Page 3

Sweat drips down my forehead before I can swipe it away with the towel around my neck. This last workout was a fucking killer—benefits of having a home gym and two packmates who are just as much into fitness as I am during the off-season.

The doorbell rings again.

“Yeah, hold your damn horses.”

Reaching for the handle, I open the heavy wooden door and find Barrett Matthews leaning against the frame. My smile is genuine. Pack life looks good on the bastard—now that he’s finally jumped on board, that is. Seeing my friend struggle these last few months has been hard, but more so because after close to two decades of friendship, I know there’s no other person who deserves the love he’s found more than him.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the retiree. You here to chat with the youngins and reminisce about the good ol’ days?”

“You’re a fucking idiot,” he mutters, but I see the grin he’s trying to hide as he steps inside. “You’re the same damn age as me.”

“And don’t I feel every single one of those years. We’re definitely not in our early twenties anymore where we could fall down and get right back up. All those late-night parties after a win in college, the puck bunnies hanging off our sticks... Those were the days.” Even as I say the words, I know he’s going to call me on that bullshit.

“Shut the hell up. You hated that as much as I did. You spent more time at the rink than at the bar or frat houses. Always looking for the next person to save. That’s why we clung to the role of West’s big brothers so easily. It gave us a purpose.”

I chuckle. “And an excuse to bail when we weren’t feeling like being overly social.”

“You’re not wrong.”

I clap him on the shoulder. “Just getting ready to make some lunch. You’re welcome to join us.”

“See, that’s what I was just telling Cadence. Everyone thinks you’re this big, intimidating dude, yet here you are making lunch and being Holly Homemaker.”

“It’s part of my mystique. Don’t hate.”

What can I say? My love language includes acts of service, and as far as my pack is concerned, that means feeding those big fuckers and making sure they're taken care of. It's a side of me that only those in my surrogate family have seen, and while I've treated any ex-lovers or girlfriends well, not even they saw the depths to which I "mother hen" my brothers, as Raff and Flint would refer to it. Now, all I need is an Omega to care for, too, though that's been an increasing problem considering the one I've had my heart set on is more likely to punch me than accept my attempts at caring for her.

Barrett laughs as I shut the door. We make our way toward the kitchen at the back of the house, and even though I see this view of the Valley spread out below us every single day through our floor-to-ceiling windows, it never ceases to amaze me.

We’re tucked up on South View Mountain, on a flattened slope where another home once stood. When the property went through foreclosure, we snapped it up, demolished the dilapidated structure, and built our dream house. Nearly twenty-one-thousand square feet of modern luxury. What can I say? With three professional hockey players in residence, money isn’t a huge concern.

None of us were particularly wealthy growing up—our upbringings firmly in the middle-to-upper-middle class categories. Being able to splurge on shit like this now is part of what makes what we do worth the aches and pains and public scrutiny that come along with professional sports. The fact that there’s also a gorgeous, fully decorated and vacant nest tucked away within is like a hot poker to my heart.

One day , I tell myself just so I don’t dwell on it too hard.

“Sorensen and Campbell here too?”

My eyebrow quirks up. “Yeah, why? What’s up?”

His face gives nothing away. “Have a few things to talk to you guys about. That’s all.”

“Hey, assholes, Matthews is here, and he’s got his serious face on,” I call out over the clank of gym equipment and good-natured ribbing coming from the gym at the end of the hall.

“He fuck up with Cadie again? He didn’t listen to our advice last time. Why would now be any different?” Raff calls out.

“Eat shit, asshole,” Matthews yells back, earning him riotous laughter from my packmates.

Fondness rushes through our pack bond, as I knew it would. Their affection for our old teammate runs damn near as deep as my own.

Entering the kitchen, I head for the fridge. “Want a beer?”

“Sure. Whatcha making for lunch?”

“Chicken salad on avocado halves and a fruit platter.”

“Mystique my ass,” he mutters. “More like Pinterest addiction . I wouldn’t be surprised if you had a secret PackChat account with recipes for healthy eating and do-it-yourself home improvements.”

“Fuck off. You’re just jealous. Maybe you should take some notes and win some more points with Cadence.”

He rolls his eyes, and I hand him his beer just as Flint and Rafferty walk in, greeting our ex-teammate with some friendly jabs that are too good to resist. I listen to them laugh and catch up as I throw on an apron before I start putting together lunch, enjoying the normalcy of it all. I was worried we wouldn’t see much of him now that he left the game and bonded the love of his life. A small flare of jealousy hits me unexpectedly, but I shove that shit down because I’m happy for my friend.

I plate the food and set each serving in front of the men lined up on stools on the other side of the kitchen island.

