Chapter 360

By the time Noah pulled away from that kiss, I was breathless and blushing. My face felt hot, surely beet-red from the unexpected display of affection. This wasn't just for show or for the cameras; this was real.

“You look beautiful,” he breathed, his fingers first brushing across the gauzy pink fabric of my dress and then coming up to touch the flowers circling my head. “I like this.”

My face heated a little more. “It’s not too much?” I was the only one dressed so extravagantly; everyone else was more subdued in various cocktail dresses and suits.

Noah shook his head quickly. “Never too much. You look like a princess.”

With that, he slid his arm around my waist and guided me into the party. While some guests, including Zoe and Drake, had spilled out into the foyer, the main party was in the dining room.

I clapped my fingers over my lips as we stepped through the double doors. The dining room looked even lovelier than that morning, colorful streamers, balloons, and banners covering every surface. The long dining table was laden with delicious-looking food and drinks, and the air practically smelled like sugar. Soft classical strains played from the speakers.

And at the center of the table was the cake I had requested—a deep, rich chocolate interior with chocolate buttercream frosting, topped with a small statuette of a pregnant woman that looked an awful lot like me.

“Well?” Noah asked, turning to me. “What do you think?”

“You’ve outdone yourself,” I breathed. “Truly. I love it.”

Noah smiled and reached for two flutes of champagne from a passing waiter. Some flutes were marked with little rings around the stems, indicating a non-alcoholic alternative—for me, of course. He handed one to me and clinked his glass against mine. The bubbles tickled my nose as I brought it to my lips. He raised his glass and cleared his throat, causing the guests to quiet their murmuring and turn to us.

“A toast,” he announced, “to my beautiful Luna and the heir of Nightcrest.”

The room echoed with the sound of clinking glasses and murmured congratulations. I sipped my cider, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the attention—especially with Zoe standing against the far wall, her face still pale as she looked at me. But Noah’s hand against my lower back was a welcome comfort, and I leaned into him.

“Hannah!”

I turned at the sound of the familiar voice, a smile breaking across my face as I saw Drake approaching. It had been a while since we’d last seen each other, and I moved to embrace him openly.

“Drake, I’m so glad you could make it,” I said, hugging him tightly.

To my surprise, I felt Noah tense slightly beside me, his arm tightening around my waist. But when I pulled back, I saw him extend his other hand to Drake, clasping his arm firmly.

“Thank you for coming, Drake,” Noah said. His voice was a bit tense, but I could sense a genuine attempt at warmth—tentative, perhaps, but it was there. They shook hands and parted.

Drake grinned, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world. I’m happy to be here for my friends.”

There was the word I had been hoping for: friends. Even Noah seemed to relax a bit at the sound. Perhaps he and Drake had their hang-ups and shared history, but that was what we were all becoming now: friends.

At the thought, I glanced over at Zoe, swirling her champagne in her glass. She was turned to the side, pretending to be looking at something else, but I could see her eyes darting over to us every so often. Despite myself, I felt a wave of empathy wash over me.

Zoe and I, just like Noah and Drake, had our own shared pasts, our own hang-ups. But I was trying to be less vindictive lately, genuinely wanting to stay true to the promise I had made to Noah to continue working on myself.

So, despite the lump in my throat, I gestured to her.

“Zoe,” I called out, waving her over. “Come join us.”

She hesitated for a moment, surprise flashing across her face before she approached, her smile not quite reaching her eyes. “That sounds fun,” she said, her voice overly sweet.

I handed her two slips of paper and a pen from a nearby table. “Write down one boy’s name and one girl’s name you’d like to suggest,” I explained, holding out a jar for her to drop them into. “We’ll draw them out later and see what everyone suggested.”

Zoe nodded, scribbling down her choices and folding the scraps of paper before dropping them in the jar. “I hope it’s a girl,” she said with a sweet smile.

I paused, taken aback by her words. Most people would say that to an Alpha and Luna when they wanted to imply they hoped the baby wouldn’t be an heir—one of those small political slights that sounded sweet but were meant to cut deep. But I wasn’t about to let that slide.

“Fun fact,” I said, loud enough for others to hear, my voice firm but not unkind, “both Noah and I possess the Alpha gene. Our baby will have it regardless of gender.”

Zoe’s smile didn’t falter, though I saw a flicker of something—perhaps disappointment?—in her eyes. “Oh, I almost forgot,” she replied smoothly without missing a beat. “That’s wonderful.”

I merely offered her a pleasant smile of my own.

As the evening progressed, Noah never strayed far from my side. During dinner, his hand rested on my leg under the table. The warmth of his palm seeped through the fabric of my dress, sending little sparks of electricity through me. I marveled at how easily he smiled and laughed tonight, engaging in conversations with our guests. It was like watching him open up more and more with each passing moment, the ice that had surrounded him for so long melting away.

After dinner, a group of us moved to the living room for games. Someone suggested Hedbanz, and soon we were all wearing ridiculous headbands with words we couldn’t see written on them.

When it was my turn, Noah leaned in close, his lips brushing my ear. The feeling sent shivers down my spine. “Want a hint?” he murmured.

I shivered at his proximity in front of all these people, the warmth of his breath tickling my skin. “That’s cheating,” I whispered back, but I couldn’t keep the smile from my face.

Noah leaned in, pressing his lips gently to mine. Suddenly, I heard his voice echo in my mind, clear as day, “Your word is ‘Moonflower.’”

I gasped, both at the use of our Mindlink—something we had never used before, not even once—and at his blatant cheating. Noah just grinned as he pulled back, looking satisfied with himself. Everyone looked at me expectantly.

“It’s… It’s moonflower,” I said, my face flushing.

“You cheaters!” Amber threw down her headband and pointed an accusatory finger at me.

“You two are impossible,” Drake chuckled, shaking his head.

Viona threw her head back and laughed. “I should have known.”

I flushed in the wake of our mischief, but Noah just laughed along with the others, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and tugging me close. We prepared a new round, Noah promising not to cheat again, as our friends continued to chide him. My eyes slid over to Zoe, who was sitting in the armchair by the window, legs crossed, a fresh glass of champagne in one delicate hand. She was smiling, too—smiling a bit too sweetly for comfort.