NovelFinishChapter 0265
Chapter 0265
Hannah
After a long night of dancing, mingling, and constantly swapping champagne out for sparkling juice, the gala was
finally drawing to a close-and so was my month-long eating disorder campaign. In just a few short minutes, the
grandeur would cto an end, the decorations would be taken down, and it would be tto move onto the
next thing.
But not yet. First, | needed to give a closing speech and announce the donation amount.
My heart raced as | stepped onto the stage. The spotlight felt warm on my skin, and | could feel hundreds of eyes
on me. My wolf stirred restlessly, sensing my frayed nerves, but | quelled the sensation and cleared my throat
with a pleasant smile on my face.
“Good evening, everyone,” | began, my voice echoing through the microphone. “I want to thank you all for
coming tonight and supporting our cause.”
As | spoke about the importance of eating disorder awareness and treatment, | could feel Noah standing beside
me, his green eyes fixed on me. The intensity of his gaze made my skin tingle. His proposition still. lingered at
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtthe edges of my mind, constantly prodding me.
Two more months with him....
It was advantageous, and reasonable. But it was also risky, not to mention... confusing.
“This campaign has been about more than just raising money,” | continued, pulling my attention back to the
speech before my voice could falter. “It has been about changing lives, about giving hope to those who struggle
every day with their relationship with food and their bodies.”
| paused, looking out over the sea of faces. | recognized many as high profile men and women from the various
packs, but they weren't all who were in attendance; the kids from the mental facility were there, too, dressed in
rented gowns and tuxedos.
And the boy, Tom, the one in the wheelchair, stood at the front. Not sat. Stood. No wheelchair in sight, aside from
a thin cane to lean his weak muscles on if needed. He had put on weight since I had last seen him, and the sight
madesmile.
Inviting them had been at the top of my list, against Leonard's wishes, of course. “They'll sully the event, he had
said. “They're low class. They won't know how to act.”
| didn’t care how they acted-because tonight was for them.
“And now, the moment we've all been waiting for,” | said, taking the envelope from the attendant. “The total
donations for tonight's gala...
| opened the envelope, my fingers shaking. As | read the number, my eyes widened. “We've raised... $ 75,000!
That's $25,000 over our goal!”
The room erupted into raucous applause without a moment's hesitation. Without thinking, | turned and threw
myself at Noah, whose eyes were just as wide as mine.
Our lips met.
A hush fell over the room as we kissed deeply. | felt Noah stiffen beneath my lips, and for a moment, |
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Chapter 0265
thought | had made a terrible mistake. My heart pounded, my palms grew itchy with embarrassment.
But then, to my surprise, he returned the kiss with fervor. His arms wrapped around me, dippinglow. The
crowd erupted in cheers and wolf whistles.
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When Noah setback on my feet, | was breathless. Even if the kiss had just been for show and nothing else,
there was no ignoring the way that my wolf was practically purring with contentment and the way that my knees
felt weak in the most delicious way.
As | scanned the crowd, my eyes met Zoe's. Her face was stony, her lips pressed into a thin line. But it was
Leonard's expression that truly caught my attention-his face was twisted with anger, his eyes narrowed at Noah
and me.
Something about his glare sent a chill down my spine.
“You'll cdown with me,” Jake hissed in my ear, the scent of his rotting flesh cloying against my ear, my skin,
my nostrils. Putrid water dripped onto my flesh as he grabbed my wrist, draggingdown, down
“Down, under the water... With me...”
The water, first a fine mist, turned thick and heavy in my lungs. Not water, but black sludge. And the silver wolf
spread across the light of the moon had missed his mark, crashing onto the jagged rocks below.
| jolted upright, clutching at my throat as a scream died in my throat. The nightmare had felt so real- Jake's
rotting corpse, the scent of damp earth. Silver fiir dotted with red blood across the violent tips of jagged rocks.
My heart pounded in my chest, and | was drenched in a cold sweat. The moonlight filtering through the curtains
cast an eerie glow across the room, and that was when | saw him: Jake. Real. Dripping water on my carpet.
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