Alpha's Regret After Her Rebirth (Hannah and Noah)

Chapter 0431

Noah

Noah sighed and leaned back in his chair, the leather creaking quietly under his weight as he shifted.

His green eyes scanned the cluttered desk in front of him, which was currently piled higher than ever with documents and evidence for the upcoming trials-not to mention all of the other tasks that came along with being Alpha. Noah had no Luna. No Beta. And he had fired Leonard months ago when he tried to force Hannah to drink

that truth serum.

Noah was basically a lone Alpha.

He hadn't even hired a bloody assistant to answer phone calls for him yet.

"Too bad my Beta turned out to be a snake," he muttered to himself as he passed a hand over his weary face, a bitter taste in his mouth at the thought of his half-brother's betrayal.

But at least Scott was in prison now-and he had made it nice and easy, too, with his full confession.

And hopefully, Zoe would soon join him there. The thought of seeing her behind bars, that pretty manicure of hers ruined and mascara streaked down her face, brought a grim satisfaction to Noah's heart.

But the road to justice wasn't as simple as it had once been. Hannah had put it pretty well at the Full Moon Festival: "If only it were like the movies."

Yes... If only.

Many years ago, an Alpha's word was absolute law on their pack lands. If Noah had lived during those times, he could have thrown Zoe and Scott into a dungeon and thrown away the key without so much as a trial if he wanted.

But times had changed, and with them, the laws that governed their world.

Now, the Alpha Council would ultimately have to decide if Zoe was guilty enough to go to prison for life. Noah could jail her temporarily, but without a proper trial, he would have to release her eventually.

It was a frustrating process, but he knew it was ultimately for the best. Power gone unchecked could lead to tyranny, after all. Darkmoon was one of the last vestiges of the old ways, and look what they were like: militaristic and antagonistic with a prick for an Alpha. But even Alpha David was subject to the Council's punishments if he stepped too far out of line.

As Noah scanned the room, his gaze fell on a particular document amidst the chaos on his desk-the DNA test results for Adam. He picked it up, reading over the contents once more even though he had memorized them by now.

"Well, Scott," he said to the empty room, "looks like you were telling the truth about one thing, at least." The test confirmed without a doubt that Adam was indeed Scott's son, not Drake's. It was the final piece of evidence that Noah needed for the trial, the last nail in the coffin of Zoe's lies.

Combined with Scott's confession, it should be enough to ensure that Zoe faced the consequences of

+25 BORRUS

her actions.

And then... Noah and Hannah could finally move on.

Rebuild what those bastards had broken down.

The thought of Hannah brought a smile to his face, chasing away some of the stress that had been weighing on him. Tomorrow, she would be facing her own trial, confronting Alvin for his part in this mess. He had no doubt that she was well-prepared and that the trial would go smoothly.

Noah's eyes drifted to his computer screen, where a news article about Hannah's upcoming trial was displayed. Her photo accompanied the piece, and Noah found himself tracing the outline of her face with his finger.

It had been a month since the Full Moon Festival, a month since that kiss that still lingered on his lips.Belonging to NôvelDrama.Org.

They hadn't had a single moment alone together since then, both of them too consumed by the preparations for the trials. But that kiss...

Noah could still feel the electricity of it, the way the world had seemed to fall away until there was nothing but Hannah.

That night, the mate bond between them-the one that Zoe and Scott had destroyed out of their own selfishness-had begun to reform.

Noah had felt it. Could still feel it now. And he knew Hannah could feel it, too.

Because sometimes, in the middle of the night when he was lying awake in what was once their marriage bed, he could feel a tug on that bond.

Like her soul was reaching for him.

Noah intended to officially ask Hannah to be his girlfriend once these damn trials were over. He really wanted her to marry him right away, but Hannah had set her boundaries, and Noah intended to honor them.

So girlfriend it would have to be.

The idea both thrilled and terrified him. What if she said no? What if the wounds of the past were still too fresh? But then he remembered the look in her eyes that night at the festival, the way she had melted into his arms, and hope bloomed in his chest. Still, their reunion-assuming they did get remarried someday-wouldn't be so simple.

Two Alphas, marrying one another...

It had only been within the past thirty years that gay marriage had been legalized across all the packs, by decree of the Alpha Council. But even then, if two male Alphas married, one of them still had to take on the formal title and responsibilities of 'Luna' while the other remained the 'Alpha'.

Okay, so maybe the Alpha Council wasn't perfect in its policies. But at least it was something, and pack leaders could actually marry who they loved without having to pass as straight.

But for two Alphas to marry and to keep their titles...

Well, it wasn't going to be easy to convince the Council of that. Especially since Hannah was a won

and female Alphas were still seen as jokes by many. In fact, Hannah was the only female Alpha currently- not the only one to have ever existed, but the only one in this current political climate.

Still, Noah intended to stay true to his word. He had told Hannah that he would give up his station need be, and he meant it.

Not that giving up Nightcrest was a decision he took lightly; in fact, he sort of loathed the idea. Silvermoon could absorb Nightcrest and Hannah could rule both packs on her own, but not everyone would be okay with that.

Noah would be seen as a weakling of a man, and Hannah... She'd instantly be labeled as a dominatrix by

many.

It was bound to be a contentious situation, one that could cause unrest in their people and the other packs.

But which was worse, Noah wondered?

Struggling through the arduous process of legalizing Alpha-Alpha marriages?

Giving up his station at the expense of both his and Hannah's reputations?

Or not getting to be with her at all?

Noah supposed that the third option was the worst out of all of them.

But for now, one step at a time; he was getting ahead of himself. Hannah hadn't even agreed to be his girlfriend yet, and before that...

Before that, he had to ensure that their enemies were finally put behind bars, where they belonged.