Chapter 346 + 25 Bonus

“So,” Noah began quietly, his voice serious, “I still haven’t found anything concrete about White Rabbit. I’m worried about your safety, Hannah. It would be best if you stayed close to me for now.”

His concern made me blush. “We’ve already been through the ‘stay-by-my-side’ thing, Noah. I’ll be fine,” I replied. Then, impulsively, I added, “Besides, now that we’re sharing a bed again, I feel safer than ever.”

Noah’s eyes widened slightly, his fork pausing mid-air. “You feel safe with me?”

My face burned as I acknowledged the truth. The warmth of his body, the rhythm of his breathing—it had become a comforting ritual. “Well, yes,” I admitted softly, looking away. “It’s no secret that sleeping next to one’s mate makes a woman feel safe.”

“Mate.” It wasn’t a word either of us used often. I never considered myself truly his mate, and I doubted he felt the same—not since he and Zoe… But we were. Not fated like him and Zoe, but bound by the day we married.

To my surprise, a slow smile touched his lips, his eyes darkening. “Is that so?” he murmured, his voice low.

The atmosphere shifted, charged with familiar tension. I was acutely aware of his presence, vividly remembering last night’s intimacy. Suddenly, my appetite had shifted from the food before me to something far more potent.

The moon was rising as we entered the house. My feet ached, but another ache resonated deeper. Over dinner, the tension had escalated. Coy glances morphed into flirtatious banter; casual touches became lingering caresses. Desire pulsed through me—for the man I was meant to divorce, the man the Luna Queen herself intended to help me escape.

We barely reached the doorway before Noah's lips found mine, his mouth urgently claiming mine despite our recent meal. I responded with equal fervor, my fingers entwined in his hair as he pressed me against the wall.

“Hannah,” he groaned against my neck, his hands tracing fiery paths across my body. I arched into his touch, a soft moan escaping.

“What?” he murmured.

“Our contract… the bedroom…”

I gasped as his cool hand slid my skirt up my thigh, his fingers pressing into my flesh—so soft now, compared to my recent gauntness. Lifting my leg, I hooked it around his hips, pulling him closer.

“Here,” I managed, breathless. “I want it here, tonight.”

And just like that, we were lost in each other, right there in the hallway. Clothes were shed, hands exploring familiar contours with renewed hunger. Noah lifted me, my legs wrapping around his waist as he entered me in one swift, passionate movement.

The feeling of his fullness was exquisite. We moved together in a frenzied dance, our gasps and moans echoing in the empty house.

As we reached our peak, I couldn't help but feel the perfect rightness of it, despite everything. For a moment, I forgot about divorces and court politics, losing myself completely in the feel of his skin.