Novel Palace
Chapter 114
c Chapter
Hannah
0114
I fidgeted nervously as the stage assistant guided me and Noah through the bustling backstage area, leading us toward the other contestants. The whole place was like a cacophony of noise-almost too much for my frayed nerves. The games were to be held on a large, flat athletic field, and each of the contestants was asked to wear athletic gear. The thought of that made my stomach churn a bit; I wasn't exactly in the best shape, not with my anorexia and the pregnancy. But I had to perform well today. This was it, after all: the impromptu couples competition that would determine which pack would be hosting the Lunar Festival this year.
"You ready for this?" Noah's gruff voice made me startle, and I glanced up to find him watching me with an inscrutable look on his face.
I opened my mouth, aiming for some appropriately witty retort, but the words got lost on my tongue as movement over Noah's shoulder caught my eye. My steps faltered as I registered the two figures crossing the field toward us. Drake? Zoe?" I muttered, turning.
Sure enough, the tall, muscular form of Alpha striding alongside the petite blond Luna could be no one else. Drake and Zoe were here, and they were dressed to compete.This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.
But why? Drake was on the Alpha Council this year, which meant that he wasn't in the running to host the Lunar Festival. After all, whoever was on the Alpha Council-which rotated every year in order to avoid the same Alphas making all the decisions each year-wasn't allowed to compete to host the Lunar Festival.
It was only fair, and it was how we had done it for... well, forever. So why did they look like they were competing, with numbers on their shirts and everything?
"Are they competing? Noah asked, clearly sharing in my confusion.
"I don't know," I replied, plastering on that award-winning smile of mine and waving at the two of them. Drake easily returned my smile, although Zoe could hardly seem to manage more than a stiff nod. "Luna Hannah," Drake said, nodding his head politely as he stopped in front of us. He then turned to Noah, and his smile faltered ever so slightly. "Alpha Noah."" "Drake." Noah's tone was like ice.
I turned to Zoe then. "Zoe, it's so nice to see you. I was actually hoping to speak with you for a moment, if you wouldn't mind." She shrugged. "Not at all."
Without waiting for Drake to protest, I looped my arm through Zoe's and tugged her away, weaving -through the maze of equipment crates and clothing racks until we were relatively isolated a little ways away.
"Zoe, what's going on?" I asked without preamble, cutting straight to the chase. "Why are you and Drake
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here? I didn't think Drake could compete this year, and you... well, you're a part of Nightcrest now."
She sighed, her lips turning down. 1'didn't want to do this, trust me," she said, glancing over at her shoulder at Noah and Drake, who seemed to be in the midst of a rather stiff conversation. "But..." "But what?"
"Adam found out about the competition and got so excited." She shook her head and bit her lip. "You know how kids can be-he got so excited over the prospect of his mommy and daddy being TV stars for a day. He begged me to do it." "And you couldn't say no to your son," I finished for her.
Zoe offered a thin smile. "Exactly."
I was quiet for a moment as my other question was left unanswered. Zoe, however, seemed to read my mind and continued for me.
"I know what you're thinking. And... no, Drake is not competing to host the Lunar Festival. Neither am I." "So what are you doing?" I asked.
She shrugged, splaying her hands out at her waist. "Who knows? I think his aunt insisted. I didn't bother to get the details."
Understanding settled over me as Zoe spoke. It all made sense, then-Luna Alanna, the Luna Queen, adored Drake. Ever since her own daughter had died years ago, she hadn't ever had another child. But she did treat Drake as her own son. And perhaps... "Zoe, you don't think that the Luna Queen wanted you and Drake to compete together so you could..." voice trailed off, but I didn't need to finish. Zoe sighed, seeming to understand what I was implying: that the Luna Queen forced Drake and Zoe to compete as a ploy to make them get together.