38. Noah
NOAH
T he next morning, I pulled up at Sam’s house. He was sitting on his porch steps, deep in thought.
“Sam, you have a minute?”
“Sure. What’s on your mind?”
I sat down beside him, trying to figure out the best way to broach the subject. “I wanted to talk to you about possibly having your ex-wife come visit.”
Sam’s shoulders stiffened. “Why would we do that?”
“I think it could be good for Zoey to make peace with her mother about her childhood,” I said gently. “She’s been through a lot and still has unresolved issues there. It might help her heal.”
Sam sighed heavily, rubbing a hand over his face. “I get what you’re saying. And maybe it wouldn’t hurt for both girls to see her. God knows it’s not just Zoey who was affected by the way she acted over the years.”
Heather. Of course. Their mother’s erratic behavior had impacted both daughters, even if Heather dealt with it differently than Zoey.
Biting back my curiosity, I simply said, “If you think it’s a good idea, could I get her number from you? I’ll call her and set it up.”
“Yeah, all right. I’ll text it to you.” Sam stared off into the distance. “Just... be careful with them, okay? Those girls have been through enough.”
“I know. I’ll do everything I can to support them both through this.” I meant it with every fiber of my being. Helping Zoey and Heather find peace was my priority.
Sam seemed to accept my sincerity. He pulled out his phone and typed in something. A second later, I got a ping on my cell with Zoey’s mother’s number.
“Thanks, Sam.”
Factoring in the five-hour time difference between Michigan and London, it would be four in the afternoon over there. No time like the present.
I headed straight back to my office and dialed the number Sam had sent me. The line rang several times before a cautious female voice answered. “Hello?”
“Hi, is this Mrs. Lester? This is Noah Alexander calling. I’m a friend of your daughters, Zoey and Heather.”
There was a heavy pause. “Oh. I see. What can I do for you, Mr. Alexander?” Her tone was polite but wary.
I cleared my throat. “Well, I was hoping we could discuss the possibility of you coming to visit Zoey and Heather here in Boldercrest. I think it would mean a lot to them to see you and maybe start to work through some things.”
Another long silence stretched out before she spoke again. “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea. It’s been so long, and after everything...” Her voice cracked as she trailed off.
The guilt in her tone was palpable, though I wasn’t certain of the root—it could stem from her treatment of the girls, abandoning Sam, or a combination of it all. Even so, I pressed on gently.
“Mrs. Lester, I know it’s difficult and complicated. But your daughters need this. Need you. Would you consider it? For their sake?”
She sighed heavily and sounded on the verge of tears when she finally responded. “You’re right. I owe them that much at least. Let me see what I can do about getting some time off work. I’ll be in touch soon with potential dates.”
Relief coursed through me. “Thank you. I really appreciate your willingness to do this. It’s going to mean the world to Zoey and Heather.”
After working out the logistics, we ended the call. I hoped I’d done the right thing by orchestrating this visit. Zoey’s family had a lot of healing to do, and there were bound to be a few bumps in the road ahead.
I took a sip of my coffee and grimaced. It had gone cold while I spoke to Mrs. Lester. Shoving the cup aside, I reluctantly turned my attention to my schedule for the day. Eight pack members were slated to meet with me individually about various concerns and issues.
I groaned. Dealing with people’s problems had never been my strong suit. Years of fighting in the ring had made me surly and intimidating—not exactly qualities that inspired folks to open up. But I was alpha now. The pack’s well-being was my responsibility.
Resigning myself to the task ahead, I tried to rearrange my expression into something more approachable than my typical resting frown.
The first pack member walked in, an older gentleman named Frank, who ran the local hardware store. He fidgeted nervously as he sat across from me.
“What can I do for you, Frank?” I asked.
He heaved out a sigh. “Things have been rough at the store lately. Sales are way down, and I’m struggling to keep up with overhead costs.”
I jotted down some notes as he continued talking.
The next few meetings followed a similar pattern—pack members facing financial hardships, difficulty finding work, and general economic woes.
With each story, a sinking feeling grew in my gut.
I hadn’t realized how often my father had handled these types of issues.
Guilt pricked at me as I promised each member I’d look into potential solutions and get back to them soon.
But honestly, I was at a loss for what to do.
This was far outside my wheelhouse. Knowing I was in over my head, I swallowed my pride and called my father.
He arrived within the hour, looking none too pleased.
