Page 9

Chapter 9

Oliver

“You did what?”

“I pinned her head against the bed because I didn’t want her to see how hard I was.”

Coach bursts out laughing. “It probably made your dick harder with her being under your control.”

Asher groans. “It certainly didn’t help.”

“And did you question her about being an omega?” I ask. “Did she admit she was one?”

“She admitted she was going on a date tonight,” Asher says.

“A fucking date!” The outburst is out before I can stop it. “We need to find her.”

“Look, we can’t move forward with Harlow until she acknowledges what she is,” Coach says, leaning back in his chair.

The weight of it presses down on me. “What? It’s like you’re waiting for her to have this epiphany,” I reply, fingers drumming on the table. “Yet, she might be on a date with an alpha and he might claim her.”

Parker’s eyes flicker with frustration. “We still can’t push her.”

Anger fuels my gut. “We should have scent marked her. That would have made her reveal within days. We should’ve started when she came to the ice.”

“No,” Coach hisses. “Right now, her being an alpha is also her saying she doesn’t want a pack—she doesn’t want us.”

“At least she is closer to us than ever before,” Asher says.

“What do omegas suppress their designation with?” Coach asks.

“She might be a late revealer,” Asher adds. “Her sister revealed late. Maybe she’s going to do the same thing.”

“I don’t know,” I admit, shaking my head. “But when she does…when she accepts who she really is, everything changes.”

Ash’s brow furrows. “And what if she never does?”

“We have to find a way.” My voice hardens as frustration spills over. “We can’t keep dancing around this like it’s some cute little secret.”

Coach rubs the back of his neck as he leans forward. “You think scent marking will help?”

“It might,” I reply slowly, contemplating my next words. "And she deserves to know who she really is.” I sigh. “Just one problem.”

Asher and Coach turn to me.

“One other person believes she’s an omega.” I pause for a moment and say, “Carver Sinclair.”

Asher nods. “You mentioned that before to me.”

“How does he know?” Coach asks, taking a seat .

“It happened after a game. He knew I knew. I knew he knew. He saw me and warned me away from her, telling me she was his brother’s girl. That’s when I realized he knew. We argued…”

“Then time isn’t on our side,” Coach finally concedes. “It’s not an age thing, but I have been thinking about this for a few days now. I need an omega to safeguard Jagger’s future and, to be honest with you, I can't stop thinking about Harlow, but now I might have to give up on her. I need someone who protects Jagger's future. I can’t afford to wait for Harlow if Carver Sinclair will ruin everything.”

“He won’t ruin anything.” My chest tightens at the thought of our pack with another omega and not Harlow.

I’ve waited for her. I asked Asher to wait for her. I promised she was ours.

I sigh.

The wait gnaws at me like a wolf pacing outside its den, hungry for something it can’t quite reach. Harlow stirs something in me, a pull I can’t ignore, yet here we are, standing at this impasse.

A moment stretches in silence, as the tension hangs like smoke in the air.

Asher breaks the stillness, standing up to grab a bottle of bourbon from the cabinet. He pours each of us a glass, the amber liquid catching the light from the lamp in the corner.

I take a sip, letting the warmth wash over me.

It steadies my nerves, grounding me for what’s ahead.

I look at Coach Parker, who’s leaning back in his chair, deep in thought.

“I’m prepared to put in the application to be a fully fledged pack,” I say, my voice steady despite the swirling uncertainty. I’m the one who held back on the application, because I’d been in secret talks with the New York Bears to be nearer to Harlow. But now she is here. “And that will tell them we’re not only committed to each other, but to finding our pack omega.”

Coach’s gaze sharpens at my words. “You think that’ll help?”

“Yeah,” I reply, glancing at Asher and back at Parker. “At least it’ll keep Jake’s lawyers off our backs. With Jagger living with us as part of an established pack, it’ll cement our relationship even without an omega.”

The corner of Parker’s mouth lifts slightly—a flicker of hope? “If you do that,” he says slowly, “I’ll fight for Harlow.”

“Thank fuck,” I breathe out, relief flooding me.

A beat passes as we all soak in that promise. It’s a small victory, but one that could change everything.

Coach shifts in his seat, his brow furrowing slightly. “Do you think she’ll come around?” His voice softens, almost vulnerable.

“She has to.” I murmur under my breath, conviction rising within me like smoke from an extinguished fire.

I clutch my glass tighter, feeling the coolness against my palm.

Asher nods slowly, contemplative. “She’s struggling with her identity right now.”

“Yeah,” I say, eyes focused on the darkening night as I wonder where she is. Who she is with.

