Chapter 34
Timber
Istill can’t look at Kane without wanting to attack him. My manager and Marilyn have been working overtime on damage control, but an influencer even hunted Kane down on the street to make him answer questions about Ollie and me.
After all that shit about not pushing us and waiting patiently, the fucker thrust us straight into the limelight.
And Marilyn sits behind her desk, looking at me pointedly, her lips twisted into a stern smile.
“I’m as pissed as you are,” she says with a light growl, instantly setting me to attention.
The newer players make fun of us for treating Marilyn’s word like law, but they’ve never seen her when she’s on the attack.
I’m the one getting grilled when I’m sure Kane deliberately gave that TV show those pictures. How he even got one of us kissing, I had no fucking clue, but it’s exactly the kind of games my ex-wife used to play. Because why else wouldn’t they have released them straight away?
I feel like I’ve been transported back in time to when I was still with her.
Marilyn would pull me into her office whenever some story broke about me.
The first time I saw that exact expression on her face was because reporters got a shot of my ass when my ex-wife perfumed and got me going in an elevator.
I swear, I had no idea! That’s what Kane insisted, but I can’t trust a single person in my life anymore. I’m even paying my manager extra fees to handle it, so everyone is winning.
I sit there as Marilyn goes into a detailed plan of how we can address the issue, barely listening because Ollie is in my house packing up her fucking stuff.
I’d planned to go home to talk it out, without Kane, but I’ve made so many excuses to myself about why I can’t be there, and now it’s too late.
It’s crazy that I’m actually scared to see her.
I should have told Marilyn I was busy, but she gave me The Look. And no one ever escapes Marilyn when she gives us The Look.
“Have you already spoken to Kane?” I ask.
“We’ve already proved the talk show sprung it on him. His only other problem is swearing on live TV, which is hardly anything new for you boys.”
I go quiet, a deep tremor rumbling through me as the dark anger I’ve held back pushes through.
Why the hell does he get a pass when I’d put up with endless rounds of shit from him?
“He’s the one who kissed me,” I say gruffly.
She sighs loudly again, tapping her severe French manicure on the surface of her desk.
“Do you really think I care? I’m just pleased that you’re finally releasing the sexual tension we’ve all had to endure for years.”
“What the fuck are—”
“Anyway. This omega.” She smoothly cuts me off by sliding a photo of the kiss toward me. She points directly at the back of Ollie’s head, which is barely visible in the crush of mine and Kane’s chests. “Who is she?”
Marilyn is too sharp and would catch me instantly if I lie, and I’m too tired to be sly. That’s Kane’s shtick.
“Luke Newham’s sister,” I mumble, and she stills.
“The one who’s in the hospital after a car accident?” Her gaze softens. “I’m so sorry, Timber. That explains why you and Kane have been so frazzled. Why didn’t you come and talk to me about it?”
My eyes widen because I might have totally fucked us over. Ollie said she’d already talked to Marilyn, but I wasn’t sure how much she’d smudged the truth. Though we’re all liars at this point.
“The accident happened after her date with Kane.” I nod to another photograph on her desk, where Kane has his nose pressed against hers. Something he conveniently forgot to share with me when I went to visit Luke.
“Right, well,” she says. “It looks like you’ve both found an omega, so we can focus on other things.”
“Just because we kissed doesn’t mean they’re my mates.”
She stares at me. I’m dense enough not to have seen an omega living right under my nose, and we both know my excuses are terrible.
“Either or. Both your and Kane’s performances have increased overall.
Despite the obvious spikes in your mood, you’ve scored enough goals to convince the managers and coaches not to bench you permanently.
Whether she’s your mate or not, she’s obviously doing you both good.
” She pulls the photos back toward her and shuffles them into a pile while I try not to let all the excuses for why the three of us can’t be together pour out.
“Kane claims she’s his scent match. Is that true?”
I open my mouth, floundering for words. I don’t want to say Ollie is his. Not without me. And I hate how messed up this is. I should just go home and talk to her, even though I want to avoid her forever. I miss her too much, but if I see her in my house again, my alpha side will take over.
“And is she your match? She’s obviously important enough to make you reconsider your stance on omegas.”
That’s putting it fucking mildly.
I can’t hide my grimace as I shuffle in my seat. Because I’d gone from ‘I’ll never trust another omega again’ to ‘everything is empty without her’ too quickly.
“I’m asking because I think it would be useful to your future and the team’s if you explored this with Kane. I’m very happy to make room for her during away games, and we can organize—”
A growl snaps from me before I can stop it, and her gaze narrows.
“Excuse me?” she asks coldly, and I pull back.
“Sorry, but I went along with your omega plan because you said it would just be a date. You should know what a huge leap it is for me to go from casually meeting someone to suddenly being stuck to them like glue.”
It was seamless with Luke—Ollie. Even though it felt like Ollie was invading my home at first, there were days when I genuinely struggled to find reasons why she was a danger.
After my paranoia faded, I looked forward to coming home.
I wanted to talk to her, laugh with her, and the fact that I missed that feeling so much now she’s gone just proves it all.
And if Kane moves in, and we could form a real pack house…
“Of course, I’m sorry, as well,” she says softly. “You know how I am when I have my business hat on.”
There’s a ping from my phone, signaling the garage door has opened, and I jump.
My brow scrunches because Ollie must be walking back and forth between her car and the house as she moves her stuff.
And I can’t fucking stand that she’s removing herself from my life.
I already know that it’s going to be cold and empty when I go back.
My body goes stiff as I reach for my pocket. Clutching at my phone like I do all the time I’m away from her.
“Is that important?” Marilyn asks, arching a brow. “Because we are definitely not done here.”
I don’t want to incur her wrath, but Ollie takes priority over everything else.
“Yeah, it is,” I say, meeting her with a hard gaze. “Can we put the omega strategy meeting on hold?” My alpha side is yelling that I need to get to Ollie and stop her. She belongs with me. And for once, I’m not fighting it.
Marilyn chuckles as she leans forward at her desk. “I know that look,” she says. “Get going, and we’ll talk later.”
I nod as I rise from my seat, and she gives me a knowing smile. We don’t need to say anything else as I leave, with only one thought on my mind: I have to find my omega.