Matthews eyes the apron with a smirk, and I give him the middle finger.

“So what gives, man?” Raff asks, shoving a slice of kiwi into his mouth. His red hair is drenched with sweat and two shades darker than usual. He’s shirtless, with only a towel thrown around his shoulders. The mix of colorful tattoos and solid black ink completely covering his left arm and his right forearm are on full display. Hopefully, he fucking put some deodorant on, or Matthews is going to get a nose full. “Everything okay with the pack?”

The smile on my friend's face says it all. He’s fucking happy, and no one deserves happiness more than him. After the shit last half of the season, he’s earned himself some peace, and I have no doubt Cadence is going to help him find all of that and more now that he’s finally given in.

“Yeah, it’s great, actually. We’re all settling in at Santiago’s house, and…well… That’s one of the things I came over to tell you guys.”

“What’s up, bro?” Flint stuffs half of the avocado into his mouth, chewing around the massive bite.

We’re a bunch of dudes. No need for manners with friends. At least he’s got a shirt on, even if it’s damn near dripping with sweat. Looks like he at least took the time to towel dry his dark hair considering it’s sticking up all over the fucking place. No wonder we don’t have an Omega yet. We’re a bunch of Neanderthals.

“Cadie’s pregnant.”

A round of cheers and congratulations goes through the room.

“That’s exciting, brother. It sounds like retirement is treating you well, then.”

His hand runs down the back of his neck, a nervous chuckle escaping. “Yeah, about that... I’ve been offered an assistant coaching position with the Heat. I’d be the one working with the forwards.”

“Hell yeah!” Flint slaps him on the back. “I knew you wouldn’t be able to stay gone for long.”

“Does Cadie know?” I ask, hoping like hell he discussed it with her first. After his grand gesture and shit, dude should know better than to rock that particular boat.

“Yeah. Cadie and the other guys know. I just haven’t made my final decision yet. The whole purpose of retiring was to have more time with them, and this would be the opposite of that.”

“What does your pack think you should do?” Raff asks around a bite of chicken salad.

“They support my decision one hundred percent. Of course, Maxim and Riggs are hoping I accept so we can still work together. Cadie just wants me to be happy, and Ti wants whatever Cadie wants. I thought maybe I’d come here and see what you all thought. You know, get an outside perspective based on my skills and not… Hell, I don’t know. Pack loyalty or some shit? So, think I’ve got what it takes to be a coach?”

His dark eyes meet mine, nerves evident in the furrow between his brows and the way his foot restlessly taps against the bar stool.

“Matthews, there is no one else I could think of that would make a better coach than you. You love this game and have more experience than a lot of other current assistant coaches, including hours of real play time. You’d be a huge asset to the Heat organization, and I’m glad Carter has the good sense to recognize that.”

“Agreed,” Raff and Flint say in unison.

“Thank you. I have to let the team know by end of day tomorrow, and I’ve been sweating fucking bullets trying to make a decision. Knowing you all have my back, and my pack supports me in whatever I decide, it helps, ya know?”

“We’ve always got your back, brother. You know that.”

The tension eases from his entire body as he takes a bite of his lunch, then holds up one finger. “There’s one more thing I wanted to talk to you all about.”

When he meets my stare this time, I see the smile he’s not even trying to hide.

“Oh fuck. What is it now? The last time you gave me that look, we agreed to pick Elliott up from the airport, and we all know how that turned out.”

Raff groans. “Yeah, us with tear stained shirts and blue balls. Woman is a beast.”

Matthews laughs. “Well, I have it on good authority?—”

“What he means is West and Cadence gave him inside information,” Flint clarifies.

Matthews rolls his eyes. “Fine. The girls told me that Elliott is taking a week-long trip to The Love Nest, a private island meant for romantic encounters between consenting adults. She went along with it for work research, but I thought this might be the perfect opportunity for you three to show her you're more than just dumb hockey players. Prove to her that your interest is in more than just her body…because it is, right?”

“I’d be lying if I said that girl’s smell doesn’t affect me. It’s like the world’s most delectable orange creamsicle, and I damn near bust a load any time I’m within a few feet of her.” Flint adjusts himself on his stool. “But comforting her while she broke down in my arms that day is one memory I’ll never forget. She was so soft and warm. That hard shell she usually wears like a cloak was nowhere to be found, and the woman beneath it all was someone I’d happily sink my teeth into.”

Raff shakes his head. “Seeing her like that, no snark or smart ass comments thrown at us, just her and her grief and fear for her friend... It about killed all of us that there wasn’t more we could do to take her pain away.”

Matthews eyes me, waiting for my take on the situation.

