Alpha's Regret After Her Rebirth by Aurora Starling

Chapter 0360

Hannah

By the time Noah pulled away from that kiss, I was left breathless and blushing. My face felt hot, surely beet red from the unexpected display of affection.

This wasn’t just for show or for the cameras. This was real.

“You look beautiful,” he breathed, his fingers first brushing across the gauzy pink fabric of my dress and then coming up to touch the flowers circling my head. I like this.”

My face heated a little more. “It’s not too much?” I was the only one who was dressed so extravagantly; everyone else was more muted in various cocktail dresses and suits.

Noah shook his head quickly. “Never too much. You look like a princess.”

With that, he slid his arm around my waist and guided me into the party. While guests, including Zoe and Drake, had been spilling out into the foyer, the main party was in the dining room.

I clapped my fingers over my lips as we stepped through the double doors. The dining room looked even more lovely than that morning, colorful streamers and balloons and banners covering every surface.

The long dining table was laden with all kinds of delicious–looking food and drinks, and the air practically smelled like sugar. Music played from the speakers, soft classical strains.

And at the center of the table was the cake I had requested–a deep, rich chocolate interior with a chocolate buttercream frosting, topped with a little statuette of a pregnant woman that looked an awful

lot like me.

“Well?” Noah asked, turning to me. “What do you think?”

“You’ve outdone yourself,” I breathed. “Truly. I love it.”

Noah smiled and reached for two flutes of champagne from a passing waiter. Some of the flutes were marked with little rings around the stems, indicating a non–alcoholic alternative–for me, of course. He handed it to me and clinked his glass against mine.

The bubbles tickled my nose as I brought it to my lips. He raised his glass and cleared his throat, causing the guests to quiet their murmuring and turn to us.

“A toast,” he announced, “to my beautiful Luna and the heir of Nightcrest.” (1

the sound of clinking glasses and murmured congratulations. I sipped my cider, feeling a bit overwhelmed

hand against my lower back was a welcome comfort, and

“Hannah!”

at the sound of the familiar voice, a smile breaking across my face as I saw Drake approaching. It had been a

make it,” I

1/3

Chapter 0360

+25 BONUS

my waist. But when I pulled back,

voice was a bit tense, but I could sense a genuine attempt at warmth. Tentative, perhaps, but it was there. They

hands into his pockets. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world. I’m happy to be here for my

was the word I had been hoping

bit at the sound. Perhaps he and Drake had their hang–ups and shared history, but that was what

thought, I glanced over at where Zoe stood, swirling her champagne around in her glass. She was turned to the side, pretending to be looking at something else, but I could see her eyes darting

a wave of empathy wash

I was trying to be Jess

on myself

in my throat, I

called out, waving her over. “Come join

her smile not

boy name and one girl name you’d like

down her choices and folding the scraps of paper before dropping them in the jar. “I hope

and Luna when they wanted to imply that they hoped the baby wouldn’t be an heir–one of those small political slights that sounded sweet but

wasn’t about

voice firm but not unkind, “both Noah and I possess the

didn’t falter, though I saw a flicker of something–perhaps disappointment?-in her eyes. “Oh, I almost forgot,” she replied smoothly without missing a beat.

a pleasant

hand rested on my leg under the

2/3