Chapter 6
Chapter
Six
August
“What’s going on here?” Conrad, my teammate and new roommate was looming over us now, hovering just close enough to be uncomfortable as his eyes darted between us. There was accusation in his eyes, and hurt.
What was his connection to my omega?
“Dhara?” a much younger voice cut in, pushing Conrad and me both aside to get to Dhara. She opened her arms and he folded into her embrace, face turned toward us. This fierce, little kid glared at me and my roommates, ordering us silently to back off.
“Wow, you’ve grown up,” I said, taking in the blond haired boy. Back in high school he’d been the toddler chasing after us. Dhara always had the patience of a saint when it came to him. It seems things haven’t changed.
Except now that I was studying her I could see the effects her life had on her. Dark circles were etched under her light blue eyes. She was so thin it seemed like she hadn’t had decent food in ages.
“Who are you?” the kid asked.
“My name is August. I was best friends with your sister when we were seventeen.” Recognition flickered across his face.
“What the hell, Renegades?” Coach’s voice finally cut through our moment. I let out a sigh and gave her an apologetic smile.
“Wait for me after?”
“I’ll be here anyway,” she said, not meeting my eyes. “I work for the team and clean the locker room at night.”
“Then I’ll wait for you after,” I conceded before finally looking away. “Come on, kid.”
“Don’t call me ‘kid,’” Gavin bit out as he pushed past us and let Coach lead him back to the ice. He was leaning in low trying to connect with the kid but even I could see he was shaken.
“What the fuck was that, Steele?” Conrad demanded. His voice was low so it was between us, but bordering on a bark. I turned to him and raised an eyebrow, shocked to see the alpha coming after me like this.
“What’s your problem, Flynn? I was reconnecting with an old friend, and my omega,” I challenged right back. The alpha bark was ineffective against me. I’d spent years building up a tolerance for their bullshit. Having a dad who was kind to everyone but you did that to a delta.
“She’s my omega,” he shot back.
My eyebrows went up in surprise. “She said she had no pack.”
He looked away then back, swallowing something down. “We just found out and she’s been… reluctant.”
“Well, the omega chooses, Flynn. If she wants to let me in, I won’t be stopping her,” I said before walking away.
“She’s Evans’s mate, too,” he called after me. I waved once over my shoulder in acknowledgment. They likely had no idea the shit that omega had to endure at the hands of her bitch of a mother. She wasn’t the sharing type unless she trusted you.
If she wanted to let me back in I sure as hell wouldn’t fuck it up by posturing with her other mates. They’d have to earn their place in her life just like I had.
“I’m glad you guys decided to join me,” Coach growled when we made it back. “I brought you here to help out, not to fuck this up.”
“That’s my omega that I haven’t seen in six years, Coach. I apologize but I’m here now,” I said evenly. He blinked twice then gave a curt nod.
“And you two?”
“She’s also our mate. We found out yesterday,” Evans admitted. He’d been fairly quiet through the whole interaction and I wasn’t sure what to make of it.
“Well, your personal life is not my problem. If you make it one then we’ll have to re-evaluate your standing here. Now, go show the juniors some tricks. That’s why you’re here,” he growled.
“Yes, Coach,” I said as I pushed over the boards and joined the kids on the ice. I could feel Gavin’s eyes on me but I gave him space. He didn’t know me at all outside my name if he followed hockey. As far as he was concerned I was a threat to his sister.
My eyes scanned the ice until I found a kid struggling with staying upright. I zeroed in on him and the kid helping him. I’d found my targets for tonight.
At fifteen, I was that kid. Skinny, starving, and just needing one person to believe in me. For me it was the high school hockey coach. I’m still not sure to this day why he bothered to try with a kid like me, but I was sure as fuck glad that he did.
I’d paid off his mortgage and medical debt my first professional year. Anonymously but I had a feeling he knew who sponsored him.
“Hey, guys, skates can be tricky at first,” I said as I came to a stop in front of them.
The little redhead looked up, eyes wide. “August Steele.” My name was an awed whisper on his lips. His cheeks were so red he looked like he might pass out.
“Yup, and when I started out, I wasn’t good on skates, either. So, let me show you how to hold yourself up on those skates,” I said. “If you lean too far back or forward you’ll tip. You have to bend your knees a bit and tighten your core.”
I demonstrated and they tried to mimic me. They fell over but I helped them up in the bulky gear before having them try again. We ignored what the others were doing, focusing on just staying upright.
At first the redhead looked defeated.
“You can do it, Caleb. He’s right,” the other kid said. He was a bit bulkier than the first, his eyes dark and fierce. He didn’t need this demonstration but was a damn good friend.
“Thanks, Ryan,” Caleb sighed, swiping sweat from his forehead and trying again. This time, he didn’t fall, his arms were out to balance him as he tried to stay upright.
“Tighten your core, tense your muscles and get a feel for it,” I instructed, putting my hand on his chest and back, shifting his weight. His face was so determined I couldn’t help but feel a bit proud.
Maybe there was something to this program. I needed something more than playing hockey. It was a way to outrun the memories of Dhara, but now she was here. And this? This might just help me keep myself along the way.
I had a problem with going all in with things and letting everything else fall away. With Dhara, I stopped caring what my dad said or did, stopped caring about grades or anyone else. She had all of me.
Then when she was gone, I was lost. Barely surviving, taking my father’s ‘tough’ lessons as I spiraled further into frustration and depression.
Once I was thrown into hockey it stole my attention, gave me something new to hyperfocus on so I couldn’t feel anything else.
