Chapter 0322
My eyes widened, and I turned, my mouth working uselessly. “Especially now,” he continued, “with the pregnancy glow and having overcome your eating disorder.” His fingers lingered on my cheek, then trailed down to pinch a strand of hair between them. “And your hair… I like that you’re not bleaching it anymore. I always preferred your natural color. Strawberry blonde.”
I just stood there dumbly, stunned by his words and the tenderness in his touch. Was he…? For a moment, I let myself believe that maybe, just maybe, there was still something between us. Maybe this wasn’t beyond repair. Maybe he really was trying to be better, and maybe I… maybe I needed to be better, too.
But then a camera flashed, startling me. The party photographer had found us, capturing our intimate moment for tomorrow morning’s society article. Noah’s hand dropped away, and the spell was broken. Oh, I thought bitterly. Right; we had to be a happy couple for the cameras. Noah had likely seen the photographer approaching and had given them what they wanted—just like the kiss. That was all this was.
“Thank you for the ginger ale,” I said, stepping back. “You can go back to the party if you want. I’ll be fine out here.”
Noah hesitated, then nodded. As he turned to leave, I blinked back the tears that threatened to fall. Eventually, I made my way back into the ballroom, pasting on my signature smile as I mingled with the guests. Everyone wanted to congratulate me, to ask about the baby, to give unsolicited advice. It was exhausting.
“Well, well, if it isn’t the mother-to-be,” a familiar voice drawled behind me.
I turned to see my cousin, Alvin, looking dashing as always in a perfectly tailored suit. His golden hair was artfully tousled, and his blue eyes sparkled with mischief as he sauntered up to me. Even from here, I could smell ladies’ perfume on him—and if I squinted, I could make out a smudge of red lipstick peeking out from under his collar.
“Alvin,” I greeted him, forcing a smile. He grinned, raising his half-empty champagne glass in a toast. “Congratulations, cousin. Your child will one day be the heir of Nightcrest, if it’s a boy… you must be proud.”
I shook my head. “Actually, Alvin, since both Noah and I possess the Alpha gene, our child will have it regardless of gender.”
Alvin’s eyebrows shot up. “Right… I almost forgot you had the Alpha gene too. You could have been the Alpha of Silvermoon, if you wanted to. But you gave it up when you married Noah, didn’t you?”
I felt a twinge of regret at his words. “I suppose I did,” I admitted. “But you’ll be taking over if my father abdicates.”
Alvin’s grin widened. “That’s right. And rumor has it that might be sooner rather than later.”
We both paused, turning to observe my father, who was in the midst of a dance with my mother on the dance floor. Even now, my father’s movements were a bit stiff, and I could see him wince ever so slightly each time he stepped on his right foot. The party was beginning to take its toll on his arthritis.
“He’s sixty tonight, correct?” Alvin asked.
I nodded, then turned, studying my cousin carefully. He was handsome and charming, I would give him that. But… “Do you feel prepared to run a pack responsibly, Alvin?” I blurted out. “It’s a big job.”
He merely shrugged, snagging another champagne flute from a passing waitress. His eyes lingered on her chest as she walked away. “I’m sure I’ll figure it out,” he said dismissively.
“Figure it out?” I hissed. “You should be prepared. You should—”
“Hannah. Hannah, Hannah.” Alvin turned to me, his lips curling up into a catlike smirk. “Don’t worry so much. It’s not good for the baby.”
With that, he turned on his heel and left. I bit my tongue, fighting back the urge to say something cutting. But as I watched him walk away, I couldn’t help but worry about the future of Silvermoon. If there was any doubt in my mind about divorcing Noah—any sliver of me that was debating staying and working on our marriage—that was gone now. I needed to divorce Noah so I could take over my home pack. If I didn’t… well, I wasn’t sure what would become of Silvermoon with an Alpha like Alvin. But I knew it wouldn’t be good.