Page 9 of Single Mom’s Navy Seals (Claimed by the Alphas #2)

COLE

T he motel hallway is quiet, bathed in a sickly yellow glow from a dying overhead bulb.

It’s late enough that anyone awake right now has something to hide.

I glance to my left. Liam stands solid as granite, eyes narrowed, always calculating.

On my right, Jax shifts restlessly, his fingers drumming impatiently against his thigh.

He’s wired tight tonight, that reckless streak simmering just below the surface—typical Jax, looking for trouble even when we don’t need it.

Liam gives the signal, a sharp nod, and Jax knocks firmly on the motel door. We step back, not wanting to crowd whoever’s waiting inside. We’re here to protect, not frighten. Though at first glance, I’m pretty sure we’d do both equally well.

The door opens, only a crack at first, wary and defensive.

I notice the chain is still attached, and the person behind it is understandably cautious.

My muscles tense instinctively, experience telling me this can go south if we mishandle it.

I keep my hands visible, posture relaxed, trying to radiate reassurance despite the late hour and our intimidating appearance.

“We’re here to help,” Liam says calmly, voice firm and authoritative. “Morales sent us.”

For a few beats, nothing happens. Then the door opens wider, just enough to reveal Ava’s face peering out at us, eyes sharp with suspicion and fear.

She’s younger than I expected, petite but fierce, gripping what looks like a motel lamp in a tight fist, ready to use it if she has to.

I silently give her credit. She’s braver than most civilians I’ve seen in similar situations.

“How do I know that’s true?” she demands, voice tense and wary. Her focus flickers over each of us, trying to read threats in our body language. Smart girl. She shouldn’t trust anyone, given who’s chasing her. She has a child to protect. Her instinct is clear and powerful. I respect that.

Jax smirks beside me, unable to entirely suppress his reckless charm. “Sweetheart, if we meant harm, we wouldn’t have knocked.”

Her gaze narrows, clearly unimpressed. “Forgive me if I don’t immediately trust three strangers showing up at my motel room in the middle of the night.”

Liam shoots Jax a sharp look, silently demanding he shut his mouth before he makes things worse. Jax shrugs casually but wisely falls silent, allowing Liam to speak again.

“Morales told us to find you and your son, Eli,” Liam explains steadily, controlling the impatience creeping into his tone. “He sent us specifically because we don’t answer to anyone official. He knew you’d be safest with us.”

She doesn’t move or reply immediately, clearly torn between caution and desperation.

Her hesitation is understandable. She’s probably spent years hiding, always looking over her shoulder.

She’s alone, exhausted, and cornered. And she’s terrified—not only for herself, but for her child sleeping behind her.

Something shifts in her eyes as she weighs her options, but the lamp remains clutched, fingers white-knuckled around the base.

I step forward, being careful to keep my movements deliberate and non-threatening.

Liam gives me a slight nod, trusting my instincts.

Ava tenses, watching me warily, ready to swing if necessary.

“Ava,” I say, my voice deep but gentle, choosing my words. “We’re not here to hurt you or your boy. Morales trusted us to protect you. You can trust us, too.”

She studies me closely, her hazel eyes searching mine, looking for lies or hidden threats.

There’s intelligence and resilience in her gaze, along with a deep weariness from years of running and hiding.

I see the battle playing out behind her guarded expression—instinctive caution warring against the hope of finally receiving help.

I keep my expression calm, sincere, letting her take the time she needs.

The tension eases fractionally, her grip on the lamp relaxing as she steps back, finally deciding to unhook the chain.

The door opens wider, and I get my first full look at the motel room.

It’s small, dim, and shabby, barely fit to shelter anyone, especially a scared woman and her child.

Eli sleeps soundly on the bed, curled up around a stuffed bear, oblivious to the danger surrounding him.

Stepping inside, I keep my posture relaxed, movements careful and controlled. Ava watches warily as Liam and Jax enter behind me, her suspicion far from gone. She’s not fully convinced yet, and I don’t blame her. Trust is a risk, and she’s been burned before.

