Page 82 of Healed in the Alpha's Embrace
“Your mother knew within weeks,” he countered with a shrug, as if that settled matters.
I leaned forward, frustration flaring. “Zoey isn’t Mom. And this situation... it’s different. She’s dealing with a lot.”
“The faster you claim her, the better, Noah. We need to put this foul business with George behind us and move forward.”
I stood and paced the room. “I haven’t forgotten my responsibilities, okay? I’ve been working behind the scenes. Just because you don’t see it doesn’t mean it’s not happening.”
“Look at you, all doom and gloom when it comes to pack business,” Dad scoffed. “What’s so terrible about being the alpha?”
“Being alpha is like having chains on your feet, tethering you to one spot forever.” I couldn’t keep the bitterness from seeping into my voice. “After Nate... after he died, you had already decided my life for me. You wanted me to live in his shadow.”
“Your duty?—”
“Was never mine!” I snapped. “I was out there. I was boxing, traveling, seeing things Nate and the rest of the pack would never see. I had a taste of something different. Something that wasn’t preordained by family legacy.”
“Everything we did was for the strength of the pack.”
“Did you ever ask what I wanted? Even once?” I glared at him across the old wooden desk. The fragile peace that had built between us over the last few weeks was on the brink of shattering.
“Your wants were always secondary to our needs.”
“Exactly, Father. And nothing’s changed.” My hands clenched involuntarily. “Here I am, stepping up because it’s expected. Because it’s what you want from me, not because it’s my calling. And it’s still not enough for you.”
He bristled at my tone but didn’t respond. After a moment, I pressed on, softer now but no less intense. “Have you ever left Boldercrest? Seen anything beyond these borders? Had dreams that didn’t involve leading the pack?”
His gaze shifted, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his features.
“There’s more to life than power and obligation. Didn’t you ever want anything else?”
His jaw clenched, and he spoke through gritted teeth. “Being alpha was always my path.”
“Maybe,” I conceded. “But I can’t help wondering if you’ve missed out on living because of it.”
He leaned back in his chair, the old leather creaking under his weight. “That’s what retirement is for,” he said, folding his hands over his belly as if the matter was settled.
“Retirement?” I threw my hands up. “You think living starts when you’re too old to enjoy it? That’s your answer?”
“Living isn’t just about gallivanting around the globe, Noah.” His voice was steady, a counter to my rising frustration. “There are responsibilities that anchor you—important ones.”
“Like being chained to a patch of dirt?” I paced the room, the need to move, to be free, thrumming through me.
“Anchors can give you purpose, son. What happens when you are mated, when you become a father? You can’t just pick up and leave on a whim. Roland needs stability. And Zoey...” He trailed off, glancing towards the window as if picturing her there. “She’ll want to build something for herself, considering what she’s been through.”
“Of course, I—” I stopped mid-sentence, my protest dying in my throat. I wanted to be part of Zoey and Roland’s lives, but was I ready to be a parent? For school plays and parent-teacher conferences?
“Are you willing to be there for them, through all of that?” His eyes locked onto mine, and I knew he wasn’t just challenging me; he was genuinely asking.
“Being tied down to family, to the pack, it will ground you in ways you never imagined,” he continued. “It’s not so different from taking on the mantle of alpha. It’s a heavy load, but it comes with rewards that solo travels can’t match.”
I stood still, his words hitting home. If I saw it all as chains, maybe I wasn’t cut out for any of it. Maybe I wasn’t the man Zoey needed after all.
My father watched me, waiting for an argument, a rebuttal, anything.
But I had none to give.
22
ZOEY
