Page 174 of Healed in the Alpha's Embrace
“Noah, this kid’s a natural.” One of the pack members, a burly man named Jack, clapped me on the back. “He’s gonna make a great alpha someday.”
I nodded, my chest swelling with pride as Ro interacted with the pack. He asked questions, listened intently, and evencracked a few jokes, sending everyone into fits of laughter. As the day went on, I marveled at Ro’s ability to connect with people. He was a charmer.
When we left, Ro was practically vibrating with excitement. “That was so cool, Noah, I can’t wait to come back and hang out with everyone again.”
I grinned down at him. “You did great today. I’m proud of you.”
45
ZOEY
Istared down at my untouched eggs and toast, the clinking of silverware against plates the only sound breaking the awkward silence. Heather shifted uncomfortably in her seat beside me while Mom fiddled with her napkin.
Finally, Mom cleared her throat. “Let’s just get to the reason we’re all here, shall we?” She took a deep breath. “My father abused my mother. He was cruel and controlling. To this day, I remember every time he hit her.”
My grip tightened on my fork. Heather took my hand under the table and squeezed it so hard, my fingers went numb.
“He arranged my marriage to Anthony Lester.” Mom’s green eyes clouded with old pain. “An older man, just as abusive as my father. But back then, you obeyed your father, your husband. A woman had no autonomy.”
“That’s awful,” Heather whispered. “I had no idea.”
Mom gave a bitter laugh. “I was raised to believe that was how a man showed his love. By keeping his woman in line.”
Anger flared in my chest as I remembered how trapped and powerless I’d felt with George. The constant fear, walking on eggshells.
“Anthony gambled away every penny I earned. I worked sixty hours a week just to keep a roof over our heads while he drank and cheated.” Mom shook her head. “His affairs were a relief, honestly. Better than him beating me.”
I swallowed hard. “I’m so sorry, Mom. I had no idea what you went through.”
“I wanted to protect you girls from that life. Spare you that pain. But instead...” Mom trailed off and pressed her lips together in a tight line.
“We’re here now,” I said, meeting her gaze. “We’ll get through this together.”
She shuddered. “I came home late from my waitressing shift one night, exhausted to my bones. When I unlocked the front door, I heard muffled crying coming from the living room.” She shook her head. “My stomach twisted into a knot as I called out for you, Zoey. A whimper answered me. I rushed inside to find you—you were only four years old—cowering in the corner. Anthony was standing over you, his hand raised to strike.” She closed her eyes, twisting the napkin between her fingers. “I yelled at him, asked him how many times he’d hit you before. You clung to my leg, sobbing. He said, ‘Only when she deserves it.’” She met my gaze again. “That’s when he told me he’d do what he damn well pleased. That he and my daddy already had it all arranged.”
My heart stopped. “What are you talking about?”
“He said he’d found a good man to take ‘the girl’ off our hands. Marry you when you turned eighteen. My baby. You hadn’t even started kindergarten, and they were already selling her off to the highest bidder. That night, I waited until Anthony passed out. When he was drunk, his snores made the thin walls rattle, so I knew he wouldn’t wake up soon. I packed a bag with a change of clothes for both of us and your favorite stuffed bunny. I didn’t dare take anything else. I had no idea where we weregoing to go, but I knew we couldn’t stay in that house a minute longer. Not with Anthony. Not with the future they had planned for you, Zoey.” She closed her eyes, deep in her memories. “I made it to a women’s shelter. The next few days passed in a blur of meetings with caseworkers, hushed conversations with other women, and figuring out how to get you to sleep in a strange place. I was just starting to feel like I could breathe again when Anthony showed up at the shelter, demanding to see me. I don’t know how he found me, but he did.”
“What did you do?” Heather whispered.
Mom shook her head. “Refused him, but he kept coming back. At first, he tried to convince me with sweet talk and promises to come back with him. When I kept rejecting him, the threats started. Anthony’s obsession only seemed to grow. He filled up my voicemail, left notes at the shelter, threatened to take Zoey from her daycare. I lived in constant fear, jumping at shadows.” She sucked down a big gulp of her drink. “Then, he told me if I didn’t come home, he’d kill you.”
“He threatened to kill me?” I whispered. “His own child?”
She nodded grimly, blinking back tears. “I’m so sorry, honey. You were so little. I prayed you wouldn’t remember any of it. It was a truly harrowing time.”
Shaking my head in disbelief, I grappled with the reality that our lives had taken a similar path in such a tragic way, leaving us both victims of circumstances no woman should face. Survivors, I corrected myself. We’d gotten out. We were survivors.
“I had no idea,” I said. “God, Mom, that’s monstrous. I’m so sorry you went through that.”
She reached out to grip my hand. “Oh, Zoey, honey, it wasn’t your fault. I’d have done anything to protect you. You’re my baby. I wasn’t about to let that bastard lay a finger on you ever again.”
We sat in heavy silence for a long moment, the ghosts of the past swirling around us. I could only hope unburdening this secret would bring us closer, even if the memories stung like salt in an open wound.
“One night, I found Anthony waiting for me at the shelter after I’d finished work. Not wanting to deal with him, I walked past. Ignoring him was like throwing a lit match at a pool of gasoline. He erupted and beat me. Badly. One of the women at the shelter, Lisa, came out, and he ran off. She helped clean me up. I was a mess. My eyes were so swollen, I could barely see out of them. She told me she could get me something that might help protect us.”
Heather leaned forward. “What did she give you?”
