23. Noah
NOAH
I leaned against the ropes of the ring, arms crossed, my gaze tracking every move. The sounds of quick jabs and shuffling feet filled the gym, mixed with the steady thump of gloves against bags. It was observation day, and Ky and I were evaluating the kids for an upcoming district title.
“Good footwork, Tommy!” I called out to one of the younger ones, a scrawny kid who’d put on muscle over the last few months. He beamed at me.
It was hard not to get caught up in the buzz of excitement as I watched them. I’d retired from the circuit, but my love of the sport was still strong. Working with these kids, seeing their growth and how much our hard work had paid off, was truly rewarding.
But it was also bittersweet. Once I took up the role of alpha, I’d miss out on these moments. My chest tightened at the thought.
“Javier, keep your hands up!” Kyler called out. He’d be the one in my stead, cheering them on, consoling them. The gym would be mine in name only. It didn’t sit right with me.
“Left hook, Lloyd! That’s it!” I shouted as one of our more promising contenders ducked and swung. Ky scribbled something on his notepad, nodding with a satisfied smile.
“Nice combo,” he muttered to me, circling something on the page.
“All right, let’s wrap this up and discuss who’s ready,” I said to Ky once all the kids had been given an opportunity to show us their abilities.
We headed back to my office, where Ky dropped into the chair across from my desk and leaned back, studying me. “Out with it,” he said. “What’s going on? You’re here, but your mind’s not.”
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 said anything. 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.
“Because it’s not just about today or this fight. It’s about where you’re heading. You’re on the right path. Stick with it.”
She breathed out slowly, and I could tell she wasn’t going to let this setback keep her down.
“Marco, Lily, come here,” I called to two more who were standing off to the side.
“Your sparring sessions are some of the best we’ve seen.
You guys push each other to new heights.
That’s what this is all about.” I smiled at them.
“Keep that partnership strong. Next time, it could be both of you getting your names called.”
They had an entire conversation with each other in a single glance, then bumped fists. They were in it together, no matter what.
“This isn’t the end,” I stated, raising my voice so everyone could hear me. “It’s just a step. All of you are part of this team, and we need you to be ready when your time comes. So, we train harder, we learn, and we grow. Understood?”
“Understood!” came the chorus of replies.
“Good. Now, get back to work. We’ve got a title to win, and I want everyone in this gym to be part of that victory.”
As the kids dispersed, Ky leaned in and murmured, “You’ve got a real knack for this, Noah. They believe in you.”
“Thanks, man,” I said, watching as the future of the gym, our pack, got back to their grind. “But more importantly, they’re starting to believe in themselves.”
As I closed the gym door behind me, a prickle danced up my spine. I paused, acutely aware of being watched by unseen eyes.
I sniffed the air, catching the scent of sweat and leather—not unusual for a gym, but this was different. It was mingled with something else, something wicked.
I heard the footsteps a fraction too late. I barely had time to react before a person dressed in all black materialized from the gym wall, followed swiftly by another figure emerging from behind a parked vehicle, their shoulders hunched and fists clenched.
“Really?” I muttered, stepping back into a defensive stance. “You’re trying this?”
The men didn’t speak, just advanced with the confidence of those who thought they had the upper hand. They didn’t know who I was, what I was capable of, or they wouldn’t have tried it. Not here. Not against me.
“Got your number now,” I said, slamming my fist into the first guy’s face. A quick jab to the gut, a cross to the cheek, my every move honed from years in the ring. My opponents swung wildly, desperately, but I was a storm they hadn’t prepared for.
“Ugh!” The impact knocked the wind out of the first guy, leaving him wheezing and doubled over. The other tried to recover, aiming for my head, but I sidestepped, driving my elbow into his ribs.
“Stay down,“ I growled, my chest heaving, anger boiling in my veins like a tempest. But they didn’t listen, or couldn’t, or were too stupid or too stubborn. I couldn’t decide.
I grabbed them by their collars, hoisting them up. “Who sent you?” I already knew the answer, but I wanted to hear them say it.
One coughed, struggling to find his voice. The other reached behind his back and pulled out a gun. Instinct took over, and I grabbed his arm. With a twist and a sharp yank, the weapon clattered to the ground, sliding away under a bench.
I was fucking seething. Releasing a fraction of my control, I showed them a glimpse of my power.
“Nice try.” My grip tightened, bones creaking under my fingers.
“Do you want to tell me who sent you, or am I supposed to guess?” I snarled, my wolf bleeding through as pure rage twisted my features.
The man in my grasp squirmed, a pathetic attempt to escape the inevitable.
“George,” he gasped out. “George James.”
I fucking knew it. “What did he want?”
“Shoot you... then get the woman,” the other one croaked, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the concrete.
My wolf surged forth at the mention of Zoey, a primal growl rumbling in my chest. Unclaimed, she was vulnerable, and that made me dangerous—unpredictable. I fought for control, not willing to let the beast loose. Not yet.
“Zoey?” I barked, each syllable laced with venom.
The bloodied man sneered, spitting again. “No woman is worth this much fucking trouble, that weak bi?—”
I tightened my grip, my knuckles turning white. George had crossed a line by sending these goons after her, after us. It was a declaration of war, one I intended to finish.
“Who are you calling weak?” I roared, the fury boiling inside me blurring the lines between man and beast. My fist connected with his jaw, and I felt the bones in his face shatter.
A noise, barely a squeak, broke through the haze of red. But it was too late. The damage was done.
I turned to see Zoey standing in the parking lot, a container clutched in her hands, her face so white she could have been a ghost.
“Jesus, Noah...”
She took in the scene—the two men groaning on the ground, and me, her supposed protector, looking more like the monster she feared.