Chapter 0275

Hannah

The feast was in full swing, the aroma of roasted deer filling the thick forest air and mingling with the lively sounds of live music. I meandered through the crowd, casually sipping iced tea. My muscles still felt loose and relaxed after my run through the forest, though the coppery tang of blood lingered at the back of my tongue.

A group of children darted past, nearly knocking me over, their squeals of laughter echoing through the clearing. I stepped aside quickly, narrowly avoiding a collision with little Adam, who seemed to be leading the pack.

“Sorry, Luna Hannah!” he called over his shoulder, without slowing down.

I smiled as I watched them disappear into the crowd. My hand unconsciously drifted to my stomach, and I wondered what it would be like to have my own child running and playing amongst them. At that moment, my eyes sought out Noah almost instinctively. I spotted him across the clearing, deep in conversation with some of the older pack members. My hand quickly fell back to my side.

As if sensing my gaze, he looked up, our eyes locking for a brief moment. My wolf stirred within me, a low whine escaping my throat. The desire I had been trying to ignore surged back with full force. I wanted him. Badly.

It was becoming increasingly difficult to quell these feelings, especially since the night we had spent together. Tasting what we could have had only intensified the hunger. And now, having tasted the doe's blood, awakening that primal part of me, only one thought filled my mind: him. Noah. Mate.

“Hannah!” Drake’s voice pulled me from my thoughts, thankfully preventing me from saying or doing something I would regret. I turned to see him approaching with a broad smile.

“Drake,” I said.

Drake stopped a foot away. “That was some impressive hunting earlier. I’ve never seen a Luna take down a deer like that. So quick and clean.” He gestured to the fire, where the kill was being carved up. It felt both beautiful and barbaric, to feast on something I had hunted myself. But it felt right—in tune with the primal beast within us all.

My cheeks warmed at the praise. The cooks had even commented on how tender the meat was, indicating the deer hadn't suffered—sometimes, an animal's suffering tinged the meat with a strange taste. But not today.

“Thanks, Drake. Although I think Noah might have let me win,” I admitted.

Drake chuckled. “Well, even if he did, it doesn’t change the fact that you made a clean kill. It’s obvious you’ve still got it in you.”

I nodded, sipping my iced tea. Then, remembering what I’d seen earlier, I decided to probe. “By the way, I couldn’t help but notice… was Zoe riding on your back when you arrived at the kill site?”

Drake’s eyes widened slightly, and he glanced around before leaning closer. “You saw that? I didn’t think anyone had noticed.”

“I did,” I confirmed. “Is everything okay?”

He hesitated, then sighed. “I shouldn’t tell you this, but… Zoe has been having some trouble shifting lately. I think it might be stress-related. She asked me to help her keep up appearances during the hunt.”

Despite everything that had happened between us, I felt a pang of sympathy for Zoe. It was only today that I had overcome some of my own shifting troubles.

“Oh. That must be difficult for her,” I murmured.

Drake nodded solemnly. “It is. But don’t let on that you know, okay? She’d be mortified if she found out anyone knew about her struggles. Especially you.”