36. Noah
NOAH
T he morning sun streamed in through the windows as my father walked into my office with a stack of papers and ledgers. He set them down on the desk with a heavy thud.
“Morning, son. Ready to get started?” he asked gruffly.
I grimaced at the paperwork. “Let’s do it.”
For the next few hours, he walked me through all the daily tasks and responsibilities of being alpha, like managing the pack finances, resolving disputes between pack members, coordinating with other packs in the region.
I jotted down notes, already coming up with ideas to streamline and improve the processes.
Some of it seemed so outdated and inefficient.
Did we really need to keep track of everything on paper?
Implementing some basic software programs could drastically reduce the time spent on administration.
As my father droned on about the proper way to record transactions in the ledgers, I stopped him.
“Dad, a lot of this could be made way easier if we digitized it. I could set up a quick program and cut the bookkeeping time in half.”
He frowned at me. “Son, this is the way it’s always been done. It works just fine.”
I shook my head. “Just because it’s how it’s always been done doesn’t mean it’s the best way. Times have changed since you became alpha. The pack needs to evolve, too.”
“I don’t know...”
“Here, I’ll show you.” I opened my laptop and pulled up one of the digital tools I had in mind. Within minutes, I had entered some sample data that would’ve taken an hour to log by hand. “See? We can save so much time this way and reduce errors.”
He grumbled. “Well, I suppose it’s worth a try, but don’t go changing everything at once.”
“I won’t, I promise. Let’s take it step by step. This will make things run so much smoother. You’ll see.”
Dad growled, his brow furrowing. “Nate tried to show me how to use those dang computers, but I prefer good old-fashioned paper and pen. It never runs out of battery or needs a power supply. Never trusted those machines. What if the computer crashes and we lose everything?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “l knew things were stuck in the past, but I didn’t realize you were still in the Stone Age.”
He fell silent for a moment, his eyes distant. “Nate used to say the exact same thing. It’s funny… I sometimes forget how alike you two were.”
I snorted and shook my head. “We were nothing alike. Nate was all about the pack, and I was all about getting out of this town as fast as I could.”
“You know, Nate was jealous of you. He envied your ability to leave, to see the world beyond our borders.”
My chest tightened. I’d always thought Nate was solely focused on the pack and the town. It never occurred to me that he might have wanted something different.
“I didn’t know that,” I said.
A wave of sadness washed over me. Maybe I hadn’t known my brother as well as I thought I did.
We’d grown up together, but somehow, we’d never really talked about our dreams and aspirations.
I should have taken the time to understand him better, to see beyond the surface of our different personalities.
Dad sighed, his broad shoulders slumping slightly. “There’s a lot we didn’t know about each other, son. But we can’t change the past. We can only move forward and do our best for the pack.”
I braced myself for what I needed to say next. “Dad, I have to ask. If it were Nate making these changes, would you be so against them?”
Dad sat forward in the chair and cracked his knuckles one by one. “Noah, it’s not about you or Nate. I’ve never been good with change. You know that.”
I clenched my jaw to keep my frustration in check. “I get that. But sometimes change is necessary. The world is evolving, and if we don’t adapt, we’ll be left behind.”
Dad ran a hand through his graying hair, looking out the window. “I know, son. And I trust that you have a handle on things. It’s going to take some time for me to adjust, that’s all.”
I felt a twinge of guilt. The decision to stand down had been his, but actually stepping back and letting me take the reins wasn’t easy on him. “I understand,” I said. “And I appreciate your support, even if it’s not always easy to give.”
He gave me a sad smile. “I’m proud of you. I know I haven’t always shown it, but I am. And I know you’ll do right by this pack.”
He pushed out of the chair and walked toward the door, his footsteps heavy on the hardwood floor. My father paused and looked back at me. “If you need anything, you know where to find me.”
“Thanks,” I said, my voice thick with emotion.
With that, he was gone, the door closing softly behind him. I leaned my head back against my chair. Too much had happened between us, too many harsh words exchanged, too many years of resentment and bitterness. We were both too damn stubborn to move past it. In time, I hoped that would change.
I pushed myself up from the chair, my muscles aching from the long day of being inactive. It was later than I thought, though I’d managed to get through the work in record time, thanks to the changes I’d implemented.
