Page 43

Tenzin

Gwen

At the bar. Come down.

I looked at the photo of her, Clark, and Cooter. Fuck.

Me

I’m going to kill Cooter.

Served me right for not asking more questions about the wedding Cooter wanted me to be his plus one at.

It had been nice seeing my Sasquatch teammates, and I’d missed them. But I missed Gwen and Clark more.

The moment I discovered we were going to Quebec, I’d wanted to see if she was close, but my phone had died. Even though my phone had little charge, I shoved it into my pocket. I barreled down the stairs, heading straight to the bar.

Cooter stood with a bunch of people I didn’t know–and some I did, like Dimitri, Clark, and Gwen.

Gwen waved me over. “Hey, Big Guy, welcome to the party.”

“Hey, Firecracker.” I gave Cooter a look. “Seriously?”

He couldn’t have told me we were going to the same wedding as Gwen and Clark? All I knew was that it was some friend of his from university. Jonny.

“Bucket!” Dean waved. “Come join the party. Hey, I didn’t know you were coming?”

“I didn’t either.” I gave Cooter another look.

Cooter smirked again. “Tenny, meet Jonny Boy. We went to university together. He’s now a goalie for this obscure team called the New York Knights. Johnny Boy, this is Tenny. We played on the Sasquatches together.”

Jonny Boy waved. “Jean-Paul, but most people call me JP. Only Peter calls me Jonny Boy.”

I couldn’t tell if Jean-Paul was calling him Peter, or if Cooter sounded that way with his accent. Peter wasn’t Cooter’s name before, it was Cooter.

“I’m Tenzin. It’s nice to meet you. Congratulations on your wedding,” I told him.

“This is Bucket,” Dean told Jean-Paul. “Ladybug found him in the freezer section and now we have a new defender.”

“Tens.” Clark came over holding a beer. “I didn’t know this was the wedding you were going to. I’m so glad you’re here.”

He looked relieved. What happened?

Cooter shrugged. “I thought it would be a fun surprise, since you’re a Knight now. You could meet some of your teammates.”

“Welcome to the Knights,” Jean-Paul told me.

“You’re the missing person in the goalie dance. JP, didn’t you go to university here?” Gwen said to Cooter.

“So…” Cooter ran a hand through his hair, looking bashful. “You know how you think a school is one place, and it’s really somewhere else, just has a similar name? That happened. I was so surprised with everyone speaking French. But, hey, we played good hockey, am I right?” He patted Jean-Paul on the shoulder.

Cooter, Jean-Paul, and Gwen started speaking in rapid French, with Dean joining in. My French wasn’t that good, and Cooter had quite the accent.

“Is everything okay?” I asked Clark as I got a beer from the bar.

“Gwen’s brother is here. I didn’t see it, but she was upset.” He frowned. “She thinks he’s here to bring her back to Vancouver.”

“He’s here to what?” I frowned. No wonder she was upset.

“I’m confused. She’s an adult and a beta. Her brother can’t throw her over his shoulder and take her back to her dads’ house.” Clark frowned. “She also said the last time she was in Canada, she had to crawl out the window.”

Huh. She had told me that she’d changed her name because of safety reasons.

“Oh, Babybug, I made you a present,” Cooter said, in English, digging something out of his pocket.

That only cemented the fact that the fucker knew Gwen was going to be here and didn’t tell me. Asshole. I should have suspected something, since he’d only invited me to be his plus one a few weeks ago.

He put the leather cord around her neck. “I made this to protect you. I have one, too.” Cooter took his out from under his shirt.

I put my hand over my face. “Cooter.”

She admired the piece of bone on the cord. “This is bone?”

While he meant well, I wasn’t sure what she’d think of wearing a raccoon penis bone as jewelry. But this was Gwen, and it was a raccoon.

“Raccoon. Don’t worry, it was humanely acquired,” he replied.

“Thank you.” She grinned. “This is so nice, and I could use this right now.”

Clark looked at it, and his eyebrows rose. “Um, isn’t that…”

“Yes.” I sighed. While I loved Cooter like a brother, Cooter Cootering in public could be a bit much for me sometimes.

