Chapter 13
Chapter
Thirteen
Rylan
The dining room was as gorgeous as the rest of the resort. Tables were draped in pressed, white linens, gold platters waited on each setting, even the centerpieces were works of art.
A sparkling gold and crystal chandelier hung above the tables and a grand piano rested in the corner where a man in a black suit was playing softly, adding to the ambiance.
Thank god Roxie and I let Kota talk us into all the outfits he picked out. He’d chosen a few formal outfits and now we knew why.
Roxie had her arm looped through mine, her delicate features reflected her excitement as she took it all in.
The hockey team was gathered around a giant table that was actually several tables pushed together to make one giant family-sized setup. Another thing Jeremiah Kingsford likely arranged. He was determined to make them friends.
Despite us sharing a room, Roxie hadn’t talked much since she found out that the coach was her scent-match.
He wasn’t mine, but it explained the contradictory feelings I had about him earlier.
“Roxie! Ry! Over here!” I went still at the nickname Kota screamed out. It had been a long time since anyone called me that.
“I guess they saved us seats,” Roxie said as she pulled me forward before I could run away.
Kota was already standing and pulling out two chairs for us. I don’t even think he had to think about it, the act was almost instinct.
“Thanks,” I said as I took my seat next to Roxie. Kota sat on her opposite side, Lach across from him. He picked up his conversation again before his voice cut off, sounding startled.
“What’s wrong, Greer?”
Wait. Greer?
My entire world stuttered to a halt for the second time that day as the familiar scent hit me. It was different. Wrong. The teakwood, bergamot, and pink peppercorn was familiar.
It was always woodsy and fresh and warm, a little spicy, with that electric sharpness to it.
Now it was charred and strange. A twisted version of the scent I thought I’d breathe in every day.
When I found the courage to look up, there he was across from me. His face was almost green and drained of all color. The delta looked ready to pass out and I wasn’t much better.
“Rylan.” My name on his lips was full of fear, as if he was seeing a ghost not an ex.
Like I was some sort of nightmare from his past.
“Rylan, what’s wrong?” Roxie asked. She was squeezing my arm, trying to coax me to look at her.
I turned to face my omega, begging her silently to save me from whatever hell I’d found myself in.
“It’s him.”
That was all she needed. Roxie’s mouth opened and closed as she turned to face me and then him, bouncing back and forth, as if the answers would simply appear before us.
“What’s going on?” Kota asked. His voice was quiet, as if he understood that something was very wrong here.
Heavy footsteps shifted behind us, a hand landing on my shoulder.
“Greer, I’m glad you got a chance to meet him. This is the man that’s going to be in charge of your physical therapy for the foreseeable future.”
“Come again?” Greer choked out.
It hurt, but I wasn’t exactly thrilled to see him either. This was the man that I had once upon a time loved with my whole soul. His scent made me feel safe and loved. Back then, he would have battled anyone and everything for me.
Now he was a stranger.
“I guess that explains your story earlier,” Roxie said to Greer. He nodded in confirmation, glancing between the two of us. I’d never seen him so shaken.
“His story?” I choked out, looking at her for an answer this time.
“I ran into him earlier at the pool. We scent-matched, which was what I wanted to talk to you about after dinner,” she tacked on.
She’d mentioned it but we’d gone up to the room so late we had to rush to get here on time.
“He told me about his past and wanted to take things slow and figure it out more when we were back home.”
“Because I already fucked up with an omega once,” he clarified, glancing at me. “I didn’t want to fuck up again.”
“Oh shit,” Kota breathed out. “You’re both scent-matched to Greer? Looks like we’re pack, old man.”
Kota wasn’t oblivious to the tension, he was trying to lighten the mood. It didn’t work. Greer looked at him like he’d grown a second head.
“Is this going to be a problem?” Coach asked. He was looking at me for the answer this time.
This job, even if they paid me a fraction of what they were paying Roxie, could be life-changing for me.
This was the man who had stolen my hometown from me. He ruined it when he disappeared.
“No,” I said, glaring at Greer.
“Are you sure?” Roxie asked as gently as she possibly could.
“I’m positive,” I said firmly.
Greer studied me, swallowing hard enough that his Adam’s apple bobbed.
My face stayed hard, giving him no reprieve.
“Greer?” Coach asked him now.
“No, it’ll be fine. But I understand if he doesn’t want to work with me.”
