Chapter 320 +25 BONUS

I chewed my lip, thinking. The idea of letting my cousin take over Silvermoon sounded like a nightmare. And Lily couldn’t take over; she didn’t possess the special gene required to be an Alpha. Only Alpha and I qualified for the role, since he was my father’s only nephew.

“So, you think I should go after Silvermoon now?” I asked. I’d need to divorce Noah first, and I promised I’d stay for the duration of the pregnancy. If I left now, it might not be as amicable as we’d hoped.

My mother shrugged. “I’d be lying if I said you wouldn’t make a far better Alpha than Alvin,” she admitted. “But…” She paused, shaking her head. “Are you sure you two can’t work it out? You and Noah, I mean.”

I blinked at her for a moment before shaking my head. “I don’t… I don’t think so.”

She sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. “Once, you truly loved Noah. And I believe he loved you too.”

“What are you getting at?” I asked.

My mother pursed her lips, her eyes taking on a distant look for a moment, as though looking back in time. Finally, she murmured, “Your father and I… you know we almost divorced when you and Lily were kids.”

“You… What?” I asked, my eyebrows shooting up. This was the first I’d heard of it.

She nodded. “We had been having marital issues for a while; we just weren’t… clicking. Like two ships passing in the night.” For a moment, I thought I saw her eyes mist over, and mine did as well. My parents had always adored each other, as far as I could remember. I couldn’t imagine them being apart.

“But we went to therapy,” she said quickly, “We worked it out. We knew we loved each other, deep down. It wasn’t easy, but it was worth fighting for. And we’re still together today. Don’t you want that for you and Noah?”

“But what about Silvermoon?”

“I’m not asking about Silvermoon. I’m asking about you two. And…” She paused, glancing at my belly. “…your little one.”

I shook my head and quickly looked away, feeling a lump form in my throat. “But that’s different. You and Dad are fated mates, so of course you were able to work it out. Noah and I aren’t. He already had one, Zoe, and I don’t think he ever fully got over her. How can I compete with that?”

My mother’s eyes twinkled, a knowing smile playing on her lips. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that. Love isn’t always about fate, Hannah. Sometimes it’s a choice we make every day.”

Before I could ask what she meant, her gaze shifted to something over my shoulder. I turned, following her line of sight, and saw Noah standing alone by the punch bowl. He looked handsome in his tailored suit, the dark fabric accentuating his broad shoulders. But there was a sadness in his eyes as he watched the couples dancing, a loneliness that tugged at my heart despite everything.

My mother gave me a gentle push. “You could at least dance with him, you know.”

With that, my mother left me. I bit my lip, considering for a moment, before trudging across the room. Noah looked lonely, just as out of place as I felt tonight. A dance would be nice for both of us, I supposed.

1.2 +25 BONUS

“Hannah,” he said, straightening slightly as I approached. “Need something?”

I held out my hand. “Dance with me?”

He hesitated for a moment, his green eyes flickering down to my hand. Then, finally, he set his drink down and followed me. We moved to the dance floor, his arm wrapping around my waist as we began to sway to the music.

His fingers were warm through the thin silk of my dress, and I quickly occupied my eyes with the streamers hanging from the ceiling in the hopes he couldn’t see the sudden redness in my cheeks.

We danced in silence, the familiar scent of his cologne making my knees weak for the second time that day. Neither of us spoke, although I couldn’t decide if it was because we had nothing to say or if we were fine with the silence.

Suddenly, the sound of clinking glass cut through the music. The room fell silent as my father tapped his knife against his champagne flute, calling for attention. Noah and I separated, turning to face the center of the room.

My father cleared his throat, a broad smile on his face. “Friends, family, pack members… I have an announcement to make.”

My father’s eyes found mine in the crowd, his smile growing even wider, and my heart began to race. What was he doing? Surely he wouldn’t…

“My daughter… is pregnant!”