Chapter 33
Chapter
Thirty-Three
Lana
My stomach turned as I watched the video that had been circulating today. One of the biggest influencers in sports news was talking about us.
She flashed through the pictures: me looking wretched, my old pack sporting bruises and swollen faces, and then back to my new pack.
She was painting them as dangerous and saying I was unsafe with them.
I was getting really fucking tired of everyone having an opinion about my life without a single shred of the truth.
I stopped the video and stormed downstairs. Of course, I didn’t even make it to the kitchen before I heard the same video playing there. The guys were all huddled around it, and when they looked up, they looked defeated.
“So not only are we battling this whole push to get deltas removed,” Mason said. “Now we’re being painted as abusers.”
There was no playfulness left on my delta’s face, and it made me furious that the world had taken that from him.
“I’m going to have to make a video. I have to do something,” I said. “I have to talk. They need to know the truth. I don’t care if it paints my exes in a bad light. I also don’t care if it paints the AHA in a bad light. The truth needs to come out. This can’t keep happening.”
“I actually think I might have a solution,” Kieran said.
“My cousin Roxie is an incredible journalist. She’s done some amazing work, but she recently started her own entertainment forum.
It’s not just geared toward omegas but packs, and every designation has their own spaces within it.
She’s extremely unbiased and very honest. She won’t hold back.
I vote you let her interview you. She can use her platform to spread the word, and we can all spread it around. ”
“Call her,” I demanded, already convinced.
He didn’t hesitate, swiping away from the video and tapping his phone. He put it on speaker.
“Hey, Kieran,” a raspy female voice answered. “I was wondering when I’d hear from you.”
“My omega and our pack are under fire. She needs to say her piece before it escalates even more. Are you interested?”
“Are you kidding me? Hell yes, I’m interested. I knew there was so much more to this story than what they’re showing.”
“I’ve got a new place,” he said. “If you want to swing by for dinner, we’ll feed you, then you two can talk.”
“I’m talking to all of you,” she countered. “But I’m in. Send me the address.”
“Done.”
They exchanged quick goodbyes, and then Kieran looked back at us.
“She’ll be here at five, and she’s demanding steak,” he said, shaking his head as he read over the texts. “One thing about Roxie is that she knows what she wants.”
Oddly enough, I didn’t feel intimidated. This was exactly what I needed. Someone who wouldn’t hold back, who would ask the right questions. It would save me from myself.
“I’ll put in a quick grocery order,” I said. “Any suggestions?”
Wilder came over, looking over my shoulder as I pulled up the grocery app, chiming in on sides and offering to make dessert.
Cade and Kieran had just put together the new grill outside, so at least we’d finally have a reason to use it.
The next few hours were a flurry of getting the house ready, specifically clearing out one of the empty offices so we’d have a place for the interview. They set up chairs, a comfortable table, and made sure the kettle and coffee maker were ready to go.
Once the groceries arrived, Wilder got to work making cookies and tiramisu while I made the sides and prepped the meat.
Nerves clawed at my ribs, threatening to rise up my throat, but I swallowed them down. This was the right move.
When the doorbell finally rang, I nearly jumped out of my skin. Kieran pressed a kiss to my forehead, and not for the first time, I wished we were bonded so I could feel their reassurance.
A conversation I planned to have once all of this blew over.
My heat was only two weeks away, and I needed to talk to the guys about it. I’d considered suppressants, but now that I had a pack, I didn’t want to put my body through that hell again. They were brutal, and I never tolerated them well.
Kieran let our guest in. He promised we could eat first and get to know her before diving into the serious part of the night.
Roxie looked every bit as feisty as she sounded on the phone. She was shorter than me, but not by much. She had on a black band tee and ripped jeans. Her dark hair had a slight wave to it, and she had twisted two small space buns on the top while the rest hung down.
Heavy eyeliner and a deep red eyeshadow lined her eyes. The black lipstick rounded it out perfectly. All of it suited her.
“Hey there,” she greeted, waving at our pack as a whole. Her voice was raspy in the best way. She put me immediately at ease, which didn’t happen often with two omegas.
“Lana,” I said, stepping forward and offering my hand.
She shook it, amused. “I hear you’ve been through quite the ordeal. Plus, you have to deal with my cousin here. I’d say that definitely calls for wine.”
I laughed. “I never say no to wine.”
“Kieran, make yourself useful,” she said, handing him a bottle. He immediately went hunting for glasses.
“It may take a second, we just moved in,” I explained.
“So I heard. I saw they stalked you guys out of your house. That was wild.”
“Tell me about it,” I said with a shudder. “It felt like someone was watching us all the time.”
“How are you holding up?” She had genuine concern on her face.
“Moving was a solid distraction,” I admitted.
Kieran slid over two glasses of wine before leaving us to get to know each other. The guys fired up the grill while we chatted. I’d prepped most of the food already, but I was leaving them in charge of cooking. My brain could only handle so much in one day.
“Have you met Kieran’s pack before?” I asked.
