Page 87 of Healed in the Alpha's Embrace
I sighed wearily and rubbed my temples to stave off the intense aching. “Once I’m alpha, I won’t be ringside with them anymore. I won’t be part of their world in the same way.”
He shook his head. “If being alpha is such a drag, why stick around? You have a choice, Noah. It’s not like we couldn’t start again, build a new gym. With your name and reputation, we could go anywhere.”
“It’s not that simple, Ky.” I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the desk. “I’ve thought about packing up and leaving more times than you can imagine. But if I walk away, refusing the title of alpha, my dad would have no choice but to banish me.”
“Banish you?” Ky’s eyebrows shot up.
“Yeah,” I replied, surprised by his reaction. “God, you really never learned anything about pack law, did you? It’s not just about me having to leave town. I’d be cut off from the pack. No contact with pack members, with family.” I sighed. “If it was just me, then maybe I’d do that. But it’s not. It’d crush my mom. After Nate...”
Kyler shook his head. “Man, that’s harsh.”
I looked down, a knot tightening in my stomach. “Sometimes, I wonder if my father wishes that I’d died instead.”
Kyler groaned. “Jesus, Noah.”
“Fuck,” I growled. My wolf itched to shift, to run. I buried my head in my hands as if to keep him in place. “I’ve never said this shit out loud before. Dad’s never done anything, never saidanything.But after Nate died… I just get the feeling that he thinks he lost the wrong son.”
“Damn,” Ky muttered, his voice empathetic. “That’s a lot to carry, mate.”
“Nate loved the pack and would’ve relished the challenge leading it would bring. Me? I couldn’t wait to get out of town.”
“What about someone who wants the role? Can you find another alpha who wants it?” Ky asked.
“I could look for a successor,” I acknowledged, “but nobody would lead and care for the pack the way Nate would have.”
Nate’s absence had left a void, not just for the pack and my parents. He was my twin, my womb mate, a part of me. I rubbed at my brow, tracing the raised edges of the scar, a nervous habit whenever the past clawed its way to the surface.
I leaned back in my chair. “But the banishment would still stand. It’s brutal, but it’s pack law. There isn’t anybody else, Ky.” I let out a resigned sigh. “Being alpha is my fate.”
“Fuck fate.”
“Yeah,” I said, absentmindedly staring out the internal office window at the kids milling about, waiting for us to deliver the results of today’s observations. My gaze pulled to the small boy at the freestanding punching bag. His presence lightened my mood.
“Fate’s not all bad, though.” I nodded toward Roland, who was practicing his jabs. “It brought Zoey and her son to me.”
Ky glanced from Ro to me. “There are loads of towns out there, Noah. Like I said, with your reputation on the boxing circuit, you could start a gym anywhere. Take them with you.”
“Zoey’s setting roots down here and reconnecting with her family. I can’t do that to her. To them.” I watched as Ro landed a solid punch on the heavy bag. “She’s been through enough already. If I took off, I don’t think I’d be able to stay in one place for long. That kind of instability is no life for Zoey and Ro.”
Ky pushed off from the desk and clapped a hand on my shoulder. “You know I’ve got your back, Noah. No matter what you decide.”
“Thanks, Ky,” I said, grateful for his unwavering loyalty. “Let’s focus on these kids. They need us to be present, not lost in our own heads.” I rose from the desk, notebook in hand, and went out to face the kids.
“All right, listen up!” I called out, shouting to be heard over the bustling background noise. The chatter died down when they saw the list in my hand. “These are the fighters who’ll be representing us in the district title fight.”
As I read off the names, each announcement was met with cheers and claps on the back. Once the excitement settled, I focused on the ones who hadn’t made the cut. They were deflated, shoulders slumped. It was time for the part of coaching I had grown to appreciate the most, building them back up.
“Hey, Jackson.” He was barely fourteen and all limbs. He’d put his heart into training, but it wasn’t his year. “You’ve got a mean cross, you know that?”
He looked up at me, skepticism written all over his face. “Doesn’t feel that way.”
“Trust me, you do,” I insisted. “If you work on your footwork, you’re going to be unstoppable next year. Keep at it, okay? Don’t lose that fire.”
My words had the impact I’d hoped for when I saw some of the excitement and hope return to Jackson’s face. He nodded. “Thanks, Coach.”
I moved to Sofia. She wiped away a single tear, trying to mask her disappointment. “Sofia, you’re improving every day,” I said. “Your dedication is unmatched.”
“Then why didn’t I make it?” she asked. It was surprising to hear such vulnerability from such a ferocious fighter.
