Chapter 25
Chapter
Twenty-Five
Roxie
“You know, it’s kind of surprising how well they’re getting along. I feel like I should be nervous,” Lana stage-whispered it to me.
“Oh, come on,” Kieran said. “We’re not that bad.”
“Plus, you made that whole not-talking-about-hockey-or-rivalry rule,” Lennon accused. The delta raised one eyebrow, making a show of looking upset about it, but she just gave a sweet smile back.
“I stand by that. You love your omega, and you’re going to support her. Right, boys?”
“Men,” Kade corrected.
She looked at me, and we both lost it. It was true, though. There had been a little tension at first, but, in here, they weren’t hockey players. We were just two friends introducing our packs to each other.
“Have they started fights over their jerseys yet?” Lana asked, biting back a smile.
As the guys launched into an explanation of why they did that, we both ignored them.
“Oh, yeah. Kota beat Greer to it.”
“Don’t worry. Mine are coming and they’re so much better than his. I got you specialized ones.” I swear he looked so smug that Lana and I had to hide our laughter yet again.
“So, how is Conrad? It’s been a minute since I caught up with him,” I asked, changing the subject before it could turn into a contest.
“He’s good,” Lana said, her voice holding an undercurrent of worry. “It’s felt like something’s been off with him lately. I don’t know if it’s just because I’ve been so caught up with the pack and he’s giving us space, or if something is up.”
“I’m sure he’s giving you space. He understands how it is,” I reassured her.
“Yeah, and he’s been working with the AHA a lot. At first, it was to talk about how to be more inclusive, but now it feels a whole lot like he’s planning something.”
She was trying to be quiet, but I could see the guys sharing glances. This, clearly, wasn’t the first time she’s talked about it.
“Conrad would tell you if it was something bad,” I promised. “He doesn’t lie to you, does he?”
“No, of course not,” she said, her shoulders sagging. “But that doesn’t mean he won’t hide something if he doesn’t think it’s the right time or doesn’t want to worry me. He’s still the same overprotective brother he’s always been.”
Honestly, that sounded kind of nice. I’d always wanted siblings growing up.
“Hey, little bat, do you want dessert?” Hayes interrupted.
The conversation had lulled for a second as Lana worried her lip, but it was the perfect distraction.
Of course, the moment she heard my nickname, her eyes lit up.
“Shut up. That is the cutest nickname I’ve ever heard.”
“I know. I kind of love it,” I admitted, giving Kota a grin.
“They all call me princess. I’d always hated that damn nickname until they used it,” she teased, giving them a fake glare.
Hayes called over the waitress and ordered a round of desserts. A few of the players declined, but we omegas did not, Rylan included.
“I need your opinion on something,” I said as I pushed my now-empty dessert plate away.
My stomach was far too full now, and the moment I thought of my father, my stomach started turning.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“So, my dad showed up,” I started. “Apparently, Coach Hayes and my father played together, and he showed up to catch up with an old friend. Only his old friend is mates with the daughter he rejected all those years ago.”
“Ouch,” she gasped. “I’m taking it the meeting was not exactly a joyous reunion full of regret and apologies?”
“No. That asshole found out I was going to be born and immediately ditched me and Mom. Tried to pay her off so she wouldn’t have me—or if she did, so he would have nothing to do with me.”
“Fuck that guy,” Kieran said, his anger palpable. We were family. We’d both grown up knowing Mom was a single mom and my dad was an asshole. She never told everyone who he was because my family could be petty when they wanted, but it was clear that he was an asshole.
“The family never told me why,” he said. “I should’ve known it was some bullshit like that. Your mom is amazing. No sane alpha would leave her behind.”
“Yeah. He didn’t even recognize me, then was stunned. He invited me to lunch to catch up and hear him out. Hayes thinks I should go and hear him out. He wants to meet for lunch. I’m just not sure that I trust it.”
“Do you think that if you don’t go, you’ll wish you had? Wonder what would’ve happened?” she asked.
“That’s exactly what he said,” I muttered, pointing at Hayes. “I don’t know the answer to that. I’ve always just been so angry about it that I haven’t considered if he would ever regret his choices or wonder what happened to me. I’m still mad that he thought I was a disgruntled fan.”
She wrinkled her nose. “What an asshole.”
“Understatement of the century. He’s awful.”
“But my point still stands,” she said with a shrug.
“You can hear him out and find out he’s still an asshole and then write him off and never have any second thoughts about it.
Or he could have truly changed and you realize you don’t want to give him a chance anyway.
Or maybe you do. It couldn’t hurt to go to lunch, and you don’t necessarily have to go alone, do you? ”
I knew the guys would go with me if I wanted them to. The problem was I didn’t know that I wanted that.
“Okay, enough deep talk,” I said, waving my hand through the air as if I could push it away. “Let’s focus on the fact that we’re here and having some girl time, which is exactly what I needed.”
“Hell, yeah,” she said, clinking her wine glass to mine.
I thought about what we’d talked about the entire way home and through the movie. My mood was off and I was quiet, but the guys didn’t push.
As soon as the credits rolled I stood.
“I think I’m going to go take a shower.”
“We’ll be down here when you’re done,” Rylan reassured me.
I went upstairs to the room I’d claimed as my own. It was still fairly empty outside of a few bags of my things. We still had to move and do house tours, all we knew were the main rooms and the bedrooms.
I sat on the bed for a second, torn between my two sides. My omega was unsettled and wanted her pack’s scents. I wanted to be alone to process.
