Chapter 0039

Hannah

I led Drake to the bar, my heels clicking decisively on the marble floor. A part of me felt like I was betraying Noah, despite his unreasonable jealousy. He has no right to be jealous, I thought; he's the one pining after his ex-girlfriend.

Still, I pushed those thoughts aside as I claimed two empty stools, gesturing for Drake to sit beside me. The bartender materialized almost instantly.

“What can I get for you, Alpha Drake?” he asked.

“I’ll have a whiskey, neat,” Drake replied coolly, then looked at me. “And for you, Luna Hannah…?”

My lips twitched. “Just water for me, thanks.”

Drake blinked, seemingly surprised, but didn't question it as the bartender filled our orders. An awkward silence fell, one I felt compelled to break.

“Ah… I spoke with Zoe, as I said I would.”

Drake’s eyes sharpened. “Oh? And what did my darling wife have to say?”

I hesitated, pinning him with a measured look as I considered my response. Finally, I opted for the truth—or some version of it, at least.

“She wasn’t keen on seeing you, or letting you see Adam, I’ll be honest. She said…” My brow furrowed as I carefully chose my words. “She said you were unfaithful, Drake. Multiple times, with… other women.”

To his credit, Drake didn’t flinch. He merely sipped his whiskey, his gaze impassive.

“I see,” he said after a long pause.

I arched a brow at his nonchalant reaction. “Is it true, then? What she said?”

“Does it matter if it’s true or not?” he asked with an idle shrug. “Clearly, Zoe has made up her mind about me either way.”

Letting out a humorless puff of air, I shook my head. “You’re unbelievable. Do you honestly think for even a minute that I believe a word that comes out of your mouth?”

Drake froze, seemingly shocked by my words; and truthfully, I was shocked by my candor. But I was tired of keeping my mouth shut, of being the demure Luna who never spoke her mind.

But, much to my surprise, Drake’s lips curved into a smile. “You’re a lot like your husband,” he said.

I bristled. “I’m nothing like him.”

“I didn’t mean offense,” Drake replied. “It’s just that both of you are brutally honest. I like that.”

Honest, I thought. Yeah, right. Noah was anything but honest. “Yeah, well, maybe you could take a page out of my book,” I retorted. “And stop cheating on your wife.”

Drake sighed. “I know I fucked up, okay?” he said, lowering his voice and leaning closer. “I just want to apologize to her. And to see my son.”

At the mention of little Adam, my shoulders slumped, my righteous anger deflating slightly. “Look, Drake…” I began carefully. “Whatever happened between you and Zoe is your business, I suppose. But I can’t help you win her back, even if I wanted to.”

“Can’t?” Drake repeated, refocusing on me with that infuriatingly smug look. “Or won’t?”

I scowled. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Leaning in conspiratorially, Drake’s lips curved into a slow smile that made my skin prickle.

“Come now, Luna,” he murmured, holding my gaze intently. “You and I both know our interests here align more than either of us would like to admit.”

My mouth went dry, panic fluttering in my chest as I searched his face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Drake merely tsked, shaking his head in a mockery of sympathy. “The lovely gown,” he drawled, letting his stare trail slowly down the black silk draping my body. “The diamonds at your throat that seem to weigh so heavily. The tension between you and your husband… so thick, I could cut it with a knife…”

Heat flooded my cheeks as I averted my gaze, my nails digging into my palms. How could he possibly know…?

“Word travels fast among the elite circles, I’m afraid,” Drake continued. “Talk of trouble in paradise in the very heart of Nightcrest and all that.”

My jaw clenched. Drake’s reputation certainly preceded him—but so did mine, it seemed.

“So you see,” he went on, unperturbed by my stony silence, “you want Noah’s attention just as badly as I want Zoe’s affection again. Perhaps we could… help each other out?”

I swung my head around to gape at him. “Attention?” I hissed. “You’re mistaken.”

But Drake leveled me with a knowing gaze. He said nothing for a long time, and finally, I felt as if he had seen straight through to my core—maybe even more than I had ever seen myself. I quickly looked away, gritting my teeth.

“So what are you suggesting?” I asked, taking a sip of my water.

“We can make them jealous,” he whispered. Seeing my eyes widen, he held up his hand in a placating gesture. “Nothing too indecent, I assure you. But a little flirting can go a long way, you know?”

When my withering glare didn’t falter, he pressed on in a low tone.

“Just think about it, Hannah. It could work perfectly—you make Noah jealous and I soften Zoe up again. We can win our respective partners back without any… emotional entanglements getting too messy.” My head was whirling even as my instincts screamed at me to shut this down immediately. I didn’t want Noah back; I didn’t love him anymore. And Drake was everything I despised—a playboy only looking out for himself.

“Who says I want Noah back?” I said.

Drake raised his eyebrows in mock surprise. “Well then, what do you want?” he asked. “I assure you, your words here will not be repeated.”

I paused, worrying my lower lip. I had no grounds to trust Drake, and so I decided to keep it simple.

“I want a good reputation for myself,” I said. “For my own future.”

Drake blinked, and then realization seemed to dawn on him. “Very well. How about this: if you help me make Zoe jealous and win her back, then I’ll assure that Nightcrest is voted as the pack to host the Lunar Festival—and I’ll be sure to make it known that your pack’s success in this endeavor is because of you, the illustrious Luna.”

I felt my heart skip a beat. Now that… that was an intriguing prospect. But still…

“Why should I trust you?” I demanded. “You’re a playboy, Drake—everyone knows it, except for me, apparently.”

He spread his hands in an all-too-casual display of innocence. “I give you my word, Luna: No under-the-table deals, no indecent proposals. Just an alliance of mutual benefit between two people who want something.”

I opened my mouth to retort, but the words died in my throat as Noah’s familiar figure materialized beside me. My husband’s presence was like a sudden, suffocating weight in the air, and I stiffened. I stiffened even more when I felt his arm snake around my waist.

“Hannah,” he murmured in my ear, his voice a combination of annoyance and something more—something huskier. “Let’s dance.”

Before I could blink, Noah was steering me away from the bar—away from Drake. As I was pulled back into the crowd, I chanced one last glance over my shoulder. Drake raised his glass in a subtle salute, his lips pulling into a wicked smirk.

“Don’t forget, Hannah,” he called out, just loud enough for me to hear. “You promised to give me a tour of the pack tomorrow, didn’t you?”

I nodded in agreement without thinking.