Page 179 of Healed in the Alpha's Embrace
Chuckling, I rolled my eyes. “Easy there, Romeo. She’s off-limits.”
He held up his hands in mock surrender. “I know, I know. I’ll be on my best behavior, I promise.”
“You better be,” I said, but there was no real heat behind my words. “How about we meet at the steakhouse, say, Friday night?”
“Sounds perfect. I’ll make the reservations.”
Relief washed over me. I doubted I’d ever be able to express to Ky how much it meant to me to have his support.
I left Ky’s house, feeling more at ease as I headed to my office in the alpha’s house.
The familiar scentof old books and leather engulfed me as I closed the door behind me. I made my way to the large mahogany desk that dominated the room, trailing my fingers along its polished surface. I sat in the high-backed chair and pulled open the top drawer, taking out the worn, leather-bound rolodex. It had belonged to my father, a meticulous record of every contact he’d ever made.
As I flipped through the pages, a familiar name caught my eye. It wasn’t a pack member, but rather a well-known boxing bookie. Curious, I called the number.
“Hello?” a gruff voice answered on the third ring.
“This is Noah Alexander. I found your number in my father’s rolodex. I was wondering if you could tell me why he has it.”
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line. “Noah Alexander, huh? I haven’t heard from you in a while. Your father was a regular client of mine.”
My eyebrows shot up at that. “A regular client? What do you mean?”
The bookie chuckled. “Your old man placed bets on every single one of your fights. And let me tell you, he never once bet against you.”
Well, fuck. All this time, I’d thought my father didn’t believe in my dreams. But here was proof that he’d been supporting me all along.
“He bet on me?” I managed to croak out.
“Every damn time,” the bookie said. “And he won big, too. Your father had faith in you, kid. More than you probably ever realized.”
My hand shook as I ended the call and put the phone down. I buried my face in my hands as guilt and regret washed over me. I’d spent so many years resenting my father, thinking he didn’t care, and yet he’d been there in the shadows, quietly cheering me on.
A knock on the door startled me. I cleared my throat and hastily wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. “Come in.”
My mother stepped inside. “Noah, honey, is everything all right?”
I stood up, crossing the room to pull her into a tight embrace. “Yeah, Mom, everything’s fine. Better than fine, actually.”
She pulled back, then glanced at the rolodex on the desk. “You found out about your father betting on you, didn’t you?”
A small smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. “Why didn’t he ever tell me?”
She placed her soft hand on my cheek. “Honey, your father is a proud man. He didn’t want you to think he was trying to take credit for your success. He wanted you to know that you earned it, every step of the way.”
I swallowed hard, a newfound understanding dawning on me. “I think I need to have a talk with him. There’s a lot I need to say.”
She smiled, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “He’s waiting for you. He’s always been waiting for you.”
47
ZOEY
Ipractically skipped out of the lecture hall. The exam I’d dreaded for weeks was finally over. I was confident that I had aced it. All those late nights studying had paid off. I couldn’t wait to tell Noah the good news.
I spotted him standing in the quad, hands shoved in his pockets, looking broody. Something was clearly bothering him, so I picked up my pace.
I kissed him when I reached him. “I think I totally crushed that exam.”
