Page 177 of Healed in the Alpha's Embrace
Ro dashed off to his room, his footsteps echoing down the hall. Noah crossed over to me, searching my face.
“How did it go with your mom?” he asked, brushing my hair out of my face.
I let out a shaky breath. “It was intense. She told me things about her past I never knew. The abuse she suffered, the fear she lived with.”
Noah brushed his thumb lightly over my skin. “I’m sorry you had to hear that. I can’t imagine how difficult it must have been.”
I shook my head, blinking back tears. “I needed to hear it. I needed to understand why she made the choices she did. And it helped me realize something.”
“What’s that?”
“I’m not my mother. I don’t have to repeat her mistakes or let my past define me. I deserve better than what George put me through.” I lifted my gaze to meet Noah’s. “And I’m not going to run from this—fromus—anymore.”
Hope and joy flared in Noah’s wide eyes. “Zoey, I?—”
I crushed my lips against his. Noah responded instantly, his arms winding around my waist and pulling me flush against him. I poured everything I felt into the kiss—my gratitude, my trust, my love.
When we finally broke apart, panting, Noah rested his forehead against mine. “I promise you, Zoey, I will never let youor Ro down. I’m in this for the long haul, no matter what comes our way. You’re my mate, and I’m going to spend the rest of my life making sure you’re both happy and safe.”
Tears spilled down my cheeks, but for once, they were tears of joy. I still had a lot of healing to do, but with Noah by my side, I could face anything.
“I love you.” The words fell from my lips like a prayer.
Noah’s answering smile was blinding. “I love you, too.”
And as he drew me in for another kiss, I knew this was just the beginning of our forever.
46
NOAH
Idrummed my fingers on the steering wheel as I drove to my parents’ house. Zoey’s words about my father echoed in my head. She had been right about her mother, so perhaps there was a chance of mending things with my dad. Before I could dwell on it further, my phone rang. It was Warman.
“Noah, we’ve got the guys who trashed your gym in custody,” he said.
I made a U-turn and headed for the police station instead. “I’ll be right there.”
At the station, Warman filled me in on the details. “They were hired all right, but get this—George didn’t put them up to it. Turns out it was one of the rival gyms.”
I frowned. That didn’t add up. Why would another gym want to take me down? Unless there was more to the story.
“I want to talk to the owner before pressing charges,” I told Warman. “Something doesn’t feel right about this.”
He nodded. “Fair enough. Want me to set up a meeting?”
“No need. I’ll pay him a visit myself.”
If the gym owner was involved, I wanted to look him in the eye and get the truth straight from the source. If he thought he could mess with me and mine, he had another think coming.
The gym was an hour away. When I pulled into the parking lot, I saw the owner pacing nervously inside. He must have recognized me, because the second I walked through the door, fear flashed across his face.
“Noah, what brings you here?”
I crossed my arms and stared him down. “You know exactly why I’m here.”
He swallowed hard and averted his gaze. “Look, I don’t want any trouble.”
“Then why hire thugs to vandalize my gym?” I took a step closer.