She shook her head. “Kieran and I were close growing up, but it’s been a long time. Different careers. Different worlds.”
“I get that.”
“But I’m glad I’m meeting you all now, and that they found you,” she said. “I’ve been keeping up with the hockey chaos. I hear you’re causing quite a stir as the team nutritionist.”
I smiled. “I didn’t really get to use my degree before, but Coach took a chance on me. Everyone seems happy so far.”
“Understatement,” Kieran called out as he snagged the tray of steaks. “She feeds the entire team and spoils the hell out of us.”
My cheeks warmed at the praise.
I took a sip of my wine, but my mind was stuck on this impending interview.
“So, how does this process work?” I asked.
“Pretty casual,” she explained. “I’ll record it all as one whole, then edit it later. I cut out a few usable pieces, but never use most of it. That lets me keep it quick and pointed.”
I nodded like I understood any of that. Instead, I grasped onto an easier topic.
“Tell me about this online forum you’re building,” I urged.
“It’s a bit of a mixed bag,” she explained. “Online message boards, pages, video feeds, the works. I try to keep it inclusive and useful. Honestly, I bet people would probably love to ask you nutrition questions over on the health forum sometime if you’re interested.”
“That actually sounds fun.” I’d always loved being able to share what I knew.
The conversation fell away as the guys moved in and out again, gathering more food and bringing some back in.
“How’s Aunt Lisa?” Kieran asked as he walked by with foil-wrapped potatoes.
“Still a pain in my ass,” Roxie said fondly. “Still hilarious.”
“I’m shocked she doesn’t have you married off yet. She was always obsessed with packing you up.”
“Oh, she still is. She keeps telling me to give packs a chance,” Roxie said with a huff. “Apparently being a successful omega is a turnoff.”
“Fuck that,” I said. “Keep your independence.”
“Exactly.”
Our conversation stayed light through dinner as the two cousins caught up.
“I like your omega,” Roxie said afterward. “I’m stealing her for girls’ night soon.”
“Once this blows over,” Kieran warned.
She rolled her eyes. “I need friends who don’t judge me for my career.”
“I’m so over the stereotypes,” I said.
“That’s why we’re doing this,” she said. “And when it’s done, we’ll celebrate.”
When everything was cleared away, she grew serious.
“Alright, let’s talk. I’ll be honest and blunt, and ask tons of questions, but this is your story. If you don’t want something said, I’ll respect that.”
“Okay,” I agreed, nervous still despite how comfortable I was around her.
She set up her camera, adjusted the lighting, and even fixed my hair once. Then she finally sat across from me.
“My name is Roxie Crane,” she started. “Founder and lead journalist for The Gathering Place. With me today is Lana Flynn, who has found herself at the center of one of the biggest AHA hockey controversies we’ve ever seen.”
She looked at me then, offering an encouraging smile. “Lana, tell us who you are and how you ended up here.”
I took a breath. “Hello, my name is Lana Flynn, daughter of the Westrgrave Flynn pack. My dads were big players in the AHA, so hockey has always been in my blood. I have a degree in sports nutrition, and I’m currently the Westgrave Wardens’ team nutritionist and private chef.
I moved here from North Crossing after leaving my pack.
I didn’t expect to find scent-compatible mates here, but I did, and I’ve never been happier.
But, it seems there are things I need to clarify. ”
“Let’s start with the rumor that you cheated,” Roxie said, kicking it off strong.
I sighed. “I hadn’t been back to Westgrave in years before this. In fact, I left my pack before I even met the rest of the Wardens.”
“And what was going on during those years in North Crossing?”
“I spent most of it alone,” I said. “Bonding with hockey players comes with expectations. I understood that going in. But Milo, Sutton, and Dean were married to hockey, not to me. After they shifted to the starting lineup, our relationship crashed and burned. There was always something they had to do, a reason to stay away. I was fed excuses and eventually, they stopped coming home altogether. I spent almost three years begging them to give me even an ounce of their time.”
As I spoke, the pain resurfaced. She listened closely and didn’t interrupt, but it felt more like talking to a friend than being interviewed, which helped a lot.
“What was the final straw? The catalyst that had you moving back home?”
“They missed my heat,” I said quietly. “It nearly killed me.”
“They didn’t come?” she asked, trying to keep her voice even but her eyes were wide.
“No.”
I explained the whole ordeal. Spending the week alone until my body was ready to give out, the hospital photo that circulated, my brother saving me, and finally, how I ended up here.
“My brother asked me to move into the house he shared with the starting lineup. They weren’t his pack,” I clarified. “Just friends. Conrad didn’t even want them near me at first.”
“And your old pack?” she asked.
“I stopped answering calls and texts when they didn’t pick up that day. They didn’t even know I left until the picture leaked. That alone tells me everything I need to know about their character.”
She nodded. “Sounds like they have a lot of growing up to do.”
“I hope they take some time to fix themselves before taking on a new omega,” I said. “I forgive them, for my own sake, but my omega will never forget how badly they failed me.”