Jonas chuckled. “This is the most goalie thing ever.”

Gwen blinked. “I think it’s sweet.”

“I still have the one you made me. Wear it for all the big games,” Jean-Paul replied.

“Excuse me.” A nicely dressed alpha in his late thirties appeared. He had wavy brown hair, olive skin, and hazel eyes.

Hazel eyes that reminded me of Gwen’s.

“Gwen, can we talk, please?” he pleaded, turning to her.

“Is this your ex who hurt you?” Cooter blocked her with his body, eyes narrowing at the stranger.

“No.” She shook her head, burnt sugar fear overpowering her mint scent.

“She’s an adult and has a life and people who care about her.” Clark joined Cooter, scowling. “You need to leave her alone. She’s also great at hockey.”

Carlos stood next to her. “Oh, fuck, your asshole dad is here.”

“I think you should leave,” I told him, taking a step toward the stranger, Gwen’s fear tugging on my alpha instinct to protect her.

“I swear I’m only here for Flavie’s cousins’ wedding, nothing more. Look, I didn’t know you were here. All I want to do is talk.” The man looked at Carlos, horrified. “I’m not her dad.”

“That’s Matty, my brother.” She pulled Clark to her.

“Your brother’s old ,” Carlos chortled. “Old enough to be your dad. ”

“Thanks.” Matty’s voice went dry.

“Ladybug, you don’t have to go with anyone or do anything you don’t want.” Jean-Paul joined me. Most of the Knights surrounded her.

“I can call security,” Jonas said.

“Is everything alright?” Dimitri joined us, looking fierce as usual.

“Gwen’s super-old brother is here,” Carlos replied.

Matty rubbed his forehead. “I’m not that old. Gwen, I just want to see how you are.” He turned to Clark. “I know she’s good at hockey. But it’s terrifying to watch her.”

“Why?” I held his gaze. When she was in the zone, it was poetic.

“Um, because giant alphas flinging pucks at her head is scary? The kids would love to see you. We’re staying in chalet three.” With that, he turned and left.

She looked like she was about to burst into tears. Clark squeezed her hand, then took off after him.

I’m not sure she even noticed. She was between Jean-Paul, Cooter, and Dean, with Dimitri and Carlos standing guard. They were all comforting her. I caught Dimitri’s eye, then jerked my head in the direction Clark went, then followed them.

“I’m not here to hurt her,” Matty said, standing in the hallway where Clark had cornered him. He was almost as tall as Clark and broad shouldered, but not nearly as big as most of our teammates.

There was something about him that would make most people think twice about messing with him.

No one messed with Gwen.

“So, your dads didn’t track her ID and send you to bring her to Vancouver?” Clark demanded.

“No. Though I can see how Gwen thinks that. We’re here for a mating party for my omega’s cousin. Our pack came early, since the kids like the animals,” he told us.

Clark’s expression clouded. “Gwen deserves to be supported. Your family tried to stop her from playing hockey after your mom died.”

“Gwen got massively injured playing hockey right when we found out our mom’s cancer came back. While she made a full recovery, we weren’t sure she would, and I swear she did out of spite. After our mom died, the dads wanted her to stay in Vancouver. Not only because they were afraid she’d get hurt again, but because they’d lost their omega, and Gwen’s the baby of the family. They went about it all wrong, which they often did when it came to her.” He sighed.

“Oh.” I nodded. “I could see that.”

“In case you haven’t noticed, my baby sister is possibly the most stubborn person on the planet. More stubborn than even the dads. They did a lot of trying to out-stubborn each other.” Matty rubbed his head.

Clark looked at Matty’s expensive watch. “Still, you abandoned her. She lived in a closet at the ice rink after she broke up with Austin. She sold her Maria Barilla rookie card to pay for her tuition last year.”

“When did she live in a closet?” I turned to him, angry at the thought of Gwen being abandoned.

“After she broke up with her ex, but before she moved in with me. No one knew, otherwise we would have done something. As soon as I found out, I fixed it,” Clark replied, then scowled at Matty.

