Chapter 43

Hannah

I strode through the front doors of the soup kitchen, my heart pounding with a mixture of nerves and excitement. This was it—my first real foray into volunteer work, into proving that I could be more than just a pretty face trailing after my husband.

I was determined to make a good impression.

A kind-faced older woman with graying hair tied back in a messy bun immediately approached me when I stepped through the doors, her eyes widening slightly as she took me in.

“Oh! Luna Hannah, it’s an honor to have you here,” she said, bowing her head politely.

I offered her a warm smile, holding out my hand to shake hers. “Please, just call me Hannah. It’s wonderful to be here.”

The woman grasped my hand firmly, giving it a gentle shake as she returned my smile. “Of course, of course. I have to admit, I’m a bit surprised to see you volunteering here.” A faint blush crept into her cheeks as she seemed to realize how that sounded. “Oh goodness, I’m sorry. That was rude of me, Luna Hannah.”

Laughing lightly, I waved off her concern with one hand. “Not at all. You’re absolutely right; I haven’t really made much of an effort to get involved with the community before now.”

As I spoke, I felt the weight of several curious stares prickling at the back of my neck and noticed a couple of phones discreetly angled in my direction, no doubt snapping pictures or videos.

Now’s the time to shine, I thought to myself. I couldn’t mess up in front of the cameras. Not when I had an opportunity to direct the narrative.

Squaring my shoulders, I met the woman’s gaze levelly. “But that’s something I intend to change going forward. This pack has been my home for years, and it’s long past time I started giving back and being a part of things.”

A hushed murmur of approval rippled through the small crowd of onlookers, and the woman’s expression melted into one of genuine warmth and acceptance. “Well, we’re thrilled to have you here, Luna Ha—Hannah. Why don’t you come along and I’ll get you set up?”

I followed the woman further into the kitchen, where Viona, Amber, and Emma were already bustling around, assembling trays of food for the lunch crowd. Viona shot me a sidelong glance as I stepped in, her eyes momentarily darting to Emma on the sly as if to say, I’ve got my eye on your new ‘friend’.

I rolled my eyes surreptitiously. Leave it to Viona to be concerned over that.

The rest of the morning passed by in a blur. I found myself falling into an easy rhythm alongside my friends, passing out bowls of stew, fresh-baked bread, and bottles of water to the people in line.

“Thank you, Luna Hannah,” one older man said as I handed him his tray, his weathered eyes crinkling at the corners. “Really, thank you.”

“No, thank you,” I said with a practiced smile. “Thank you for staying strong.’

The old man smiled in return and shuffled on his way, and I moved to the next person in line. I felt my heart sink and my smile fade, however, as I saw who stood in front of me: a single woman, possibly even younger than me, and a little girl who was barely older than four or five.

The little girl gasped when she saw me. “Luna Hannah!”

“Hello,” I said, immediately circling around the counter and dropping to a crouch in front of her. “What’s your name?”

The little girl looked expectantly up at her mother, who gave her a small nod. “Patti,” she finally said in a tiny voice.

Reaching out, I took her tiny hands in mine, offering her an encouraging smile. “Hello, Patti. That’s a pretty name.” I paused, worrying my lower lip between my teeth for a moment. “Are you here for some soup with your mommy?”

The little girl nodded her head solemnly, her expression brightening just a touch as I pulled her in for a brief hug. When I straightened and caught her mother’s wide-eyed gaze, I felt a strange tugging in my chest—a fierce protectiveness not only for the little girl, but also for the mother who, upon closer inspection, couldn’t have been older than eighteen.

And she looked… scared.

Leaning in close, I murmured in a low voice, “Are you alright?”

For a long moment, the girl simply stared at me, her eyes red-rimmed and tired looking. Then, finally, she gave a small nod, biting her lip.

“We… we had to leave. My husband, he—” Her voice cracked, and she swallowed hard. “He wasn’t a good man.”

She didn’t need to elaborate; I knew what she was implying. Wordlessly, I took her by the elbow and guided her away to a secluded corner.

Hardly daring to breathe, I fumbled in my pocket for my checkbook and a pen, hastily scribbling out a check for five thousand dollars. It wasn’t much money for me or Noah, and it certainly wasn’t in the grand scheme of things even for her, but it would be enough to get them into a decent apartment and buy some basic furnishings and necessities.

“Here. Take this,” I murmured, pressing the folded check into the girl’s trembling hand and closing her fingers around it. “And here’s my number. Use me as a reference if you need to—it’ll make sure no one gives you any trouble about getting a place.”

Tears welled up in the girl’s eyes, her mouth going slack at the sudden gesture. “You… You mean…”

I nodded. “It’s yours. Just promise you’ll use the money wisely, and… You’ll keep this between us?”

Between us, I thought to myself as I saw the girl nod profusely and scurry away with her daughter. Acts of philanthropy didn’t seem so useful for my reputation when they were kept secret, were they?

But maybe this wasn’t about my reputation. Maybe this was about helping someone else, nothing more.

…

By the time the last tray had been cleared away and the kitchen tidied up, I felt both exhausted and yet somehow lighter and more energized than I had in longer than I could remember.

Viona and Amber immediately pounced on me the second the volunteers were dismissed, bombarding me with enthusiastic questions and comments.

“Did you see how happy everyone looked when you showed up?”

“What happened with that little girl and her mom? What did you say to her?”

“I just gave her my business card,” I lied with a wave of my hand. “So she could put me down as a reference to get an apartment.”

Viona and Amber exchanged glances, but didn’t press the issue further. Finally, Viona took a step closer and nodded her head toward Emma, who was chatting with one of the other volunteers off to the side.

“She got along well, didn’t she?” she whispered.

Amber smirked. “Maybe you were right, Hannah—about a new leaf and all that.”

I smiled faintly, giving a short nod of acknowledgment. Emma had gotten along with our little trio splendidly that day. But aside from her, or anyone else for that matter, I felt… good.

Why had I waited so long to do this?

Suddenly, my introspective little bubble was abruptly burst as a tall, broad-shouldered figure stepped through the front doors, his expression pinched with obvious concern. Scott.

“Luna Hannah, There you are,” he huffed out as he approached. “I’ve been looking for you.”

I turned to him and tilted my chin up. “Hello, Scott. Did you need me for something?”

Scott’s face twisted a bit as he nodded. “Alpha Noah requested me to bring you to his office.”

“Why?”

“He didn’t say. He just said it was urgent.”

My heart stuttered in my chest for reasons I wasn’t about to admit, but I didn’t let it show on my face. “Alright. Let’s go.”

It wasn’t long before I was stepping into Noah’s office away from home—a sleek, modern corner space on the top floor of Nightcrest’s tallest highrise. Scott opened the door for me, revealing Noah sitting behind his glass-topped desk, silhouetted by the setting sun coming in through the massive windows behind him.

“Hannah,” Noah said, looking up from his computer. “Take a seat.”