He and I have talked about Elliott plenty of times before. Hell, I’ve known her longer than I’ve known my packmates, all the way back before her designation came in when Barrett first introduced me to Cohen and Crew. We were thick as thieves, running around the agritainment park, doing the kind of stupid shit young men do—fishing, playing ball, living like we didn’t have a care in the world. The girls were always around, but for the most part, we didn’t pay them much attention. Then one day, I caught her scent but something had changed. I remember the way my entire body reacted to the orange and vanilla perfume wafting off her lithe, way-too-young-for-me body. It took everything inside of me not to react.

For years, I was forced to watch from the sidelines as she attended games with West and appeared at parties where our paths would cross. Never once did I give any hints at the underlying need in my blood for the feisty little Omega, and she never shot me any secret looks or stares filled with longing. I know this tug isn’t one-sided, but it’s not like I can confront her on it. Then the night of Cadie’s accident, I glimpsed another side of Elliott Mitchell. One I’d bet few people ever get to see. When Flint handed her to me, her shaking arms slid around my neck as her face buried itself in the crook of my shoulder as she fought against her emotions. The fact that she trusted me enough to let go? It damn near gutted me. In that single moment, I was ready to confess my feelings and my intentions.

Then the next time we saw her, in the waiting room of the hospital, it was like the switch had flipped once again. Back was the woman that seemingly wanted nothing to do with our pack. But even when she snipes at us or curls that upper lip into the sneer she’s perfected whenever we’re around, my hindbrain doesn’t give a damn if she hates us. It just wants her with a passion we’ve never come close to encountering with any other Omega we’ve ever come across.

“We’d bond her in a heartbeat, but you know it’s not that easy. Nothing with Elliott Mitchell is. Us showing up unexpectedly is sure to set her off, and not in a good way.”

Raff’s blue eyes meet mine. “But maybe Matthews is onto something. In the right environment, in a place where the focus isn’t on bonding or packs, just romance and connections, maybe her guard will be down just enough that she’ll let us in. It could be our one chance to show her how we really feel about her and maybe not lose our balls in the process.”

“I think Raff’s right,” Flint says, eyeing the last bite of chicken salad he’s pushing around his plate. “I’m not sure about you guys, but I’ve tried to put myself out there, meeting other Omegas with the hope that someone else will light that spark I feel inside whenever Elle is around, but it’s almost like my instincts have no interest in anyone who isn’t her. I’m…”

He trails off, the struggle plain as day in the droop of his shoulders and the lines framing his eyes. Flint’s always held his emotions close, part of being raised in an adoptive family. They were kind to him, and really, he was lucky, but there was a part of him that never really got used to the idea of having a permanent home. It took a lot of time for him to feel completely safe despite the fact that his place in their home was never under threat. He’s grown a lot in the years since he’s been with us, but some things take a little more work to share, and that’s okay.

“What is it, Flint?” Raff asks softly.

“I’m fucking lonely,” he whispers, a slight flush tinting his cheeks. “I mean, I appreciate both of you for always having my back and being the brothers I never had, but our pack needs something more. It needs her. ”

My gut sinks at the misery in my packmate’s voice. I hadn’t realized we were all sharing the same feelings. I thought it was just me—used to it after over a decade of denying myself the one thing I knew I could never have.

“Me too,” I admit. “It’s always been her for me, but I guess I didn’t understand just how deep you guys had gotten with her too.”

“It’s not your fault, Nix. It’s not like we sit around discussing shit like this. I think we’ve all been holding out hope that someone else would come along before she made the move back to Arizona, but that seems unlikely now.” Raff stands, placing his hands on the granite counter. “How do we do this, Matthews? How do we get to The Love Nest and finally convince the stubborn girl she’s ours?”

Matthews’s eyes leave Raff, looking at Flint and me. We each nod our agreement.

“Okay, well, lucky for you, West is nothing if not a devious soul in a matchmaker’s body. She’s already worked her magic and reserved you a suite for the same week. Brooks, she says you owe her one for not cockblocking you the way you’ve always cockblocked her.”

I laugh. Fuck, I love that woman . “Deal.”

“But I don’t get it. The island has to be massive. What if we go, but we never even see her?” Flint asks.

“Look, we’ve given you opportunity after opportunity. If you can’t find a way to make this work, it’s on you. Personally, I don’t think you shitheads deserve another chance, and I’m done playing matchmaker, but I’ve got two pregnant Omegas in my ear who want their friend back here and happy, and we all know what West and Cadence want, they get. Don’t let me down.”

The teeniest ember of hope flickers to life in my soul when I share a look with my packmates. This is it. I can sense it. Our one shot at landing the Omega of our dreams. Here’s to hoping our beast has trimmed her claws, or we’re in for a brutal awakening that will leave all of us with broken hearts.