“There’s a lot that’s not mine to tell,” Matty replied, frowning.

“Last time she was in Canada, you all tried to keep her from going back to New York,” Clark retorted, taking a menacing step toward him.

Clark’s desire to defend and protect Gwen was hot.

“The dads did. Assholish, but well-meant. She’s been through some shit, and they were worried about her,” Matty told us.

“Worried?” Gwen stood there with tear stains on her face, arms wrapped around herself. “They demanded I drop out, leave New York, and stay in Vancouver, like I was a little kid.”

“That was shitty. However, I understand why they thought it was a good idea, just not how they did it.” Matty got closer to her.

She shrank and nestled into Clark’s arms. I stood between Gwen and her brother to create a shield.

“I have no idea who you two are. Like I know who you are, and it’s obvious that you two care about her, but who are you ?” Matty asked.

“They’re mine . I’m old enough to date. Most of my sisters were getting mated at my age.” She made a face at her brother, while she stayed in Clark’s arms.

“We are?” Clark beamed at her. “I’m so happy.”

Hers? I’d take it. We belonged to her.

“Me, too.” I gave her forehead a kiss. Forehead kisses make everything better.

“I’m not going back. I’m doing fine.” Tears streamed down her face.

I gave him a look to let him know that we’d protect her wishes at all costs.

“I know. Last year at NYIT. Wow. Also, that final one with the six overtimes was insane,” Matty assured, not moving closer to her.

Her head ducked. “I… I thought I saw you at the game.”

“Lenny and I were there. Joe, Papa, and Babo, too. It was so hard to keep Babo from finding you afterward. We were trying to respect your request for independence,” he told her. “I’ve caught a few of your games, which are still terrifying to watch. I feel like your leg is going to snap off any time you go into full butterfly.”

Oh. There were definitely some complicated things going on here.

“I do my yoga, I see the physio, I’m okay,” she assured. “Papa came? He hates me playing hockey.” Her nose scrunched.

“The dads love you, which is why you always get your way, eventually. They just have to be assholes on principle first,” he told her.

That, too, I could see. Especially if any of the dads were alphas. They’d want to protect their youngest, shield her, and get their way.

“I don’t like that.” Gwen scowled. “Now you’ll tell the dads and they’ll get me and…” She started to cry and Clark stroked her hair. “They sent me away. They don’t get to keep me only when it’s convenient,” she sobbed.

Her fear, her tears, put me on edge and I growled at Matty.

“Buttons,” Matty soothed, putting his hands up in surrender. “I don’t have to tell anyone I saw you. Also, even though the dads are assholes, when you left last time, they let you go . They kept their distance and hoped that you’d come back when you were ready.”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” She flinched.

“You never want to talk about it, which is a big part of the problem. Eventually, the lies you tell yourself are going to catch up to you.” His voice gentled. “The dads are getting old, Buttons. I know how much not going to the grandparents’ funeral hurt you. How will you feel if something happens to one of the dads, our siblings, or your nieces and nephews, and we can’t tell you because you block us?”

“If I talk to any of you, they’ll find me.” Her chest shook. “It’s bad enough I talk to Lenny sometimes.”

“I’m glad you talk to Lenny.” A pained look crossed his face. “While the dads are worried about you, they’re not going to kidnap you and take you back to Vancouver.”

She gave him a defiant look. “Why not? It’s what happened last time.”

“You were hurt, Buttons. You needed the hospital and when you were released, you needed to be cared for. I’m sorry they always fuck things up when it comes to you,” her brother soothed.

My hands fisted. Who’d hurt her?

“I’m sorry we didn’t protect you better. However, not dealing with it isn’t helping you. I guess you haven’t told them that story? Sorry, not trying to boundary stomp. I’m genuinely worried.” Matty gave her an apologetic look.

“I try not to tell anyone that story. Ever.” Salty sadness filled her scent as she burrowed into Clark’s arms.

My heart broke for her and everything she’d been through. I’d give everything to make it all better. She deserved the world, and it seemed all she ever got was heartbreak.