Chapter 0320 +25 BONUS I chewed my lip, thinking. The idea of letting my cousin take over Silvermoon sounded like a nightmare. And Lily couldnât take over; she didnât possess the special gene that allowed one to be an Alpha. Only Alpha and I qualified for the role, since he was my fatherâs only nephew.
SO you think I should go after Silvermoon now?â I asked, Iâd need to divorce Noah first, and I promised Iâd stay for the duration of the pregnancy. If I left now, it might not be as amicable as weâd hoped.
My mother shrugged. âIâd be lying if I said you wouldnât make a far better Alpha than Alvin,â she admitted.â But...â She paused, shaking her head. âAre you sure you two canât work it out? You and Noah, I mean.â
I blinked at her for a moment before shaking my head. âI donât... I donât think so.â
She sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. âOnce, you truly loved Noah. And I believe he loved you too.â
âWhat are you getting at?â I asked.
My mother pursed her lips, her eyes taking on a distant look for a moment as though looking back in time. Finally, she murmured, âYour father and I... you know we almost divorced when you and Lily were k kids.â
âYou... What?â I asked, my eyebrows shooting up. This was the first Iâd heard of it.
She nodded. âWe had been having marital issues for a while; we just werenât... clicking. Like two ships passing in the night.â For a moment, I thought I saw her eyes mist over, and mine did as well. My parents had always adored each other as far as I could remember. I couldnât imagine them being apart.
âBut we went to therapy,â she said quickly, âWe worked it out. We knew we loved each other, deep down. It wasnât easy, but it was worth fighting for. And weâre still together today. Donât you want that for you and Noah?â
âBut what about Silvermoon?â
âIâm not asking about Silvermoon. Iâm asking about you two. And...â She paused, glancing at my belly. Your little one.â
I shook my head and quickly looked away, feeling a lump form in my throat. âBut thatâs different. You and Dad are fated mÃ¥tes, so of course you were able to work it out. Noah and I arenât. He already had one, Zoe, and I donât think he ever fully got over her.
How can I compete with that?â
My motherâs eyes twinkled, a knowing smile playing on her lips. âI wouldnât be so sure about that. Love isnât always about fate, Hannah. Sometimes itâs a choice we make every day.â
Before I could ask what she meant, her gaze shifted to something over my shoulder. I turned, following her line of sight, and saw Noah standing alone by the punch bowl.
He looked handsome in his tailored suit, the dark fabric accentuating his broad shoulders. But there was a sadness in his eyes as he watched the couples dancing, a loneliness that tugged at my heart despite everything.
My mother gave me a gentle push. âYou could at least dance with him, you know.
With that, my mother left me. I bit my lip, considering for a moment, before trudging across the room. Noah looked lonely, just as out of place as I felt tonight. A dance would be nice for both of us, I supposed.
1.2 +25 BONUS Chapter 0320 âHannah,â he said, straightening slightly as I approached. âNeed something?â
I held out my hand. âDance with me?â
He hesitated for a moment, his green eyes flickering down to my hand. Then, finally, he set his drink down and followed me. We moved to the dance floor, his arm wrapping around my waist as we began to sway to the music.
His fingers were warm through the thin silk of my dress, and I quickly occupied my eyes with the streamers hanging from the ceiling in the hopes he couldnât see the sudden redness in my cheeks.
We danced in silence, the familiar scent of his cologne making my knees weak for the second time that day. Neither of us spoke, although I couldnât decide if it was because we had nothing to say or if we were fine with the silence.
Suddenly, the sound of clinking glass cut through the music. The room fell silent as my father tapped his knife against his champagne flute, calling for attention. Noah and I separated, turning to face the center of the room.
My father cleared his throat, a broad smile on his face. âFriends, family, pack members... I have an announcement to make.â
My fatherâs eyes found mine in the crowd, his smile growing even wider, and my heart began to race. What was he doing? Surely he wouldnât...
âMy daughter..., is pregnant!â T