Chapter 89
WREN
“Is this some kind of setup?”
My heart leaps into my throat as I stare at the man before me.
The same kindly eyes take me in as they did that day at the Toasted Acorn Café. Only this time, he’s not in athletic wear or easing the ache of arthritic knees. He’s dressed impeccably in a suit with a carnation-yellow pocket square.
“You know, Mr. Braun?” Theo murmurs.
I glance between who I’m now realizing is the GM of the Wolves, growing more wide-eyed by the second, and then up at my Alpha, who looks entirely confused.
The man smiles, in exactly the same gentle way he did when he sat on the edge of my booth and chatted about my studies. With a welcoming gesture, he guides me to take a seat beside him at the far end of the table.
“I suppose formal introductions should ordinarily be in order, and we should really have a chance to get to know each other over lunch; however, I suspect we are running a tight ship. We want our Wolves to be celebrating a cup win this time next week, after all.”
While I take a seat, my Alphas remain standing. Three large figures stand at my side, accompanied by a fourth, when my brother joins them.
“You’re… you’re the…” I stammer over the words. “Was it some kind of hidden camera thing? Did you know that day, and you were trying to get information out of me?”
“I’m very fucking confused right now,” Connor mutters, and Atlas gives him a nudge to shut his mouth.
Mr. Braun shakes his head. “No. Not at all, Miss Murphy.” He rests a palm over his heart.
“I always take time to visit the Acorn when I’m on my walk through town.
Best damn coffee this side of Burlington, and I believe the majority of the Willow Falls campus agrees with me, judging by how busy the place has become. ”
“Sir, I want to assure you that we had every intention to disclose our pack when the right moment arose,” Theo says in the type of confident tone that proves him every inch the team owner that he is.
“The Wolves are my family, as you know. However, that family has unexpectedly grown for me this season.”
“Your Omega.” Mr. Braun inclines his head.
“Yes, sir.” Theo pauses to clear his throat.
“You may be aware, Omega scholarships around the country are few and far between. Willow Falls might have archaic rules; however, this campus remains one of the few that will allow Omegas to study. Wren Murphy is quite simply brilliant and deserves her chance to see out the remainder of her degree without scandal interrupting that. My packmates are two of the top players in the world in their respective positions. They, too, deserve to play without gossip and uninformed opinions impacting their careers.”
A clock ticks somewhere in the background, as all eyes in the room fall on me.
I want the ground to swallow me up, and I don’t dare look at a single person in this room, except for the man who I can only hope wasn’t lying when he spoke so fondly about his daughters, and in particular, his daughter who happens to be an Omega.
Oh my god. It now makes so much sense when he said his job made things difficult for her.
He mentioned that she found a pack while she was studying for her scholarship, and now my mind is racing, butterflies of hope kick up in my stomach that perhaps there is a chance he understands our situation more clearly than I could hope might be possible.
“We have to take all reports of inappropriate behavior seriously.” His face is a stern mask all of a sudden, leaning forward to tap a file that sits on the table.
I didn’t notice it before, but my chest tightens once he draws my attention to it.
“Where this team is concerned, we are beholden to donors, the board, and stakeholders. Not to mention, the national league has certain… shall I say, expectations around player conduct.”
My brother takes a step forward, and that nauseous feeling from only an hour earlier when I had to reveal secrets to him comes back in full force.
This is a waking nightmare, where I’m having to replay the same details over and over.
“If I may, Mr. Braun. As Vice-Captain of this team, I can say without question that the pro league can respectfully choke on their own bigotry.”
A gasp echoes around the room.
Yup, I have never wanted twenty feet of concrete to fall on my head more than at this moment.
Finch carries on, seemingly undeterred by the shock wave in response to his outburst. “Our match on the weekend was marred by poor decision-making in the face of player safety and welfare. There was no accountability for the officials who chose to turn a blind eye to blatant thuggery and yet punished possibly the only player on the field who wasn’t looking to brush past the rules.
Atlas Palamo faced a disciplinary panel for a legal tackle, while the player who has a track record a mile long for foul, predatory behavior toward Omegas off the field has been allowed to continue to play.
If we’re talking about what should or shouldn’t constitute appropriate player conduct, I can tell you right now, these four are the best example of a loving pack you could ever wish to find.
They will be upstanding representatives for the game of rugby, and the Wolves are goddamn lucky to have them. ”
My heart is about to explode out of my chest, I’m certain of it.
“Holy fuck, Murphy,” Connor exhales.
“Did you rehearse that on the way over?” Atlas whispers.
Mr. Braun’s laughter fills the room, cutting the tension. “And that, my friends, is why Finch Murphy is our marquee signing and vice-captain.” He leans back in his chair, looking proudly at my brother.
