48. Noah
NOAH
I dialed the number, drumming my fingers on the kitchen counter as I waited. After a few rings, a gruff voice answered. “Leon’s Investigations.”
“Leon? This is Noah Alexander. I need you to track someone down for me. George James.”
After a pause, he sighed. “That’s a tall order.”
“I know. But you’re the best at what you do. I need you to find him and bring him to me.”
Leon chuckled. “Flattery will get you everywhere. All right, I’ll take the case. George won’t be able to hide from me for long. I’ll be in touch soon.”
“Thank you, Leon. I appreciate it.” I put my phone down. If anyone could find George, it was Leon.
But there was still one more thing I needed to do, and it had my stomach twisting into knots. Taking a deep breath, I headed out to see my father.
I pulled up to my father’s house and just sat there for a moment, gripping the steering wheel tightly. Why was I so nervous about this? It was a conversation that needed to happen, but I couldn’t shake the unease churning inside me.
Steeling myself, I got out of the car, walked up to the front door, and knocked three times. Bile crept up my throat as I waited, and I was just about to turn around when my father opened the door.
“Noah?” His eyebrows were raised in surprise. “What brings you here, son? Is everything all right?”
“We need to talk.” The words came out more terse than I intended. “Can I come in?”
He stepped aside and let me in. I followed him to his study, memories of being called in here as a kid to be scolded flashing through my mind. But I wasn’t a child anymore. I was the alpha now.
My father poured us both a scotch and handed me again. I took it, the cold glass against my palm grounding me. “I found the bookie’s number,” I said.
He sighed heavily and sank down into his leather chair. “I see.”
I remained standing, looking down at him. “Why’d you do it, Dad? Why go behind my back like that?”
My father gazed out the window. “When you left the pack to pursue boxing, it was hard for me to connect with you. It wasn’t that I didn’t believe in you, but it felt like you wanted to get away from me.”
I swallowed hard, the words hitting me like a punch to the gut. He wasn’t entirely wrong.
“I noticed when you first became distant,” he continued. “Eventually, it got to the point where I felt you had distanced yourself so much that you didn’t even want me around. So, I kept my distance, too. But I always believed in you, son.”
My throat constricted, making it difficult to speak.
“If you believed in me, then why did you want me to give up the gym?” My voice came out more choked than I intended.
“You have golf as an outlet. What’s the difference?
Okay, apart from one using a stick to hit a ball and the other using a fist to hit a face. Small difference, right?”
A flicker of regret crossed his face. “I was concerned that you wouldn’t be able to focus on the pack the way they needed you to if your attention was divided between the gym and training.
But I was wrong. I’ve heard nothing but compliments from the pack members about how well you’re doing as alpha.
” He sighed, rubbing his forehead. “Change is difficult. I’m used to things being done my way, and it was hard for me to admit that some of your ideas were better than mine.
Noah, I’m sorry for the years we didn’t speak and that I didn’t reach out to mend our relationship.
” My father looked me directly in the eyes, his gaze intense.
“But mostly, I need you to know that not once have I ever felt your brother was more important than you. I didn’t love him more.
I know I’m not the emotional type, but I love you.
And I’m sorry you spent so many years believing I didn’t. ”
I cleared my throat. “I wish you had told me all this sooner. My career would have been so much better if you had been there to support me.”
My father nodded. “Your mom went to a few of your fights. It always hurt a bit that I wasn’t there, didn’t it?”
I couldn’t bring myself to respond, the memories of searching the crowd for his face and finding only empty seats still fresh in my mind.
He sighed, his shoulders slumping. “I can’t change the past, but I hope for a better future between us.
” He paused, seeming to gather his thoughts.
“I did come to one of your bouts early in your career. When I saw the other guy whaling on you, the alpha and father in me wanted to jump into the ring and stop you from getting hurt. I couldn’t bear seeing you like that. It was easier to watch on a screen.”
I smirked. “And you always bet on the winner, right?”
My father chuckled. “Of course I did. I always believed in you, even if I didn’t show it the way I should have.”
