Chapter 397

Hannah +25 BONUS

I sat on the hard, cold bench in my cell, my mind spinning like a whirlwind. Hours had passed since Noah’s revelation, and his words still echoed in my ears.

Could it really be true? Had Zoe truly orchestrated such an elaborate deception?

My fingers closed around the small object in my palm. The little pink and blue seashell gleamed softly in the dim light, a leather cord threaded through its hole.

As I gazed at it, memories washed over me, as vivid and warm as the summer day they were born from. I was back on that beach, the last day of my summer vacation with Lily. It had been a blissful summer, not just with my sister, but with him—Noah. The boy I had fallen head over heels for in a matter of weeks.

“Let’s go for a walk,” I had suggested, my heart pounding. “Just you and me.” The sun was setting, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink that reflected off the calm water. The sand was cool beneath my bare feet, and the salty breeze tousled my hair. I lifted my skirt, closed my eyes, and tilted my head back to let the wind hit my face. The ocean lapped gently at my feet; the water was cold, but soothing.

“Hannah, look at this!” Noah’s voice called out, drawing my attention to where he crouched near the water’s edge, examining something in the sand. His thin white shirt billowed in the wind, the sunlight shining through to reveal warm, tanned skin. I blushed at the sight of him. How badly I wanted to run my hands across those corded muscles…

I jogged over, curious. “What is it?”

As I approached, I noticed something poking out of the sand near Noah’s feet. Bending down, I carefully extracted it and rinsed it in the ocean water. A pretty little seashell emerged, its pink and blue colors reminiscent of the sky above us.

“Oh, wow,” I breathed, holding it up to catch the fading sunlight. “Isn’t it beautiful? Like a sunrise…”

Noah leaned in close, his dark hair rustling against my face. I could taste the salt on the strands.

“The blue is the same shade as your eyes,” he said softly.

I turned to him, my eyes wide, and our noses touched. Forest green eyes stared back at me, unwavering. For a moment, I wanted nothing more than to close that small distance and kiss him. But fear gripped me, and I chickened out. I’d never kissed anyone before.

Instead, my cheeks burning, I pressed the seashell into his palm and curled his fingers over it.

“Keep it,” I whispered, “so you can always have my eyes with you.”

Noah’s face flushed a deep red. “Hannah, I…”

The cell door clanged open, jolting me back to the present. I blinked, disoriented for a moment as I transitioned from the warm, sun-drenched beach of my memories to the cold, stark reality of my prison cell in Darkmoon.

A guard entered, followed by an all-too-familiar figure. My heart rate picked up at the sight of him, but I lifted my chin defiantly. David sported multiple injuries from our altercation—a black eye, a split lip, and he was walking with a noticeable limp.

Despite my situation, I couldn’t help but feel a flicker of pride. It took all of my willpower not to smirk at his discomfort.

“Here to get your revenge?” I quipped, meeting his gaze steadily. “Or perhaps you’ll try to force yourself on me again, you pig?”

But to my surprise, David didn’t look angry or lecherous. If anything, he seemed resigned.

“You’re free to go,” he grunted, avoiding my eyes.

I stood slowly, suspicion coursing through me. Had Noah come through with his word, or was David playing some kind of sick trick on me?

“Just like that?”

David’s jaw clenched. “Just like that. Now get out before I change my mind.”

He didn’t need to tell me twice. As I walked past him, head held high, David hissed under his breath, “You’re lucky to have a strong man behind you to clean up your messes. You’ll never make it as an Alpha.”