Chapter 242

Hannah

I sat on the hard, cold bench in my cell, my mind spinning like a whirlwind. Hours had passed since Noah’s revelation, and yet his words still echoed in my ears on repeat.

Could it really be true? Had Zoe truly orchestrated such an elaborate deception?

My fingers closed around the small object in my palm, and I opened my hand to look at it. The little pink and blue seashell gleamed softly in the dim light of the cell, leather cord threaded through the hole at the top.

As I gazed at it, memories washed over me, as vivid and warm as the summer day they were born from.

I was back on that beach, the last day of my summer vacation with Lily.

It had been a blissful summer, not just with my sister, but with him. Noah. The boy who I had fallen head over heels for in a matter of weeks.

“Let’s go on a walk,” I had suggested, my heart pounding. “Just you and me.”

The sun was setting now, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink that reflected off the calm water. The sand was cool beneath my bare feet, and the salty breeze tousled my hair. I lifted my skirt and closed my eyes, tilting my head back to let the wind hit my face. The ocean lapped gently at my bare feet; the water was cold, but soothing.

“Hannah, look at this!” Noah’s voice called out, pulling my attention to where he was crouched near the water’s edge, examining something in the sand.

His thin white shirt billowed in the wind, the sunlight shining through to reveal warm, tanned skin. I blushed at the sight of his body. How badly I wanted to run my hands across those corded muscles…

I jogged over, curious. “What is it?”

As I approached, I noticed something poking out of the sand near Noah’s feet. Bending down, I carefully extracted it and rinsed it off in the ocean water. A pretty little seashell emerged, its pink and blue colors reminiscent of the sky above us.

“Oh, wow,” I breathed, holding it up to catch the fading sunlight. “Isn’t it beautiful? Like a sunrise…”

Noah leaned in close, his dark hair rustling against the side of my face. I could taste the salt coming off of the strands.

“The blue is the same shade as your eyes,” he said softly.

I turned to him, my eyes wide, and our noses touched. Forest green eyes stared back at me, unwavering.

For a moment, I wanted nothing more than to close that small distance and kiss him. But fear gripped me, and I chickened out. I’d never kissed anyone before.

Instead, my cheeks burning, I pressed the seashell into his palm and curled his fingers over it.

“Keep it,” I said, my voice nothing more than a whisper. “So you can always have my eyes with you.”

Noah’s face flushed a deep red. “Hannah, I…”

The cell door clanged open, jolting me back to the present. I blinked, disoriented for a moment as I transitioned from the warm, sun-drenched beach of my memories to the cold, stark reality of my prison cell in Darkmoon.

A guard entered, followed closely by an all too familiar form.

My heart rate picked up at the sight of him, but I lifted my chin defiantly. David sported multiple injuries from our altercation—a black eye, a split lip, and he was walking with a noticeable limp.

Despite my situation, I couldn’t help but feel a flicker of pride. It took all of my willpower not to smirk at his discomfort.

“Here to get your revenge?” I quipped, meeting his gaze steadily. “Or perhaps you’ll try to force yourself on me again, you pig?”

But to my surprise, David didn’t look angry or licentious. If anything, he just seemed... resigned.

“You’re free to go,” he grunted, not meeting my eyes.

I stood slowly, suspicion coursing through me. Had Noah come through with his word, or was David playing some kind of sick trick on me?

“Just like that?”

David’s jaw clenched. “Just like that. Now get out before I change my mind.”

He didn’t need to tell me twice. As I walked past him, head held high, David hissed under his breath, “You’re lucky to have a strong man behind you to clean up your messes. You’ll never make it as an Alpha.”

I paused for a moment, considering whether to respond. In the end, I decided he wasn’t worth my breath and continued walking.

The sunlight was blinding as I stepped outside, and I had to shield my eyes. My heart was pounding with anticipation. Would Noah be waiting for me? Despite everything, I couldn’t help but feel a flutter of excitement at the thought.

But as my eyes adjusted, I realized it wasn't Noah waiting by the car. It was Drake. Viona was with him.

For a moment, just a moment, disappointment hit me. Noah had promised… I supposed, in all of my nostalgic lovesickness, that I had thought he really would come for me. My fingers tightened around the seashell, the one that he had clearly fashioned into a necklace for himself. If what he had said was true, then why wasn’t he here?

“Hannah!” Viona called out, rushing forward and throwing her arms around me.

I returned the embrace, burying my face in my friend’s shoulder. Now was not the time for disappointment. My friends had come for me, and that was all that mattered.

“Are you okay?” Drake asked, joining us and placing a hand on my shoulder. “Did they hurt you?”

I shook my head and pulled back to look at my friends. “I’m fine. Just... confused. How did you get me out?”

Drake’s expression turned sheepish. “I may have threatened to invade Darkmoon if they didn’t release you. Being the Luna Queen’s favorite nephew has its perks sometimes.”

Viona snorted. “More like only nephew.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “You didn’t.”

“I did,” Drake grinned. “David folded pretty quickly after that.”

As we walked to the car, I glanced once more down at the seashell necklace in my palm. Noah didn’t come… But then it hit me. I inhaled sharply and stopped in my tracks. “What day is it?”

“It’s Saturday,” Viona replied, opening the car door for me.

I froze, a chill running down my spine. “Is the wedding still on? Zoe and Noah’s wedding. Was it canceled?”

Drake and Viona exchanged puzzled glances. “I haven’t heard anything about it being canceled,” Viona said slowly. “In fact, it should be starting right about now.”

“I’m going,” I said, closing my fingers around the seashell.

Drake raised an eyebrow. “You probably shouldn’t bother going, Hannah. It’s not worth it. Besides, you’ll need time to change and all that…”

I stood there for a moment, my mind racing. Noah’s words from earlier echoed in my head: “You are my mate, Hannah. Not Zoe. You are my eternal moonlight, and I am a fool for not remembering you. But I remember now, and I love you. I always have. I will make things right.”

If what he said was true... if Zoe had really manipulated him all this time…

“I don’t need to change. Just take me to Nightcrest,” I said, sliding into the back seat. “Immediately.”

Drake and Viona’s eyes widened in unison. “What? Hannah, you can’t be serious,” Viona said. “After everything that’s happened… And you’re still in your robe!”

“I’ve never been more serious in my life.” I buckled my seatbelt and shot my friends an imploring look. “Please. I need to do this.” I pulled my shoulders back and added, “That’s an order.”

Viona and Drake studied my face for a long moment, then exchanged another confused glance. Finally, Drake shrugged and slipped into the driver’s seat. “Alright. As you wish, Alpha.”

As we pulled out of the parking lot, I clutched the seashell tightly in my hand. My mind was made up. If there was even a chance that Noah was telling the truth, I had to know. I had to see for myself.

And if Zoe had sunk her claws into his mind again, just as I suspected…

Well, then we had a wedding to crash.