The tension in my chest eased, replaced by a growing sense of understanding. It wasn’t perfect, and we still had a long way to go, but for the first time in years, I felt like my father and I were on the same page. It was a start, and that was more than I’d hoped for when I walked through the door.
We were still hugging it out when my mom got home.
The moment she saw us, tears streamed down her face.
My father and I exchanged a knowing glance and rolled our eyes in unison, but we opened our arms, inviting her to join the embrace.
As she wrapped her arms around us, I realized just how much I needed this moment—this connection with my family that I’d been missing for far too long.
“I’ve been waiting for this day for so long,” she whispered.
I squeezed them both a little tighter, letting the warmth of their love surround me. “Me too. Me too.”
We stayed like that for a while, just holding each other as the years of hurt and misunderstanding melted away. When we finally pulled back, I felt lighter than I had in ages. It felt like a mountain had been lifted from my shoulders.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I excused myself to take the call. It was Leon, and he wasted no time giving me an update on his search for George.
“I got my hands on his bank records,” he said confidently. “I’m going to track his transactions and get back to you as soon as I know more.”
“That’s great news, Leon. I really appreciate the work you’re putting in on this.”
“Don’t mention it,” he replied. “It’s what I do. I’ll be in touch soon.”
I hung up. His update gave me hope that we were getting closer to finding George and putting an end to this nightmare.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. My heart leapt into my throat. Zoey. Ro. Had something happened to them? I rushed to answer it, bracing myself for the worst.
But it was Lance standing there. “Alpha.” He inclined his head.
“Lance, what is it? Is it Zoey? Ro? Are they okay?”
Lance held up a hand. “They’re fine. I’m here about something else.”
My breath rushed out of me in relief. “Okay, come in. What’s going on?”
Lance stepped inside, his brow furrowed. He seemed nervous, unsure of how to begin. “I’ve discovered who was helping George.”
My eyes widened. This was the break we’d been waiting for. “Who is it?”
“A shifter named Ryan Lee. He’s fairly new to the pack, only arrived about five years ago.” Lance rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Seems he was running from debt, and the debt caught up to him. George was the loan shark he used to borrow money from.”
I clenched my fists, anger rising in my chest. That motherfucker always preyed on the vulnerable. “Go on.”
“Ryan was borrowing from one lender to pay another, but never paying the debt off, only accruing more. George threatened his wife and their child. They had no idea what he’d gotten caught up in.”
My heart sank. Another family torn apart by George’s cruelty. Jesus, how many men in my pack owed George money? This was the second man we’d discovered working with him. “What else did you find out?”
Lance met my gaze, his expression grim. “Ryan admitted to driving George in and out of town under a blanket in his car to evade the police at the town entrances.”
I slammed my fist against the wall, the impact reverberating through my bones. How could I have let this happen right under my nose? What kind of alpha was I if I couldn’t even protect my own pack from inside threats?
Lance placed a hand on my shoulder. “Noah, you can’t blame yourself for this. George is a master manipulator. He preys on desperate people’s weaknesses.”
I shook my head, not wanting to hear excuses. “I should have seen it. I should have known.”
“You’re doing everything you can to keep this pack safe. Don’t forget that.” Lance’s eyes were full of kindness, and I clung to it like a lifeline.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm raging inside me. Lance was right. I couldn’t change the past, but I could shape the future. And that started with bringing George to justice and ensuring that no one else fell victim to his schemes.
“Take me to Ryan’s address,” I said. “Now.”
Lance hesitated, his expression guarded. “He’s already at the police station. I dropped him with Warman before coming here.”
“You what?” My hands clenched into fists at my sides. “You had no right to do that. I should have been allowed to question him first.”
“With all due respect, Alpha, he’s suffered enough. His wife packed a bag and left with their kid to stay with her mother when she discovered his part in your mate’s torture. The man’s world has crumbled around him.”
I scoffed. “That’s all well and good, but had he come to me, I would have helped him. There was no need for him to get involved with George’s schemes.”
Lance shook his head, his gaze softening. “Ryan didn’t know the pack well enough to trust anyone. George preyed on that, told him he and his family would be kicked out. Ryan’s a victim, too. If you really think about it, put yourself in his shoes, you’ll see how desperate he was.”