Chapter 0305 Hannah The car ride stretched on endlessly as we made our way to Silvermoon. Noah had insisted on driving. citing environmental concerns and my pregnancy as reasons to avoid flying. I stared out the window, watching the landscape blur by, trying to ignore his presence beside me.
âWe should reach the hotel in about an hour,â Noah sald, breaking the silence that had persisted for most of the journey I merely nodded, not bothering to look at him.
He sighed. âHannah, weâre going to be spending a lot of time together over the next few days. Can we at least try to be civil?â
â1 am being civilâ I replied coldly. âI havenât thrown you out of the moving car, have 1?â
Noah chuckled, but it sounded forced. âI suppose thatâs true. Small mercies, right?â
I didnât respond, and we lapsed back into silence.
As promised, we arrived at the hotel an hour laterâan upscale place situated along the river that crossed between Nightcrest and Silvermoon. We always stayed here whenever we visited Silvermoon, and I liked the place. But mostly, I was just looking forward to having some space to myself, âWelcome to the Silver Pines Hotel, Alpha and Luna,â the receptionist beamed as we approached the desk. âLet me just check your reservation... Ah, yes. I have you down for our deluxe king suite. Is that correct?â
I felt my heart sink as Noah nodded. âThatâs right, thank you.â
As we were led to our shared room, I pursed my lips but said nothing. I supposed I should have expected thisâhaving to share a room. We still had to present a united front, especially so close to pack borders like this.
Still, it didnât mean I was happy about it.
On the top floor, the bellhop opened the door to our suite. It was spacious and wellâappointed, with a sitting area, a small kitchenette, and a large bed dominating the center of the room.
One bed. Of course.c After settling in, Noah suggested we head down to the hotel restaurant for dinner. I agreed, if only to delay the inevitable awkwardness of sharing a room.
The restaurant was just as elegant as I remembered, with soft lighting and white tablecloths. It was... romantic Too bad I wasnât in the mood for romance.
âSo,â Noah said as we looked over the menu, âare you looking forward to seeing your family?â
âYes,â I replied curtly âItâs been a while since weâve visited Silvermoon. I wonder how much has changedâ
I shrugged. âYou tell me. You seem to know plenty about my fatherâs personal matters.â
Chapter WIDs.
+25 BONUS Noah sighed, frustrated by my cold responses. âHannah, could you at least try to engage in conversation?â
âI thought I was,â I retorted. I decided that I was craving a burger and tossed my menu down on the table.
He leaned forward, lowering his voice. âLook, I know youâre not happy with me, but you could at least. pretend not to despise me in public. Itâs creating a negative image for our pack.â
I felt a surge of vindictiveness at that moment. âOh, you want me to pretend? Fine. I can do that.â
Just then, our waitress approached the table. âGood evening! Are you ready to order, or do you need a few more minutes?â
I turned to her with a sickeningly sweet smile. âOh, weâre ready, arenât we, my darling?â I cooed, reaching across the table to grab Noahâs face.
Noahâs eyes widened in surprise as I leaned precariously over the table and peppered his face with kisses, pinching his cheeks and generally making a spectacle of ourselves. If he wanted me to act in love, then I would lay it on thickâmake him regret ever asking.
âIsnât he just the most handsome Alpha youâve ever seen?â I gushed to the waitress, who looked both amused and a little embarrassed.
1, uh... Iâll give you two some space,â she said, backing away with a nervous laugh.
As soon as she was gone, I released my grip on Noah and plopped back down in my seat. âThere,â I said flatly. Is that what you want? To be fawned over?â
To my surprise, Noahâs cheeks were flushed red. He said nothing, just looked down at his menu with an expression that was almost... bashful. For a moment, he reminded me of the cute, shy boy he used to be, before everything changed.