Chapter 34
Milton
I roll over, my back killing me and my arm half asleep.
I can feel the weight of a heavy blanket laying on top of me, one I don’t remember falling asleep with.
A thick, soft blanket is tucked around my shoulders like someone actually gives a damn about me.
For a second, I float there in that hazy space between sleep and reality.
It takes a minute for me to realize where I am, as memories of last night begin flooding back.
An amazing night out with Bayleigh, Lincoln, and Korbin.
Taking her home.
Benton shouting in the driveway.
Bayleigh crying.
The three of us bringing her home with us.
The things we admitted to her in the middle of the night… the ones I was sure I’d imagined.
I lift my head off the hardwood floor, neck stiff, and—yeah, there she is.
Bayleigh’s curled up on the couch, blanket balled under her chin, her long lashes barely touching her skin. Her lips are parted slightly with the cutest little bit of drool dripping onto the pillow.
Lincoln’s sitting on the other end of the couch, coffee in hand as he watches her like she might shatter if he looks away.
Fearful that her presence is only a dream for all of us.
I glance over and see Korbin in the recliner; sometime after I fell asleep he managed to recline back.
His arms are crossed over his chest, his body turned slightly to the right.
His chest rises evenly as he snores softly.
I can’t help but let out a small snort. “We should record him. That way the fucker can’t claim he doesn’t snore.” My words come out softly, not wanting to wake Bayleigh, before I remember she can’t hear. She’s so amazing that I keep forgetting that small fact.
“He’d deny it. I’ve already done it.” Lincoln lets out a little laugh as I slowly stand from the floor, arching my back as I stretch.
“Is there any more coffee in the kitchen?”
Lincoln nods his head, stands, and walks toward the kitchen with me falling in step behind him. He goes straight to the coffee pot and pours me a cup.
I pull out a chair and sit down, placing my elbows on the table and resting my chin on my hands. I make sure to bat my eyes at him when he turns around and heads toward me with two cups in hand. “Well thank you, lover boy.”
Lincoln shoots me a murderous glare as he sits down across from me, holding my cup hostage. “Shut up.”
“Seriously though, I need to talk to you, Lincoln.” I pause for a minute. “But I’d really like my coffee so I can actually formulate my thoughts.”
He presses his lips together as he just stares at me. I’m about to get up and make my own cup when he slides it over to me. Taking hold of the handle, I lift it to my lips and take a small sip, almost burning my tongue.
I take a deep breath. My heart starts to pound. This can go either way. I just hope he understands.
“I should have told you before I did it.” I clear my throat, wrapping both my hands around the warm cup as Lincoln focuses all his attention on me.
“I messaged Bayleigh privately the other day. At first I wasn’t sure why.
Just the way you talked about her, and then when I met her at the charity event, I just wanted to know more about her. I couldn’t stop thinking about her.”
I wait for him to say something, but he doesn’t.
“You know Korbin and I have always wanted the three of us to be a pack. And I don’t know; there’s something about Bayleigh. I just have this gut feeling she can be our omega. The person to complete us. To make us whole.”
Still silent. Mind wrenching quietness. He’s going to explode. I know it.
He finally pushes his cup away, then leans forward, placing his arms on the table as he thrums his fingers on the wood.
“I knew you messaged her.”
My eyes go wide.
“She told me.”
“You’re not mad? I know how much you like her. I just didn’t want to overstep.” I take a sip of my coffee, a small bit of relief washing over me.
“Why do you think I created a group chat between the three of us? I want to add you too, Korbin.” My head jerks around, seeing a disheveled and still sleepy Korbin standing in the doorway behind us. “But I knew you still had issues with the Gina and Benton situation.”
“Lincoln…” Korbin stops, but Lincoln holds up his hand.
“No, let me finish. I know the two of you have wanted us to be a pack. And I’ve always refused.
The two of you have so much greatness ahead of you.
Hockey players. Hell, you’re household names, and I never want to hold you back.