“No,” Coach said firmly. “The whole point is for you to have the extra physical therapy. If you can both handle being around each other, then I will allow it, but you both have to be certain.”
He gave a hard look to both of us, as if to drive his point home.
“Yes, sir,” I said, my voice full of conviction.
Greer swallowed hard and offered a weak nod. Not exactly convincing. My eyes tracked the movement, and my cheeks warmed before I caught myself and forced my gaze away.
“I can be professional,” Greer clarified.
His voice was stronger this time, even though he looked like he was about to vomit.
Coach clapped me gently on the shoulder in a move that was likely meant to be reassuring. I felt so out of my depth it was insane.
The table around us was silent now. It wasn’t just our little group that had heard the exchange, but the whole damn table.
“We should talk before we move into a professional setting.” Greer managed to get the words out, but it seemed like it hurt him physically.
He was curling in on himself. I’d never seen him look so small before. The sick and twisted part of my brain was satisfied.
Let him hurt like he hurt me.
The part of me that once loved him, the bond that was tingling in the old faded mark, was begging me to give him a chance.
And my omega? He was practically a puddle of hope and terror in my chest.
He wanted this.
Traitor.
“I’m not hungry anymore,” I whispered to Roxie. Her hand went to my thigh, giving it a squeeze and not letting go.
“Do you want to leave now?”
“No,” I said. Fuck that. I refused to leave somewhere or change what I was doing because of this man.
As dinner wore on, the tension rose. Every bite that I took was forced and I never let my eyes go to him. Not once for the rest of the meal.
But I could feel his stare. I never agreed or disagreed to talk to him after.
The dining room slowly started to empty out, the other hockey players making plans to do some sort of fire outside or hang out in the lounge.
Finally, my gaze flickered up to meet his because he was absolutely staring at me.
Greer had an array of plates in front of him. Every single course we’d been given tonight sat untouched.
“You’re going to be starving later.” I don’t know why I said it, but they were the words that tumbled from my lips.
“Good.”
That was all he said, as if punishing himself was the only answer here.
Why did that make me so sick?
“Are you going to talk to him?” Roxie whispered, leaning so close that her warm breath fanned against my ear.
I shivered, but I breathed in her scent, letting it calm me.
“Yes, but will you come?”
“Of course.” She paused and turned to Greer. “Just for the record since you don’t know me very well yet this is obviously not going to be part of any articles. It’s personal.”
He nodded, the movement strained.
“I have to walk my dog. Do you want to come with me? They have a really nice walking path around the grounds.”
“You have a dog?” I questioned. I’d begged him to let us adopt one for months but he always had a reason why it wasn’t a good idea.
“Yeah. I adopted him a few weeks ago from a shelter down in North Crossing.”
He stood up and then walked over and waited by the door for us to catch up. Roxie stopped me halfway there, her hand on my elbow, firm enough to make me look at her.
Her hand was warm against my cheek as she rested it there, her eyes full of concern.
“You don’t have to do this.” She looked torn and now that I know they’re mates, I owe it to her to try.
“I think I need to do this, Rox.”
“Alright,” she said. “I just wanted to make sure.”
“Wait,” I said, stopping us again before we reached him. “Why didn’t you tell me you scent-matched him?”
“Because I was having an inner mental breakdown earlier today,” she admitted, letting out a hollow laugh.
“It happened right after Coach Hayes. When I was over in the chair, his dog jumped on top of me. He was super conflicted and trying not to show it. Then we were late, which was why I said I wanted to talk later.”
“It’s been insane, hasn’t it?” I admitted. This wasn’t easy on her and today had been pure chaos. And it wasn’t over yet.
“Yes,” she agreed, letting out a startled laugh. “We’re going to need a vacation to recover from this one.”
“I should’ve known that you guys would be scent-matches,” I said, shaking my head. “How could you not be?
“Wait, what about Coach?” she questioned.
I shook my head and winced. He was definitely not my type.
“No. He smells like pack. I got a faint hint of his scent earlier, but nothing that made me react the way I do to you.”
We both let out a breath and glanced at the delta waiting for us. He didn’t say a word, simply held the door, giving us a private moment.
“Are you sure you’re ready to face this now? He’s waiting.”
“I’ve been waiting a really fucking long time to tell him what he did to me.” In the back of my mind, I knew that it was unfair to put this much on him. It wasn’t his fault alone, but I couldn’t seem to face the fact that maybe it was me who had driven him away.