Chapter 34
Chapter
Thirty-Four
Lachlan
Playing hockey while Dhara sat in the stands worried about Gavin didn’t sit right with me, but there was truly nothing we could do to fix this. The trial was going to happen whether we liked it or not.
In fact, the trial needed to happen so the ghost of their mother didn’t loom over us with every move we made.
Dhara and Gavin were sitting front row. My number was on Dhara’s back, and I wasn’t about to lose this game over something we couldn’t change.
There was plenty that we still had to talk about.
We had a call with the lawyer in the morning and had to come up with a gameplan, but that didn’t change tonight.
We still had lives and obligations. I wasn’t going to show my mate and our kid anything but confidence.
I couldn’t. They deserved stability in their lives, and that’s what we were fighting for.
The familiar cold air was harsh against my heated skin. Adrenaline pumped through my veins. We were facing the Defenders tonight, and they were what everyone considered one of the rising stars in hockey at the moment.
Tonight, it was an apt description. They were holding their own against some of the best players in the league.
For so long, I couldn’t imagine myself on any other team but the Narwhals, but South Lake had quickly become my home, and not just because of Dhara, though her being here definitely sweetened the deal.
The pressure of being a Narwhal had been a bit too much for me.
Not just because of the scandals that surrounded us, but the fans themselves.
That town was so hockey obsessed that one wrong move would send you into a tank of sharks.
It was ridiculous how fast I went from a favored hockey player to persona non grata.
They loved me until they didn’t.
I knew that was part of life with hockey, but in a town where that was all they had, it was suffocating.
I loved hockey. I’d dedicated my life to this career, but for a while now, I’d also realized that I’d pushed everything else off, that hockey wasn’t the only thing that should’ve been given my attention.
Now that I had Dhara, that was even more true.
I wanted a full life, one that fulfilled me, and in the past few weeks of being with my mate, I’d already felt more like myself than I had in years. Having something you loved and were good at, become your career had its downfalls.
Coach called us back in, and I glided over the ice, throwing myself over the boards. We’d scored another goal, pulling us ahead by two. It was going to be a tough fight tonight. I was already exhausted, but I lived for this.
“I’m glad you guys got your heads on straight,” Coach said. “That’s the kind of playing the Renegades are known for. I want to see more of that.”
“Yes, Coach,” we agreed easily.
There was no way I was about to get on Coach’s bad side, especially when we needed to schedule Dhara’s heat soon. Not every heat of hers would be this predictable. Most omegas knew when they were coming, but they didn’t exactly have a schedule to follow.
We’d also have to find a way to work around the upcoming trial.
There was no way we’d be missing that. We would prove that Dhara was the right one to have custody.
In fact, my brother had mentioned finishing the paperwork even if we weren’t bonded yet.
He’d sent me a link, and I printed it off. I had it ready to give to our lawyer.
I wanted everything filed and in place, not a single stone unturned when it came to our family.
The second line took the ice. Every single player on our team was strong. They were just as good as the first line, and I was humble enough to say that, but the Defenders were putting up a hell of a fight.
“Let’s go, Santos!” I yelled as the right winger stripped the puck away and took off through the neutral zone.
It was a complete power move. They were absolutely killing it, and despite being on a team with my best friend not long ago, I was proud as hell to be a part of this one now.
Our coach was amazing. He went to bat for us in ways the Narwhals’ new coach did, too, but I hadn’t been around him long enough to garner true loyalty. I needed the move, and maybe my delta knew that I belonged here with this group, that my mate was in this town and she needed us.
I took a minute to clear my mind until Coach threw us back in.
As I pushed my body forward, I locked in again, relieved for the reprieve from my inner thoughts.
“We’re going to lock this down,” August said, letting out a whoop as he launched himself over the boards, following close behind me.
We flanked our center as we cut down the ice. The Defenders came in just as hard. We clashed in the neutral zone, fighting for possession. Every time they managed to steal the puck, we fought to gain it back.
We stayed neck and neck, a constant battle on the ice, neither team willing to back down. Too bad for them their omega wasn’t waiting in the stands wearing their name.
I was going to make damn sure my Omega knew that I was fighting for her.
Dhara
My guys were out for blood tonight. Conrad had barely let a single puck get through, but I could see the strain it was taking on him. The other team was doing their best to keep control, but it was failing. Gavin and I had cheered so loudly that my throat was hoarse.
Even with the trial looming over us, I forced myself to stay in the moment, to cheer for my guys, to watch the game, and to soak in Gavin’s radiance as he explained every play to me and screamed until he was red in the face.
A couple of the other Junior Renegades were here, but he still chose to sit with me.
My brother was protective of me now when my pack wasn’t around. He was no longer the little boy that I’d dedicated my life to, but he was growing into a young man with morals that I’d helped to build.
If I thought about that too hard, I’d start crying. I’d done enough of that while fearing for his future and facing off with our mom.
The second intermission hit, and Gavin finally turned to me, his eyes narrowing.
“What has you so down?”
Fuck. I still hadn’t told him. I knew I’d have to, but he’d been so damn happy that I didn’t want to be the one to rip it apart. The guys had offered more than once to sit him down and talk to him about it with me, but I wanted to do this alone.
I just didn’t want to do it here. He was staring at me and practically dared me to lie.
He’d earned the truth.
“Mom’s out of jail.”
He looked down at the floor and nodded. “I know.”
“How the hell do you know?” I asked, the words tumbling out in my shock.
He rolled his eyes. “You guys gave me a phone. I have access to social media. It’s just about all I’ve thought about. I’ve been terrified that she was going to rip me away. The lawyer thinks we’ve got this, so I’m going to focus on that.”
“They might ask you to speak.” I wanted him prepared for every instance.
