Page 23 of Healed in the Alpha's Embrace
“New around here?” she asked.
“Just visiting some family for a while,” I said.
“Ah, it’s always nice to have?—”
A sudden, piercing cry yanked my focus back to the children, and my heart leapt into my throat.
Roland towered over a smaller boy who was clutching his arm, tears streaming down his face. My son’s jaw was tight, his hand clenched at his sides.
“Excuse me,” I whispered to Julie and rushed over to Roland. She gasped and rushed towards the boys, matching me step for step.
“Roland!” I shouted.
He turned to me, his fuming expression morphing into one of distress. “Mom,” he started, the single word loaded with a mix of defiance and plea. It was as if the world had tilted on its axis, and I was left clinging to the edge, dizzy and disoriented.
“Baby, what happened?” Kneeling in front of him, I strained to lock eyes with him, but he evaded my gaze.
“He was saying things,” Roland muttered.
“Roland, look at me.” I kept myself steady despite the concern churning through me. “You can’t put your hands on someone else, no matter what was said. Do you understand?”
His shoulders slumped, and he nodded, but there was a spark of defiance in his eyes. “But he said mean things about you. I just... I pushed him ’cause he wouldn’t stop.”
“About me?” My heart clenched. Roland had always been protective, but this was different. “Roland, honey, it doesn’t matter what he said. Words can’t hurt me. You can’t react that way. It’s not okay to put your hands on people. Do you understand?” I cupped his cheek, willing him to grasp the gravity of the situation.
He bit his lip, looking down at his bare feet. “I didn’t mean to push him that hard,” he mumbled.
I caught a glimpse of Julia’s worried expression. She was watching us—me—intently. She stood to one side with her son in front of her, arms defensively crossed over him as if to shield him from harm.
Ro’s response to what was really just teasing filled me with horror. Had I not gotten my son away from his father quick enough? Had George’s behavior influenced Ro’s perspective,leading him to believe that violence was justified in any situation?
Suddenly, the background noise of children playing faded into an eerie quiet.
My body tensed, an involuntary reaction to an unseen but deeply felt threat, like static in the air. The hair on my arms stood on end. I looked up, and there was Noah, his presence commanding silence as he approached.
I wasn’t a shifter, but the energy surrounding me was familiar. I’d been around George long enough to recognize an angry alpha, but the anger wasn’t coming from Noah. With my heart in my throat, I looked at Roland. The raging, uncontrollable energy was now ebbing away. I couldn’t wrap my head around it. Roland was just a little boy. He hadn’t gone through his first shift yet, so how was it possible for him to possess such power?
What would Noah do? Heather had explained that he was next in line to become the alpha, set to inherit the position from his father. Would he reprimand my son? Ask us to leave? I began to shake as nervous energy coursed through my body.
Noah knelt so he was at eye level with my son. “Roland,” he said in a calm but firm tone. He was completely absorbed in Roland. I couldn’t decipher what silent conversation passed between them, but I could see the effect it had on my boy. Roland seemed to shrink back slightly, his usual bravado deflating under Noah’s scrutiny.
Noah stood up, facing me. His aura radiated with an intensity that left me momentarily stunned. “Is everything okay here?”
Noah’s firm hand on my arm startled me.
“Y-yes,” I managed. “We’re just... dealing with a little situation.”
Noah flashed me a smile. “I can see that. Roland, do you want to apologize to Will? I don’t think he’s hurt, is he, Julie?”
Julie finished checking her son over. “No, he’s fine. I’m sorry,” she said, smiling at me. “Boys will be boys.”
Roland walked over to Will. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pushed you. Will you be my friend next time I come to the park?” My heart swelled with pride as I watched Ro taking responsibility for his actions.
“I’m sure he’d like that,” Julie said. “We’re leaving now, and we’ll have a conversation at home about how we don’t call people names.” Julie took her son’s hand and led him, protesting, from the park.
“Zoey.”
Noah said my name was with such gentleness, it had a magnetic quality that kept me firmly tethered to the spot. I had never really looked him in the eyes before, not like this. The piercing blue of them stole my breath away. They were like the heart of a flame, drawing me in.