“I told you this was part of the job, Noah,” he said. “If you’d listened during our training sessions?—”
“I know, I know.” I held up my hands. “I screwed up. But I need your help to make this right. Please.”
He eyed me for a long moment before relenting with a sigh.
“All right, let me show you something.” My father pulled out a big notebook full of neatly labeled tabs.
“I use this to keep track of how everyone’s doing and identify potential problems early.
I also keep a board in the alpha house where anyone can post jobs or if someone is looking for specific work. ”
“This is great. Really convenient for matching people up,” I said sincerely. “I can put some of my tech skills to use, streamline it a bit.”
He snorted. “I may be old-school, but I still know a thing or two.”
We shared a chuckle, and some of that ever-present tension between us eased.
“Thanks,” I said. “I mean it, Dad.”
He clapped a hand on my shoulder. “You’ve still got a lot to learn, but you’ll get there.”
For the next couple of hours, we worked together, inputting all the data, then setting up calls and meetings between pack members seeking employment and business owners looking to hire. It was the most cohesively we’d collaborated since my return to Boldercrest.
“I owe you an apology,” I said as we wrapped. “I should’ve paid more attention when you tried to teach me all this before.”
Surprise flickered across my dad’s weathered face before he nodded slowly.
“I threw a lot at you when you came back. I shouldn’t have expected you to catch on to everything right away.
” He hesitated. “Your brother had years to study pack management. I shouldn’t have pushed so much on you so soon after. ..”
My brother’s absence hung heavy between us, and as I looked at my father, I saw the same grief in his eyes that I felt in my heart.
I cleared my throat. “I’m here now, and I’m ready to learn. I want to do right by our pack. Make them proud to call me their alpha.”
My father’s lips twitched into a small smile. “You’re already on your way, son. Today proved that.”
Pride swelled in my chest at his rare praise. We were truly connecting, moving past old grudges and misunderstandings.
An awkward silence stretched between us. We both cleared our throats, shifting our weight. My father glanced at his watch and muttered something about needing to head out.
“Right, well...” I rubbed the back of my neck. “Thanks again for your help today. It means a lot.”
He gave a curt nod. “You’re welcome. Keep up the good work.” With that, he strode out of the office, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
I exhaled slowly and gathered my things. As I stepped outside, the crisp autumn air filled my lungs. Leaves crunched under my feet as I made my way toward Zoey’s place.
I knocked on her door, my heart thudding in my chest. Moments later, it swung open, and my wolf howled with pure joy when we saw her standing there. Ro peeked out from behind her.
“Noah, hey.” She smiled, but I could see the weariness in her eyes. “Come on in.”
I stepped inside, ruffling Ro’s hair as I passed. “Hey, buddy. How’s it going?”
He grinned up at me, but his eyes looked a bit hollow, like he was fighting off a cold or something. “Good. Mom and I were just about to watch a movie.”
“Sounds fun.” I glanced at Zoey, noting the tension in her shoulders. “Actually, do you mind if I borrow your mom for a minute? I need to talk to her about something.”
Ro shrugged as he plopped onto the couch and turned on the TV. “Okay.”
Zoey led me into the kitchen, where she leaned against the counter. “What’s up?”
This wasn’t going to be easy. “I talked to your mom. She’s agreed to come visit.”
She gaped at me. “She did? I mean… are you sure you got through to the right person?”
I chuckled and rubbed her arm. “Yeah. It’ll be good for you two to talk, try to work through some things.”
“Yeah, maybe.” She looked away, biting her lip. “It’s just so complicated. She hasn’t exactly been the most present mother, you know? I really didn’t expect her to agree to come.”
I kept rubbing her arm. “I get it. But maybe this is a chance to start fresh, build a better relationship.”
She met my gaze, a flicker of hope in her eyes. “You think so?”
“I do.” I smiled. “And hey, if nothing else, it’ll be good for Ro to see his grandma, right?”
As if on cue, Ro came barreling into the kitchen. “Is my grandma really coming?”
Zoey laughed as she scooped him into a hug. “Yeah, baby. She is.”
Ro chewed on the inside of his cheek and gave her a worried look. “Do you think she’ll like me in real life?”
“Of course she will. She loves you when you talk on the phone, doesn’t she?” Zoey said, then kissed his forehead.
Heather came downstairs, slinging her purse over her shoulder. “Hey, I’m gonna head out.”
“Oh, okay.” Zoey set Ro down. “See you later. Don’t stay out too late.”