Page 21

Maya

There’s a bubble of warmth spreading through my chest as we make our way back, Dakota and Brogan each taking one of my hands, the three of us walking together like we’ve got the world at our feet. Roman mentioned something about the gym and Holt mysteriously disappeared the moment we got back to campus. But this is nice, a moment of peace.

A moment of peace that doesn’t last.

My phone buzzes, Dakota reaching into my pocket and handing it to me, a frown spreading across his lips. “Why is the dean calling you?”

I shrug because there’s no reason why he should be. Untangling my hands from them, I take my phone and answer, heart in my throat. “Hello?” He mentions something about an urgent meeting, that if I’m on campus I should head on over. “Yeah, I’ll be right over.” Now, I’m mirroring Dakota’s frown as I let them know that I’ve got an impromptu meeting. They both seem reluctant to let me leave, Dakota more than Brogan.

Dakota hooks a finger through my belt loop, tugging me back with a playful grin that doesn’t quite hide his worry. His lips find mine, lavender flooding my senses, and I melt into it, a surprised laugh bubbling up. Then Brogan’s there stealing me away, his hand cupping my face, kissing me slower, his rain scent just as strong when they are this close. “We’re doing this?” I ask, half-teasing, because—damn, out here, in the open quad?

“Just wait till Roman’s in on it,” Brogan purrs, his tongue darting out to lick his lips.

“Because you’re waiting to get kissed too?” I tease and his blush deepens, a sheepish smile tugging at his lips.

“Don’t push it,” he mutters.

I wave them off, hurrying to the main building and down to the admin hall, a little on edge as to why the meeting is so important. It’s a good thing I don’t have any classes today but the worry is there all the same. And it gets worse when I catch sight of Mason and Ethan through the glass door, their faces twisted—Ethan’s bruised from Roman’s punch, Mason’s red with fury—along with the sports program admin, a professor I vaguely recognize, and someone else I don’t know. Burnt scents clash, my chest tightening, fear prickling my skin, because this feels bigger than a team spat.

I force myself forward, stepping into the dean’s office off to the side, the man looking up from his desk, worry etched in his lined face. “Have a seat, Maya.” Another woman I recognize from the administration is sitting beside him, a smile on her face that seems like it’s supposed to be comforting.

“What’s going on?”

He leans forward, a heavy exhale passing through his lips before he speaks. “We’ve had several reports about behavioral conduct in the last two days regarding the Hawks which is more reports than I’ve had in the last four years.”

“Does this have to do with the incident two days ago?” I ask, because I never reported Nox cornering me, thought Holt handled it, and now I’m kicking myself. “I’m sorry I didn’t say anything. I thought Holt…”

He holds up a hand, shaking his head. “Maya, you’re not in any trouble but what I do have is time-sensitive and important. I’ve brought Holly here to help bridge some of this information.” He nods to the woman, whose smile widens a little, but it doesn’t ease the knot in my chest.

I glance between them, my hands twisting in my lap, all the good feelings from this morning washing away. “I’m very confused and a little scared,” I admit. “Why are Mason and Ethan in that other room arguing? Did I do something?”

The dean looks exasperated, rubbing his temple. “Maya, hold up. Just… deep breaths.” I try, inhaling shakily, and he leans back, choosing his words before he speaks again. “Ethan and Mason came to me this morning regarding one of Roman’s outbursts, which should’ve never happened. We have a no-tolerance policy for violence. He will be reprimanded.”

“Okay,” I say, cautious, “but…”

“However,” the dean cuts in, “we’ve had several other reports regarding Ethan’s comments involving you and Brogan, so that will be taken into consideration.”

“I don’t know why you’d call me in for that.” As the assistant coach, I’m sure I would have been pulled into a meeting at some point but Mason and Holt would have been apart of it. Sitting here alone means that there’s something else going on.

“This next part does have to do with the incident,” he says, “but again, you’re not in trouble. I just need to hear from you what happened. I don’t need all the details, but enough.”

I don’t want to rehash any of that, the terror coursing through me at the thought that Nox would have done worse if Holt hadn’t been there. But it did happen on campus and there’s no use in hiding it. “Two days ago, my ex showed up. I was in the shower after practice, and he… he cornered me, chased me through the rink’s halls.” My throat tightens, but I keep going, because the dean’s watching. “Holt found me, protected me. Things get fuzzy after that, but Roman, Dakota, and Brogan were there too. They helped me back to Dakota’s dorm, and I… I passed out.”

