Chapter 0385

Hannah

I stared at the wedding invitation on my dresser, my fingers tracing the ornate gold lettering. Noah and Zoe’s wedding was coming up soon. The thought still churned my stomach, but a new emotion now mingled with the hurt: determination.

“You know what?” I said to Viona, sprawled on my bed, flipping through a magazine. “I’ve decided I’m going to look amazing at this wedding.”

“You do look amazing.” She licked her thumb and flipped the page.

I turned to the mirror, prodding my belly. The baby bump was gone, and I didn’t mind the lingering fat and loose skin. I had carried an entire life inside me for nearly nine months, after all. But still… “I know,” I said. “But is it so wrong to want to show up looking like a million bucks?”

“Not at all.” Viona sat up, tossing her magazine aside. “And besides, it’s been far too long since we had one of our good old-fashioned shopping sprees.”

The next day found us at the upscale mall in the heart of Silvermoon. Racks of designer dresses surrounded us, a rainbow of fabrics and styles.

“What about this one?” Viona held up a slinky black dress.

I shook my head. “Too funeral-ish. I want to look hot, not like I’m still mourning my marriage.”

After trying on what felt like a hundred dresses, I finally emerged from the dressing room in a forest green silk gown that hugged every curve. Viona’s jaw dropped. “Hannah, that’s it. You look incredible.”

I turned to the mirror, barely recognizing myself. The dress was daring, with a plunging neckline and a high slit that showed off my leg. But what struck me most was how powerful I looked. The color—forest green, just like Melody’s eyes. Just like his eyes.

It would be a real slap in the face for him. A lesson for doubting my baby was his when he was the one who’d been lying and cheating for months.

“I love it,” I breathed. “But… I’d like to lose some of this baby weight to really pull it off.” I paused, then added, “In a healthy way this time.”

Viona rolled her eyes. “You look amazing as is. But if you really want to tone up, why not ask Drake to start training you again?”

The idea of getting back into shape appealed to me. Not just to look good in the dress, but to feel strong again. To be able to protect Melody with everything I had.

“You’re right,” I nodded. “I’ll give him a call.”

The next morning, I found myself in the pack’s training facility, facing off against Drake in the sparring ring—just like old times. Viona sat on the sidelines, scrolling through her phone—although the way her eyes occasionally flicked up to gawk at Drake’s shirtless torso, muscles glistening in the dim light, wasn’t lost on me. I don’t think it was lost on Drake, either, because he flexed unnecessarily.

“Ready to get your ass kicked, Alpha?” Drake grinned, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

I snorted and adjusted the wraps around my hands. “In your dreams, pretty boy.”

We circled each other, muscles tense, ready to strike. Drake made the first move, lunging forward with a swift jab. To my surprise, I dodged it easily, my body reacting on instinct.

As we continued to spar, I found myself matching Drake blow for blow. My muscles remembered the training, even if I hadn’t worked out in months. In fact, I felt stronger than ever.

After an hour of intense training, we both collapsed onto the mat, breathing heavily.

“Damn, Han,” Drake panted. “You’re tougher than ever these days. I thought you’d be rusty after the baby, but you’re kicking my ass.”

I sat up, wiping sweat from my brow. “Really? I feel out of shape.”

Drake shook his head. “If anything, you seem stronger. Maybe becoming an Alpha and a mother strengthened your wolf.”

That made sense. But then I thought back to the hunt last year, where I’d taken down a deer single-handedly. “I guess I was pretty tough at last year’s hunt,” I mused.