Page 182 of Healed in the Alpha's Embrace
He walked over to me, taking my hands in his. “I wanted to do something special for you, to show you how much you mean to me.”
My throat tightened with emotion. He’d gone through so much effort to create this romantic atmosphere. As we sat down to dinner, I decided now was as good a time as any to broach the subject of fated mates.
“Noah, can I ask you something?” I took a deep breath, gathering my courage. “Why haven’t we talked about the fact that we’re fated mates?”
He paused, his fork halfway to his mouth. “I... Zoey, I’ve known from the first moment I saw you. I’ve always wanted to tell you, but it never seemed like the right time. You were going through so much, and I didn’t want to add to your stress.” Noah reached across the table and put his hand on top of mine. “And then, when you started making so much progress and growth in your personal life, I was afraid of scaring you off. I never wanted you to feel like I was upset about it or that I didn’t want this. The more I got to know you, the more thrilled I became about our connection. I can’t imagine anyone more perfect for me.”
His words washed over me, soothing the doubts that had crept into my mind.
“How do you feel about it, Zoey?”
I took a moment to gather my thoughts. “Honestly, if you’d told me a year ago, or even when I first came back to town that I would be this happy and content to be cosmically tied to a man, I never would have believed it. But here I am, and it makes my heart so happy.” I smiled as I remembered Heather explaining fated mates to me. “When Heather first told me about it, I thought it was a bad thing. That I’d be tied to you regardless. But now, I see that you want nothing but the best for me. You’ve shown me faith and encouragement, things I now know werelacking before, thanks to my therapist. I’m starting to believe that I deserve a good future.”
“You deserve that and so much more,” Noah said. “but I should tell you, if you allow me to claim you, that’s it, Zoey. It’s forever. I won’t do it without your permission. Never. Only when you’re ready.”
Noah’s earnest words reassured me. George had told me about claiming—he’d always said he couldn’t do it because I was human. But this was Noah. I’d accepted that I was his fated mate, so having him claim me would be the next step.
As we continued our dinner, the conversation turned to our plans for the future. It was hard to picture it while George was still a very real threat.
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t afraid every time we leave the house,” I admitted. “Even now, I’m stopping myself from calling Sam every five minutes to make sure Ro is okay. I want to believe that we have a future, but before I can truly feel secure, I need to know George will leave me and Ro alone.”
Noah leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table as he spoke. “I’ve been thinking about how to deal with George. I can’t rely on Warman when we’re not seeing results.” He paused, searching my face. “Zoey, if it comes down to it, will you be able to find peace if I have to...” He cleared his throat. “If I have to kill Roland’s father?”
My breath hitched. Damn. The gravity of the situation settled heavily on my shoulders. George was dangerous, but the thought of Ro losing his father, even one as terrible as George, made my heart ache.
“I’m not sure how Ro would feel about his father dying,” I admitted. “But I know he doesn’t care about having George in his life. He’s caused us both so much pain.” I laced my fingers through his. “I trust you. I trust you to do what you think is best—for all of us. I believe in you, Noah,” I whispered. “I believe in us, and the future we can have together.”
Noah’s grip on my hand tightened, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “We’re going to make it through this. And when we do, we’ll have a bright future waiting for us.”
48
NOAH
Idialed the number, drumming my fingers on the kitchen counter as I waited. After a few rings, a gruff voice answered. “Leon’s Investigations.”
“Leon? This is Noah Alexander. I need you to track someone down for me. George James.”
After a pause, he sighed. “That’s a tall order.”
“I know. But you’re the best at what you do. I need you to find him and bring him to me.”
Leon chuckled. “Flattery will get you everywhere. All right, I’ll take the case. George won’t be able to hide from me for long. I’ll be in touch soon.”
“Thank you, Leon. I appreciate it.” I put my phone down. If anyone could find George, it was Leon.
But there was still one more thing I needed to do, and it had my stomach twisting into knots. Taking a deep breath, I headed out to see my father.
I pulledup to my father’s house and just sat there for a moment, gripping the steering wheel tightly. Why was I so nervous about this? It was a conversation that needed to happen, but I couldn’t shake the unease churning inside me.
Steeling myself, I got out of the car, walked up to the front door, and knocked three times. Bile crept up my throat as I waited, and I was just about to turn around when my father opened the door.
“Noah?” His eyebrows were raised in surprise. “What brings you here, son? Is everything all right?”
“We need to talk.” The words came out more terse than I intended. “Can I come in?”
He stepped aside and let me in. I followed him to his study, memories of being called in here as a kid to be scolded flashing through my mind. But I wasn’t a child anymore. I was the alpha now.
My father poured us both a scotch and handed me again. I took it, the cold glass against my palm grounding me. “I found the bookie’s number,” I said.
