Chapter 0401
Hannah
I hadn’t even bothered to change or make myself presentable. The thin fabric of my robe still revealed my bare body; my hair was wild and unkempt, and I likely smelled like a vagrant after my time in Darkmoon’s prison.
But none of that mattered now. All that mattered was reaching Noah before it was too late. I clutched the seashell so tightly I almost broke it.
“Drive faster, Drake!” I urged, my fingers digging into the car seat. “We have to get there before they say ‘I do’!” Drake pushed the accelerator to the floor, his knuckles white on the steering wheel as we sped down the winding roads. “Hannah, are you sure about this? This is crazy!”
I nodded emphatically. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. Zoe’s been messing with Noah’s mind. She’s not his mate—I am. And I think she’s done something to him again. We have to stop this wedding before she marries him and names Adam the heir.”
As we sped toward Nightcrest, I explained everything to Drake and Viona—the seashell, Noah’s revelation, my suspicions about Zoe’s manipulations. By the time we screeched to a halt outside the chapel, my friends looked as determined as I felt.
“I knew something wasn’t right,” Viona said. “He was so in love with you at the baby shower, Hannah.” We burst through the doors just as the priest was asking Noah if he took Zoe as his wife. My heart pounding, I shouted at the top of my lungs, “Stop this wedding!”
The entire congregation gasped, heads whipping around to stare at me. I saw shock, confusion, and disgust on their faces as they took in my disheveled appearance. But I didn’t care. My eyes were locked on Noah as I chucked the seashell down the aisle, watching it come to rest near his feet. A deafening silence fell. Noah stared at the seashell, his eyes narrowing and then widening. Zoe recovered first, her face twisting with fury. “Guards! Remove this woman at once!”
Several burly men rushed toward me, but I was ready. Fueled by adrenaline and desperation, I fought against their grip. Drake jumped in to help, and together we managed to break free while Viona sprinted up the aisle toward the altar.
I stormed up the aisle, my bare feet slapping against the cold marble floor.
“Zoe has been messing with Noah’s mind!” I shouted, pointing an accusing finger at the bride. “She cut our mate bond by force, wiped his memories, and is now holding him hostage! She is using him to make Adam the heir to Nightcrest!”
A gasp rippled through the crowd. Noah stared at me, his eyes wide with confusion.
“Hannah? What are you talking about?”
Zoe let out a high, brittle laugh. “Oh, please. Look at her!” She gestured to my robe, my hair, and my eyes. “She has clearly lost her mind. Isn’t she supposed to be in a Darkmoon prison right now for beating an innocent man half to death? Guards, get this madwoman out of here!”
But I wasn’t about to be silenced. Not by her, not by the guards, not by anyone. With Drake holding off the guards, I marched right up to Noah, snatching up the seashell necklace I had thrown and pressing it into his hands.
“Noah, please,” I begged, my voice breaking. “Remember. Remember us. I know Zoe did something to you, filled your mind with false memories, but this…” I tapped the seashell. “This is real. We are real.”
For a moment, I saw something flicker in Noah’s eyes—a flash of recognition, of doubt. “Hannah…” he murmured, his brow furrowing as he stared at the shell. But then Zoe was there, inserting herself between us. “Noah, don’t even look at her,” she hissed. “She’s just a desperate, pathetic woman who can’t stand to see us happy. She would do anything to ruin our special day.”