Chapter 83
CONNOR
Awkward silence fills the room. Coach looks like he’s ready to slit my stomach open and let my intestines slither all over the floor.
I usually have no problem with finding the right words, but as of this moment, I’m at a loss to figure out what to say.
“You know, when it was you two needing to move out of your house unexpectedly, I thought to myself, yep, that checks out from a player safety perspective, everything is above board.” Coach pauses, then slowly starts rolling up his shirt sleeves with a resigned sigh.
“Charlie, listen…” Theo clears his throat, running a hand through his hair as he looks devastated that his friend feels like he’s been lied to.
“And then I guess, it finally clicked tonight. That whole conversation about packs and the pro rugby league and paving a way for future Wolves players. You weren’t talking about other future possibilities, were you?”
“No. No, I wasn’t.” Theo’s voice is measured.
Christ. My heart starts to speed up. This is really happening. The moment we’ve all desperately wanted—being able to finally talk openly and freely about our relationship—but it’s not the right time. It’s not supposed to happen yet. Not like this.
I open my mouth, but Coach gets there first… again.
“Really should have seen this coming, shouldn’t I?
” He leans heavily on his hands, bracing his weight on the front of his desk.
“And I can’t begin to imagine all the ways this has been a nightmare to deal with in private, but you gotta give it to me straight right here and right now.
No more lies. No more crap. No more excuses. ”
Ace is the one to step forward, arms folded.
“Coach, we’ve done nothing wrong. Wren is our scent match, and we’re a pack.
We value this team, just like we value our Omega, who we will go to the goddamn ends of the world to protect.
So yes, we kept it hushed up for a multitude of reasons, but if you think it has negatively impacted our commitment to the team in any way…
I can tell you now, the opposite is true. ”
I’m gaping at him. He looks like a fucking god carved from marble, with strong jaw held high, bulging shoulder muscles tensed, and a wide stance of an Alpha brimming with confidence.
He’s the love of my goddamn life, right alongside Wren… right along with Theo.
I want to grab him and kiss that stern mouth until I can’t breathe, but I force myself to stay right where I am.
He stares Coach down. “Look me in the eye and tell me I’m playing worse rugby this season than any other before now.”
After a beat, Coach pinches his brow. “Palamo… you know the only thing I can say is how fucking outstanding you’ve been for us. This season has been a revelation for your game. You’re playing the best rugby of your career.”
Ace dips his chin. “You wanna know why that is?” He crosses the room to stand on the other side of Wren, and she immediately threads her fingers with his.
“Because Wren Murphy is my scent match, and I’ve lived with that heartache for years.
The entire time you’ve known me, I’ve been a shell of an Alpha, a broken man surviving without his Omega…
because I was waiting in endless hope that one day she might recognize my scent. ”
Coach lifts an eyebrow, his mouth set in a firm line as he digests what he’s hearing.
Wren’s emotions are all over the place down our bond.
“And what about heats? What about how a pack functions when we’ve got one of you in the middle of finding out about your World Cup squad selection camp, and the other fielding calls from scouts about being released at the end of the season to attend whatever national team duties are required?”
My stomach fills with butterflies at the mention of Ace being tapped for national honors. I’m nervous as shit after tonight, after that red card, and won’t forgive myself if he misses out because he was doing his best to protect me.
“This is exactly everything I’ve ever dreamed of for a pack,” Theo says.
“And Connor Renfro is just as important to all of this for our girl. She chose him first, before meeting me as her scent match, before recognizing Ace. It’s happened so fast, but the team and their playing careers have been of utmost concern to Wren from day one. ”
“I tried to tell them they were better off without me.” Our girl shakes her head, rising tension and tears making her voice wobble.
Coach smiles for the first time, his expression softening in the face of our gorgeous, brave Omega. “And yet, here you are stuck with these three assholes. You’re a strong woman, Wren Murphy.”
She bites the inside of her cheek, flushing as she blinks rapidly and ducks her eyes.
I take my opportunity to go and stand with my pack. “Fuck it. This is the deal, Coach. We’re keeping it to ourselves… Wren has gotta finish school… and not to mention that we aren’t gonna risk the road to the final for Finch.”
A groan comes out of the man sitting before us. “Of course, the Alpha-sized elephant in the room. The million-dollar question. How will something like this be handled by a teammate who I know for certain is going to want your balls the minute he learns of this?”
“Well…” Anxious uncertainty builds in my chest as I try to find a way to explain things adequately.
Shit, I don’t know what to say, and it feels like this is the moment it could all start going sideways.
As much as we’re able to agree on keeping secrets until the season is over, then to talk logistics about packs and the team in the future, there’s still the very real risk that Finch Murphy will refuse to have anything to do with us ever again.
We’re closing in on the cup final with a damn weight bearing down on us. A potential risk to Wren’s entire family if her brother doesn’t take the news well.
Wren feels insanely warm as I stand at her back. Her emotions have been supercharged, racing down our bond since we first walked in.
But the longer I stand close to her, the more those surging rapids begin to change into a different shade.
Coach exhales heavily. “Well? Who wants to tell me what the plan is? Because I sure as hell know if this whole situation interferes with our chance at winning the cup, it won’t just be Finch Murphy demanding your balls, I’ll be lined up beside him, as will fifty thousand Wolves supporters.”
Wren giggles.
My stomach drops.
Through our bond, I feel it. The way her energy flips on a dime. She’s elated, jubilant… and worst of all, cranes her neck to begin beaming a wide smile at me.
I’ve seen that particular smile before.
Fuck. Red alert. Hit the warning siren.
My girl starts stroking my arm, nuzzling her roasting hot cheek against my bicep, and even through the material of my shirt, I can tell she’s burning up.
Theo feels it down the bond at the same time I clock the situation. Cursing softly under his breath, he casually brushes hair off her face. He discreetly checks how hot she feels, and when he makes a ragged noise in the back of his throat, it confirms that there’s no turning back now.
Our Omega’s smile grows bigger.
Oh. Dear. Shit.