Chapter 206

Hannah took a deep breath and dove beneath the surface, the world above blurring into muted distance. Her hands reached down, down, down… until her fingers touched the pond bottom, stirring up clouds of dust and silt. Small, cool bubbles rose from a crack in the ground, fresh spring water bubbling up.

Opening her eyes wider, she marveled at the underwater world. Fish darted past, their scales gleaming in sunlight filtering through the surface. A frog kicked lazily by, regarding her with bulbous eyes before disappearing into the murky water. It was peaceful.

For a long moment, she forgot the pressures of pack life, her parents' expectations, the looming responsibilities of being a future Alpha. Here, she was just Hannah: fifteen, awkward, and still finding herself. Her sister and she had taken a much-needed vacation from their pack. A few years older, her sister had booked them a room in Nightcrest pack for the week, just the two of them. Their parents had been fighting, and they needed an escape. And when they found this little pond, they couldn't resist a swim.

"Hannah!" Her sister's slightly panicked voice, muffled by the water, snapped her back to reality. Reluctantly, she pushed off the bottom and surfaced, gasping for air.

"What?" she sputtered, pushing wet hair from her face. But her sister wasn't looking at her. Her wide eyes were fixed on something on the shore.

Hannah turned. Standing frozen at the edge of the pond was a boy. He looked about her age, maybe a little older, with tousled dark hair, startled green eyes, sinewy muscles, and tanned skin. He was cute.

"Hello!" she called, waving. His eyes widened as he took in her slim form in her bikini. Before she could say anything else, he turned and bolted into the forest.

"Hannah!" her sister hissed, grabbing her arm. "Who was that?"

"I don't know," Hannah replied, but her curiosity was piqued. She told her sister she'd be back and followed the boy's footsteps.

"Hannah, wait!" her sister called, but Hannah was already running. She followed the sound of crashing underbrush, her bare feet slapping against the forest floor. Finally, she cornered him in a small clearing.

"Hey!" she said, slightly out of breath. "Why did you run?"

His face was beet red. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude."

She couldn't help but smile at his flustered state. "You weren't intruding. I'm Hannah. What's your name?"

"Noah," he mumbled, avoiding her eyes.

"Nice to meet you, Noah," she said, gesturing. "Do you want to come swim with us? The water's perfect."

His face turned an even deeper shade of red. "I…"

The memory faded, leaving her standing alone in her room, staring at her reflection. She gritted her teeth and turned away, not wanting to look at herself. Noah was gone, having stormed out after their argument—or rather, after she had sent him away. The hurt and anger simmered beneath the surface, but she pushed it down. She had a festival to run.

With determined movements, she slipped out of her muddy robes and stepped into the shower. She rinsed quickly, avoiding her hair, dried herself, and chose a sleek red dress that hugged her curves. It was more revealing than she usually wore, her cleavage and hips on display. It was perhaps a little too seductive for the Lunar Festival. But right now, it felt like armor. Like revenge. And she needed that, after what she had just seen in Noah's offering bundle.

Shuddering, she pushed the memory away and returned to getting ready. Once dressed, she fixed her hair and makeup, erasing any trace of mud and tears. In the mirror, she pulled her shoulders back and lifted her chin. She was Luna Hannah, and she wouldn't let Noah's actions break her.

When she returned to the festival, the main hall buzzed with activity. She scanned the crowd, spotting Viona, Amber, and Emma near the refreshment table. Their eyes widened as she approached.

"Hannah!" Viona exclaimed. "You look… wow!"

Amber let out a low whistle. "Damn, girl. What happened to your ceremonial robes?"

Hannah shrugged, aiming for nonchalance. "They got muddy in the rain. This was all I had to change into."

Viona raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. "Uh-huh. And it has nothing to do with a certain Alpha?" she asked, causing Emma and Amber to giggle.

Hannah felt her face heat up, but kept her expression neutral and grabbed a drink. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Amber grinned, nudging her. "Well, wherever Noah is right now, he's not going to be able to take his eyes off you in that dress."

At the mention of Noah's name, she scanned the room, even though she wanted nothing to do with him. Blissfully, he was nowhere to be found. Good. She didn't want to see him. She hoped he left with Zoe.

But her gaze landed on Drake, standing across the hall by the bar. His eyes were already fixed on her red dress, his expression a mixture of surprise and something else.

An idea, perhaps a slightly evil one, came to mind. Without thinking, she handed her drink to Viona. "Excuse me," she muttered, moving across the room. Her friends called after her, but she barely heard them.

Drake's eyebrows rose as she approached, but he didn't look away.

When she reached him, she didn't give him a chance to speak. "Dance with me," she demanded, tossing a lock of hair over her shoulder and extending her hand. "Now."

Drake's eyes went wide, and he almost dropped his champagne.