“If I may interject…” a female voice calls out from the other end of the table. My head turns slowly, cautiously, not wanting to look too closely at the other faces here in this boardroom.
As soon as I see the sleek red hair and perfectly pressed cream pantsuit, I want to race across the room and plant a big kiss on the woman’s cheek.
Patricia Braun.
Braun.
As in the GM’s Alpha daughter.
Her words that she texted me that time come flying back. My father has always admired the work of this dog shelter. He hounded me for a long time to adopt my own.
“This matter brought to us by an anonymous source feels like it can surely be handled discreetly? While I believe in transparency for the sake of the board, I will be the first to say that I see nothing wrong with a pack being formed among players as long as we have clear disclosure policies and there are no power imbalances that could cause an HR issue. Obviously, we have no jurisdiction over the WFU rules that may be breached by such a relationship, but in the interest of not being swayed by vitriol and gossip from unvetted sources, perhaps that should be a matter that remains… how should I put this?” She smirks and gives me a wink.
“Not within the parameters of our business?”
“Shall we put it to a vote and expedite this? I think we can all agree that we want to allow our players to return to their preparations for this weekend’s win.” Mr. Braun looks around the table. His soft, yet commanding presence is met with murmured agreement and nods from the rest of the room.
“Fantastic. All those in favor of establishing a formal Wolves protocol around pack members belonging to the same team, and supporting our players with their holistic well-being in mind, raise your hand.”
I don’t dare look. I keep my eyes trained on my hands twisted in the sleeves of my sweater.
“And all those in favor of putting forward a proposed revision to the national rugby board to modernize pack contracts in line with other professional sports that have already done so?”
Blood rushes in my ears.
“Then that settles it.” Mr. Braun pushes back his chair and gets to his feet. “We’ll look forward to more positive conversations with your pack during the offseason, Miss Murphy.”
My Alphas squash me in a hug, dropping kisses all over my face, as I feel their excitement, relief, and love swirl through our bonds. It’s tempered and not a complete win, but at least I can breathe a little easier knowing that the Wolves are going to commit their support.
“Walk with me, would you?” Patricia appears at my side, and her father joins us.
“I don’t know what to say… thank you. I truly never wanted anything to affect this team…” My throat thickens as we quickly make our way out of the boardroom and leave the chatter and small talk going on around the table behind.
“Wren, I meant everything I said. However, I have to caution you.” Patricia keeps her voice low.
“Someone is determined to drag your name through the mud and do the same to the Wolves. I have no idea whether this same anonymous tip has been sent to other media or the University, but I want you to keep your wits about you. We might have bought some time where the Wolves board is concerned, and there are no guarantees about the pro league being open to changing their policies, but we believe your pack provides a strong case for legislation overhaul.”
I’m at a loss for words as I digest what she is saying.
Mr. Braun reaches out to clasp me by the hand and gently pats it. “We are going to do everything we can behind the scenes, Miss Murphy. But change takes time. It won’t happen overnight.”
I nod. “Of course. Thank you, sir.”
“And you shouldn’t have to miss a game because you’re worried about being in a crowd. I’ve long wanted to create an environment where my daughter can enjoy a game of rugby. Perhaps something like a special Omega-only VIP section, with on-call heat clinic specialists.”
“As you can tell, my father is a staunch advocate for Omega-led initiatives and care.” Patricia smiles.
“I’ve seen and heard from my daughter just how much care you’ve given to the dogs at Wagging Tails, who need a chance to shine. Once you’ve graduated, I’d like to bring you on board with the Wolves as a consultant for Omega-friendly accommodations.”
My head is on a swivel between the two of them, and Theo, who looks just as caught off guard by the conversation as I am.
“I want to give Wren Murphy a job here at the Wolves,” Mr. Braun muses. “Make it happen, Brennan.”
My Alpha’s emotions are all over the place, cartwheeling along our bond. He gapes, coughs into his fist, then regains his composure with a solemn nod. “Of course. Consider it already done.”
There’s definitely a glint in his eye.
I’m barely holding back a dam of waterworks. Between the aftermath of my heat, the confession to my brother, and now this? There is no way I’m going to hold it together for a minute longer.
“… and then, there’s still the issue of this season, getting across the finish line without scandal or sensational headlines derailing everything.
” Mr. Braun gives my hand a quick squeeze, then passes me a pack of tissues he must have conjured out of thin air.
“Do you think you can do that for me, Wren Murphy?”
“Yes. Of course, sir.” I’m crying. I’m absolutely crying.
He chuckles.
“Wonderful. In that case, dry those tears, my dear. We’ve got a championship cup to win, don’t we?”