Chapter 265
Hannah
After a long night of dancing, mingling, and substituting champagne for sparkling juice, the gala was finally ending—and so was my month-long eating disorder awareness campaign. In a few minutes, the grandeur would vanish, the decorations removed, and it would be time to move on. But not yet. First, I needed to give a closing speech and announce the donation amount.
My heart raced as I stepped onto the stage. The spotlight felt warm, and I could feel hundreds of eyes on me. My wolf stirred, sensing my nerves, but I quelled the feeling and cleared my throat, smiling.
“Good evening, everyone,” I began, my voice echoing. “Thank you all for coming and supporting our cause.”
As I spoke about the importance of eating disorder awareness and treatment, I felt Noah beside me, his green eyes fixed on me. His intense gaze made my skin tingle. His proposal still lingered, constantly prodding me. Two more months with him… advantageous, reasonable, but also risky and confusing.
“This campaign has been about more than raising money,” I continued, refocusing before my voice faltered. “It’s been about changing lives, giving hope to those who struggle daily with their relationship with food and their bodies.”
I paused, looking out at the sea of faces. I recognized many high-profile figures from various packs, but they weren't the only attendees; the children from the mental facility were there, too, dressed in rented gowns and tuxedos. And Tom, the boy in the wheelchair, stood at the front—not sat. He stood, using only a thin cane for support. He’d gained weight since I last saw him, a sight that made me smile.
Inviting them had been a priority, against Leonard’s wishes, of course. “They’ll sully the event,” he’d said. “They’re low class. They won’t know how to act.” I didn’t care how they acted—tonight was for them.
“And now, the moment we’ve all been waiting for,” I said, taking the envelope. “The total donations for tonight’s gala…”
I opened the envelope, my fingers shaking. As I read the number, my eyes widened. “We’ve raised… $75,000! That’s $25,000 over our goal!”
The room erupted in applause. Without thinking, I threw myself at Noah, whose eyes were as wide as mine. Our lips met.
A hush fell over the room as we kissed deeply. I felt Noah stiffen, and for a moment, I thought I’d made a terrible mistake. My heart pounded; my palms itched with embarrassment. But then, he returned the kiss with fervor. His arms wrapped around me, dipping me low. The crowd cheered and whistled.
When Noah set me down, I was breathless. Even if the kiss was for show, I couldn’t ignore my wolf’s purring contentment or the delicious weakness in my knees.
As I scanned the crowd, my eyes met Zoe’s. Her face was stony, her lips a thin line. But Leonard’s expression truly caught my attention—his face twisted with anger, his eyes narrowed at Noah and me. His glare sent a chill down my spine.
“You’ll come down with me,” Jake hissed in my ear, the scent of rotting flesh cloying. Putrid water dripped onto my skin as he grabbed my wrist, dragging me down. “Down, under the water…with me…”
The water, initially a fine mist, turned thick and heavy in my lungs. Not water, but black sludge. The silver wolf, having missed its mark, crashed onto the jagged rocks below.
I jolted upright, clutching my throat as a scream died unspoken. The nightmare felt so real—Jake’s rotting corpse, the scent of damp earth, silver fur dotted with red blood on the jagged rocks. My heart pounded; I was drenched in cold sweat. The moonlight filtering through the curtains cast an eerie glow across the room, and that’s when I saw him: Jake. Real. Dripping water onto my carpet.