Page 40 of Healed in the Alpha's Embrace
“Hey, it’s okay, just let it out.” Heather pulled me into her arms and stroked my back to the rhythm of my sobs. There was no pressure to talk, just quiet understanding.
When there were no more tears to shed, I took a deep breath, air filling my lungs as I silently urged myself to pull it together.“You were right earlier. The self-defense classes are great, but they’re not enough.”
“Zoey, you’ve been through hell,” she whispered. “It’s okay to ask for help.”
“Can you recommend a therapist? And would you come with me? To the sessions, I mean. Just to be there...”
“Absolutely. Whatever you need, I’m here for you,” she promised, squeezing my hand.
“Thank you.” The words didn’t quite express the gratitude swelling in my chest. “I don’t know what I would have done without you and Sam.”
Heather’s hold tightened. “You don’t have to thank me. You’re my sister, Zoey. You and Ro are family. That bond can never be broken. We stick together.”
“I stayed away for so long. Shut you out,” I said, pulling back just enough to see her face. The relentless ache of all the years of isolation refused to go away. It was yet another thing to feel guilty about.
“Stop it. None of that was your fault,” she said, her gaze fierce and protective. “George is the villain here. He’s the one who did this, not you.”
“Still—”
Heather shook her head, silencing me before I could continue. “Still nothing. He’s the villain in the story, not you. You’re both here now, and that’s what matters. You’re breaking free. I’m so damn proud of you, Zoey. It takes guts to do that. You were resourceful, and you did it.”
A lump formed in my throat, and I fought to swallow it down. Tears burned at my sinuses, but I refused to let them fall. I was done crying. I wouldn’t shed another tear over him.
“I don’t understand why it took so long for me to snap out of it. Why didn’t I act before it escalated?”
“What do you mean?”
“That day…” I drank deeply from my water bottle, the cool liquid soothing my parched throat. “He’d had a bad day, something to do with his business. He’d never hit me in front of Ro before. Shout, scream, call me vulgar names, but he’d never lifted a hand to me in Ro’s presence. He was in a temper, looking for a reason. It could have been anything...” The memory rushed over me, vivid and violent—the shock, the pain, Ro’s horrified screams.
“You’ll feel better if you tell me,” Heather said. “It’ll get easier every time you do.”
“He hit me. Our son was right there. And Ro... he screamed at his father, told him to leave me alone, to stop hurting me.” My voice cracked, but I pushed through. “George turned on him and pulled his fist back. But I couldn’t let that happen. I jumped in front of Ro and took the punch myself.” I touched my lip, remembering the sting, the taste of blood.
“Zoey, that’s terrible.” Heather gripped my hand as if she could squeeze away the memory.
“Yeah. Something clicked that night. Until that moment, I’d tolerated the abuse, but I never thought he’d hurt Ro. Realizing he could be so cruel to his own flesh and blood woke me up. I knew I had to leave and protect my son.”
“You’ve no idea how proud I am of you, Zoey. It takes courage to make that stand.”
“Courage or desperation?” I asked, a bitter laugh escaping me.Whatever it had been, it had given me the push I needed to get in touch with my family. Despite five years without contact, Sam and Heather hadn’t hesitated to help me. “Either way, it got us here,” I said.
“Where you can start over and never look back,” Heather said, giving me another squeeze before letting go. “Together, we’ll make sure of it. You and Ro are safe now. We’ll keep it that way.”
“Yeah, we will.” I frowned. “No boy should have to protect their mom from his own father, Heather. I hope I haven’t messed Ro up by not being brave enough to leave sooner.”
Heather’s fists clenched at her sides, a storm brewing across her face. “I swear, if Ieverget my hands on that son of a bitch, he’s in for a world of pain.” She tapped her finger on her chin. “I think I’ll start by ripping his dick off and making him eat it—asmalltaste of what’s to come.”
The ferocity in my sister’s tone should’ve been terrifying, but I burst out laughing. “Heather!” I gasped out, chuckling. My hand flew up to cover my mouth as if to hold the laughter in, but I couldn’t stop.
“That’s what I was hoping for,” Heather said, a triumphant smile softening the hard lines of her anger. “Haven’t heard that sound in a long time.”
My laughter began to ebb, but my smile remained.
Roland burst into the room like a ball of energy. “Auntie Heather, you’re home. I was waiting. Will you come to boxing tomorrow to see me? Can she come, Mom? Please, please, please!” He said it all in a single breath. With my back to him, I brushed away the tears on my cheeks, hoping he wouldn’t notice.
I didn’t think Roland would hurt family, but the memory of him attempting to defend me from George, then pushing a boy down at the park… It wasn’t a jump to imagine he’d react aggressively if he thought he was protecting me.
When Noah had coaxed Roland into telling him his feelings were too big for his body, I’d been floored.
