Chapter 0446


    He didn''t have to tell me twice. The miniature goats-one pure white and the other white with brown spots -were the cutest little things, and I couldn''t help myself.


    "Come here, little guy-"


    The moment I stepped into the pen, cooing at the goats, I must have struck a nerve; because the white one, with a wild bray of dissatisfaction, charged me like he wasn''t a quarter of my size. And it hurt like hell, despite his small stature.


    Friendly, indeed.


    "Ow ow o!" I cried out hopping on one foot as I gripped my injured shin. "You little-"


    "Hannah, watch out!" Noah eximed, running in after me just as the other goat grabbed my scarf, pulled, and fucking took off with it.


    "Oh-Hey! My scarf!"


    I took off after the goat, who was currently trailing my favoritevender-colored scarf through the mud. The little thing was fast, too, faster even than the white one.


    And that was how I found myself running around the pen, chasing a goat like my life depended on it.


    It was only once, nearly five full minutes and fifteenpster, that I finally got my half-chewed scarf back and realized that the goats braying and the chickens squawking and my shouts of contempt weren''t the only sounds in that pen. ''Noah and Melody were bothughing at me.


    Hard.


    "Ha ha,ugh all you want," I said, cing my hands on my hips. "But I''ll be the one having thestugh while I''m having roast goat for dinner."


    Noah snorted and shook his head. "Come on, killer. Let''s check out the rest of the house."


    The inside of the house was just as beautiful as the outside; the entryway opened up into a cozy little living room,plete with a plush sectional and two enormous armchairs set up around a stone firece.


    The kitchen was filled with state-of-the-art appliances, surprising given how quaint the house was.


    Then, there was the master bedroom: arge four-poster bed piled high with pillows and nkets, as well as an en suite bathroom with a huge w-foot tub and a sliding ss door that opened up to a private back patio. There was a hot tub out there as well, which I could already picture myself soaking in tonight once Melody was asleep.


    I turned, still in shock, to see Noahying Melody down on the bed and fussing with her shoes. I watched his back for a moment, my brow furrowed.


    He''d never mentioned taking a trip like this-not even so much as a passingment


    But now here we were, six months in, and he was taking us to a little paradise in the forest when I knew


    for a fact that he had to have been swamped with even more work than I was.


    And yet, there was nothing but a serene smile on his face.


    Things are in the works, he had said on more than one asion in recent weeks. What sort of things, I wondered?


    "What?" Noah asked, ncing at me over his shoulder. "I can feel you staring.".Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    I shook my head and strode over to him, still clutching my ruined scarf in one hand. "I feel like you''re not telling me something," I said. "The Noah I know doesn''t just up and leave his pack-with no Beta at home -to go on an impromptu vacation." Noah blinked at me for a moment, mouth opening and closing as if caught in the act.


    But just like that, the look of surprise was quickly reced by that same serene smile as before.


    "It''s just for fun," he said, leaning forward to kiss my forehead.


    "But-"


    "Oh, would you look at the time." Noah checked his watch with an impish grin. "Looks like our chef should be here any minute now."


    My eyebrows shot up, my earlier apprehension giving way to surprise.


    "Chef?"