Chapter 18
Chapter
Eighteen
Roxie
My fingers flew over the keyboard, the words pouring out of me. I got a front-row seat to the aftermath of the delta protests and the frustration those assholes left behind. It painted every hockey player in a bad light, not just the Narwhals.
Now I was getting to see behind-the-scenes. Just simple conversations and I’d already learned who the men behind the names were.
I’d found out Breckner worked with kids along with the coach, something I’d love to boost so more people knew about it.
Two of the younger players had started a small business in college for one of their classes and kept it going without anybody realizing. They spent their days off helping omegas escaping bad situations move and find safe housing.
One of the right wings did repairs on his local library for free and without exposure so they wouldn’t have to shut down after a bad storm.
Every one of these men had something that humanized them and I was lucky enough to get to hear firsthand what those things were.
Jeremiah Kingsford hired me to show the world who the Narwhals were, and I was going to do exactly that.
My hands were starting to cramp, eyes burning from overuse. I’d practically blacked out and had several pages knocked out already.
This article was going to take a hell of a lot of editing to get it into a readable format. I couldn’t seem to leave anything out of the first draft, and that was a problem.
A soft knock on my door had me looking up and stretching.
Hayes was standing there, leaning against the doorframe.
“I haven’t seen much of you today. I was surprised when they told me you were in your office, still. Have you eaten today?”
“Kota bought me some breakfast,” I said, pointing at the empty plate on the corner of my desk. The water bottle next to it was still nearly full.
Whoops.
My alpha’s eyes narrowed. I could practically feel his alpha surging to the surface.
“Was that the last time you ate or drank anything?”
“I feel like there’s only wrong answers here,” I shot back, avoiding the answer entirely.
He pinched the bridge of his nose.
“I swear to God, keeping you alive is going to be the death of me. Come on, little bat. Let me take you to dinner.”
My heart jumped into my throat at the use of the nickname.
Kota had started it. He said it fit, but I’d warned him that only my scent-matched mates got to use that. Only pack.
Which could only mean that he was fully embracing the challenge I gave him.
“Okay,” I said with a grin. “You had me at dinner.”
My stomach growled loudly in response, and he shook his head.
“No more skipping meals.”
“It wasn’t exactly on purpose. Sometimes, I just get in the zone and don’t realize how long I’m working. It’s not until I stop that I tune back in to what my body needs.”
“So, what you’re saying is I’ve got my work cut out for me.”
“Yes,” I answered. Honestly, it was a pretty good conclusion.
He waited patiently while I gathered up my things and closed my laptop.
I contemplated taking it with me for a second, but it would be a pain in the ass to carry.
“Did they give you a key to the office? You don’t have to take everything with you every night unless you want to.”
“They did,” I said. “You’re right. I’ve done enough for today. I can look at it with fresh eyes tomorrow.”
I locked the office and then turned to look up at the alpha.
He looked hesitant at first. Like he didn’t know exactly what to do. After a few long seconds he offered his hand.
It was such a simple, little gesture and downright adorable. This was his olive branch and I didn’t hesitate to slide my hand into his much larger one.
Hayes’s hand was warm, his palms calloused, probably from years of holding sticks during practice and hard work.
I was desperate to know more about the men in my pack, and that definitely included Hayes.
This was a great place to start.
It was only our first day back after the resort, but the resort had been a wonderful way for me to interview everybody fairly quickly. The downside was how focused I’d gotten.
Even as we walked my mind was turning over all the possible ways to edit the article. Having them at my disposal made the interviews easier, this one was very player-focused.
The second one, however, I wanted to take more time with. It was going to showcase more of the game and team as a whole. I wanted to include more hockey stats and aspirations, training, and the effect the coaching staff had on players.
I could spin it so many ways but it all started with research.
After I finished edits on this one.
And checked on my team.
There was so much to do.
“What kind of food are you craving, little bat?” Hayes asked, bringing me back to the present. The more I heard that nickname, the more I loved it. It was so cute that I couldn’t have picked a better one myself.
It was something unique and special, and the fact that he embraced it, too, made me happy.