Eli shifts in his sleep, murmuring softly as he hugs his bear closer. His innocent, peaceful expression softens my normally hard exterior. Ava’s gaze flicks to her son, worry briefly shadowing her eyes again before she visibly steadies herself.

Ava points out, her voice steady but still guarded, “You’re asking me to trust you, but you haven’t even introduced yourselves.”

The three of us exchange brief, surprised glances. Morales clearly hadn’t filled her in on much, and it’s obvious from her tight expression that she doesn’t appreciate being in the dark. Liam clears his throat, stepping forward first.

“I’m Liam,” he says. “This is Cole.” He tilts his head toward me. “And Jax.”

“How do you know Morales?”

Jax gives a small wave, a half-grin tugging at his mouth. “All of us are former SEALs. We used to work with Morales, but now we do odd jobs like this.”

Ava’s brows lift, like she’s processing but doesn’t intend to dig deeper.

Our eyes meet, and I catch myself studying her closely.

Even with exhaustion shadowing her features, she was strikingly beautiful.

It’s not just her looks, though the delicate curves of her face and the hazel depths of her eyes don’t go unnoticed.

She’s got this visible strength beneath her guarded expression, something I respect immediately.

“Are we leaving right away?” she asks, breaking my focus.

“Yes,” Liam answers firmly, glancing toward Eli on the bed. “The less time we spend in one spot, the safer you’ll be.”

Ava nods, accepting the logic without argument. She moves toward the bed, hesitating briefly before turning back to us, voice dropping to a cautious whisper.

“Listen, Eli doesn’t know what’s really going on. He thinks this is just some sort of adventure. I’ve been trying to keep the danger away from him as much as I can.”

Liam frowns, his expression hardening into something rigid and unyielding.

“That’s a poor choice as a mother,” he states bluntly, his tone matter-of-fact rather than intentionally cruel. “The kid needs to know he’s in danger so he can move with caution.”

The sharp inhalation from Ava is subtle, but I see the flicker of hurt cross her eyes before anger replaces it. She straightens, shoulders squaring defensively, eyes flashing with heat as she stares Liam down.

“I don’t give a fuck who you are or why Morales sent you,” she snaps, voice tight and controlled. “Stay out of trying to raise my kid.”

Turning her back deliberately, she crosses the room to wake Eli, clearly done entertaining Liam’s advice. Jax lets out a quiet chuckle he can’t quite hide.

“Damn, Liam. Managed to piss off the first beautiful woman we’ve been around in years, and it only took you ten minutes. New record.”

Liam scowls at him. “Shut up, Jax. What I said was logical.”

I meet Liam’s gaze evenly, feeling a surge of irritation on Ava’s behalf. “Maybe we aren’t exactly the best judges of how to raise kids, Liam. You think maybe Ava knows better than we do about her own son?”

Liam’s frown deepens, as if the possibility that he might have crossed a line is only now sinking in. “It’s what my father would’ve told me.”

I arch an eyebrow at him pointedly. “That’s the parenting blueprint you’re running with?”

Liam exhales, clearly unhappy with the reminder, but he doesn’t push the argument further.

Silence settles over us again, tense but short-lived as Eli begins to stir awake, noticing us standing nearby. His eyes blink open, immediately brightening with curiosity, and within seconds, he’s fully alert, peering up at us with wide-eyed wonder.

“Mommy?” he asks, sleep still clinging to his voice. He sits up, clutching his stuffed bear. “Who’re they?”

“They’re friends of someone Mommy knew a long time ago,” Ava says calmly, her voice carrying a gentle but firm note of warning as she glances pointedly at Liam, silently telling him to stick to her vague story or risk her wrath again. “They’re going to help us on our adventure.”

Eli’s face splits into an excited smile as he scrambles off the bed, his small feet landing on the worn carpet. “Are they real-life heroes or something?”

Jax immediately picks up the thread, flashing Eli a grin. “Definitely heroes. We’ve even got a secret car ready for special missions. Cool, huh?”

Eli’s mouth drops open, his eyes sparkling. “Whoa.”

I can’t help the faint twitch at the corner of my mouth, appreciating Jax’s effortless charm.

