Chapter 62

Hannah

By the time I stepped out onto the manicured grounds behind the main house, the festivities were already in full swing. Lively music filled the air, a folk band playing on a small stage erected near the gardens. The scents of roasting meats and fresh-baked pastries wafted through the crisp winter breeze, making my mouth water.

Small bonfires had been lit at regular intervals around the open field, their crackling flames casting a warm, flickering glow over the milling crowds. Clusters of people mingled and laughed, paper plates piled high with food from the various vendors that lined the edges of the space. It was just as I had envisioned—a lively celebration, intimate yet grand, the perfect way to show off our pack’s charms.

But I couldn’t see Noah anywhere.

Furrowing my brow, I stepped further into the crowd, politely smiling in response to “Hello, Luna!” and “It’s so lovely to see you, Luna!”

My gaze swept over the festival until I finally spotted him: Noah’s imposing figure near one of the larger fire pits. He was engaged in conversation with none other than Zoe, the two of them standing rather close together as they spoke.

A flicker of irritation sparked low in my belly at the sight.

Of course.

Without hesitating, I began to make my way across the grassy field toward them, carefully sidestepping clusters of people and woven picnic blankets strewn about. As I drew nearer, I could see the way Zoe was almost leaning into Noah, her expression animated and vibrant as she spoke.

Noah, for his part, seemed somewhat bemused, but there was no mistaking the warm regard in his eyes as he gazed down at her. It made my heart twist in my chest, an ugly coil of jealousy unfurling inside of me before I could shove it away.

Clearing my throat loudly, I approached from behind and boldly linked my arm through Noah’s, pressing up against his side. His head whipped around, eyes widening slightly at my sudden proximity before narrowing dangerously. I simply smiled at him, all sugary sweetness, before turning that smile on Zoe.

“Hello, you two,” I said, tightening my grip ever so slightly on Noah’s bicep—firm, as usual. “Lovely day for a picnic, isn’t it?”

Zoe blinked at me, clearly caught off guard. “Oh... Hannah, hi. Yes, it’s really lovely.” She forced a small smile, but her gaze kept flicking between Noah and I uncertainly.

An awkward silence fell over the three of us for a beat. Then Noah seemed to shake himself, frowning at me out of the corner of my eye. “We should probably start mingling soon,” he said gruffly, shifting his arm in my grip as though my touch was burning him.

I felt a tiny hint of satisfaction course through me at the implication that my presence was making him uneasy. Good. For once, I was the one putting him on edge.

“Of course,” I agreed easily, tightening my hold again. I turned my smile back on Zoe, widening it ever so slightly. “You’ll have to excuse us, Zoe.”

With that, I tugged Noah along beside me, away from the fire pit and back out into the throng of people. I could feel the tension radiating off of him, could practically hear the harsh words he was biting back as we wove through the crowd.

Finally, once we were a safe distance away, Noah wrenched his arm from mine and rounded on me, his eyes blazing. “What the hell was that about?” he hissed, his jaw clenched.

I arched an eyebrow at him innocently. “What was what about? Oh, I can’t stand with my husband at a public event?” I shot back, pressing my hand into my collar bone as I feigned offense. “Would you rather I stand with Drake instead?”

Noah’s nostrils flared at my words, but he didn’t take the bait—at least, not fully. After a tense moment, some of the fight seemed to bleed out of him and he simply sighed, shaking his head.

“You’re right,” he muttered, almost too quietly for me to hear over the swell of noise surrounding us. “I’m... sorry.”

My bravado faltered slightly at the unexpected apology, caught off guard. Noah didn’t say sorry often—if ever—especially not to me these days. Clearing my throat, I slipped my arm back through his more gently this time.

“Shall we?” I prompted, gesturing out at the crowd with my free hand.

Noah hesitated briefly, those intense green eyes of his searching my face, before giving a curt nod. Together, we began to make our way through the picnic grounds, stopping here and there to greet various members of the pack. Noah seemed more at ease now, his stance relaxed and open as he engaged in lighthearted conversation with everyone we encountered.

