Page 91 of Healed in the Alpha's Embrace
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NOAH
The dim morning light streaming in through the window of the alpha house cast a harsh glow on my parents’ faces. Mom sat, her arms wrapped around herself, while my father paced back and forth, his steps heavy with barely restrained anger, his wolf close to the surface.
I leaned against the wall, arms crossed, the bruise on my cheekbone throbbing.
“Unbelievable,” my father finally said, turning to face me. The fury in his eyes had nothing to do with parental concern. “George has crossed a line. He thinks he can challenge my authority? He’s proven he has no respect for our pack, our traditions. We’ve always been a peaceful pack. We’ve never had a challenge on our records. But George James has the nerve to do whatever he wants in my town, even after being warned.”
My gut twisted. George’s actions were a slap in the face to our way of life. Centuries of peace threatened by one man’s arrogance. But something else nagged at me, a suspicion I couldn’t shake off.
“Are you angry on my behalf, or because he blatantly disregarded your rule?” I asked, watching his reaction closely.
He stopped pacing and fixed his gaze on me. “This is about the pack, Noah. About respect. Order.”
“Right.” I pushed away from the wall, frustration simmering beneath my skin. “Because that’s what this boils down to for you, right? His lack of respect? Not the fact that the bastard sent men here with afucking gunto kill me and take my mate.”
Too late, I remembered my mom was in the room. I heard her whimper. She hadn’t taken the news of the attempt on my life well and insisted I stay at the alpha house under her roof. I’d agreed, too tired to argue.
Zoey’s haunted face never left my mind. That I’d caused even a moment of hurt to her was burning me up, fueling my anger.
Dad went to Mom and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Watch your tone,” he snapped at me. “You’re treading on dangerous ground. We need to fix this. If Zoey hadn’t?—”
“Don’t you dare blame Zoey. She didn’t ask for any of this.” I shook my head. “She didn’t come here on vacation; she came here for protection.”
“And she’s received it,” Dad said. “But if she hadn’t come to Boldercrest, George wouldn’t be an issue. I hate that protecting her has led us here.”
“Seriously?” White-hot rage flared within me. “You do regret it, then? Bringing her under the pack’s protection? You’re seriously going to blame her for that piece of shit hunting her down?”
My mother stood, eyes blazing as her worried gaze darted between my father and me. But when I shook my head, a silent plea for her not to intervene, the tempest stilled. She pressed her lips together in a tight line and huffed.
“Don’t you dare twist my words. I didn’t say I blamed Zoey.” His voice rose to meet mine. “Integrity,” he barked. “That’s what this is about. Be careful what you accuse me of, son. You haven’teven got the spine to tell Zoey what she really is to you. To claim her. If you claimed her, she’d be tainted goods to him.”
“Claim her?” I repeated. “You make it sound like she’s some prize to be won!”
My father’s eyes were flinty, his jaw set in stone.
“Zoey’s safety is my priority,” I continued, feeling my unspoken oath pressing down on me. “Claiming her could be the spark that ignites George’s madness into a full-blown blaze. We can’t provoke him without thinking it through.”
“What has thinking done for us so far? We can’t just let this go! George has threatened your mate. Sent men to kill you,” he seethed, his voice boiling over with anger. “He was warned that any further attempts on Zoey or Roland wouldn’t be tolerated. If we don’t respond, we’ll be seen as weak. That will make us an easy target for other packs.” He sighed, his shoulders slumping. “I know I said I’d challenge him, and his wolf didn’t feel that powerful. But…”
He stopped and searched my face for understanding.
“I know, I know. I can’t take on a challenge as your second.” I ran a hand through my hair, frustration coiling inside me like a spring.
My father wasn’t a young man. He’d called me back to Boldercrestbecausehis alpha power was weakening. Pack laws dictated a challenge could only be fought by the alpha. Even though I was the heir, I couldn’t defend the pack and protect Zoey if I didn’t take the oath.
“Then do it!” Dad urged, stepping closer to me. “Take your place as the next alpha. It was always going to happen, Noah. This just moves everything forward.”
We were locked in a silent battle of wills, his expectations pressing down on me like a physical force. Silence stretched out, filled only by the sound of our ragged breaths.
George had proven he was a danger to not only Zoey and Roland, but to the entire pack. He needed to be dealt with, but legally I couldn’t kill George unless I issued a challenge. And to do that, I needed to be the alpha of Boldercrest.
“Without the oath, I’m powerless,” I muttered. It was the truth I’d been dancing around, the decision I’d hoped to delay.
“You’re not powerless, son.” There was a hardness in my father’s tone, one that brooked no argument. “But it’s time, Noah.”
“Time,” I echoed. My mouth dried as the heavy weight of the word settled in my stomach.