I never felt I’d be good enough to be in a pack with the two of you.
But Bayleigh, she’s made me see otherwise. Made me start thinking about what if.”
Korbin moves over to the table, pulling out the chair beside me and sits down.
“What the fuck logic thinking is that? Good enough? Have you ever thought we feel that way about you? You’re the best brother, supporter, protector, fucking person there is. You being part of a pack with us only makes us better. It doesn’t bring us down.”
“Tell him, Kor. Hell, when we travel, we can keep our heads in the game and focus because we know you’ll be there not only cheering us on, but protecting our omega.
You’re the piece that completes our unit.
Other than our omega,” I add, thankful that he’s finally seeing reason, and I know it’s all because of our sleeping beauty in the living room.
Lincoln runs his hand through his hair before letting out a deep breath.
“I know. I’m stubborn and a little hardheaded.
I can admit it. Maybe I'm just a little jealous too. Milt, you and Korbin have hockey in common, and it’s something I don’t have.
It’s a closeness the two of you share, and in my mind, an omega wouldn't see my worth in a pack. But Bayleigh’s changed that. ”
“And I’ve let this Gina shit go on longer than it should. It fucking pissed me off that she jumped from me to Benton like it was nothing. That she was seeing him while she was with me. Add in this shit going on with the team, and it all just festered.”
“So what do we do now?” I ask. “Are we ready to be a pack? I know I am.”
“Hell, I've wanted nothing more than that for the three of us. The man who is my blood brother and the other one who I call my brother.” Korbin smiles.
“I want it too,” Lincoln says. “But I want Bayleigh. I think she can be our omega. If the two of you can’t see that, then this pack won’t work for me.”
“Lincoln, I literally just confessed to you that I messaged her behind your back. I want to see where we can go. So I’m in.” We both turn to Korbin, waiting for his answer.
“I haven’t talked privately with her. So, we still need to get to know each other. We also need to sit down and talk to Benton and clear this shit up if we plan to move forward. He’s her brother, and me and him need to squash our shit.”
“And he doesn’t get to talk to her the way he did last night, fucking ever again,” I add.
“Then it looks like we have a plan. Should we go wake her?”
We all stand and start moving to the living room, for the first time as a pack. I make my way over to the back of the couch and lean over it, letting my knuckle brush lightly against the side of her face, before gently shaking her shoulder.
Her eyes flutter open as she lets out a yawn, then jumps up, her eyes wide in panic. Lincoln sits down on the couch in front of her, his hands going to her shoulders, her eyes locking on his face as he speaks slowly.
“Bay, you’re safe. We’re here. Time to talk and face the day.”
She blinks, lashes fluttering. Her cheeks are flushed, and there’s something vulnerable about her in this moment that hits me straight in the chest. She looks between the three of us—still half-asleep, still trusting—and everything feels right. The four of us together feels perfect.
“Let’s eat and then we need to talk.” Lincoln leans in, giving her a soft kiss on her lips and damn if I’m not jealous.
She tosses the blanket to the side and slowly stands. Lincoln takes her hand in his and we make our way to the kitchen. He leads her to the table, having her sit while Korbin of all people rushes over to make her a cup of coffee.
I choose to take the moment to occupy the empty seat beside her before one of them does. Personally, I think I made the smarter choice.
“I don’t think so,” Lincoln barks at me. “The three of us are cooking for Bayleigh.”
And then chaos begins.
Lincoln burns toast. He actually burns it. I didn’t even know you could do that. The smoke alarm goes off, and we’re not able to get it to stop. Korbin climbs onto a chair, rips the battery out of it, and tosses it onto the counter.
In the midst of all this, I flip a pancake a little too enthusiastically, and it smacks the backsplash with a wet, sugary splaaat.
Korbin opens a jar of jam, like the lid insulted his entire lineage.
And Bayleigh—God, she starts laughing.
It’s the most beautiful sound.
