Chapter 33

Hannah

I slipped my feet into a pair of black flats and smoothed my hands over the pale yellow dress I had chosen for the day. It was a little tighter and more revealing than I would normally wear, but I wanted to make an impression—both on Drake and on anyone else who might be watching.

Noah wasn’t here, of course. He had left the house last night after our argument, and still had yet to return. Part of me was annoyed that he wasn’t here to see me leave with Drake, but I knew he would be hearing about it later.

When I stepped into the foyer, Drake was already waiting for me, looking handsome in a crisp button-down shirt and slacks. His eyes widened slightly as he took in my appearance, but he recovered quickly with a charming smile.

“Good morning, Hannah,” he greeted, taking my hand and brushing a gentlemanly kiss over my knuckles. “You look lovely today.”

I returned his smile, although I couldn’t deny the lingering sense of annoyance at his presence. I supposed I had dug this grave for myself, though. “Thank you, Drake. Shall we get going?”

The chauffeur was waiting for us outside with a sleek black town car, and we slid into the back seat together as he pulled away from the mansion. I leaned back against the plush leather, letting my legs cross at the knee in a way that hiked my skirt up just a bit.

“So, where would you like to go first?” I asked, watching Drake’s gaze flicker from the window to my exposed knee.

“Surprise me,” he replied with a grin. “I don’t know much about what Nightcrest has to offer, anyway.”

With a nod, I directed the driver to take us on a tour of Nightcrest’s most impressive sights—the grand, sweeping lawns of our estate grounds, the pristine athletic facilities, the glittering shopping district. We stayed in the car for the most part to avoid public scrutiny, at least for the time being.

Drake whistled low under his breath as we cruised past each new sightseeing location, although he didn’t really look all that surprised.

“It seems as though Nightcrest has certainly done well for itself,” he murmured, leaning in a bit closer.

I nodded; Noah had made sure to dump a lot of our yearly budget into pack beautification. It was one of the few things I admired about him; he was always a staunch supporter of green initiatives and trash clean-up. “We take a lot of pride in our pack’s greenery,” I said.

Eventually, I instructed the driver to pull over in the center of town. Drake raised an eyebrow at me as I gathered my small clutch, but he didn’t protest when I looped my arm through his and led him onto the bustling sidewalk—right into the eye of the public.

I could feel the weight of curious stares boring into us as we strode past the high-end boutiques and cafes, and I reveled in it. Let them look—let them wonder and gossip and speculate all they wanted about the nature of Drake’s visit.

The rumors would be flying soon enough, and then perhaps I could do another interview to help smooth it over, to paint myself as the ever-welcoming and gracious Luna.

“Care to do a little shopping?” I asked Drake, quirking an eyebrow at him.

His lips curved up in an amused smile. “Lead the way.”

We dipped in and out of a few of the fancier clothing stores, and I made a point of trying on a few decadent outfits. It was nice to try on clothes again—it had been a while since I had been able to wear normal sizes, and although many of the smallest sizes still hung a bit loosely on my frame, it was a start.

By the time we made our way out of the boutique, our arms laden with shopping bags, I was even starting to feel a welcome rumbling in my stomach.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m famished,” I said, pitching my voice to carry just a bit as I sidled up next to Drake again; I wanted the eavesdroppers to hear that Luna Hannah was indeed no longer starving herself. “What do you say we get lunch?”

Drake nodded. “That sounds like a fantastic idea.”

The little French bistro I chose was easily the most upscale restaurant in town, with sleek modern decor and an extensive wine list. I could sense Drake’s surprise as the host led us to a table right next to the floor-to-ceiling windows as though we were on display but he didn’t comment; not that he needed to.

I could see the approving look in his eyes.

As we ate, I made sure to keep a smile on my face and my voice just high enough to be overheard by others as we conversed about lighter topics—his travels, his interests, his plans for the future.

I was an engaged listener, laughing at all the right moments and politely sipping my coffee. To any outsiders who were listening, we were like old friends spending time together.

Eventually, though, the curious bystanders seemed to lose interest. The restaurant began to thin out, and finally, our conversation was able to shift toward… darker topics. Our voices dropped a bit, and it became just a bit more difficult to keep my smile plastered to my sore lips.

“I have to ask,” Drake said, swirling the wine in his glass pensively, “how did things get so… complicated between you and Noah? Aside from the obvious, I mean.”

I felt a pang in my chest at the vague mention of Zoe, but I pushed it aside with a soft snort.

“That’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it? Noah and I… we really were good together. We got along in a lot of ways.”

I took a sip of my coffee, letting the bitterness of it linger on my tongue for a long moment.

“But somewhere along the way, things shifted. He grew distant, cold, always putting the pack’s interests before my own. And… her…” I trailed off with a clench of my jaw, but I didn’t need to continue. Drake knew who I was referring to.

He let out a soft, humorless laugh. “They always were the star-crossed lovers, weren’t they? And what were we? Unwilling bystanders?”

I quickly shook my head. “No. Not unwilling.”

Drake’s brow furrowed as his eyes searched my face. “What do you mean?”

I shrugged, thinking back on some of my… old behavior. My inability to stand up for myself. My lack of confidence and low self esteem. And then I thought about Drake’s cheating, and I met his gaze. “Maybe we’re not as blameless as it seems.” I paused, sucking in a deep breath. “I don’t see her as a bad guy anymore.”

“You don’t hate her, then? Even after everything?”

“Hate her?” I echoed with a wry smile. “Goddess, no. It’s not Zoe’s fault that she was once fated to Noah.”

I leaned back in my chair with a sigh. “Although I do wish it had been different, that’s all.”

Drake’s eyes widened a fraction, his fingers stilling on the stem of his glass. “It sounds like you have a very unique perspective on the whole situation.”

“Maybe I do,” I said with a shrug, trying not to picture the moment I had died in my bathroom. “But I’m learning to accept it all and move on, one way or another. Speaking of…”

I trailed off as our car pulled up to the curb outside the restaurant. The chauffeur stepped out and opened the door for us, and I gathered my clutch as Drake settled the check with the waiter.

Soon, we were on our way back to the mansion. The car was silent, each of us lost deep in thought. Finally, the mansion came into view, its dark brick edifice standing in stark contrast against the deep green pines surrounding it.

“Well… This was nice,” I said, unbuckling my seatbelt.

Drake nodded. “We should do something like it again.”

Just before I could slide out of the car, though, Drake caught my wrist with his free hand. “Wait, I almost forgot…”

He fumbled in one of his shopping bags for a moment before extracting a small gift bag, elaborately wrapped with crisp white paper and a satin ribbon. My brows hiked up as he pressed it into my palm.

“I picked that up for you while we were out,” he said with a sheepish grin. “You know, as a little thank-you for… showing me around.”

My lips curved up in a grin as I peered into the bag, catching a glimpse of something silver nestled inside. “Drake, you shouldn’t have…”

“I wanted to,” he insisted firmly, his fingers tightening around my wrist for a fraction of a moment. “It was my genuine pleasure, Hannah. Truly.” He shot me a wink, and realization dawned on me: the Lunar Festival. I had almost forgotten that that was the real reason why we had done any of this.

“Thank you,” I murmured, flashing him a tight smile as he released his grip on my wrist.

Then, with a deep breath, I straightened my spine and slid out of the car. I was just turning to head up the front steps when a flicker of movement in the mansion’s front window caught my eye.

Noah was there, staring out at me with an inscrutable expression on his face.