Chapter 438
Chapter 0438
Hannah
Noah and I walked out of the courtroom side by side.
Viona and Drake, who were waiting in the hallway, turned. Their eyes widened the moment they saw our intertwined hands and the flushed color to my cheeks.
"Before you start asking questions," I said, holding up my free hand to stop Viona, "it's true. Noah and I have decided to make things official again."
My friend's face went pale with shock. Drake's lips curled into a cheeky grin. "I guess that means I've officially missed my shot with you, Hannah," he teased, to which Viona gave him a well-deserved smack in the chest.
I couldn't help but grin myself as I looked up at Noah.
My mate.
My boyfriend.
Tleaned against him, savoring the warmth of his arm as it snaked around my waist.
Noah came over for dinner that night-to celebrate our dual victories in court, of course.
But unbeknownst to my parents and my sister, we had something else to celebrate.
We waited until the dinner plates were cleared and dessert was being served to tell them. Beneath the table, I felt Noah's hand around mine, warm and reassuring. I caught Lily's eyes across the way, and there was a knowing look in her gaze-but if she knew what I was about to announce, then she didn't say it out
loud.
"I-we-have an announcement," I said, my fingers tightening around my glass of white wine. "Noah and I..." I glanced over at Noah, and he gave my hand another squeeze. "We're back together. Officially."
My parents' faces lit up, my father's eyes immediately going as wide as saucers. Lily just leaned back in her chair with a tiny 'I knew it' smirk and sipped her own wine.
"That's wonderful news!" my father practically shouted. "When did this happen? Today?"
I nodded and glanced over at Noah. "I asked her this afternoon," he replied for me. "After the trials. It took some convincing, but she agreed to be my girlfriend."
I couldn't help but blush a little, averting my gaze to my lap, as I recalled those moments. My emotions had warred between elation and terror, with elation finally taking over. "Yes," I'd finally said, throwing my arms around his neck. "Yes. Let's give this another go. A real one this time." In my heart, during those moments, I knew that I couldn't be without him any longer. I kept thinking back to that night we played frisbee, to the feeling of those invisible threads slowly reforming between our hearts.
He was my mate, and he had almost been taken from me forever. I couldn't refuse his request. Not
anymore.
"Well," my father said, lifting his glass, "this is joyous news. Perhaps we can set up a time and a date to discuss the merger."
My eyebrows shot up at that. "The merger?"
My father sipped his wine and nodded. "Yes. You will want Nightcrest to absorb Silvermoon, no?"
Despite my best efforts not to show my disappointment, I felt my shoulders slump a little when my father said that. I knew I was foolish for not expecting this sort of reaction-he was old-fashioned, and even if he wasn't, most people would have turned their nose up at the idea of two Alphas keeping their statuses.
But hearing it now... Seeing the way that Noah hardly reacted to the comment...
It was hard not to want to cry.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.
"We talked about this, Dad," I said simply, trying my best to sound relaxed.
My father merely shrugged one shoulder. "Yes, yes, I know you want to remain Alpha, dear... But it's simply unheard of for two Alphas to marry without one taking on the role of Luna. It's a logical outcome Tradition, you know?"
I swallowed hard and looked away, blood pounding through my ears.
Logical. Traditional. Unheard of.
Across the table, I heard my mother say something about dessert, clearly trying to keep the conversation light. My sister's apologetic gaze, however, wasn't lost on me.
And all the while, Noah remained silent. Contemplative or...