Grabbing my jacket from the back of my chair, I headed out. The cool evening air hit my face as I stepped outside, refreshing after the stuffy office. I made my way to my car, my mind already shifting gears to my next task.
The gym was only a short drive away. I pulled into the parking lot, the familiar sight of the old brick building bringing a smile to my face. This was my sanctuary, the place where I could leave all my troubles at the door and focus on the one thing that had always brought me peace: boxing.
I walked inside, the smell of sweat and leather hitting me like a comforting embrace. As I headed toward my office, a familiar voice called my name. I turned to see Chief Warman walking toward me, his face grim.
“Noah, got a minute?” he asked, his hand resting on his holster.
I stepped away from the ring. “What’s up, Pete?”
“It’s about George,” he said. “There’s been no sign of him. He’s gone ghost.”
Damn that bastard. “How long?”
“Since the night he tried to take off with the kid and shot you.” Warman shook his head. “You and I both know it’s not for long. He’s obsessed with Zoey. He’s not going to leave her alone.”
“What’s the plan?”
“I’m working with the investigator and the DA, and keeping Zoey’s lawyer in the loop.
We have an APB issued, and we’re monitoring his accounts.
But Noah, I need you to leave the investigation to me.
Zoey won’t be safe until we have him in custody.
We know he’s going to return to Boldercrest. If you focus on working with my men to keep Zoey and Roland protected, I’ll find George. ”
I understood where he was coming from. The chief wanted to keep Zoey safe, and I definitely appreciated that. But there was no chance in hell that I’d just sit back and do nothing.
“I won’t overstep anything you’re doing.” I chose my words carefully. “But I’m not going to sit on my hands, either. I have resources and connections. I can help.”
Warman sighed and rubbed his forehead. “Noah, I know you mean well, but this is a delicate situation. We can’t risk anything jeopardizing the case against him in the human courts. This needs to be done absolutely by the book.”
I wanted to argue, to tell him I could handle it, that I would do whatever it took to keep Zoey safe. But he was right. I couldn’t risk making things worse for her.
“I understand,” I said. “I won’t interfere with your investigation, but once the human courts are done, George must abide by our laws as a shifter.
If Zoey or any of my pack are put at risk because of him, all bets are off.
I need you to keep me in the loop, all right?
If anything changes, if there’s anything I can do to help, I want to know. ”
Warman looked like he wanted to argue with me, but in the end, he nodded. “I will. She’s lucky to have you in her corner.”
I shook his hand, thanking him before he turned to leave. As I watched him go, I clenched my fists at my sides. George was out there, biding his time. And when he made his move, I would be ready.
I turned back to the ring, my mind already shifting gears. I had work to do, a fighter to train. But in the back of my mind, I was already forming a plan. George would face his crimes, one way or another. And I was going to make damn sure of it.
I stepped into the ring, my focus zeroing in on my fighter. He was bouncing on the balls of his feet, his gloves up, ready to work. I nodded at him as I slipped on the pads.
“All right, let’s go,” I said. “Combinations, just like we practiced.”
He started in, his punches sharp and precise. I called out encouragement, but my mind was elsewhere. The danger Zoey was facing, her vulnerability, occupied my thoughts. I had to do something, but what? I was still learning the ropes of being alpha and figuring out how much pull I had.
The ringing of my phone snapped me out of my thoughts. I stepped back, holding up a hand to pause the session. “Take a break, I’ll be right back,” I told my fighter, ducking out of the ring to grab my phone.
“Noah,” Lance said when I answered. “Just wanted to give you a heads-up. Zoey’s on her way to you with the kid.”
I glanced at the clock, surprised to see it was already time for Ro’s session. “Thanks for the call,” I said, already heading for the door. “Be right back!” I called out to the curious stares as I jogged by.
I stepped outside just as Zoey and Ro got out of the car. When she looked up at me, my breath caught in my throat. There was something different about her. A lightness to her step, a brightness to her smile that I hadn’t seen before.
She walked toward me, a new sway to her hips and confidence in her stride. It was like seeing her for the first time all over again.
“Hey, you,” she said as she stopped in front of me.
“Hey, yourself. You look good, Zo. Really good.”