30. Noah
NOAH
F loating.
That was the only way I could describe the sensation as I slowly drifted back to awareness. It felt like I was suspended in a warm, dark void, detached from the physical world.
Gradually, muffled sounds began to filter through the haze. A rhythmic beeping, the soft whoosh of air, quiet murmurs.
“...going to be okay...” Zoey’s voice said, strained but reassuring. “...had an operation, but the doctor said he’ll be fine...”
Her voice pierced through the fog in my mind, and I latched onto it like a lifeline. I struggled to open my eyes, fighting against the heaviness that weighed down my entire body. It took a monumental effort, but finally, I cracked my lids open, wincing at the harsh fluorescent light.
“Noah?” Zoey’s face swam into view. “Can you hear me?”
My throat was rough like sandpaper, but I forced the words out. “Ro... is he...?”
“He’s safe,” Zoey said quickly, putting her hand on my arm. “Thanks to you. You saved him.”
Relief crashed over me in a dizzying wave. Ro was safe. My eyes flicked down to where Zoey’s fingers rested against my skin, the contact sending a tingle of electricity through my nerve endings. But what about...
The thought trailed off as I took in my surroundings—the sterile white walls, the beeping monitors, the IV line snaking from my arm. Hospital. I was in the hospital.
“What... happened?” I croaked, trying to piece together my fractured memories. “George...?”
Zoey’s eyes darkened. “He got away. But the police are searching for him.” She squeezed my arm. “Don’t worry about that now. Just focus on getting better.”
I wanted to argue, to demand more answers, but exhaustion seeped into my heavy limbs, dragging me back down into the waiting darkness. As my eyes fluttered closed, I heard Zoey’s soft, soothing voice.
“Rest now. I’ll be here when you wake up. I promise.”
Sometime later, sobbing woke me up. “It’s all my fault!” Ro cried out, his small frame shaking. “If I hadn’t snuck out of the car, Dad wouldn’t have hurt Noah.”
My heart clenched at the anguish in his voice. I wanted to sit up, to reach out and comfort him, but my body was like lead, weighed down by pain and fatigue.
“Oh, honey, no.” Zoey gathered Ro into her arms. “None of this is your fault. You hear me? None of it.”
Ro buried his face against her shoulder, his words muffled. “But... but if I’d stayed put like you said...”
“Then your father might have taken you away or hurt you himself,” Zoey said firmly, running a hand over his rumpled hair.
“You’re just a boy. A brave, smart boy, but still a child.
George is a grown man, and he’s the only one responsible for his actions.
” She pulled back slightly, tipping his chin up.
“Noah did what he did because he wanted you to be safe. He would never want you to blame yourself for this. You did the right thing, running away and getting help. You hear me?”
Ro sniffled, giving a shaky nod. “I guess...”
“She’s right, bud,” I rasped.
They both swiveled their heads to me, faces full of surprise and relief.
“You did good,” I said. “Real good.”
“Noah!” Ro scrambled out of Zoey’s arms and rushed to my bedside, his hands hovering uncertainly over the bandages swathing my torso. “I’m sorry! I’m so, so sorry,”
“Hey, none of that now,” I said, mustering up a smile despite the throbbing pain. “You have got nothing to be sorry for. I’m just glad you’re okay.”
Fresh tears welled in Ro’s eyes, but he managed a wobbly smile in return. “I... I was really scared.”
“I know, bud. I was, too,” I said honestly. “But you were so brave out there. I’m proud of you.”
Zoey moved to stand behind Ro, resting her hands on his thin shoulders. She looked at me over his head, eyes shining with gratitude and something deeper. Something that made my heart stumble in my chest.
“We’re both proud of you, Ro,” she said softly. “And we’re going to make sure that your father can never hurt you again. I promise.”
Roland’s brows scrunched together. “I hate him,” he said with the vehemence only an eight-year-old could muster. “I hate that I have his stupid name. I don’t want to be Roland James anymore.”
Zoey made a choked sound and smoothed Ro’s hair back. “Baby, I’m so sorry...”
“It’s not fair.” Ro’s bottom lip trembled.
“Dads are supposed to be nice and do fun stuff with their kids. My dad’s mean and scary.
I don’t want him to be my dad.” He turned to me with big, pleading eyes.
“Noah, can kids get divorced from their dads? I want to be divorced from George. I don’t want him anymore. ”
My heart cracked at the pain and confusion on his face. Damn George James to the deepest pits of hell. I took Ro’s hand between mine.
