Chapter 84

Noah

Noah’s gaze followed Hannah as she brushed past him, her hips swaying in that infuriatingly alluring way that always made his mouth go dry. The scent of her shampoo—light and floral—wafted towards him, stirring his wolf’s interest despite his best efforts to quell it.

A muscle ticked in his jaw as he watched her disappear through the heavy oak doors and back into the crowded ballroom. Even now, after all this time, he couldn’t deny the visceral attraction he had to her.

His body begged for her, craved the taste of her skin and the warmth of her lips on his neck. It had been so long since they had been intimate, and the way things were looking right now, it might never happen again.

Noah closed his eyes, drawing in a slow, steadying breath as the memory of that day he had heard about Hannah’s issues resurfaces…

The family doctor had a frown on his face as he reviewed Hannah’s medical reports, using one finger to push his wire-rimmed glasses a little further up on his nose.

“You understand her… condition, yes?” the doctor asked, glancing at Noah. “How frail her body is?”

Noah had nodded stiffly. “I’m aware.”

The doctor hummed, tapping his pen against the manila folder. “In that case, I trust you will exercise discretion when it comes to… intimate matters. Given her body’s frailty, I would strongly advise against sex outside of her ovulation window.”

The words had left Noah dumbfounded. “You mean…”

“Yes. It is highly unlikely for her to even get lubricated on her own outside that window,” the doctor explained. “Her vagina will also be far too tight. It will be incredibly painful for her. Be sure to only initiate sex during these times if you want to avoid that…”

Noah’s hands clenched at his sides as the memory faded, jaw clenching hard enough for his teeth to grind together. All these years, he had followed that warning to the letter—even going so far as to avoid sleeping in Hannah’s bed outside of her fertile periods. Sleeping in his office study to keep himself from getting aroused by her.

So many nights had been spent on that wretched sofa, his back and hips aching. All to protect her, to spare her from any potential harm that intimacy could cause in her delicate state.

But now, in light of her words, it seemed like those precautions might not have been necessary after all. She seemed far more aroused now than he had expected, and their monthly intimacy night had passed already.

Noah’s brows drew together. Had the doctor been mistaken, after all?

His gaze drifted back toward the ballroom doors, fixating on the point where Hannah had disappeared in the crowd. Even with the distance between them, his wolf felt the magnetic pull toward her.

And now, maybe he could actually have a chance. He wouldn’t need to be afraid to get too close to her, because maybe, just maybe, she wouldn’t experience the pain and discomfort that he had expected all these years.

Noah raked his fingers through his hair, gritting his teeth against the insistent throb between his legs as he made his way back to the ballroom. The sensation had been easily ignored before when he thought that it would be impossible anyway, but now…

Goddess, he could practically smell the pheromones clinging to her skin before she had stormed off. He could picture the way her cheeks had flushed, the way her nostrils flared when she breathed deeply.

A low growl rumbled from somewhere in Noah’s chest as he gritted his teeth even harder to quell the beginnings of an erection straining inside his pants.

Perhaps, he mused with a scowl, it was because Hannah’s figure had filled out so tantalizingly recently. She had put on a little bit of weight, and it suited her. And her hips and breasts… Goddess, they looked bigger lately. Had she started taking some kind of supplement?

Noah shook his head sharply, chastising himself. Not now, he thought to both himself and his wolf. But perhaps later… Yes, perhaps later they could talk.

And maybe some good lovemaking was all they needed to rekindle their love.

For now, Noah smoothed his hands over the lapels of his suit jacket and re-entered the ballroom just as the Luna Queen was wrapping up her toast. His gaze swept over the crowd of guests, searching for Hannah’s familiar blonde curls.

But Hannah was nowhere to be found in the sea of gowns and tuxedos. Noah frowned, wading deeper into the throng.

Suddenly, a flash of blonde hair bobbed through the crowd up ahead. Feeling his breath catch, Noah began making his way toward her with determined strides—only to be brought up short by a hand curling around his bicep.

“There you are.”

Noah turned to see none other than Zoe standing there, her slender fingers subtly tightening around his bicep.

“Oh. Zoe,” he said, inclining his chin politely.

She offered him a lovely smile. “Dance with me?”

Noah paused for a moment, still surveying the crowd. “Actually, I was looking for—”

“Just one dance,” Zoe insisted, leaning in so that the floral notes of her perfume nearly overwhelmed Noah’s senses. “Please?”

With his jaw tightening, Noah let out a sigh and nodded. Hannah wouldn’t want to talk to him right now anyway, he figured; maybe it was best to let her stew for a while before he tried again.

Zoe beamed, pulling him onto the dance floor. Automatically, Noah placed one hand on the small of her back while he held her hand in his other palm. Her free hand came to rest on his shoulder, although he could feel her fingers graze the part where his shirt collar ended and his neck began.

“Doesn’t this bring back memories?” she murmured, tilting her head to the side.

Noah merely nodded, his attention divided between not trampling her toes and trying to spot Hannah through the sea of people. But then his gaze landed on Drake, who was chatting with some other Alphas by the bar. Just seeing him made his blood pressure spike.

“I must admit, I was surprised to see Drake enter the competition,” he suddenly said. “Given his position on the Alpha Council this year…”

Zoe hummed. “He must have had his reasons.”

“Such as?”

She shrugged delicately. “Well…” She pursed her lips, considering her words carefully. “I have a sneaking suspicion that the Luna Queen wanted to see us reunited. I mean, even if he had won the competition, it would have been a major faux pas for an Alpha on the Council to host the Lunar Festival.”

Noah’s eyebrows hiked upwards. It was true—those who were on the Alpha Council in any given year couldn’t host the Lunar Festival. It was how things were kept fair. And often, those who had hosted the Lunar Festival in the past year would sit on the Council the year after.

“So,” Zoe mused, her eyes flitting over to where Drake stood, “I suppose the Luna Queen always has doted on her nephew. Although this feels too far.”

Noah felt his heart sink. It was too far; and it was unfair to Zoe, if she was being pressured into things she didn’t want. He lowered his voice, leaning in a little closer. “Listen, Zoe… if the Luna Queen or Drake are pressuring you into anything—”

“Noah.” Zoe cut him off with a tight smile and a gentle press of her fingertips against his chest. “I appreciate the concern, I truly do. But perhaps this isn’t the place to talk so openly about it.”

For a moment, Noah was taken aback. But then he nodded, realizing that she was right.

“We’ll talk another time, then,” he muttered.

Zoe offered him another smile, her slender fingers pulling away from him—but not before they ran slowly across his skin and the fabric of his suit, making him shiver despite himself. “It’s a date,” she said, before slipping off into the crowd.

Noah watched her go, but only for a moment. He had other things to worry about tonight, like finding his wife. And as his gaze swept across the crowd one last time…

There. He saw her eyes blink at him from the throngs of people, and he saw… the hurt in them. Right before she tossed her hair over her shoulder and slipped away far too quickly.

Noah tried to go after her, but it was no use. She had practically run off, disappearing into the crowd before he so much as had a chance to call her name.