Epilogue Two Orion
This building looks nothing like it did a year ago.
What used to be an old factory has been transformed into an ice house.
The concrete walls are no longer stained with age, having been scrubbed clean by my pack and the community.
Two rinks await inside, an olympic-size one for hockey and figure skating, and a slightly smaller one dedicated to curling.
We love our sport, but we wanted to make sure this arena was something everyone could use.
“Ready?” Raven slips her hand in mine as we make our way inside, and I feel like I’m walking into a dream. We glide through the double doors into the lobby, long wooden benches lined up like soldiers in rows. The rubberized floor to protect skates and prevent slipping is soft under my feet.
The party planner and our new publicist already have the party well underway.
The lighting is lower than it would usually be, but it’s a special night.
People mingle carrying drinks and hors d'oeuvres, exploring the new spaces and reading the plaques we have posted around the building. Each one has a piece of history on it. Some about curling, some about figure skating or hockey, some about us. There is even one showcasing Raven’s grandmother.
She may have cried a little when we unveiled it to her.
“Are you happy, my love?” Raven asks as she squeezes my hand. I know she means about the rink and the party, yet I can’t help but to pull her into my arms, looking at her with all the devotion I have inside me.
“So very happy,” I confirm, and her emotion down the bond tells me she knows I’m not just talking about right this moment, but all of the moments with her and our pack.
About halfway through the party, Foster steps onto the small stage and calls for everyone’s attention. He’s got a microphone in one hand and a champagne flute in the other.
“Thank you all for coming tonight. I’d like to say a few words about this amazing project, and the pack behind it.” A hush falls over everyone at his words as they wait for what he’ll say next. “Pack Novak.”
Raven gasps and sways in place. I wrap an arm around her waist to steady her. We hadn’t told her about this surprise.
When Tanner ceded the pack lead position to Foster, it felt weird changing our pack name to D’Amico, but standard convention says we should have.
We’ve put off filing any official change paperwork while we decided, this project and post-Olympics activity taking up the majority of our time.
When Rhodes brought this idea to me, Tanner, Vann, and Foster, it was like it all clicked.
Raven is everything to us. She brought us together into the pack we are today.
Our grounding center. Why wouldn’t we want to scream that to the world?
It’s not the first time we’ve bucked tradition, and I’m sure it won’t be the last.
“Orion… what? I don’t… Why?” Raven's confusion swirls in the bond as she stumbles over her words, but there’s a hint of hope and satisfaction there too.
Foster’s speech continues on in the background, the attendees swept up by his commanding presence. I’m sure he’s saying something about how we built this place and who helped us along the way, but the only thing I can focus on is our omega.
“Yeah, Pack Novak, snowflake.” I hold her tighter as she turns to face me fully. Tanner and Rhodes have crept toward us as well, landing on either side of her, forming a protective triangle around the most important person in our world.
Tanner gently turns her head to look at him. “Raven, without you we would still be lost. Our pack wasn’t complete, even if we didn’t know what piece we were missing. I thank whoever is up there controlling our fate every single day for bringing you back to us. For your forgiveness. For your love.”
Tears form in Raven’s eyes, but we aren’t done yet. Vann spins her to face him, and she goes willingly. “Pack West didn’t treat you right, birdie. But Pack Novak? Pack Novak will never let you down. We love you.”
Glasses lift around the room, and a few people holler celebratory whoops and whistles as Foster wraps up his speech.
Just as the cheers are dying down, the air explodes with a heavy sweetness, overwhelming the scent neutralizers with its potency.
A perfuming omega, overpowering and new.
The crowd looks around, everyone trying to determine where it’s coming from, all heads turning in the same direction toward the back of the room where Raven’s friend Sadie is lip-locked with a guy she introduced as her trainer.
Sadie suddenly notices how quiet the room is, and breaks away from the kiss, looking dazed as her eyes swing from the trainer to Raven. The realization of what’s happening dawns on her face as clear as a sunrise. But it isn’t joy in her eyes. It’s terror.
Seems like our omega’s best friend is about to have her life turned upside down.
Thank you so much for reading Knot Letting Go.