“Let them,” he said, his words so fierce that my chest ached and my eyes burned all over again. “I hope they give me the chance to get up there and describe every time I had to watch you take hits for me in graphic detail.”
He enunciated each word so they truly sank in.
My brother was no longer scared. He was vengeful. Gavin wanted to end this, to fight for our safety, and defend both of us from this monster.
“Gavin, what did she take you to see?”
He swallowed hard and glanced away. “I didn’t see all of it. I only caught a few conversations, but it wasn’t good. The men she’s involved with are going to tear her apart.”
I had a feeling it was bad. Which was exactly why I wanted Lachlan’s brother to shine a light on that entire operation.
“We turned in everything we had to the authorities. I think they’ll be able to put an end to some of it, and they have no way to tie it back to us.”
“Good,” he said with a shiver. “I never want to go back there. I refuse to go home with Mom. I’m old enough to know what I want.
I’ve seen enough to make sure the judge understands that.
You’ve got to stop worrying all the time.
You’ve spent my entire childhood worrying over me.
Let your pack take care of you. We’re going to be a family, Dhara. She’s not going to ruin that.”
His innocence and confidence astounded me.
The world was a cruel place. I’d learned that from a very young age. I trusted my pack with both of our lives, but this was one of those things that was out of everybody’s hands.
Our fate was going to lie with a judge who may or may not be on our side.
We had a shark of a lawyer who wasn’t going to stand for losing, and not just for the money. He was the kind of alpha who took his job seriously and would stop at nothing to make sure he succeeded.
Everything was pointing in our favor, yet that familiar sinking feeling was starting to come back.
Maybe it was my hormones fluctuating like the doctor warned me, leaving me teetering on the edge of a mental breakdown, but the things standing between us and our future were so big that I couldn’t simply ignore them or trust blindly.
Either way, in a few days we’d find out.
As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t seem to focus for the final period. The guys were still playing, their eyes finding me every chance they could, and I was watching them just as closely even if my mind and heart weren’t in the game.
It wasn’t until the clock was ticking down and the Renegades were chasing the puck through the neutral zone, trying to score one last goal to pull ahead, that I finally tuned back in.
The energy in the crowd was electric, everybody whispering and leaning forward in their seats, practically begging them to pull through.
“They’ve got this,” Gavin said, his confidence unwavering.
August’s stick connected with the puck with a crack loud enough it was heard through the arena, sending it flying past the goalie and into the back of the net with only a few seconds to spare.
The scoreboard clicked up, putting the Renegades ahead.
The crowd lost their minds around us, loud enough that I couldn’t help but join in.
The Renegades poured onto the ice as the final seconds ran out. Lachlan, Conrad, and August all turned our way, not just pointing at me but Gavin, too, before raising their fists in the air.
“Come on, let’s beat the crowd to the locker room,” I said, pulling Gavin down the aisle.
People were already starting to flood out of the arena, but we weaved down the hall, making our way toward the pack.
This time, we wouldn’t be going in. We’d be waiting outside with the other families and a few puck bunnies who’d managed to make it through security.
Adrenaline and anticipation were bubbling under my skin, making me jittery. I shifted from foot to foot enough that Gavin gave me an exasperated look.
A few of the players filtered out. Then finally, I spotted August. I was moving before I realized it, desperate for his comfort.
My delta pulled me close, burying his nose in my neck as if he needed this just as much as I did. His scent was even sharper now after a fresh shower, and I couldn’t help but press my nose into his skin, breathing in that delta electricity. The sharp lime, cedar, and basil was making my head spin.
“Don’t hog our omega,” Conrad said, pulling me away from August with a deep rumble of satisfaction the moment I was in his arms. “How’d you like the game?”
“I followed most of it.” It was at least partly true.
He chuckled and pressed a kiss to my lips before Lachlan burst out of the locker room. Then I was in his arms, his scent just as sharp and perfect. He didn’t hold back as he kissed me deep enough that I dipped backward, his strong arm holding me close to his chest.
“That was all for you, gorgeous,” he said as he pulled away, his hair wet and wild, his grin almost maniacal.
“Oh, God.”
Conrad’s words had both of us looking over to see him staring down at his phone, his face a mask of horror.
My stomach sank. “What’s wrong, now?”
He looked up and blinked. “I may have mentioned to my sister earlier about the trial and the heat, and she told, not asked, me that they’ll be at the house tomorrow for a cookout.
They want to meet you both and make sure Gavin’s comfortable so they can stay with him during your heat, and they want to support us for the trial. ”
“I get to meet my aunt?” Gavin said, his eyes lighting up.
All four of us froze at his words but recovered quickly, Conrad blinking his eyes furiously, his voice cracking as he spoke.
“Yeah, buddy, you get to. She’s incredible. You’re going to love her.”
“And her pack are legends,” he said, getting even more excited.
“Maybe I should rip the Band-Aid off and text Kota and Roxie to come down, too,” Lachlan added.
“Actually, I think they’re already coming. The AHA just sent out a memo,” August said, flipping his phone around to show us. “A couple omegas just went into heat. There’s another pause in games.”
It felt a bit too perfect, and I was afraid to take that as a good sign.
But the fact that two full packs were taking time out of their lives to come show their support, to meet me and my brother and show a united front, meant the world to me.
I was no longer the girl hiding away her secrets, not even letting Lydia in when she was the closest thing I’d ever had to a best friend.
“This is great, especially if everyone posts on their socials. Making an online presence that shows we have a village behind us has to help. Just another way to know that we’re going to sweep the floor with that bitch,” August said.
They were making it very hard to fall into my old habits of pessimism.
One thing I was learning was to never bet against a hockey player. They weren’t just determined. They locked onto their goals with ironclad precision, putting everything they had—mind, body, and soul—into making sure they came out on top.
I just never expected them to fight this hard for me.