Page 202 of Healed in the Alpha's Embrace
“What is it?” Angela asked anxiously.
“Noah’s been shot. They’re taking him to the hospital now.”
The words hit me like a physical blow. I couldn’t breathe. This couldn’t be happening. Not Noah.
Please, please, don’t take him from me.
Christian crouched beside me and gripped my shoulders. “Zoey, look at me. Noah’s going to be okay. It’s not like last time. The bullet went straight through. He’s strong. But we need to go—now.”
Numbly, I let him pull me to my feet. Angela wrapped an arm around me as we hurried out to the car. Ro was with Sam, Heather, and my mom, so at least I didn’t have to worry about him.
The drive to the hospital was the longest of my life. I sat in the back, twisting my fingers together as I prayed over and over.
“Please let him be okay,” I begged. “I can’t lose him. Please, please?—”
Angela reached back and squeezed my knee. “Christian said he’s not badly hurt. He wouldn’t lie, not about this. He’ll pull through, honey. Have faith.”
But I couldn’t stop the sickening dread curling in my stomach. What if the damage was worse than they’d told his dad over the phone, or Noah didn’t know how badly hurt he was? I couldn’t bear the thought of a future without Noah in it.
“Drive faster,” I begged Christian.
He looked at me in the rearview mirror, jaw clenched. “We’re almost there. Just hold on.”
I pictured Noah’s face. His crooked smile, his laugh. “Stay with me,” I whispered. “Don’t you dare leave me, Noah Alexander.”
I could only pray that he heard me, that he would fight to come back to me. Because a world without him in it was unimaginable. I needed him more than I needed air.
I kept praying the entire way, bargaining with God and the universe to spare the man I loved more than life. “Please, please, please...”
We rushed into the hospital right to the front desk.
“Noah Alexander. He was brought in with a gunshot wound. Where is he? Is he okay?” My words tumbled out in a desperate plea.
The nurse gave me a sympathetic look. “He’s in surgery right now. That’s all I can tell you at the moment. Please have a seat in the waiting area, and the doctor will be out to update you as soon as possible.”
Surgery. The word hit me like a punch to the gut. I stumbled back, legs threatening to give out, but Christian caught me.
“Come on, let’s sit down.” He guided me to a chair, and I collapsed into it.
“You said it went straight through, that he’d be fine. Surgery isn’t fine,” I whispered. Like a snake, fear slithered deeper into my mind, spreading its insidious thoughts.
Angela rubbed my back soothingly. “He’s in good hands. The doctors here are top-notch.”
I nodded numbly, not trusting myself to speak. The logical part of me knew she was right. But the other part, the part ruled by my heart, couldn’t stop the sheer terror gripping me.
The minutes ticked by with agonizing slowness as we waited. And waited. I alternated between silently begging any higher power listening to save Noah and succumbing to the awful scenarios playing out in my mind.
I was almost certain George would have used a silver bullet. The same silver that was poison to shifters. Even if it went straight through, if it had left even the smallest sliver behind, it could?—
I curled my fingers into my palms, nails biting into skin. No, I couldn’t think like that. Noah was strong. A fighter. He would beat this. He had to.
“Zoey?” A familiar voice snapped me out of my spiraling thoughts. I looked up to see Chief Warman walking toward me.
I stood on shaky legs. “Chief. What are you doing here?”
He removed his hat, holding it between his hands. “I came as soon as I heard about the shooting. I’m so sorry. How is Noah doing?”
A sob caught in my throat. “He’s in surgery. We haven’t heard anything more. God, this is all my fault...”