“I know it doesn’t seem fair that you got stuck with him as a father,” I said carefully. “You deserve so much better. And I promise, just like your mom said, we’re going to do everything we can to make sure he can’t ever hurt you again.”
Looking at the two of them—the woman I loved and the boy who’d become like a son to me—a fierce surge of protectiveness swelled inside me. George James had messed with the wrong family, and I’d be damned if I let him get away with it.
But for now, all that mattered was that Ro was safe and Zoey was here. The rest could wait until I was back on my feet and ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.
I cleared my throat, trying to summon some strength into my voice. I wasn’t sure how long I’d been asleep. “Where’s, uh... where’s George now? Did they catch up with him?”
Zoey’s eyes clouded over. “He’s still on the run. Warman had to choose between going after him or staying with you until the ambulance arrived. He chose to stay.”
That wasn’t surprising. George was a slippery bastard. It would take more than a few cops to bring him down.
Sam stepped forward then, catching Ro’s attention with a gentle hand on his arm. “Hey, bud, your Aunt Heather’s been real worried about you. What do you say we go let her know you’re all right while your mom and Noah talk for a bit?”
Roland hesitated, glancing anxiously between me and Zoey. I could see the reluctance on his features. He was afraid of leaving us again so soon after everything that had happened.
“It’s okay, Ro,” I said. “I’m not going anywhere. And your mom will be right here with me. We’ll see you again real soon, I promise.”
He bit his lip. “Okay. But I’m coming back later, all right? To check on you.”
“You got it, bud. Now, go give your aunt a big hug from me, okay?”
That brought a small smile to his face. With one last long look at me and Zoey, he let Sam guide him out of the room, and the door clicked shut softly behind them.
Now it was just me and Zoey. The air between us was thick with all the things we hadn’t said, all the emotions we’d been holding back in Ro’s presence.
I was the first to break the silence. “Zoey, I... God, I don’t even know where to start.”
She came to sit on the edge of my bed and gripped my arm over the thin hospital blanket. Her skin was warm against my own, her touch gentle and grounding.
“You don’t have to say anything right now. I’m just so glad you’re okay. When that gun went off...”
Her voice cracked, tears spilling down her cheeks, and it was like a knife to my heart. I lifted my hand to brush the moisture from her face, my thumb lingering on the soft skin of her cheek.
“Hey, shhh,” I said. “It’s all right. I’m here. I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere.”
She leaned into my touch, her eyes fluttering closed for a moment as she drew in a shaky breath. “I was so scared,” she whispered. “I can’t lose you. I can’t.”
I hated seeing her like this, so uncertain and full of self-recrimination.
I knew her well enough by now to know exactly what sort of thoughts were likely swirling through her head.
She was thinking this was all her fault somehow.
That she never should have come to Boldercrest. That her very presence put us all in danger.
I wanted to pull her into my arms and hold her until she believed me when I said none of that was true. That her psycho ex was the only one to blame here. That she and Ro had every right to live freely and without fear, and I would personally tear apart anyone who tried to take that away from them.
But I didn’t say any of that. Zoey wasn’t ready to hear it, especially not now when her emotions were so raw and heightened.
So instead, I simply held out my hand to her, ignoring the faint pull of my stitches at the movement. “Zoey, I’m really glad you’re here.”
She stared at my outstretched hand for a long moment, her face unreadable. Then slowly, hesitantly, she reached out and placed her hand in mine. Her skin was soft and warm against my palm.
A tear slipped down her cheek, and she hastily brushed it away with her free hand. “I don’t deserve your kindness. Or your pack’s protection. All I’ve brought you is trouble.”
“Hey, none of that,” I said gently, tugging on her hand until she looked at me again.
“You’re not responsible for that bastard’s actions.
It’s not your fault. Isn’t that what you told Ro?
That the only person responsible for George James is George James?
You deserve to feel safe and secure. Boldercrest can give you that. Let us help you.”
She bit her lip, clearly torn. I could see the doubts behind her eyes, the desperate longing for a place to belong warring with the fear of bringing more danger to our doorstep.
Before she could respond, a brisk knock sounded on the door a second before it swung open. My father walked in, immediately taking in our clasped hands and the intimate atmosphere. Reluctantly, I let go of Zoey’s hand.