I can’t shake this feeling of urgency. She needs to realize she doesn’t have to pretend anymore; she can embrace who she really is and find strength in it instead of hiding from it.

“I just wish there was something more we could do,” Asher says quietly.

“She just has to figure it out on her own,” I respond, knowing how important this journey is for her, even if it feels like time slips away from us all too fast. “But she is coming to you for physio. She is working for the Raiders. She’s here, and that counts for a lot. ”

“She might not want someone as old as me.” Coach’s voice is heavy with doubt.

“Did you see the way she stared at you?” I can’t help but smirk, leaning back in my chair.

A glint of hope flares in his eyes, just for a moment.

“Did she?” Asher leans forward, his curiosity piqued.

“Yeah,” I say, trying to keep my tone light. But something shifts in me as I watch Coach wrestle with his insecurities. He’s a good man, and like Harlow, he deserves someone who sees his potential.

“She’s beautiful, and I’m an old guy,” he grumbles, pushing his hair back with his fingers.

“You’re in your thirties. You’re hardly old,” I shoot back. He needs this pep talk more than he knows.

Asher nods. “And she might want a Daddy.” There’s a playful edge to his voice, but the weight behind it isn’t lost on me.

“Yeah, she might have Daddy issues,” I add quietly, considering how much I know about her without really knowing her at all. “Considering her own father left when she was young.”

Coach’s gaze snaps to mine, surprise flickering across his features. “You know an awful lot about Harlow.”

I shrug off the comment with a casual grin, but inside, something churns. It feels like everyone is dancing around what’s right in front of us—the chemistry between Coach and Harlow that’s practically palpable. Her not being scared underneath Asher’s rough touch. She wants us. She just doesn’t know it–yet.

She deserves someone who can give her what she needs. And she needs what we can give her.

I tap my fingers against the table, searching for words that could untangle this knot of uncertainty in Coach’s mind. “Look,” I say finally, keeping my tone serious. “She wouldn’t be working here if she didn’t want to be close to us.”

Asher glances at Coach before looking back at me. “You really think it’ll work out?”

“Why won’t it?” I challenge gently, aware that we’re all trying to work out our feelings while holding onto what we believe we know about Harlow—and ourselves.

“I swear I knew she was my omega the first day I set eyes on her. I’m positive I could smell her. She smells of...”

“All sweetness, pineapple, coconut, vanilla—” Asher says.

“And rum. Not too much, just a hint,” Coach adds. “That’s the smell I couldn’t work out.”

“She’s our fucking omega. Why the hell can’t she smell us?”

Asher turns his laptop our way. “There are quite a few products available. Scent blockers, heat suppressants, and there’s a tablet that stops slick from flowing.”

“It can’t be a scent blocker. We can all smell her,” Coach says.

I lean back in my chair, unable to shake off the feeling that if we don’t act now, she’ll slip through our fingers.

Her omega nature is hidden beneath layers of denial and bravado, and something much stronger, but what if she suddenly reveals?

“We need to make a move,” I say, cutting through the silence in the room. My heart races as I voice my thoughts. “Before she becomes an omega. Before someone else claims her.”

Asher’s eyes light up with understanding, a spark igniting between us. “You’re right,” he says, nodding vigorously. “We can’t wait for her to figure this out on her own. We have to help her along.”

“Exactly,” I reply, adrenaline coursing through me at the thought of making such a bold move. “We can show her she can have a place here with us. ”

“What do you propose?” Asher asks, leaning forward, his interest piqued.

Coach just listens.

“We create an opportunity. Something that pulls her into our world and makes her want to stay.” My mind races as I piece it together. “We invite her to join us for a team event or a training session. Something that puts her in direct contact with us.”

“Or we pay her to pretend to belong to the pack. We ask her to help us out so we can keep Jagger,” Asher says.

Coach raises an eyebrow, clearly impressed by the idea.

“And then we play on our strengths.” I lean closer, my voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “We let her see what we can each give her. Let her feel the chemistry—smell our scents.”

Coach grins slowly, excitement bubbling up within him. “A fake relationship?”

“Exactly.” The more I think about it, the clearer it becomes: this is our chance to break through those walls she’s built around herself.

Asher nods again, determination settling over his features. “I want her.” His tone is fierce and resolute. “We can make this work.”

“Then let’s make it happen,” I say, matching his excitement.

I turn to Coach. I know he wanted Harlow to find us—but this plan is so much better.

“Fake,” he murmurs. I can almost feel his wheels turning as he considers everything. “Okay, I’m in.”

Thank fuck for that.

Because now I won’t stop until she’s ours completely.