Silent at first, shoulders shaking. Then bright. Contagious. She moves over to the counter and leans against it, taking in the disaster before her, eyes watering, and I swear my lungs expand for the first time in days.
Lincoln refills her coffee before leaning on the counter beside her, letting his hand slip around her back.
I reach out and brush the happy tears from her cheek without thinking. She goes still, eyes soft, at my touch.
None of the touches are intentional. All of them are instinct. One that a pack has with their omega.
But then she signs something—fast, clipped, eyebrows pinched.
All three of us freeze.
Lincoln squints, getting her attention. “Wait—uh—do that again? Slower. Still learning.” He laughs.
She signs it bigger. Sharper.
Lincoln frowns. Korbin’s brows draw together. And well, I look like a deer in headlights. None of us gets what she’s saying. Lincoln obviously being the only one who actually has a chance of understanding. For now, anyway. I am signing up for courses today.
I can see the visible signs of frustration taking hold of Bayleigh.
Her shoulders hunch, jaw tight. She huffs sharply and storms off to the living room, leaving us with our jaws dropped, clueless to what just happened and scared shitless we’ve screwed shit up.
She returns a few seconds later with her phone in hand, thumbs flying across the screen before she holds it up in our direction to read.
I’m sick of signing and no one understands me. You guys can talk to each other. I’m stuck typing.
My stomach drops. For the first time, it hits me how hard it is for her to communicate. How isolated she must feel. “Bayleigh… I’m sorry. Lincoln’s trying. I’m going to take classes, Korbin—”
Lincoln steps in, voice firm. “I’m not stopping classes. I meant it. I’ve already completed the first section and have signed up for the next level. I’ll go to four hundred if I have to. I will get fluent.”
Her fingers hover over the screen again before she types out:
I know it’s not your fault. This is new. But I’m tired of typing too.
I want to talk.
Fuck, I wish she could talk.
Lincoln’s breath catches. “Bayleigh, we wish you could too. All we want is for everything to be easier for you. That's why I’m learning sign language.”
She shakes her head hard.
She types again, slower this time, and pushes the phone so all three of us can see.
I can talk. But it’s not good. I sound terrible. But the three of you make me feel safe to try.
The room goes still. As if all the air has been sucked out. My hand goes to my chest to check if I’m still breathing.
Bayleigh braces both palms on the counter, closes her eyes like she’s gathering strength from somewhere deep—and then she speaks.
“Th…ank you…” She pauses, swallowing before continuing, “for… lett-ing me… stay here.”
Her voice is soft, strained at the edges, consonants warped like she’s pulling them from rusted hinges. It’s the most beautiful fucking sound I’ve ever heard, and I know they’re thinking the same thing.
Korbin looks like someone unplugged his whole life. Lincoln—Lincoln’s eyes shine instantly, red-rimmed, full.
He moves first.
He grabs her around the waist and lifts her clean off the ground, spinning her in a full circle. She squeaks and then lets out this breathless, bright laugh that I want to bottle up and keep forever.
Lincoln sets her down like she’s made of something holy.
Now it’s my turn. I step forward, making sure she sees every word I say. That she feels it. “You sound beautiful.”
Her cheeks flush pink, eyes darting away in embarrassed delight.
Then she turns to Korbin.
Korbin smiles and shrugs. “Sounds like a voice to me.”
Bayleigh laughs softly—and before anyone can process it, she steps forward and hugs him.
Full arms-around-his-middle. Cheek pressed to his chest. Warm. Trusting. Real.
Korbin freezes like she just hit him with a stun gun. His hands hover awkwardly—then, slowly, he rests them on her back, just for a second.
When she steps away, he clears his throat and looks everywhere except at her.
She walks back to Lincoln, shyer now, but glowing.
I can’t help but grin when I catch Korbin shifting, subtly adjusting his pants. I have to bite the inside of my cheek so as not to smirk. There’s no way I want to make our girl feel uncomfortable. Especially not after she gave us the greatest gift ever. Letting us hear her speak.
Bayleigh talked.
For us.