Hannah That night, after the awkward tension at dinner, I found myself unable to finish my plate. The rest of the family banquet went by without incident, Noah keeping his distance after I had seen him watching me from the hallway. I pretended to eat, falling back into my old habits: pushing my fo
Noah As Noah returned the plate to the kitchen sink, he found himself unable to fully suppress the small smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth. Despite his lingering anger and frustration with Hannah, he couldn’t help feeling a glimmer of pride at her attempt to eat something. Her eating
Hannah Seeing Zoe kiss Noah’s cheek so tenderly, so lovingly, had filled me with a rage that made me want to lash out. I wanted to scream, cry, yell and throw things, even resort to my purging pills once more despite the fact that they had long since been flushed down the toilet. But I didn’t do
My heart gave a little flutter at the undisguised want and hunger in his eyes. This wasn’t like him, to want me outside of our intimacy nights. But something had changed lately. … Later that evening as I began dressing for the banquet, I stood in front of the floor-length mirror in my chambers a
Hannah “Can I talk to you?” Noah asked, taking a hesitant step forward before his eyes flickered over to Viona. “Alone?” Viona scoffed from behind me. “Whatever you have to say to Hannah, you can say in front of me,” she said coldly. Noah shot me an almost pleading look, and I sighed. “Viona,
Hannah After politely excusing myself from the cluster of council members’ wives, I made a beeline for the bar. My throat felt parched, an anxious dryness brought on by Noah’s lingering presence even after he had departed. The flute of champagne was already growing warm in my grip, and I certainly
Hannah With a fresh scowl now etched onto my face, I strode away from Noah, the rapid clicking of my heels against the marble floor echoing the pounding of my heart. Are you drunk already, he had said. All because of what? Because I was polite to Drake? Because I was affectionate toward him? B
Noah Noah watched as Hannah stalked off with a scowl, her hips swaying with each step. His jaw clenched as she disappeared into the crowd without a backward glance, her long black dress moving behind her. She looked so… different lately. Was it just because she had been eating more? No, he thoug
“Almost done…” she murmured, leaning in with a touch of gloss for my lips. I couldn’t help but laugh at how serious she looked, as if I were some delicate art piece she was trying to perfect. Finally, she stepped back with a smile. “There. Now, the dress.” Amber was already at my side, helping m
Hannah The next morning, I woke with a flutter in my stomach that had nothing to do with morning sickness. Sunlight filtered softly through the curtains, casting a warm glow over the room. I blinked up at the ceiling, letting that first realization sink in. It was the day of our wedding. In le
Hannah Mornings had gotten louder since Melody learned to walk. And she wasn’t just walking—she was trying to run, arms flapping and her chubby legs barely holding her up as she went. This morning, she seemed to be hell bent on dashing down the hallway as Noah tried to brush his teeth and I hunted
I laughed, hoping it sounded more natural than I felt. “Hey, I can spoil you once in a while if I want. Just because it’s a Thursday doesn’t mean I can’t surprise you.” We chatted about our day as we ate, filling each other in on all the usual things. But every so often, his eyes would flicker to
Hannah My hands shook a little as I straightened the delicate flower crown over Melody’s soft hair, adjusting it so the petals framed her tiny face just right. She blinked up at me with those wide, innocent eyes, slapping her hands contentedly on the top of her high chair. I smiled as I ran my f
Hannah By the time we stepped out of the ring, it felt as if my entire body was on fire. Every muscle seemed to be taut, every heartbeat one thump away from shifting. I couldn’t tell if I wanted to run circles around the building or maybe tear up the walls like a caged animal. What was wrong wit
Hannah For what felt like the hundredth time that morning, I sidestepped Drake’s punch with ease, narrowly dodging his hook. Training with him had become an obsession of mine lately. He’d pushed me in ways I hadn’t expected, helping me learn how to use my speed and endurance instead of relying on
Noah pushed himself harder, letting out a playful howl as he gained on her, the hunt pulsing through his veins like a drug. She glanced back, her ears twitching, and he saw her eyes flash with excitement before she put on an extra burst of speed. It became a game of cat and mouse, each of them pus
Noah For the millionth time that morning, Noah’s gaze drifted from the stack of papers on his desk to the stretch of forest that was visible through the office window. The afternoon light filtered through the trees, casting that familiar, deep green hue over the landscape. Just seeing the expans