Page 72 of Healed in the Alpha's Embrace
I lay there, panting, my entire body aflame. When I caught my breath, I pulled him down onto the bed, then straddled him, my wetness sliding against his hard length.
“Are you sure?” Noah’s voice was strained, and I knew he was on edge, too.
“I’ve never been more sure of anything,” I said as I sank onto him.
He filled me completely, stretching me deliciously. Our bodies moved together, a rhythm of pleasure pulsing between us.
“You feel so good,” Noah groaned, gripping my hips as he thrust deeper, harder.
I clutched his shoulders. My nails dug into his skin, leaving crescent-shaped marks as I matched his thrusts, eagerly moving along his entire length, desperately seeking more.
We clung to each other, our cries mingling together. In that moment, I knew that this was more than just a one-time thing. Sated and exhausted, we fell asleep wrapped in each other’s arms.
In the earlyhours of the morning, I woke to the faint glow of the dying embers from the fire. Warmth wrapped around me like a protective blanket, and for the first time in what felt like forever, every muscle in my body felt relaxed.
Noah woke and pressed his lip to the top of my head. “Hey.” His voice was thick with sleep. “You okay?”
“Better than okay,” I said. “Thank you for last night. The dinner, the cabin… no one has ever made me feel so special before.”
He pulled me closer. “You deserve it, and I’ll keep repeating it until you believe me.”
I curled into him, the solidness of his body grounding me. With the darkness outside pressing against the windows, the cabin felt like a separate world, a place where the past couldn’t reach. I felt safe. Here in Noah’s arms, nothing could harm me.
“George was the only guy I ever...” I hesitated, unsure why I was dredging up history now, but something about Noah made it seem okay to lay bare my truths. “I was a shy teenager, so I didn’t really do the dating thing. And in college, it was all about getting my degree. In my last year of college, my girlfriends arranged a night out for my twenty-first birthday. We went to a club. That’s where I met him. He was older, but so charming.”
Noah’s arms tightened around me, a quiet reassurance that he understood. “Charm can be blinding.”
“Exactly. He had this lifestyle, all glitz and glamor. It dazzled me.” I gave a self-deprecating laugh. “My mom fixated on it. She saw his wealth as something that would bring me stability and happiness. Sam saw right through him, though, and tried to warn me. But I wouldn’t listen. I was naïve, stupid, and believed George when he promised marriage, a future…”
I trailed off and stared at the dying embers of the fire—a perfect metaphor for the empty promises that had been made.
“Zoey.” Noah’s muscles were tight beneath me, and he was practically vibrating with anger.
Once again, I marveled at how safe I felt, even with the rage tightly coiled in Noah’s body. There was no doubt in my mind that it wasn’t aimed in my direction.
I shook my head. “Please, Noah, let me just tell it to you?”
I found myself nestled in the crook of his elbow, his fingers gently combing through my hair, a comforting touch as I poured out my sorrowful story.
My cheeks were wet with tears, a painful reminder of the empty years and broken promises.
“He kept me on a string. Being intimate with him became an obligation devoid of any pleasure. I realized I was only there to give him an heir. Nothing more.” The admission stung, even now, and I sighed. “Saying it out loud? I feel so stupid. I can see it now, but then? I should have left. I almost did. But then I discovered I was pregnant, and he changed, or at least pretended to. He showered me with attention and gifts, everything that had been missing… until Ro turned three and began to be a real little person with thoughts and ideas. Then it was like a switch flipped. He controlled everything, and I mean everything. What I ate, who I talked with. He isolated me from my family, especially Sam. I was stuck. Alone. I lost myself in there somewhere.”
“Control isn’t love,” Noah growled. With my hand on his ribcage, I could feel the snarl rumbling beneath his skin.
“I know that now,” I said.
“Zoey.” Hearing Noah speak my name was a balm to my frayed nerves, soothing the tension in me. “That’s over. You’re safe now. With me.”
“Safe,” I echoed, letting the word wash over me. For once, it felt true.
I fidgeted with the edge of the blanket draped over us, trying to find the words. Noah’s presence was a steady comfort, but my next confession hovered on my lips, uncertain and fragile.
“I don’t really know how to be in a... a healthy relationship. But for you, I want to try.”
His arms tightened around me, a silent promise in his embrace. “We’ll figure it out together,” he said, his breath warm against my hair.
As I peered up at him, his earnestness and unwavering determination shone through. My heart fluttered, a sensation both wonderful and terrifying. “It’s just these feelings I have for you... they’re so strong. They scare me.”
