Page 193 of Healed in the Alpha's Embrace
Isat across from my attorney, the gleaming mahogany desk stretching between us like a chasm. My fingers drummed against the leather armrest as he shuffled through the stack of papers.
“Are you sure about this, Noah?” he asked, glancing up at me. “Leaving everything to Zoey and Roland?”
If I wasn’t sure, I wouldn’t have called him here. “I have no intention of dying, but I need peace of mind going into this fight with George. If the worst happens, I want to know Zoey will have more than enough to get her and Roland to safety.”
My attorney sighed but scribbled his signature on the documents. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
I stood and shook his hand. “I’m sure that I do. Thanks for coming by.”
As I walked him out of the office, I blinked against the bright morning sun. One thing down. Next on the list: Kyler.
The gym was quiet this early. The familiar scent of sweat and leather mixed with the unfamiliar detergent and fresh paint greeted me as I pushed through the doors. Kyler was already there, leaning against the ropes of the ring we’dsalvaged. We were running at limited capacity until the new equipment arrived, but we were running. Kyler straightened as I approached.
“Hey, man, what’s with the emergency text?” Kyler quirked an eyebrow. “You’re not usually one for early morning pow-wows.”
I pulled an envelope out of my jacket pocket and held it out to him. “I need you to hold on to this for me. It’s the paperwork for my shares in the gym. If anything happens to me when I face George, they’re yours.”
Kyler’s hand froze midway to the envelope, his usually playful expression morphing into something pained. “I don’t even want to hear you talking like that. They need you here, man. We have fighters to train.” His voice wavered.
I stepped forward and hugged him, slapping his back. “I’m not going anywhere, Ky. You know those boys would be lost without me.” I forced a chuckle. “It would be a total disaster. But just to be safe…”
Kyler huffed a weak laugh as he pulled back and gripped my arms. His gaze bore into mine, deadly serious. “I mean it. You can’t die on me. You have to come back.”
I squeezed his shoulder, hoping my face showed more confidence than I felt. “I will, Ky. I promise. I’ll make it happen, no matter what it takes.”
But as I left the gym, a cold fist of worry clenched in my gut. I’d do anything to keep that promise to Kyler, to make it home to Zoey and Roland. I just hoped that in the end, anything would be enough.
There was one more person I needed to talk to. With my heart heavy, I set off toward the cemetery. A few minutes later, the green grass crunched under my boots as I crouched in front of my brother’s grave, the chill of the headstone seeping into my palm as I rested my hand on its smooth surface.
“Hey, Nate. Been a while.” I cleared my throat, the grief still raw after all these years. “Dad and I, uh, we’re doing better. Making progress. Bet it’s a cold day down in hell, huh?”
A strangled laugh escaped my lips, but it rang hollow in the empty cemetery. I traced the engraved letters of his name.
“I’m sorry, Nate. For all the years we didn’t talk, for resenting you because I thought Dad loved you more. I wish I could go back and make different choices, but I can’t. That’s on me.”
A breeze rustled the leaves overhead. I shook my head, blinking back the sudden sting of tears.
“I’m going to do better, though. I’m going to be a dad, Nate. And maybe Zoey and I will have more kids someday. I don’t want them growing up like we did, always feeling that divide. I want them to know they’re loved, equally and unconditionally.” My chest constricted as I imagined the future I desperately wanted, the one I was so close to having. “I hate that you’re not here to see it. You would’ve been an amazing uncle. God, you would have loved Ro. But I hope, wherever you are, that you’re watching over us.”
Standing, I brushed the dirt off my jeans and took a deep, steadying breath. The weight of what I had to do settled heavily on my shoulders, but I squared them, refusing to buckle under the pressure.
I made my way home and walked into the kitchen to find Zoey rummaging through the fridge, muttering under her breath.
“What’s wrong, babe?”
She glanced over her shoulder. “All these casseroles people brought over are mostly meat. Like, every single one.”
I laughed. “Well, we are wolves, after all. Meat’s kind of our thing.”
Zoey rolled her eyes. “I guess I should’ve expected that.”
I leaned against the counter, watching her organize the fridge. Despite everything she’d been through, she was still here, still fighting. It made me love her even more.
“Hey, we have dinner reservations for us tonight at The Peak, that Brazilian steakhouse Ky’s always raving about?” I paused, gauging her reaction. “But if you’re not feeling up to it, we can totally cancel.”
Zoey closed the fridge door and beamed at me. “No, that sounds amazing. I think getting out of the house for a bit would be good for me.”
The tension in my back eased. I wanted tonight to be perfect, a chance for us to focus on something other than the looming confrontation with George.
