NovelEnglishChapter 0266
Chapter 0266
And in my current state, only one thought cto mind:
| need to get out.
Without thinking or realizing that | was just imagining things, | bolted from my bed and ran to Noah's room next
door. | pounded on the wood, not caring how the sound reverberated through the empty house. “Noah! Noah,
please!”
The door flew open a moment later, and Noah stood there, his eyes glowing amber and his glistening white
fangs dropped. With a low grow, he pulledinto one arm, his other raised to fight an invisible attacker.
“What is it? What's wrong?”
| sobbed into his chest, my words muffled against his skin. “Jake... he cback... in my dream... He was trying
to takeagain...”
It was only then that | realized that the figure | had seen was just a lingering hallucination from my nightmare,
but it didn’t make the terror any less real.
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Noah's body relaxed, but he didn’t let go. Instead, his arm tightened around me, one hand stroking my hair.
“It was just a nightmare. You're safe, Hannah. I've got you.”
As my tears subsided, embarrassment crept in. | pulled back slightly, wiping my eyes. “I'm sorry, | shouldn't
have-"
“Don’t,” Noah said, his thumb coming up to wipe away a stray tear. “Don’t apologize. You have nothing to be
sorry about,”
| swallowed, nodding and stepping back. Wordlessly, he leddownstairs to the kitchen, his hand warm on the
small of my back the entire way. The house was quiet, our footsteps echoing softly in the hallway.
“Let's get you swarm milk. It'll help you sleep.”
As Noah busied himself at the stove, | sat at the kitchen island, watching him. So tender, so... loving. So unlike
him. Maybe, while | had been having nightmares, he had been dreaming about happy moments. That was the
only explanation | could find for his sudden kindness. 1
“Noah,” | said quietly, breaking the silence, “about your proposition earlier...”
He turned, one eyebrow raised. “It’s late, Hannah. You don’t have to talk about it now.”
shrugged, clenching my jaw. The gala had ended hours ago, the notes of the opera and the string quartet Tong
since having faded in my mind, but his question-and his promise-had lingered. Even in the wake of Jake's
dripping corpse.
“I accept,” | said, cautiously meeting his gaze in the dimly lit kitchen. “I'll accept.”
Noah blinked atfor a moment, clearly surprised. “Are you sure?”
| nodded. “What's another two months?” | asked. My hand moved to touch my belly, where his child was taking
root, but | managed to push away the urge to reveal it now. “And after tonight.
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Chapter 0266
The memory of our kiss at the gala returned. His lips, so warm and soft against mine. The way he had dipped me
low, and now, his tousled hair as he warmed milk foron the stove.
Something had changed tonight. | wasn’t sure what, or how, or when, but something had changed. Maybe | was
just scared again, like that night at the hospital. Clawing at any sense of familiarity, nostalgia, yearning.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmWithout a word, he brought the mug of warm milk over, and as he handed it to me, our fingers brushed. Neither
of us let go of the mug, our eyes locked. The air between us seemed to crackle with electricity.
“If you're certain,” he said quietly, tentatively. “I promise to uphold my end of the bargain-about ending things
amicably.”
Ending things. The thought madeshudder, and my fingers instinctively tightened around his.
Before | could talk myself out of it, | leaned forward and pressed my lips to his.
Noah responded immediately, his free hand coming up to cup my cheek. The kiss was soft, tender, filled with
unspoken emotions-but it was also harsh, necessary, intense. Clearly, he yearned just as much as | did. Was he
scared, just like | was? No; impossible. But he yearned. 1
When we pulled apart, both slightly breathless, | whispered in a trembling voice, “I don’t want to sleep alone
tonight.”
For a moment, Noah hesitated, his eyes searching mine. Then, without a word, he scoopedup into his arms,
carryingtoward the stairs.
We left the milk untouched on the counter.
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