Chapter 0388

Noah stood in the foyer of his spacious home, listening to the sound of Zoe’s laughter fading as she left for her bachelorette party, her tiara askew.

“See you later, honey!” she called, waving as she climbed into the waiting limousine, where her friends were already drinking and laughing. “Have fun with Adam!”

Noah smiled tightly and waved back. The wedding was only a couple of days away, and while Zoe eagerly celebrated with her friends, Noah opted for a quiet night at home with Adam. The house felt eerily quiet without Zoe’s constant chatter and the clack of her heels on the hardwood floors, but Noah didn’t mind. It was rather nice to have the space.

Shutting the door, Noah turned, placing his hands on his hips. “Alright, little man,” he called out, his voice echoing through the house. “Ready or not, here I come!” He heard a muffled giggle from upstairs and grinned. Adam wasn’t the best at hiding yet, but Noah loved playing with him nonetheless.

But as he climbed the stairs, the plush carpet muffling his footsteps, he couldn’t help but wonder what Melody would be like when she was older. Would she squeal like Adam did whenever Noah growled and chased him around the house? Would she be good at hiding? Would she play along, jumping out of closets, baring her little fangs, and crying out, “Daddy, Daddy, it’s just me!” when Noah pretended to be terrified of the monster?

Melody. His daughter. The thought of her little face, those green eyes, and that scrunched-up nose sent a pang through Noah’s chest.

But Noah shook his head, trying to focus on the present. He crept down the hallway, exaggerating his footsteps. “Hmm, I wonder where Adam could be?” he called out.

Another giggle came, this time from behind a heavy velvet curtain. Noah pretended not to notice, instead opening the nearby linen closet with a dramatic flourish. “Not here!” he exclaimed, rustling the sheets and towels for effect.

He heard Adam’s excited breathing quicken as he approached the curtain, the fabric rustling slightly with the boy’s movement. Noah paused, dramatically sniffing the air. “Hmm… I smell a little boy!” he cried out in a deep, monstrous voice. The curtains shuddered again as Adam stifled another giggle.

In one swift motion, Noah pulled the curtain back. “Got you!”

Adam squealed with delight, trying to run around Noah. But Noah scooped him up, throwing him in the air and tickling his sides. Adam’s laughter filled the air, pure and uninhibited.

“Again! Again!”

“Okay, buddy,” Noah said, setting Adam down. “But find a better hiding spot this time, okay?” Adam nodded eagerly. “I’ll be the best hider ever!” he declared, scampering off down the hallway. Noah closed his eyes and began to count, leaning against the wall. “One… two… three…”

But his mind wandered as he counted, the numbers becoming a distant murmur in his own ears. The past few days had been filled with an increasing sense of apprehension about the wedding. Zoe had been mentioning making Adam the heir to Nightcrest more and more frequently, her voice filled with excitement each time she brought it up.

“Just think, Noah,” she had said at breakfast that very morning, her eyes gleaming. “Adam will be the perfect heir. He’s already so smart and strong.”

“Of course, honey,” Noah had said. “I’d love to make Adam the heir once we’re married.”

But Noah couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right. What about Melody? Ever since he had seen her, his wolf howled her name at night, a mournful sound echoing in his dreams, recognizing her as his blood. How could he jump into a marriage so quickly when his daughter, his true heir, was out there without him?