Page 198 of Healed in the Alpha's Embrace
I grinned, warmth spreading through my chest. “He has been. More than I ever could have imagined.”
The session wrapped up not long after that, and as we stepped into the lobby, my mother patted my back.
“Zoey, I want you to know how incredibly proud I am of you,” she said. “You are so much stronger than I ever was. Afterlistening to you today, I realize I still have a lot of healing to do myself. Thank you for giving me the courage to finally face it.”
My eyes stung. I pulled her into a tight hug, hoping she could feel all the love I was putting into it.
“We’ll get through this together, Mom,” I murmured against her shoulder. “You and me, we’re survivors. And we’re going to be okay.”
As I stepped out of Elaine’s office, the cool air hit my face, reminding me that summer was fading fast. My mother and I said our goodbyes, and I started walking toward my car, my bodyguards right behind me.
“Zoey,” a familiar voice called out behind me. I turned to see Chief Warman approaching me. “How are you holding up?”
“I’m okay, Chief.” I shrugged. “Better than I was, but still a little on edge, to be honest.”
He nodded. “I can only imagine. Listen, I know Noah is planning to challenge George.”
I swallowed hard, my heart clenching. “Yeah. He is now that we know where George is hiding out.”
Warman’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “You do? Zoey, that’s crucial information. If you tell me where he is, I can make some calls. See if we can get an arrest warrant issued.”
I hesitated, torn between my desire to keep Noah safe and the knowledge that involving the police could jeopardize his plan. I’d assumed Warman had already known.
“I appreciate that, Chief. But Craigsville is outside of your jurisdiction, isn’t it?”
Sighing, Warman rubbed a hand over his face. “You’re right. That would complicate things. And even if I could get the local authorities involved, it might just spook George and make him run. This could be the only chance we have to take him down for good.”
I bit my lip and looked down at the ground. Warman put his hand on my shoulder.
“I’m not fond of people taking the law into their own hands, but I respect Noah and the choice he’s making. I know he’s doing this to protect you and your future together. As hard as it might be, you need to trust him and respect his decision, too.”
I let out a shaky breath, knowing in my heart that Warman was right. Noah was putting everything on the line for me and Ro—for the future we wanted together. The least I could do was stand by him, even if it all terrified me to my core.
“I do trust him,” I said softly. “More than anyone. I just wish there was another way.”
Warman gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze before dropping his hand. “I understand. But sometimes, in situations like these, there are no easy answers. Just know that you have people in your corner. You’re not alone in this.”
I blinked back my tears. “Thank you, Chief.”
As I drove home,I couldn’t shake the dread coiling in my stomach, the fear of what tomorrow would bring.
Noah was already home when I walked through the door, his face tight with worry. “I just got off the phone with Warman. He told me about your run-in with him earlier. Zoey, why did you tell him we know where George is?”
I flinched at the undercurrent of anger in his tone. “I’m sorry. I thought he knew. I wasn’t trying to go behind your back. He stopped me to say hello and see how I was doing.”
Noah’s eyes softened, and he closed the distance between us, pulling me into his arms. “I know you’re worried about me. AndI love you for wanting to keep me safe. But I have to do this. It’s the only way to ensure that George never hurts you again.”
I clung to him, burying my face in his chest as the tears I’d held back finally spilled over. The thought of losing Noah, of something happening to him because of me, was too much to bear.
“I can’t lose you,” I choked out, my fingers curling into his shirt. “I don’t know how to do this without you.”
Noah tipped my chin up, forcing me to look at him. His blue eyes blazed with a fierce intensity I’d never seen before.
“You’re not going to lose me. I’m going to fight like hell to come back to you. You and Roland, you’re my entire world. And I won’t let anyone, especially not George, take that away from me.”
Then he kissed me, stealing the breath from my lungs. I poured every ounce of love and desperation I felt into that kiss, silently praying that this wouldn’t be the last time I felt his touch, his warmth.
When we finally broke apart, Noah’s eyes glowed with a primal heat that sent shivers down my spine.
