Chapter 11 #2
“I don’t tell them,” Cody interrupted, wanting to get it over with.
He ducked his head, feeling suddenly tired for all that he’d just woken up.
“I don’t tell them, okay? I…I bounce between practices every couple years.
And I fudge the truth when I see a new physician.
I pay for them all out of pocket so there aren’t any questions from insurance.
” He squeezed his hands together. Squeezed his eyes shut while he was at it.
“You’re, um, you’re the only one who knows I’ve never gone off my inhibitors. ”
He heard Leo snarl, the sound so aggressive and loud that Cody’s eyes popped open at once, terrified that he’d ruined it. That this was the thing that made Leo decide Cody wasn’t worth the trouble. “I’m sorry,” he rushed to say. “I’m sorry, I—I needed to be able to play, I—”
“Do not,” Leo snarled again, cutting Cody off. Cody slammed his mouth shut, trying not to tremble. His alpha was angry with him. He was still in the middle of his heat, his next heatwave not too far away, and his alpha was angry with him.
Leo made an inarticulate growling noise and buried his face in Cody’s neck, arms holding Cody tight, as if worried Cody was going to disappear.
“This could have been so much worse,” he said, voice low as if he were talking to himself and not to Cody.
Belatedly Cody realized that his skin was damp, the smell of salt blooming in the air.
“This could have been so much more fucking worse.”
Cody raised one shaking arm to cup the back of Leo’s head. “L-Leo?” He quavered.
Leo took a deep breath, almost like he was sucking in a lungful of Cody’s scent. Maybe he was reminding himself that Cody was here now, alive and mostly unhurt. Maybe it was for some other reason and Leo, steady, good-natured Leo, was furious with him.
When Leo lifted his head, his eyes were glittering.
“We’re going to call Hen,” he said, each word spoken with deadly accuracy.
“And call out of skate and the game. And when this heat is over, we’re going to talk to her about getting you a doctor and a plan, because I am not going to let you destroy yourself for hockey. Is that clear?”
Cody nodded hurriedly.
“Okay,” Leo said on an exhale. He kissed Cody’s temple. “Okay.”
Cody wanted to kiss Leo back, ask for a real kiss, but with his stomach in knots—not from heat pain, but the phone call he was about to make—he didn’t feel up to asking. Instead, he twisted enough to grab his phone off the nightstand.
He stared down at it for several long seconds before he unlocked it, found Hen’s number, and made the call.
Waiting anxiously for Hen to pick up was horrible, and Cody couldn’t worry about what might happen if she didn’t.
If he didn’t tell her and she didn’t let the right people know—or worse, if she did answer but she didn’t end up thinking Cody was worth the trouble.
Hockey was what Cody had. It was what he was good at—was one of the only things he was good at—and his team was the family his dad wasn’t.
Cody didn’t want to lose that. Any of it.
“Hey Cody,” Hen said when she picked up. “What’s up?”
“I can’t make skate,” Cody forced out as he huddled into Leo. “I’m…I’m going to be out of commission for a few days.”
“Why?” Hen asked, followed immediately by, “Are you…sick?”
“I—”
Hen sounded like she was frowning, and the telling pause when she asked if Cody was sick…
He couldn’t tell her the whole truth. He…he would. When his heat was over and he was feeling better. But not right now.
“M-my implant malfunctioned,” Cody heard himself say. “I’m going through heat.”
“Fucking hell,” Hen said, sounding…horrified? “Right now?”
“I started a couple days ago,” Cody said, trying to make his voice louder than a whisper. “I’m sorry.”
“A couple days—” Hen stopped. Sounding even more horrified, “Did you play?”
“Yeah.” And I can. I can play like this. Please don’t— “Yeah, I played. But, I, um…” He took a breath. He couldn’t tell her that his inhibitors weren’t working, because she didn’t know he was on inhibitors. “I imprinted on an alpha, and the heatwaves are more frequent now, and I can’t—”
“No, fuck, no, okay. Cody? It’s okay, you’re fine. We’ll figure this out.” Another terrible pause. “Did…did you imprint on that alpha from the hotel? Because if you’re in danger, we can figure this out, you don’t have to—there are alpha stand-in services exactly meant for this kind of thing—”
Cody hadn’t known that. He’d also never heard Hen so flustered. “Um,” he started. “No, it—I…”
“You can tell me anything, honey,” Hen said softly. “I am going to help you through this however I can. There are resources—”
“It’s Leo,” Cody blurted out.
“What?” Hen asked, voice startled.
“I imprinted on Leo,” Cody said. “He’s, um, he’s my alpha for this heat.”
“Leo…my Leo?” Hen asked. “My right winger Leo?”
“Yeah,” Cody made himself say. Leo gave him a squeeze and nuzzled at his hair, and Cody threw him a tragically weak smile.
“I see,” Hen said.
Cody swallowed. “Sorry.”
“No, no, don’t apologize,” Hen said seriously.
“This is…it’s not great, but I’d much, much rather someone who you know and trust be helping you through this over a fucking scumbag rapist. And we don’t have to worry about Leo going to Sportsnet or something, which is another plus.
I’m guessing you’re both going to be out till this blows over? ”
“Yeah,” Cody said, biting down on the sorry.
“Okay. Okay,” Hen said. Then, “Do we need to sue your doctor?”
Fuck. “N-no,” Cody managed. “But I’ll get it checked out as soon as my heat’s done.”
“All right,” Hen said. “Okay. Let me know when you’re able to come in, okay? I want you in my office when you’re able. And I’m sure you’re talking to your personal doctor, but I also want you to update Dr. Bart about your implant and let him know you’ll need after-heat treatment.”
After-heat treatment? “Okay,” Cody said again, feeling tired. He’d have to come clean about the inhibitors sooner over later, then.
But he could apologize to Hen and explain the lie after his heat was over though.
“Then we’ll talk in a few days,” Hen said. “And…”
Cody shifted in Leo’s lap. He liked Hen, respected her, and this conversation was going about a million times better than he had worried it would go, but he also wanted said conversation to be done. “Yeah?”
“Is he taking care of you?” Hen asked gruffly.
Cody’s cheeks heated. “Yeah, um. Yeah.”
“Good,” Hen said with finality. “Okay. Then just…just don’t worry about anything aside from getting through this heat. Let me know as soon as your fever breaks so I can shove you at doctors. I don’t care what time it is.”
That almost got a smile out of Cody, despite the trepidation about going to the doctor. “Got it.”
“All right.” Hen said. Followed by, “You’ll be okay, Cody. It’ll be okay. We’ll make it okay.”
Cody swallowed around the sudden lump in his throat. “Thanks, Hen.”
When Cody hung up, all he wanted to do was curl up in Leo’s lap, face pressed into Leo’s neck.
He didn’t like that he was lying to Hen.
She was…she was understanding in a way Cody hadn’t expected, and Cody was still lying to her.
He—he wanted to call her back and tell her the truth.
The whole truth, even though that felt fucking terrifying.
But then a wave of heat flowed through him, and he curled in on himself at the spike of arousal that was so sharp it hurt. Felt his slick start to coat his thighs.
Phone forgotten among the blankets, Cody’s hands landed on Leo’s shoulders as the desperation hit all at once. Like a fucking eighteen-wheeler, devastating and all consuming.