Chapter 42
Chapter
Forty-Two
JAY
Three days later, the world still felt like it was tilted on some sort of sweet, drunken axis. Not from booze — though yeah, maybe a little — but from everything else. From the cabin, from heat and wet skin and whispered promises that echoed in our bones. From Wren.
She was ours.
After we’d dropped her car off at her place, we were sitting in the back seat of Roan’s SUV with her hand curled over mine.
We had a lot of details to work out for later, but we’d get there.
I could feel the pulse of her, the scent of her bonded to ours, and every damn nerve in me buzzed like I’d had a hundred cups of coffee and a thousand heartbeats at once.
She kept stealing glances at me, a little grin curling the corner of her lips, and I swear she could make my chest ache with nothing more than a look.
“I want to stop,” she said, voice determined, fierce. Eyes bright. “Get my arms tattooed. I want your marks. I want everyone to know I’m yours.”
I couldn’t help but grin. Hell yes. That was my girl, unashamed, untamed, and utterly committed.
Roan’s laugh rumbled from the driver’s seat, deep and amused. “Good. Let them look. You’re ours. Everyone should know.”
Rhett leaned back from the front passenger seat, smirking, fingers brushing her arm. “And I’ll be damned if I’m letting you wear ours and not me.”
I chuckled, shaking my head. “Guess that settles it, then.”
She crossed her arms, glaring playfully at us, and added, “I’m also not quitting my job. I’ll fight anyone who tries to make me.”
The grins on Roan and Rhett’s faces were instant, mirrored by me. My shoulders relaxed. “Damn right you will,” I said. “We’ve got your back. All of us. Every step.”
Her fingers found mine again, squeezing, and I could feel it, her trust, her strength, her stubborn streak that had been hers long before any of us arrived in her life. She wasn’t a trophy. She wasn’t a prize. She was Wren. And the Howlers? They needed her. We needed her.
When we arrived at the tattoo studio, she didn’t hesitate.
Walked in like she owned the place. Like she owned herself.
Roan and Rhett flanked me and her, all of us grinning like idiots under the bright fluorescent lights, every one of us buzzing with that same high — the cabin, the claiming, the proof of our bond that we were about to make permanent.
And when it was my turn to sit down, Wren’s marks on my arms, matching hers, I felt something deep and steady click into place.
Roan was right there, one arm brushing mine, eyes glinting with that same smug pride.
Rhett leaned in, fingers brushing the other side of my arm, murmuring, “Pack, Jay. Pack forever.”
I laughed, breathless, almost in tears. That’s exactly what it felt like. A pack. Sealed. No hesitations. No half-measures. Where one went, the others would follow.
Forever.
Wren’s hand covered mine again as the ink started, hot sting, pressure, and pure, irrevocable devotion all at once. And all I could do was smile and squeeze her fingers back, because every mark we wore, every line of ink pressed into our skin, said the same thing:
We are each other’s. No one else. Never apart.
By the time Roan, Rhett, and I had our matching tattoos done, the four of us were laughing, grimacing, and marveling at the permanence of it all.
Wren’s eyes sparkled at the sight, fierce and beautiful.
And I knew, no matter where life threw us, no matter the jobs, the Howlers, the town, the world, we would always find each other.
Pack. Bonded. Ours.
Forever.
HOWLERS CELEbrATE APEX TROPHY WIN; PR HEAD WREN FOSTER ANNOUNCES BONDING WITH KEY PLAYERS
By Madison Kline, Sports Rhett Navarro, ace goalie, kept the Vultures at bay with several jaw-dropping saves; and left wing Jay Kim brought speed and strategy that kept the Howlers in control.
But the celebration isn’t just about the ice.
Just a few days after the championship win, Wren Foster, the Howlers’ head of PR, made a surprising announcement: she is now bonded to Whittaker, Navarro, and Kim.
The revelation came during a press event for the team’s post-season activities and was met with equal parts astonishment and excitement by fans.
Team owner Adrien Marchand addressed the news with characteristic pragmatism.
“Designations don’t dictate talent or skill,” he said.
“Wren Foster is every bit a Howler, and her leadership as PR head is just as vital as Roan, Rhett, and Jay on the ice. This is a team — on and off the rink — that works because it’s balanced, committed, and bonded. Why change a good thing?”