Now my attention was torn between my default of hockey and the omega sitting across the room that was my scent-match.
Evans and Flynn absolutely complicated things, and there was clearly a whole lot we had to figure out, but none of that mattered.
All I could focus on was that she was here.
Coach’s whistle blew, and I was relieved to see Ryan and Caleb skating to join the group. Caleb didn’t slip, even if it was a bit shaky. Coach shot me an impressed look, but I didn’t dwell on it. These kids just needed someone to believe in them, like someone believed in me.
Now that he had the kids back in one group, they started going through drills and talking about upcoming games. I was going to have to do my research.
Coach explained that the juniors played their own games, had their own playoffs, and they were a huge part of being a Renegade. I just hadn’t expected to like it the way I did.
I imagined coming in here and dreading the extra load. I already had enough on my plate, and now I was going to have to keep track of kids, too.
The only reason I didn’t fight it was because it beat going back to my empty fucking apartment night after night, dreaming of the omega that I thought I’d never see again.
When my last coach mentioned trades to the Renegades, I was hopeful. I had jumped on it faster than they expected.
This was my chance to find her. She had no socials, no contact info to be found online. My omega was a ghost to me so far.
Until now.
It felt like it took hours for the juniors’ practice to be over.
Dhara was already talking to Coach when I led Caleb and Ryan off the ice. Once we went back to drills, I couldn’t help but gravitate toward them, guiding them through each one and slowly helping improve their skills.
By the end of the season, I was determined to make them some of the best players on the team.
“I’ll try to make sure that practices end early enough that they can clear the locker room for you,” Coach was reassuring her.
“It’s fine,” she promised. “It gives him a chance to do his homework while I clean.”
She shrugged toward Gavin, who was hovering nearby.
When he saw me approach, his eyes narrowed again. I just gave him a wink. He wasn’t going to deter me.
Gavin didn’t say anything else, waiting for Coach to finish his conversation with Dhara.
“Steele, a word?” Coach said as he ended his conversation with Dhara, giving her a kind, fatherly smile before turning his gaze on me.
I wondered what kind of speech I was about to get now. He surprised me by clapping a hand on my shoulder.
“You know, I’ve watched that boy struggle to stay upright for weeks now. Other Renegades have tried and failed to teach him to hold himself up. You get five minutes with him, and he’s standing like a champ.”
I shrugged, trying to play it off like it was no big deal.
“He just needed some extra patience,” I said easily.
Coach snorted. “Patience doesn’t teach skill.
You’re good with them. I hope you plan to stick around.
I know the older players like to stick the rookies with the kids, but every once in a while I find someone who’s good with them.
You keep this up, and you might even get the title of assistant coach out here with the juniors. It can go a long way post-retirement.”
He pointed out something I’d never even considered before. Maybe things were going to change, here.
Instead of heading into the locker room, I sat on the bench, took off my skates, and went straight for my omega.
Evans and Flynn were trying to talk to her, but it didn’t take long before they were walking away with their tails tucked between their legs.
My girl wasn’t giving them the time of day, and as satisfying as that was to watch, I couldn’t help but wonder why.
She perked up when I walked up, and then guilt flashed across her face.
“Firecracker,” I said as I took a seat, not bothering to make a show of it.
I had a feeling she needed me to treat her normally. This felt easier anyway.
It was just me and my Firecracker. The girl that I once imagined I could spend my life with.
The same one I was dragged away from.
“I never thought I’d see you again,” she managed to get out, not looking at me. Maybe that made it easier for her to handle this conversation.
“I hoped like hell I’d see you again,” I countered.
“A few years later I found out that Mom arranged it all. That job your dad got that he couldn’t refuse? All her. She was the reason you went away.”
“I found that out, too,” I admitted, “but not until about two years ago.”
“What were they so damn afraid of?” she bit out, blinking her eyes rapidly to clear the angry tears.
“Losing control over us, if I had to guess.”
She shook her head in disgust, but we both knew it was true.
“She still has control over me,” she said bitterly.
“We’ll fix that. You just have to let me in, Firecracker. You know I never would’ve left if I’d known. If I’d had any control back then, I’d always have been here for you.”
The look she gave me was full of sadness and desperation. How long had it been since she’d had anyone to rely on?
“You can tell me what’s going on. Then you can tell me why you’re giving those poor boys hell,” I said, trying to lighten the mood.
Dhara let out a shaky breath and looked up, those icy blue eyes breaking my heart.
“I can’t be anyone’s omega, August. My life isn’t cut out for that. I barely have a scent anymore. I don’t have heats. My suppressants are all fucked up. With my schedule, working two jobs and keeping Gavin out of Mom’s hands, I couldn’t give them the kind of attention they’d want.”
Then her cheeks stained red, and I had to know why.
“What’s that about?” I teased, running my finger over her heated flesh.
She shuddered under the touch.
The way her eyes closed had my delta raging against my control. My omega wasn’t just guarded, she was touch-starved.
Desperate, yet reluctant at the same time.
Finally, Dhara shook her head. I had a feeling I wasn’t going to get any more information from her right now.
Our conversation was cut short as the juniors started emptying out of the locker room. Gavin was at the end, heading for us instead of the crowd of parents by the entrance.
“You need to leave my sister alone,” he said as he eyed me.
“And if she doesn’t want me to?” I questioned.
The way his eyebrows furrowed told me he hadn’t even considered that.
“I better go change,” I said casually, tapping my omega once on the knee before getting up and leaving her and her brother to have whatever conversation they needed to have.
Plus, the faster I got out of the way, the quicker she could get her work done. Then she was all mine.