Chapter Thirty-Nine #3
“Contributions don’t have to be money. Think of what other things you can bring to the pack. You’re good at cooking. You’re good at cleaning. You know how to do all sorts of household chores. You can fix basic things. And when you’re motivated, you do succeed,” Verity told me.
“True. Though there is that thing called time. If I’m commuting to Research Circle, doing research, and studying, possibly working, and doing chores? It’s a lot,” I started.
“And something to figure out. If I can pay you for your research, you don’t have to work.” Grace looked at her phone. “Evan wants to know if you have filed the bonding yet to make it official and if you have a mating agreement?”
“No and no. Carlos was going to ask his lawyer to draw up mating agreements. She’s also looking over the contract with Fiona’s dads,” I replied, grateful I had pack mates that even had the lawyers on retainer. “We’ll file the bonding.” I didn’t know how to do that. Maybe the Center could help me?
“Honestly, I’m impressed,” Mercy added. “You seem to have a good handle on things. It’s just your conscience that might be holding you back–so get some therapy.
We’re here. We want to help you succeed and if things end up not working, it won’t be because you didn’t try.
It won’t be because you’re a fuckup. It’ll be because sometimes things just don’t work out, but it’s not necessarily anyone’s fault. ”
Verity nodded. “That is absolutely true.”
“Thank you.” I felt much better.
We finished up breakfast and cleaned up.
Grace gave me a hug. “I’ll help you with whatever you need. Just let me know. Should I pay your rent that’s due tomorrow?”
“Please?” Yeah, I didn’t have enough in my account for that.
“Okay, I’ll send it directly.”
“Thank you. Um, is Lucky real? Because I see him when I’m high.
” My voice grew quiet. “He’s a black cat with blue eyes and a collar.
I saw him before Hopey described him. Hopey can see him, because she’s a baby.
I can see him when I’m high, because he’s not corporeal in this world.
Oooh, did you steal him from the Agents in Glasses? ”
Okay, the Agents in Glasses was a movie, but I was pretty sure Compass BioTek worked with the real government equivalent. I’d seen one at her place, once. He had the most epic car.
“What?” Grace sucked in a breath.
“Forget it.” I shook my head.
“No. Wait, Hope said he was black with blue eyes, but she never mentioned a collar.” Grace’s look went pensive.
“He’s real,” I breathed.
“Maybe…” Her frown deepened. “I never actually thought Eugene could be Lucky. But Hope did start seeing her imaginary cat friend after he went missing. It makes sense that he might not be corporeal here. After all, so much is out there we don’t know of or understand.”
Oh shit. “True. But who’s Eugene?”
“A cat that shouldn’t be here. Does anyone else see him?” she asked.
“Carlos, but we were high together,” I replied. “Fiona thinks he’s a fae cat. Oh, is he?”
“I don’t know what he is. Or if that’s even what you saw. Huh.” Grace rubbed her chin.
Wow. Lucky might be real. Okay, then. Yeah, he totally escaped from the Agents in Glasses.
He was with Grace, then left with us, probably because Hopey took him.
We’re a lot, so he left with Verity to return to Grace’s house.
But then Grif named him on the plane, and he followed Grif home.
Because that’s how things worked in stories.
And he stayed in New York. Though he probably went to other places sometimes.
Maybe he even had a reason for being here.
Mind. Blown.
“Woah, could someone come get him back?” I added. Because if he shouldn’t be here then maybe they would? Though he’d been with us for a while.
Grace paused, then spoke slowly. “If Lucky is actually Eugene then possibly? I don’t know. Lucky might not even be Eugene. He could be imaginary.”
“I don’t think he is. Thanks, Grace.” I hugged her. Knowing he was real, just not corporeal meant everything. I wasn’t hallucinating while high, I was seeing clearly.
Verity appeared. “Time to get some work done. We still have a couple hours before we need to be at the arena.”
She pulled me to the table where her laptop was set up.
What? I was going to go home. There were lots of deliveries to help with.
Oh well.
By the time we’re ready to go to the arena, I felt a lot more comfortable about giving this a go. Grace spent a lot of it on the phone, both asking her mate, Evan questions, since he handled shit like this all the time as an advocate.
Mercy came over to me. “Hey, just so you know, I’m fucking proud of you.”
I hugged her. “Thanks for paying for me in cookies and scrunchies, and coming with Gwen to rescue us.”
“I couldn’t let her go by herself. And I couldn’t let Clark miss the plane, because he didn’t want her to go alone. Also, I do care for you.” She grinned.
“Thank you.” I hugged her again. “Do you really think I can do this?”
“Do you want to do this?” she asked.
I thought for a moment. “I think I do?”
“Good. Then I do. Because the parents will expect you to fail. Just like they did me. And what do we say to that? Fuck that noise.” Mercy grinned.
“We do.” I’d told her that a bunch when she’d gotten signed to the Maimers and she was nervous about being an unawakened teenage alpha making it on a pro team.
“All your concerns are completely valid. The parents did shit in preparing us all to be alphas. I’ve learned so much from the other alphas on the team. It’s going to be a lot of work. But you can do it.”
I hugged my sister again. “Thanks for not immediately assuming I’ll fuck this up.”
“Is everyone ready to go?” AJ appeared, wearing Grif’s jersey.
“I’m ready.” Verity wore a custom jersey that had all three of her hockey mate’s numbers on it.
I looked down at what I was wearing, which was just my usual band T-shirt and jeans.
“If I wear this, is Carlos going to take his jersey off in the middle of the game and make me wear it?” I laughed, remembering my conversation with Carlos. “Or maybe it’ll be Dusty. I’m not with Dusty, but he’s singing the national anthem and he’s playing in the charity game tomorrow.”
“I would pay money to see that.” Mercy laughed. “I think it’s wild that you’re in a pack with BroKen.” The scrunchies on her braids were black and silver for the Knights.
“What am I going to tell the parents?” That was my biggest fear. There would be so much yelling.