Alpha's Regret After Her Rebirth (Hannah and Noah)

Chapter 0407

Hannah

The evening air was cool and refreshing against my heated skin as I walked Noah back out to his car. The setting sun was particularly vibrant tonight, the sky awash in almost blinding shades of pink and orange and red. It was a beautiful sight, but I found my eyes drawn to Noah instead, no matter how hard I tried

not to.

He looked different somehow-softer, younger, as if the revelations he'd had recently had added more than a few years to his life. The lines around his mouth had softened, his eyes were more vibrant, and his hair was gently tousled, leaving behind his usual slicked-back appearance.

Relaxed-that was what he was. At ease. Somewhat.

A bit ironic, given how the real battle-the one involving putting Scott and Zoe behind bars and dealing with the aftermath of everything they had done over the years-had only just begun.

As we reached his car, I reached into my pocket and pulled out a small paper bag. "Here," said, holding it out to him without quite meeting his eyes. "For the drive."

Noah's eyebrows shot up as he took the bag from me and peered inside. The scent of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies wafted out, making even my own mouth water. "Hannah, you didn't have to make these just for me..."

I felt fresh heat rise to my cheeks and quickly shook my head, pursing my lips. "I didn't bake them just for you. I made them yesterday." It was a lie, and we both knew it. "But I can't have the father of my child driving home on an empty stomach-it might make you drive dangerously. So just take them."

A ghost of a smirk tugged at the corners of Noah's lips, and I felt my blush deepen.

Obviously, I was just saying that to justify the baking, and we both knew the truth-I had wanted to do something nice for him. The cookies were fresh, probably still warm from the oven. I'd secretly pulled them out while he was chatting with Drake and Viona in the living room, when I had said that I was taking Melody back to her crib.

"Well... Thank you, Hannah," Noah said softly, his eyes meeting mine. "Really."

We stood there in silence for a few moments, neither of us making the first move to speak or move away It felt awkward, yet neither of us seemed eager to say goodbye. A soft puff of white air, from the chill of the evening, escaped Noah's lips and lingered between us for a moment before dissipating into the sky. Finally, Noah was the first to speak. "What's going through your head right now?"

I sighed, wrapping my arms around myself. "I just... I still can't believe that after all this time, you were being manipulated by Zoe. I keep thinking about everything that happened, wondering how things might have been different if we had known." I shook my head, feeling a fresh wave of anger bubble up inside of me. "I hate her for what she did. Her and Scott both. Scott especially, I can't believe-"

"Trust me," Noah growled. "I know." Zoe was one thing but Scott... How could he do something like that to his Alpha? To his brother?

Noah's expression darkened then, his jaw clenching. "Well, they're both in custody now. I'll be questioning them personally first thing in the morning." His voice was low, dangerous-a stark contrast from the levity

+25 BONUS

Chapter 0-407

he'd been exhibiting since his revelation. "Don't worry, they'll face justice. Neither of them will see the outside of a jail cell for a long, long time."

I nodded, feeling a grim sense of satisfaction at his words. Any empathy or guilt I'd felt about either of those bastards was long gone by now, and I hoped I could be there for the moment that they both officially realized that they were truly, wholly screwed. But then Noah's face softened, and he ran a hand through his hair.

"But Hannah, I... I'm to blame, too," he said quietly. "I was cruel to you over the years. Zoe manipulating

me is no excuse for how I treated you." He reached out, hesitating for a moment before gently taking my hand. I startled slightly at the warmth of his touch, but didn't pull away.