I remained pressed against his side, unable to help the way my senses were hyper-focused on him—the solid warmth of his body, the clean scent of his cologne, the shift and flex of the muscle in his bicep beneath my fingers. It had been so long since I had been this physically close to my husband. Too long since I’d had any kind of intimate contact at all.

A dull, familiar ache blossomed inside of me at the idle thought, an old emptiness that I had grown accustomed to pushing away rising up in the wake of Noah’s proximity. I quickly averted my gaze, my cheeks flushing slightly as I fought to regain my composure.

Clearing my throat again, I gently extracted myself from Noah’s side. “I’m just going to... powder my nose real quick,” I mumbled, already starting to turn away. “I’ll be right back.”

Noah simply nodded absently, his attention having been snagged by something across the field. I didn’t wait for him to reply further before hurrying away, my steps sharp and brisk as I made a beeline for the house, my cheeks still burning hotly.

Once inside the cool interior of the mansion, I drew in a deep, steadying breath, allowing my shoulders to slump ever so slightly. Get a grip, I chided myself sternly. The last thing I needed right now was to start getting flustered and ridiculous over nothing.

Lifting my chin high again, I made my way toward the bathroom just off the main foyer. The soft sound of the picnic drifted through the open windows, an oddly relaxing sound. Reaching out, I turned the handle, swinging the door open—

“Hannah.”

I turned at the sound of the voice to see Drake hurrying down the hall, an easy smile on his lips.

“Drake,” I said, releasing my grip on the door and turning. I felt a reluctant smile tugging at the corners of my own lips as he pulled me into a loose hug. “I trust you’re enjoying the picnic.”

Drake simply hummed in acknowledgment, his knowing gaze flickering over my face.

“Everything going okay? No... issues?” he asked carefully.

I knew what he was really asking—whether I had been able to pull Noah and Zoe apart. That was our plan, after all; the other day, when Drake and I had gone on that motorcycle ride together, I had made him a promise.

I had promised that I would work to keep Zoe and Noah apart so that Drake could talk to her. So that he could explain why he had been acting the way he had for so long.

And hopefully, so that they could make amends.

“Zoe went off on her own,” I said quietly, nodding my head toward the direction of the picnic. “You should have a good chance.”

Tipping his head back, Drake regarded me through hooded eyes for a long moment. Then, finally, he nodded once and straightened, resting his hands on his hips. “Alright. I’ll go try to find her,” he said. “Keep your fingers crossed for me?”

“Of course,” I replied, keeping my tone as light and unburdened as I could manage. “I hope it goes well. You… You both deserve that happiness.”

Drake simply grinned at me, his eyes crinkling at the corners, before giving me a playful wink and slipping back out of the mansion. I watched him go, my smile fading slowly as the door swung shut behind him.

Letting out a heavy sigh, I pushed my way into the bathroom and strode over to the mirror, leaning on the cool marble sink as I poked and prodded at my makeup. I had gone for a matching pants and top set today with stylish boots, seeing as how I would be spending the day outside, and wore a cropped jacket over the top to keep myself warm.

I looked good. Too bad my husband wouldn’t be noticing.

My husband.

For a moment, my hand fluttered down to my belly—not only where the little life inside of me was taking root, but also where that undeniable sense of want had blossomed before. Goddess, it had felt like forever. Tonight would have been the night of our monthly intimacy.

But not anymore. Not when…

Suddenly, the door crashed open, causing me to gasp and whirl around. A tall figure loomed in the doorway, and I parted my lips to call for help as my fingers curled around the marble of the sink behind me—only to realize who it was.

“Noah? This is the ladies’ bathroom!” I exclaimed.

Noah didn’t seem to care. He slammed the door shut and locked it without a word, then strode over to me. He came so close that the hard planes of his body pressed into mine, pushing me further up against the sink.

“Were you with Drake just now?” he hissed, his voice low and dangerous.