Eli takes it all in stride, full of innocent enthusiasm.

My gaze shifts back to Ava as she gathers their things, her movements swift and efficient.

It doesn’t take long. They hadn’t unpacked much, just a single duffel bag that Ava now slings over her shoulder.

“We’ll leave now,” Liam says, still stiff but trying to soften his voice a fraction after Ava’s earlier reaction.

Ava nods. “Okay, but I need to grab Eli’s booster seat first, and something else, from my car.”

“What something else?” Liam immediately questions, suspicion lining his voice.

Ava meets his stare, defiant even in her fatigue. “Something else I need. It’ll just take a minute.”

She doesn’t wait for permission, already stepping outside.

Eli trails close beside her, practically skipping as we follow them out into the cold night air.

Ava moves to her old, beaten-down sedan parked in the shadowy corner of the motel lot.

Unlocking the door, she glances back toward us, forcing a bright, reassuring smile for Eli.

“Eli, baby, why don’t you ask Jax to help you get your booster seat out, okay?”

“Sure thing, little man,” Jax says warmly, already lifting Eli into the back seat to unbuckle the seat.

As they busy themselves, Ava darts to the front passenger side, pulling open the glove compartment.

Her movements are swift and practiced, and her hand emerges clutching something small but unmistakable.

A gun. She tucks it neatly into a concealed holster at her side, completely unaware that I’m watching closely from behind.

When she turns, she startles, finding me standing beside the car.

“Oh god,” she breathes, voice shaking as she tries to steady herself. “I-I didn’t…I didn’t see you there. Look, I?—”

“You don’t owe me an explanation,” I say, keeping my voice low, calm enough to ease her panic. “Your safety and your son’s safety are your business. You don’t have to justify anything to me.”

Her shoulders relax, but her guard stays firmly in place. “It’s just—this isn’t—I mean?—”

“You don’t have to trust us yet,” I continue quietly. “Trust built from words alone is flimsy as hell. You’ll know us by our actions soon enough. In the meantime, you carry what you need to feel safe. That gun of yours, the safety’s on, right?”

Her eyes narrow, pride flaring behind them. “Safety’s always on unless I’m engaging it.”

I nod approvingly. “Have you ever engaged it?”

She hesitates, then answers firmly, “Not outside of practice.”

“Good,” I say, meeting her wary gaze steadily. “I plan to make sure it stays that way.”

From behind us, Eli lets out a victorious shout, drawing Ava’s attention.

“Got it!” Eli beams, holding up the booster seat triumphantly as Jax offers him a playful high five. They’re both oblivious to the quiet conversation Ava and I just had.

“Good job, honey,” Ava calls warmly, and the three of us turn away from the car.

“Can you sit in the back with me?” Eli asks Jax with wide eyes.

“Course, bud, sounds fun.” The kid beams and then turns that sweet gaze on me.

“You, too?”

“Hey! You don’t want to sit with your mom,” Ava interrupts with a play pout.

Eli grimaces and gives her a pitying look. “Mom, I have to get to know my new friends. It’s not a big deal.”

“Fine,” Ava draws out with dramatic flair. “I’ll sit in the passenger seat and leave you to the bonding.”

“Thanks! Come on!” Eli calls, grabbing both Jax and my hands and dragging us at a faster pace to the running SUV where Liam waits impatiently behind the wheel.

When we get there, Jax and Eli slide into the backseat from one side, and I walk around to the other side and climb in beside the kid.

Ava’s buckling up in the passenger seat by the time I get my door closed.

As the car pulls onto the quiet highway, Eli’s excited chatter fills the cabin, his innocent laughter mixing easily with Jax’s playful responses.

The two of them easily carry the conversation, with my role seeming to be quiet support, a fact I am perfectly fine with.

Up front, Ava stays quiet, staring out the window, lost in thought as the night stretches out before us.

My eyes are drawn to her image in the rear mirror like a moth to a fucking flame.

It’s unsettling as hell, this pull toward her—but I can’t seem to stop it.

Something about her feels magnetic, and it’s not a feeling I would say I’m quite comfortable with.