6. Zoey #2
“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.
Noah’s hand had never left my arm. With the other, he gently grasped Roland’s and led us both back to the bench where I had left my bag. After giving Ro another once-over, he turned his attention to me. “He’s an alpha, isn’t he?”
Desperate for something to distract my trembling hands, I unrolled the towel and draped it around Roland’s damp shoulders.
Realizing that Noah probably already knew the answer before he’d even asked, I nodded, unable to find my voice.
Something about Noah compelled honesty, without me having to utter a single word.
Turning back to Roland, Noah’s demeanor gentled. “I’m going to ask a question, Roland, and I want you to think really hard before you answer. Can you do that?”
Roland bobbed his head slowly, watching Noah closely.
“How big are your emotions?”
Confused, I stared at the man. What the hell did that mean? How the hell was Roland supposed to answer that?
To my surprise, he replied in a hushed murmur, “Sometimes... they’re too big. Like they don’t fit in my body. It makes me mad.”
“Ro,” I said as I crouched beside him. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
He hesitantly met my eyes. “I didn’t want to scare you. I didn’t want you to think I’m like Dad.”
The pain in his words cleaved through my resolve, and I had to steady my breathing to keep composure. Every fear I harbored about Roland following in George’s footsteps resurfaced, threatening to overwhelm me just as Roland’s own emotions threatened to overwhelm him.
My hand trembled as I smoothed back the damp curls from Roland’s forehead. “You are not your father, Roland. You will never be like him.”
He buried his face in my neck and sniffled. Noah’s scrutiny grew more intense. When I finally dared to glance at him to see his reaction, his expression was steady and understanding.
Time seemed to stand still until Noah finally broke the heavy silence. “Can we talk over there?” He nodded subtly towards a secluded corner of the park, away from the curious spectators.
“Okay.” I went to pick up my bag, but Noah beat me to it and set off in the direction he had gestured. I gripped Roland’s hand and followed, relieved to put distance between us and the crowd.
Heat crept into my cheeks when Noah stopped in the quietest corner of the park. I was conscious of the space between Noah and me, deliberately maintaining a gap that felt safe.
“Zoey,” Noah began, “I have an idea that might help Ro with his emotions.” His gaze flicked down to my son before returning to me. “Would you two come by the gym later today? Say around three?”
The request caught me off guard. “The gym?”
“Yeah,” he said, a smile lifting the corner of his mouth. “It’s just an idea, but I think it could be good for him.”
I hesitated. Trust wasn’t something I handed out easily, but there was an earnestness to Noah that made it hard to say no. And I trusted Heather, who always spoke about Noah with the utmost respect.
But still, I couldn’t shake the uneasiness coiling in my stomach. The park’s cheerful chaos faded into the backdrop as my focus narrowed on the man before me. “Why should I trust you?” I asked.
Noah didn’t flinch at my question. Instead, he offered a half-smile. “I could stand here and tell you I’m the greatest guy alive,” he said, his tone laced with an earnest softness. “But that doesn’t mean you’d believe me.”
I watched him closely, searching for any sign of deceit. My past had taught me to read people and see beyond their words.
Noah’s gaze held mine, and I felt my pulse quicken. His clear blue eyes were like a calm ocean that hid storms beneath. He appeared to see right through me, and it unsettled me in ways I couldn’t describe.
“It’s just one session,” he said. “If you’re still unsure about me afterwards, I won’t push you. We can leave things as they are.”
I swallowed hard. Noah’s father had already declared I was under their protection, a fact that made my stomach knot uncomfortably. Could he cancel that? Leave us at George’s mercy? I didn’t think so.
I kept returning to Heather’s favorable judgment. My sister didn’t suffer fools gladly. So far, Noah had been nothing but respectful, and he really did seem to understand whatever Ro was struggling with. I wasn’t sure I could trust my own judgment, since I didn’t have a great track record with men.
“I’m not here to bring up your past.” Noah’s assurance came quickly, as if he knew exactly where my mind had wandered. “Roland needs help, and I want to be there for him.”
I glanced at Roland, who watched us with an intensity that seemed beyond his years. He was staring at Noah, but when he noticed me watching him, a wordless plea was exchanged between us.
“Okay,” I said, unable to resist the hopeful, hangdog expression from my son. “We’ll meet you.”
“Thank you,” Noah said, his face lighting up with a sincere smile. It made me wonder if maybe, just maybe, this could be the start of something good. For Roland, and for me.
I helped Ro get dressed, then squeezed the swimming trunks out and rolled them into the towel. Ro’s shoulders slumped as we walked back to the car.
“Don’t worry, Ro. We’ll come back another time, I promise.”
He pumped his fist in the air and grinned.
I fumbled with my keys at the front door, still a bit shaky from what had happened at the park. Roland stood beside me, gripping my hand.
“Mom, are we okay?” he asked quietly.
I pulled him into my arms. “Always, Ro. We’re home now. We’re safe,” I said, pushing the door open. The familiar scent of our little sanctuary wrapped around me, and I allowed myself a shallow breath of relief.