to conduct their personal lives if I were you. Given the life that you lead—”

“The life that I lead is none of your business,” Drake snapped. “What you do with Zoe, the mother of my son, is my business.”

“Zoe and I are not doing anything,” Noah countered. “I respect Zoe’s wishes, and I don’t want to see her again.”

I had to suppress rolling my eyes. I might have believed when Zoe said that she didn’t want to ruin my marriage, but I had a hard time believing that Noah did not want to see her.

Drake must have sensed my doubt because he turned his attention to me.

“Do you believe that, Luna Hannah?” he asked. “Do you believe that our spouses want nothing to do with each other? Because I’m having a hard time swallowing that with everything that’s been in the press lately.”

I was torn. I knew that I had to still act like Noah’s dutiful wife in front of people like Drake for the sake of the upcoming Lunar Festival, but I did not want to lie about my feelings on this matter, not when it came to someone else who could be affected as much as I could be.

“The media can be deceiving,” I finally settled on saying.

Drake shook his head, as though I had just disappointed him by failing his test.

“Do you all think that I’m really so delusion as to believe—”

“Enough!” Zoe snapped, glaring at Drake. “Enough. I’m leaving, and I’m taking Adam with me.”

I had the feeling that that wasn’t the first time that Zoe had told Drake those exact words.

Zoe stormed to the doorway.

“Wait!” Noah called after her. “I’ll show you out.”

Drake stared at Zoe for a moment as she waited in the doorway for Noah. Then he closed his eyes, sighed, and reopened them. He turned to me and forced an awkward smile.

“I’m sorry about all of this, Luna Hannah,” he said, and he sounded sincere. “I did not mean to drag you into this mess.”

“It’s all right,” I replied. I shifted on my feet, longing to follow Noah and Zoe to the doorway.

“Please, let me have the chance to show you my better side.” Drake ran his hand over his close-shaved hair. “Take me on a tour of the territory, show me some of your favorite places.”

The request made my eyes widen. Drake wanted to spend some alone time, with me? It was only a tour of the territory, but it was still quite the surprise.

I glanced over at Noah where he stood in the arch of the door. He sent me a pleading look, begging me to decline. My stomach knotted.

I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and smiled warmly at Drake.

“Alpha Drake,” I said formally, “I would love to show you around the Nightcrest Territory.”