Page 115 of Healed in the Alpha's Embrace
“Thank you, but Warman already promised that.” I sniffled. “I’m not sure what difference it’s going to make. George doesn’t care about the protection order. He acts as if he’s above the law.”
“No,” Margaret interjected firmly. “No one is above the law, Zoey. By disregarding the protection order, he is sabotaging hisown defense. You’re right in that George has proven that he’ll use anyone to get to you. Let me talk to the chief and arrange for him to have someone to watch your sister.”
At her words, a fresh wave of tears overtook me. I sobbed into the phone, my shoulders shaking with the force of my emotions.
“Is everything okay?” Margaret asked gently.
“The events of the night are starting to catch up with me,” I said between hiccups. “But more than that, I’m so relieved. George always told me that no one would believe me, and for a long time, I thought that was true.”
“Not only do I believe you, but I’m going to enjoy tearing George to shreds in the courtroom,” Margaret said. “With the documents and pictures you’ve provided, we have a strong case for battery and domestic abuse charges.” She paused for a moment, then said, “I’ll make sure you receive the child support and everything else you’re entitled to.”
“I don’t need or wantanythingfrom George,” I said quickly. “Just full custody of Roland.”
Margaret was silent for a moment. “I understand that, but it’s not just for you. There’s Roland to think about. Anything from the child support settlement can be put into a trust for his future needs.”
I hesitated, then nodded, even though she couldn’t see me. “You’re right. I agree to that.”
“Good. Now, go home, give your son a hug, and start planning your future. I’m going to work on unshackling you from the past.”
“Thank you, Margaret,” I whispered. “For everything.”
We said our goodbyes, and I ended the call, staring at the screen for a long moment.If only it were that easy, I thought wryly.
32
NOAH
The creak of the hospital room door snapped my attention away from the searing pain in my abdomen. Mom stumbled in, face pale and streaked with tears. “Noah, my baby...” She rushed over and clutched my hand, her grip ice-cold.
“Mom, I’m okay.” I forced a smile, not wanting her to worry more. She looked like she hadn’t slept in days.
My father strode in behind her. He stood rigidly at the foot of the bed. “Son, we need to get our story straight before this spreads through the pack. If we play this right, we can keep everyone calm.”
I bristled. Of course that’s what he was focused on, not the fact that I nearly died. Typical. “Dad, in case you forgot, I’m the alpha now. I’ll handle it.”
He waved a hand in dismissal. “Don’t be foolish. This is a delicate situation. Let me take care of it.”
Unbelievable. I’d just taken a bullet, and he was still trying to run the show. I gritted my teeth. “The pack is my responsibility now. I’m going to be fully transparent about what happened. No cover-ups or half-truths.”
Dad’s face turned red. He opened his mouth to argue, but Mom cut him off with a sharp look. “Christian, please. Our son is hurt. The pack can wait.” She turned back to me, gently stroking my hair like she used to when I was a kid. “I was so scared. I can’t lose you, too, Noah.”
My heart clenched at the anguish in her eyes. She’d already endured the trauma of losing Nate, and I hated myself for putting her through this again. I squeezed her hand. “I’m not going anywhere, Mom. I promise.”
Dad paced. “Son, I know you want to do things your way, but you have to consider the ramifications. Telling the pack everything could cause widespread panic.”
“No.” I shook my head, ignoring the dull throb of pain. “Keeping them in the dark will only breed mistrust. There are employees here who are part of my pack. They’ve seen me, treated me. How do we stop them from talking? Intimidation? Threats? How does that make us any different from George James? They deserve the truth from their alpha.”
“But what about Zoey?” he pressed. “Do you really want to draw more attention to her?”
Anger surged through me. I sat up straighter, fixing him with a hard stare. “Don’t you dare use her as an excuse. I will never be ashamed of my mate. If anything, what happened proves how much she needs our protection.”
I thought back to the moment I took the alpha oath, the determination I felt to keep Zoey safe from that bastard George. “I’m challenging him for a reason: to show her abuser that I won’t back down. I want Zoey to know she has someone in her corner now. I took the oath so I could issue the challenge because you couldn’t. Shifter law dictates that only an alpha may challenge another alpha. I don’t want to disrespect you, but we both know you wouldn’t have been successful.”
Mom placed a calming hand on Dad’s arm. “Christian, let him handle this. It is his pack now, after all.”
I smiled gratefully at her before turning back to Dad. “I may be new to this role, but I intend to lead with integrity. No secrets or lies. We face this head-on, as a united pack.”
Dad’s shoulders slumped in resignation as he rubbed a hand over his jaw. “I only want what’s best for everyone. I’m trying to help.”
