Alpha's Regret After Her Rebirth by Aurora Starling

Chapter 0118
Hannah
The lights of the grand ballroom seemed to blur together as Noah and I took center stage, the Luna Queen’s attendants placing ornate crowns on top of our heads and sashes around our shoulders. My heart pounded in my ears, the roar of applause fading into the background as I turned toward Noah.
This was all so much-far more than I had anticipated, It seemed as though the Luna Queen’s frivolities had no limit, and I was growing tired of the crowd.
But then Noah’s gaze met mine, the corners of his lips twitching upwards into the faintest hint of a smile.
In that moment, it didn’t matter that this was all for show, that he wasn’t truly smiling for me but rather for the cameras. That spark of warmth in his eyes made my breath catch despite myself, and I couldn’t help but return the smile even though I knew I shouldn’t.
“Congratulations,” Drake said, shaking our hands amongst the line of other members of the Alpha Council. His eyes flashed ever so slightly as they met mine. “You two truly earned it.”
Before I could answer, Noah was nodding. “Thank you, Alpha Drake. It’s an honor,” he said stiffly.
Drake’s smile widened. “Shall we pose for a picture?”
“We shall.”

The flashes from the cameras were near blinding, but I could have sworn I felt the ghost of Noah’s hand on the small of my back as we posed together. His arm absentmindedly tugged me a little closer, and for the briefest of moments, I felt like a little doll to be moved around as I vaguely stumbled into him.
Of course, once the photographers had their shots, Noah’s hand fell away immediately and we were ushered off to the side. Reality came crashing back in yes, it was just as I thought.
Goddess, I felt like such a fool. He wasn’t touching me because he wanted to. He was touching me
because he had to. 1
But, we needed to stick together for the remainder of the night. Here, beneath the Luna Queen’s discerning gaze, we were still on trial. One moment, one misstep, and we could lose the laurels that we had only just obtained.
As though reading my mind, Noah’s fingers circled around my wrist in a firm grip.
“Remember to stay close,” he murmured. I suppressed the shiver that raced up my spine at his touch and gave a small nod.
As the reception carried on, my eyes were continually drawn to Zoe across the room. Drake hovered by her side, his hand resting possessively on her lower back while she nursed a glass of wine. Her discomfort was palpable, her shoulders tense and her smiles tight-lipped whenever Drake would lean in
close.
A pang of sympathy twisted in my gut. Perhaps Drake was taking things too far in his efforts to win her back. A woman should have the freedom to make her own choices, especially when it came to matters of the heart. Was it right for the Luna Queen to try and manipulate Zoe into this reunion?
My resolve wavered, however, as a tendril of guilt unfurled in my chest. I had been aiding Drake’s pursuit,
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Chapter 0118
motivated more by my own selfish desires to keep Noah and Zoe apart than any noble intentions.
Maybe I wasn’t better than any of them.