“Honestly, I could use a good old diner.” Something quick and greasy sounded perfect. Plus, they always had pie.
“North Crossing has a couple of those to choose from, but I’ve got a favorite. Mind if I take you there?”
“Lead the way, alpha,” I said, earning a heated grin from Hayes before he led me out to his big pickup truck.
Instead of helping me climb in, he simply lifted me up and put me in the seat that was way higher than I could’ve managed without having to climb.
If he could have reached over and buckled my seat belt, I had a feeling he probably would have.
It was a nice change to be taken care of. I’d always been independent and raised to never take shit from anybody. But at the end of the day, I was an omega, and sometimes it was kind of nice to feel small next to these big alphas and deltas.
It was nice to know that I didn’t have to face the world alone.
He quickly walked around the truck and climbed in, starting the car. Older country music played through the speakers as soon as he turned the key.
He looked surprised when I started singing along to a familiar song.
“I could tell you that my mom loves this music so I know it well, but I have a feeling that wouldn’t help our case.”
“You just did.” He let out a groan and shook my head. “You’re nothing but trouble, little bat.”
“You like it,” I teased, turning up the music and singing louder.
He buckled his seat belt and took off out of the arena parking lot, navigating through North Crossing. The sun was setting now, painting the sky pink.
“It’s pretty here. I like it,” I noted as I watched the landscape go by. The downtown was adorable and honestly the perfect size. The sunset backdrop made it look cozy and inviting. I couldn’t wait to see it around the holidays with all the lights and snow.
The arena was definitely one of the biggest selling points, but there was also a plethora of small businesses, shops, craft stores, and an entertainment complex that was always packed.
The main diner was downtown, but he drove right past it, heading toward the pier. North Crossing was a Great Lakes town with everything centered around the water.
I hadn’t had a chance to come out here and appreciate the lake. I’d been too busy settling in and starting my new job.
When I saw Lakeside Diner, I knew it would be my favorite, too.
The outside was decorated with old fishing nets and colorful buoys. Even the building itself seemed to be made of faded wood. It definitely had character.
“Wow, I love this,” I said as he parked. The air smelled fresh and, thankfully, we were far enough down from the marinas that it didn’t smell like fish.
That or the scent of food chased it away.
Hayes climbed out and hurried around to open my door. He held out his hand again, helping me slide out. With the platform heels I wore today it was probably for the best.
At least he didn’t want to go somewhere fancy. I’d stick out with the outfit I’d chosen. Baggy ripped jeans, a band tee, platform heels and a messy bun wasn’t exactly fine dining attire.
Hayes’s attention flickered to my exposed shoulder. The off the shoulder shirt showcased far too much unblemished skin. This morning when I put it on I couldn’t help but imagine all the bite marks I’d be showing off when we were all ready.
Hayes had on a team polo and fitted jeans tonight. We looked like complete opposites, but after seeing him at the resort I knew our styles matched far better outside of work days.
Instead of leading me inside, he backed me into the truck. My back hit the cool metal and my palms spread out against it as if that would keep me from losing my composure.
The rich, robust scent of coffee, cacao, bourbon, and sweet cream was so strong that I felt like it was buzzing through me now like a true coffee fix. There was an undercurrent of alpha musk that made my head spin.
I blinked up at him, shocked by how forward he was being after holding back for so long.
“I’ve realized that I adore that smart mouth of yours, little bat.” His voice dropped lower. “You’re full of fire, and I like that more than I can put into words.”
He stepped closer. My heart was pounding so hard now it was making me dizzy. Or maybe that was him being this close, smelling this good.
“I’d like to work toward making you mine. Making up for my bullshit mistakes and showing you that I’m the kind of alpha your pack needs.”
He leaned in to say the last part. So close that I swore his lips were about to claim mine.
“I just wanted to make my intentions clear.”
Then he was gone so fast that cool air rushed in, making me shiver. I blinked hard, still plastered to his truck, trying to process what the fuck had just happened.
The asshole looked proud of himself. His lips twisted into a half smirk.
“You coming inside, omega?”
“Yep. Yeah. Coming.” I sputtered the words out and hurried after him, trying to calm my racing heart.
Alphas are insane.