The bonding of Foster to three of the team’s star players has sparked discussion in the league and among fans.
Could this pave the way for other omegas in professional sports leadership roles?
Perhaps. But for now, the Howlers are focused on celebrating their victory, planning for the next season, and embracing a unique dynamic that has already strengthened the team both publicly and personally.
Fans are quick to support the quartet, with social media buzzing with messages of excitement and curiosity. The Howlers may have won the Apex Trophy, but the bond of their team — both on and off the ice — could be their greatest championship yet.
With Foster’s leadership and the team’s star players fully aligned, the Howlers are poised for a future as unstoppable off the rink as they are on it.
HOWLERS WIN APEX TROPHY — AND WREN FOSTER JUST SHOOK THE WHOLE LEAGUE
By: IceFans Daily Team
Okay, let’s just take a moment. The Howlers did it.
Game 7 against the Vultures went down to the wire, ending 4-3, and honestly?
We’re still recovering from the heart-stopping saves, insane goals, and pure Alpha-level energy from Roan Whittaker, Rhett Navarro, and Jay Kim. Our Howlers. Our champions.
But hold onto your helmets, because just a few days after the champagne settled, the real shocker came from none other than Wren Foster — the team’s PR head. Yep, the brains behind the Howlers’ off-ice magic just dropped the bomb: she’s bonded to Roan, Rhett, and Jay. All three. At the same time.
The fan reaction? Predictably chaotic.
“Wait… what? Quadruple bonding? That’s… actually amazing.” — @IceQueen88
“Wren Foster is officially untouchable. Can we get a Wren + Howlers merch line already?” — @SkateAndBake
“I knew the Howlers were a team, but now they’re literally a pack. Love it.” — @GoalieGoals
Team owner Adrien Marchand gave us the official word, and honestly, he’s got the right attitude.
“Designations don’t dictate talent or skill.
Wren Foster is every bit a Howler and just as vital to the team as Roan, Rhett, and Jay.
This is about balance, commitment, and loyalty — on the ice and off it. ”
Social media exploded with hashtags like #HowlersPack, #WrenIsOurs, and #QuadBond, and fans are already embracing the surprise. Honestly, it’s kind of beautiful: Wren is fierce, brilliant, and unafraid to claim her spot, and now she’s publicly part of the core of the team in every possible way.
Could this open doors for other omegas in the league?
Maybe. Could it inspire other teams to rethink what it means to have a bonded pack off the ice?
Definitely. But for now, the Howlers are celebrating their Apex Trophy win, their chemistry, and the bonds — literal and metaphorical — that make this team unstoppable.
So yeah, pack mentality isn’t just a saying anymore. It’s a way of life, and Wren Foster has just taken it to a whole new level.
FAN REACTIONS: THE HOWLERS’ QUADRUPLE BONDING GOES VIRAL
@IceQueen88 – “Wait… Wren Foster is bonded to Roan, Rhett, AND Jay?! Quadruple bonding is officially canon. My heart can’t.”
@GoalieGoals – “Rhett Navarro saves goals, Wren Foster saves the team’s PR… now they’re literally a pack. #HowlersPack ”
@SkateAndBake – “Can we talk about Wren wearing their marks?! This is peak Alpha/Beta/Omega drama and I LOVE IT. #QuadBond #WrenIsOurs”
@AlphaOnIce – “Never thought I’d see an Omega as fierce as Wren publicly claim two Alphas and a Beta. Respect. #PackGoals #NextSeasonCan’tComeFastEnough”
@FanaticForward – “Roan, Rhett, Jay, Wren = ultimate Howlers dream team. Apex Trophy wasn’t enough, they had to flex their pack chemistry too. ”
@HotTakeHockey – “Wren Foster: PR genius. Team: Champions. Bonding: Surprise of the century. Fans: Losing our minds. Honestly, same.”
@WolfPackForever – “This is so cute it hurts. Wren isn’t a trophy, she’s the glue. Now the Howlers are unstoppable on AND off the ice. #PackLife ”
Team Comment: Roan, Rhett, Jay, and Wren have yet to post a group pic, but sources say they’re “celebrating privately and enjoying the chaos they caused online.” Fans are… losing it.