I peeked out of my room to make sure they were downstairs before sneaking through their rooms. They had all claimed rooms near ours.
Rylan’s room was first. I snagged a pair of sweatpants right from his floor. Hayes’s room was clean and tidy, but almost as bare as mine. I found a pair of long socks in his luggage and moved to the next.
Greer’s room was messy but I managed to find the comfy shirt I’d wanted during his rut. By the time I got to Kota’s I snagged his entire pillow. I was past self-control and in full gremlin-mode.
I piled everything into my room, setting up my bed into a cozy little nest. That way when I was done showering, I could be surrounded by my pack’s scent and pure softness.
Before taking some of the clothes into the bathroom with me, I rubbed them all over the blankets, adding their scents to my bed.
It wasn’t the kind of night where I wanted to linger in the shower. I took a quick one, hoping it would help wash away some of the anxiety bubbling in my stomach.
When I was done, I pulled on the clothes I’d scrounged from the guys before towel-drying my hair and braiding it.
My room was still empty when I stepped out. I was honestly shocked no one had followed me in.
The scent of my pack was so strong now that I knew it couldn’t just be from the clothes I’d stolen.
As I walked closer, I noticed two new blankets, an extra pillow, and a pile of clothes.
My chest swelled with warmth and I fought back my tears. My pack saw what I needed and provided it without being asked. They were giving me space while also making sure that I felt secure in that space.
God, that was everything. My pack was incredible and had my omega melting.
I snagged my phone and my father’s business card from the side table before burrowing into my pile of blankets. I filled my lungs with my pack’s scent as I mulled over my options.
Lana and Hayes were right about this being my only chance to hear him out. That wasn’t my issue as much as wanting a chance to tell him exactly what his actions did to us.
I pulled up the message thread I had with Hayes, needing to talk it out.
Roxie
Do you really think that I should give him a chance or at least hear him out?
Hayes
I want what you want, little bat. I was just looking out for you. There’s no wrong move here. No wrong answer. You can keep that card for two years if you want before you decide. There’s no pressure. I just want you to be sure.
Roxie
Thanks, alpha. I’m going to think on it.
Turns out my thinking about it took all of five minutes.
The card twirled around my fingers as I fidgeted with it until finally I opened up a new text.
I needed him to answer something for me first.
Roxie
Why do you want to have lunch with me? The truth.
Three bubbles appeared at first. Then they disappeared and appeared again. It felt like he debated for ten minutes before an answer finally popped in.
Lincoln
Over the years, I convinced myself that I made the right choice.
That I was not the father type. Then I saw you standing there, and suddenly I needed to know what you’ve been doing all these years.
Who you’ve become. Maybe it was curiosity, or maybe regret is finally sinking in.
Like I said, I don’t expect forgiveness. I simply wanted to talk.
Roxie
Fine. Noon tomorrow at the Lakeside Diner.
Lincoln
I’ll be there. I promise. I can’t wait.
His words meant nothing to me. Any promise coming from this man was a gamble. But now that I’d set up the plans, I felt some of the weight pressing down on me lift.
If seeing me had hit him that hard, then, clearly, there had been something lingering underneath all these years.
Suppression was a powerful thing.
I sat in my nest for a little longer, my phone still in my hand, contemplating which of my pack mates I needed at the moment.
There wasn’t a bad choice.
However, Hayes knew the situation the most, and I also didn’t want him to think I was angry with him.
Roxie
Come to bed with me? I’d like company.
Hayes
On my way, little bat.
True to his word, a few moments later I heard footsteps in the hallway leading up to my room.
He knocked and waited for me to call out to him before walking in. There was a motorcycle helmet in one of his hands and a shopping bag in another. He kicked the door closed behind him.
“Where did you go?” I questioned.
He didn’t answer right away. Hayes set his helmet down, kicked out of his shoes, and stripped down to his boxers and t-shirt before carrying the bag over.
“You needed time to yourself, and I wanted to respect that. All my alpha wanted to do was come scoop you up and hold you tight, so I went for a little ride so I didn’t step over your boundaries.”
I gave him a sad smile, hating that he was struggling, too, but loving that he was respecting my needs.
“I ended up at a twenty-four-hour market. I didn’t know what kind of pick-me-up you needed, so I went a little crazy.”
He set the bag down in my lap, and I pulled it open to peek inside.
“Oh my god, are you serious?” I gasped.
I pulled out a cute, stuffed, bat plushie. It was the soft kind that was more a pillow than a plush. I thought the scent-marking of my nest while I was in the shower was the sweetest thing.
But this was a very close runner-up.
Underneath the plush was an array of chocolates, fruity candy, a bottle of water, and a couple of other drinks.
“This is so sweet,” I said, setting everything aside, though I left my bat in my lap before pulling my mate closer. Somehow the big alpha managed to fall gracefully next to me on the bed before pulling me against him.
I nestled in, still sitting up with my back resting against his chest. He started purring, the sound low and comforting as it rumbled against me.
Now that I had a plan in motion and a pack that supported me this thoroughly, I felt more in control.
“I just wanted you to remember that you have a pack now. You don’t have to fall apart alone, little bat. You have us to lean on.”
“Old habits die hard, I guess,” I murmured. “I’m used to pulling myself up when I fall. Keeping myself strong.”
“We know, and we understand. But you don’t have to. We’ve got you now.”
After tonight, I was finally starting to believe it.