Page 124 of Healed in the Alpha's Embrace
NOAH
Isat in the wheelchair as the nurse pushed me through the sliding doors of the hospital entrance. The sun hit my face, warm and welcoming after days confined in a sterile room. My mom stood by her car, a relieved smile on her face.
“Ready to get out of here?” she asked, opening the passenger door.
“More than ready,” I replied, easing myself out of the wheelchair and into the car with a wince. My stitches pulled with each movement.
Mom walked around and got into the driver’s seat. As she started the engine, I glanced in the side mirror. A nondescript sedan pulled in behind us, followed by a black SUV. I recognized a few of my pack’s shifters in the SUV.
“They’re not exactly subtle, are they?” I said wryly.
Mom looked in the mirror and chuckled. “I don’t care about subtlety. I want you safe. That’s all that matters to me right now.”
“I know. And I appreciate it, I do. But you have to admit, it’s a little much.”
I gestured out the back window at the caravan of vehicles trailing us. It felt like overkill for the ride home from the hospital.
Mom’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. “After what happened, I don’t think any precaution is too much. You nearly died. Do you have any idea what that would have done to your father and me? To the pack?”
Her voice was thick with emotion, and I instantly regretted my glib attitude. l knew how much my parents worried, how heavy the mantle of leadership was. The last thing I wanted was to add to their stress.
“You’re right, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make light of the situation.”
Mom took a deep breath and gave her shoulders a little shake. “I know you didn’t, honey. It’s just... we love you so much. The thought of losing you...”
She blinked back tears. I put my hand on her shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
“Hey, come on now. No more of that kind of talk,” I said. “Besides, this is nothing compared to what you used to go through when I was in the ring, remember?”
Mom let out a shaky laugh. “Oh, God, don’t remind me. I swear I aged a decade every time you stepped into that ring.”
“And what did you do before every match?” I grinned. “Come on, you can say it.”
She shook her head, a reluctant smile tugging at her lips. “I prayed. Harder than I’ve ever prayed in my life.”
“Exactly. So, think of this as payback for all those years of you worrying about me getting my face bashed in.”
Mom swatted at my arm, chuckling despite herself. “Very funny. But I seem to remember you promised me you’d retire before you lost your pretty face. Clearly, that was a lie.”
I put a hand to my chest in mock offense. “Excuse me, I’ll have you know this is the face of a champion. Battle scars and all.”
We both laughed, and the tension in the car eased somewhat. It felt good to joke around, to pretend for a moment that things were normal again.
But as my rental home came into view, reality set back in. What was coming would be more challenging than any opponent I’d ever faced in the ring.
I squeezed Mom’s hand one more time before releasing it, then straightened in my seat. It was time to step into the role I’d been thrust into, a responsibility I’d never anticipated but now had to embrace and lead.
My phone buzzed with an incoming text. I glanced down, my pulse quickening when I saw Zoey’s name on the screen.
Zoey:Glad to hear you’re out of the hospital. When you’re up for it, I’d like to see you.
A wave of emotions washed over me—relief that she’d reached out, anticipation at the thought of being near her again, and a twinge of nerves.
Me:I’d like that too. Let me know when and where.
Hitting send, I stared at the phone, wishing I could hear her voice. Smell her scent. Feel her heartbeat. My wolf was desperate to claim his mate, to mark her as ours.
But I had to be patient. Rushing Zoey would only push her away. She’d been through so much already, and I didn’t want to be another source of fear or stress in her life.
