Page 46 of Full Body Hit, Part 2 (Alpha Omega Hockey #6)

Auston opened his mouth, but nothing came out. It was almost pain that flashed across his face, but it was sweet in a way, his open gaze swallowing Chase up.

He leaned forwards, burying his face in Chase’s neck, hold tightening. “I think…I think this is everything I ever wanted.”

Chase shut his eyes, letting that wash over him.

There were many things he wanted in life. He wanted to become a great player. Be a great teammate. He wanted to win the cup. He wanted to have kids. He wanted to be part of a loving family. Wanted to be loyal and kind to his friends.

Most of all, at that moment, he wanted Auston to be happy. To look at his life, at Chase, and think— Yeah. That was exactly what I wanted.

He wanted to make sure that Auston felt all the love Chase had spilling out of him, a torrent he never wanted to stop.

***

To say Chase was nervous about officially meeting Auston’s family would be an understatement. Auston had to pull over fifteen minutes from the house so Chase could concentrate on reeling his scent in—he didn’t want to arrive at his in-laws like a fucking anxiety bomb going off.

Turned out he didn’t have much to worry about, although for one unexpected reason.

Jasmine loved him.

“This one breathes fire,” Jasmine stated, pointing at a doll with its face painted red.

“Oh, is that why her face is red?” Chase asked. They were sitting on the porch, surrounded by the toys Jasmine had decided to display for Chase like some surprisingly macabre museum.

“No, that’s blood. Her face got ripped off. Do you know the word for ripping skin off?” she asked, bouncing in front of him, black hair flopping around her.

“Um…”

“ Skinning .”

“Wow. That’s what happened to her?”

“Yep!” She moved on before he could ask questions. “This one is made of poop!”

“Oh, yeah. I was wondering what that smell was! I thought that was you!”

Jasmine proceeded to cackle as if that were the funniest thing she’d ever heard. She stumbled forwards, hanging from Chase’s neck and almost snapping it in half.

“ Oof .”

“Mimi, don’t break Chase,” a female voice said from behind them.

“I’m not ,” Jasmine shouted, but she straightened up and stopped choking him.

“Come on, it’s bathtime.”

Chase turned to see Monir, Ariana’s partner, standing there. She had dark brown skin and big round eyes behind thick glasses, a half-moon piercing dangling from her nose. She had been the only one he hadn’t met through video call, although he’d heard plenty about Ariana’s mate.

Jasmine did not like the bath idea at all , but Chase managed to convince her, making jokes about smelling poopy and how it was all over his hands now, how he had to shower too.

Jasmine acquiesced eventually, dragged upstairs by her mom while Ariana watched them, shaking her head.

Auston popped his head out of the living room, where he’d been with his parents. “Oh, she released you?” he joked at Chase.

“I’ll have to meet the rest of her toys tomorrow.”

Beside him, Ariana snorted. “I’ve never seen her get so attached to anybody. She’s barely spent time with her sister. I didn’t think it was possible.”

Chase squirmed. “I hope that was okay?”

“Oh, yeah. It’s amazing.” She stared out towards the porch. “I’m just going to clean these up.”

“Oh, I’ll help you.” Chase waved Auston off when the Alpha stepped closer and followed Ariana out, helping her pick toys up.

“Hey…” she started as they put everything away. “I just wanted to say…Auston told me a little about Spain. About how he went off and disappeared into a drunk mess for a while.”

“Oh, yeah. I mean, it was fine. I think I overreacted a little—obviously, he’s an adult, and—” Chase startled as Ariana stepped forwards and wrapped him up in her arms.

Chase hugged her back, arms coming up tentatively. He blinked as she moved away again. “Sorry. I just…after he told me how young you were, I was kind of, like…how the fuck is this going to work?”

Chase tensed. He’d had no idea that had been her reaction, but she went on.

“Auston told me you were mature, but that’s kind of what older creepy guys always say.”

“Auston isn’t—”

“No, no. I know. Sorry, my point is that I didn’t know how someone so much younger than Auston would be able to be his partner, but I get what he’s been saying about you now.

How you two just…work together. Understand each other.

If you weren’t here, he’d be drunk the whole fucking summer, no matter what we said or how we tried to support him.

I mean, not that he drinks a lot normally, but he’d just…

avoid the situation in whatever way he could.

But you got him to stop in two fucking days. ”

Chase stared at his shoes. “I mean…he wasn’t doing anything bad. He was just…”

“I mean, sure, getting wasted isn’t the end of the world for a normal adult, but I would be worried too.

Like, it’s not something Auston normally does, and he was doing it to not deal with his goddamn emotions, so, yeah, you were right to be concerned.

But you were understanding, too? Which…I think I wouldn’t have been. ”

Chase wasn’t quite sure what to say to that. They’d talked it out and worked through it. What else could he have done but understand him?

Ariana shrugged. “Anyway. I just wanted to say that I’m really glad he found you. I’ve honestly never seen him so happy, and I’ve known him all my life, so.”

Chase could feel something bloom in his gut. “Really?”

“Yeah.” She patted him on the shoulder. “Welcome to the family.”

Auston caught him later when they went to the little house Auston had in San Diego. “Did my sister harass you?”

Chase laughed. “No. She was saying nice things, actually?”

“About me ?” Auston said dubiously.

“Well, more about me.”

“Oh. That makes more sense.” He kissed Chase on the top of the head. “You’re good? Having a good time?”

Chase nodded. It felt…strange, being embraced so easily by a family.

Auston’s parents were so nice . His mom kept trying to feed him, and his dad was constantly making jokes that no one but Chase and the kids seemed to find funny.

Most of all, there was something special about watching them all interact, sensing the grooves of history in their dynamics, carved in by years of love.

Chase had never had that. All his love was fresh and untested.

He wanted what they had, though. More than that, he was starting to believe he could have it.

“I really like it here,” Chase said, looking up at Auston as they stood close.

Auston smiled, a slowly unfurling thing. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Good. You’re part of the family now.”

Chase cuddled close, those words hitting something deep within, a lonely gong ringing out where empty space used to be.

Those hollow places were being filled up with something bright now, though, no longer cold and abandoned.

Chase pressed into Auston, breathing him in—the scent of his mate. Of the love of his life.

Whatever came, Chase would be able to handle it.

He wasn’t alone anymore.

FIN