My breathing is a bit shallow as I try to stuff that memory down, glad that Nox hasn’t tried to contact me since then. I’m not sure how I would handle it. Neither of them say anything, the dean shooting Holly a glance as she leans forward, placing a soft hand on the desk beside me but not touching me.

“Ethan brought his concerns to Mason and Mason brought the tapes from the ice rink from that incident.” My eyes widen, panic spiking, because what tapes? My mind races to that night, my bare feet slapping the floor, my body exposed, terror in my expression. To know that it had been recorded both pisses me off and makes me want to curl into myself.

“What was the story?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper, dread curling tight in my chest.

“They were saying you were waltzing through the halls naked, feeding into Ethan’s comments about you…” She hesitates and even though I know what’s coming, but it still hurts. “I’m sorry, there’s no easier way to say this—about you being passed around on the team.”

A sob breaks free as I clamp a hand over my mouth, tears stinging my eyes. It’s not just the lie—it’s the betrayal, Ethan twisting my terror into something vile, Mason buying it, spreading it.

Holly softly taps the table, bringing me out of my head. “Well, the dean here called me in because of the sensitivity of the video. I watched the clip and whoever was chasing you is out of frame. I’m not sure if it was strategic or a stroke of luck on his part. I did get access to the entire tape for that day, though because the campus police got involved. Maya, he didn’t just slip into the rink.”

“What are you saying?”

Holly glances at the dean, then back to me. “Ethan and Mason had been discussing something at the front and Ethan walked that man all the way to the office before heading to the locker room.”

“Ethan brought him to me?” I whisper, disbelief choking me, because—no, that can’t be right. There’s no reason why Ethan would lead a stranger to the office while he knew I was taking a shower.

The dean nods, affirming Holly’s statement. “There are several consequences lined up for this incident, one of which means Ethan will sit out for the upcoming game. It also means Mason is being forced to step down as coach.”

“But…” I start, realizing that without a head coach, the Hawks can’t play.

“We spoke to Holt just before you and I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him that livid, but he’s agreed to step into the head coach position for the time being, until we find someone permanent.”

This is a lot of information to handle on top of that whole, awkward pack meeting we just had. And it’s on the edge of too much, the pause in the conversation telling me that the dean is giving me the opportunity to pull back, to step away but hockey has been the one constant in my life that has never failed me. “I’m not going anywhere”

The dean gestures to the door, nodding slowly. “That makes this a lot easier then.” The door opens and Holt steps inside, sitting beside me. “There’s going to be a lot of changes in a very short amount of time and I apologize for that. Holt came in earlier, as I mentioned, and he also informed me of the changes within his pack, as well as filing that you’re now in a relationship?”

My eyes widen, heat flooding my face as I stammer, “He said it was okay!” The words tumble out, panicked, because—fuck, did I screw this up? Was I not supposed to tell anyone?

The dean laughs, a warm sound that cuts through my spiral. “You’re not in trouble, Maya. But, we do require these things to be recorded, just in case of any issues. I wanted to confer with you before I did that.”

“Yeah, um, yes, this is a thing.”

“I think that’s all I have, then. Ethan has been informed he’s not sitting on the bench for tomorrow night’s game. He’ll be at the next practice, on academic probation, and Mason will be cleaning out his office tonight. Security is really important on this campus, and they both disregarded it. We’re still getting to the bottom of why, but you don’t have to worry about that.”

He stands as do I and Holt, the dean extending his hand to shake mine. I’m still a little worried about everything that’s now up in the air as he clasps his other hand over mine as well. “Despite the situation, I’m very excited to see the Hawks play and maybe bring home a win. We could use one of those right about now.”

I manage a nod, a tight smile on my lips as Holt shakes the dean’s hand as well, both of us saying goodbye to Holly before I make a beeline toward my dorm. I’m not even sure why I need the comfort of my own space at this moment or why I keep checking to see if Holt is behind me. When I finally reach my door, I whirl around to confront him. “Why would you do that? Why would you take the coaching position when you didn’t even want it?”