“I can come back later if this is a bad time,” he said, though the look he shot me said we would definitely be discussing this later.
“No, it’s fine.” Zoey stood abruptly. “I should go check on Ro, anyway.” She turned to me, giving me a small, tremulous smile. “Get some rest. And thank you. For everything.”
Then she was gone, slipping past my father and out the door, leaving me alone with my swirling thoughts and the phantom warmth of her hand in mine.
I leaned back against the pillows and tried to ignore the burning ache in my gut. My father approached the bed and looked me over.
“How are you feeling?” he asked gruffly.
I shrugged, then immediately regretted it as pain lanced through my abdomen. “I’ve been better,” I admitted. “But I’ll heal.”
He pulled up the chair Zoey had vacated and sank into it with a heavy exhale. “The doctor filled me in. Said you shifted with a bullet still inside you.” His tone was carefully neutral, but I could hear the undercurrent of disapproval.
I grimaced. “Not my smartest move, I know. But I didn’t have much choice at the time.”
“Hmm.” He leaned forward, elbows on his knees as he fixed me with a piercing stare. “And Zoey? What’s going on there?”
I tensed, unsure how to answer. The truth was, I didn’t fully know myself. All I knew was that the pull between us was undeniable, a magnetic force that seemed to override all logic and reason.
“She’s important to me,” I said finally, meeting his gaze squarely. “But you know that, Dad. You know exactly what she is to me.”
Something flickered in his eyes, an emotion I couldn’t quite name. “And does she feel the same?” he asked slowly. “Have you even told her she’s your fated mate?”
I blew out a breath, frustration welling up inside me. “I don’t know. It’s complicated. She’s been through a lot.”
He leaned back in his chair. “Just be careful. Getting involved with a human, especially one with her history, could cause problems for the pack.”
I bristled at that, my protective instincts surging to the forefront. “Zoey is not a problem. She’s a victim, same as Roland. They need our help, not our judgment.”
He held up his hands in a placating gesture.
“I’m not judging, son. I’m only trying to look out for our people.
You only took your oath recently, but they have to be at the forefront of every decision you make from now on.
Anything that impacts the life of the alpha will trickle down and affect them, too. You have to know that, Noah. “
The reminder of my responsibilities settled like a lead weight in my chest. As if I didn’t have enough to worry about already.
“I know that,” I said. “But right now, my priority is making sure Zoey and Ro are safe. Everything else can wait. You told me that not so long ago.”
He studied me for a long moment, his expression unreadable. “All right. We’ll discuss it more when you’re back on your feet.” He stood and patted my shoulder. “Get some rest. The pack needs you strong.”
The door clicked shut behind him with a soft snick. I sagged back against the pillows, exhaustion sweeping through me like a tidal wave.
But even as my eyes drifted shut, my mind raced with thoughts of Zoey. The fear in her eyes, the desperate way she clung to Ro. The softness of her hand in mine.
Again, I slept. I woke with a start, my heart pounding and Zoey’s name on my lips. I had no idea how much time had passed. The room was dark, the only sound the steady beep of the heart monitor.
I shifted, wincing as pain lanced through my abdomen. The door creaked open, and a nurse came in, her face creasing with concern when she saw me awake.
“Everything all right, Mr. Alexander? Do you need more pain medication?”
I shook my head, my throat dry and scratchy. “No, I’m fine. Just a bad dream.”
She started checking my vitals. “You’ve been through quite an ordeal. It’s normal to have some nightmares and anxiety after a traumatic event.”
I barely heard her, my mind already drifting back to Zoey. I couldn’t seem to forget the devastation in her eyes. I hated that she blamed herself for everything that had happened. I hated that she’d pulled away from me, as if she didn’t deserve comfort or support.
I had to make her understand that none of this was her fault. That I would stand by her side, no matter what challenges came our way.
The nurse finished her checks and left, promising to bring me some water. I closed my eyes, trying to gather my strength.
Tomorrow. Tomorrow, I would find Zoey and Ro and bring them home where they belonged. I would show them that Boldercrest was the one place they could be safe, the one place they could build a future.
No matter what it took, no matter what obstacles stood in my way, I would fight for them. For a chance at a life together. Because in the end, Zoey and Ro were worth everything. My pack, my family, my own life—I would give it all up in a heartbeat if it meant keeping them safe.
With that thought firmly in mind, I drifted off to sleep. Zoey’s face was the last thing I saw before exhaustion claimed me once more.