Chapter 0459

Noah

It wasn't long after dinner that Hannah rose from her chair, gathering a half-asleep Melody into her arms. Noah looked up in surprise, rising instantly.

“I’ll help you—”

“No,” Hannah said, offering Noah a tiny smile. “It’s alright. I think I’m just going to put the little one to bed and go to bed myself.” She turned to Marcus, dipping her head politely, though tension laced her movement. “It was nice seeing you, Marcus.”

“Going to bed so soon?” Marcus cocked his head. “It’s not even eight o’clock.”

Hannah stiffened, but managed another small smile. “Motherhood is exhausting,” was all she said before turning and slipping away.

As Hannah left, Noah called to her through their Mindlink. “You sure you’re alright?” Her movements had seemed more sluggish than usual, dark circles ringing her eyes. She didn’t normally tire so easily.

“I think I just didn’t sleep well last night,” Hannah replied, her mental voice as weak as her physical one. “Don’t worry about me. Besides… you can catch up with your father.”

Noah sent an eye-roll through the bond, eliciting a small laugh in return. But he cleared his throat and turned to his father, nodding toward the living room.

“Whiskey?”

“You don’t have to ask me twice,” Marcus replied, rising. His wine sat mostly untouched on the table.

Admittedly, Noah felt oddly exhausted himself tonight. But, like Hannah, he hadn’t gotten much sleep either—not with tonight weighing on his mind like a ton of bricks. Seeing his father was a surefire way to set Noah on edge. He was just glad it was almost over.

“So,” Noah said, uncorking the bottle of whiskey he kept on the highest shelf, “you should know that I intend to marry Hannah again. Soon.”

Marcus’s eyebrows shot up. “Is that so?”

Noah nodded. He poured the whiskey into two glasses, his fingers brushing against his father’s as he handed one to him. Before releasing the glass, however, he held it fast—along with his father’s gaze. “Melody is our child, you know. And how dare you insinuate otherwise.”

Marcus stiffened, but only for a moment. “I’m only looking out for you, Noah.”

Noah huffed and released his grip on the glass, turning on his heel and plopping down into the nearby armchair. “Well, there’s no need for that,” he all but growled. “Hannah is my mate. I trust her with every fiber of my being.”

More than anyone else, Noah thought bitterly. Trust… now that was something he’d learned not to place in other people over the years. Not Scott, not Zoe, not even his own family. Just Hannah. And himself.

And maybe Drake, as strange as it still was for Noah to view him as a friend.

Marcus hummed to himself as he swirled the amber liquid in his glass. “I just don’t understand,” he finally said, his voice softer than Noah anticipated.

Noah quirked an eyebrow. “Don’t understand what?”

“Why…” Marcus gestured vaguely over his shoulder, in Hannah’s general direction. “Her.”

“Why marry her?” Noah leaned forward, bracing one elbow on his knee. “What the hell is that supposed to mean? You’re the one who arranged our initial marriage. And if I recall correctly, you were all for it.”

Marcus shook his head and took a sip of his whiskey. “That was a long time ago, Noah.” He paused, pursing his lips before continuing. “Her father… He was persistent. Apparently, the girl was quite enamored with you.”

“Because she was my mate.”

Noah’s father didn’t respond. “Her father offered a business deal I simply couldn’t refuse,” he continued. “And, well… I didn’t know what she was really like then.”

Noah felt his blood simmer. “What sort of deal?” he ground out between clenched teeth. He’d always suspected a business element to the arranged marriage, but had never learned the specifics.

Marcus shrugged, a gesture far too airy for Noah’s liking. “Oh, just a few shares in one of Silvermoon’s mining companies—you know how lucrative their silver mines are. Or rather, were.”

Noah was silent. He couldn’t fault his father for that; back then, Silvermoon’s mines had been booming. Silvermoon had always been known for its silver production. But alas, silver is a finite resource; and over the years, their mines had begun to run dry.

That was why Hannah’s father had been in desperate need of money last year. Desperate after several of their silver mines had run completely dry, he’d made some bad investments to try and make up the difference.