Page 100 of Never Bet Against A Hockey Player

We said a quick goodbye before I headed back toward the parking lot. I tried my best not to let the weight of everything settle onto my shoulders.

There was still one thing I hadn’t done today. I hadn’t called the clinic. I still wasn’t ready to hear someone tell me I was a broken omega. Or that I might never experience a heat.

That was yet another piece of myself my mother had stolen.

But that conversation didn’t have to happen today.

Today was for shopping with my pack.

Maybe I’d even let my omega choose something just because she liked it.

The clinic could wait another day. For my sanity, I had to.

When I got back to the pack house, I carried my old, battered laptop into the kitchen. One by one, I worked through Coach’s list, pulling up the options. It didn’t take long to realize how in over my head it all was.

I had no idea which brand had the best skates or helmets. I checked every sporting goods website I could think of and read through the reviews, compared prices, and created a spreadsheet of it all. I’d have to ask the guys their input when they got home.

My heart sank as I totaled everything up. Even if I bought the cheapest options, that was more money than I had saved up. I stared at the number on the screen then quietly opened another tab.

Maybe if I picked up a third job I could do this. Even a temporary option.

The front door opened, followed by the familiar sound of the guys talking as they came inside.

“Dhara?” Conrad called.

“I’m in the kitchen.” I barely finished the sentence before all three of them walked in. I was still perched on one of the stools at the island, my laptop open with Coach’s list spread across the counter.

“What are you working on?” Lachlan asked as he walked closer. He leaned down to kiss my temple before moving toward the refrigerator.

The guys were always starving after the gym. Apparently, lifting heavy things made them incapable of surviving without food for more than five minutes.

“My mom picked up all of Gavin’s hockey gear after she unenrolled him.” I swallowed down the rising bile. “I’m assuming she sold it.”

“What the fuck?” Conrad’s head snapped up. “Did she even buy any of that gear?”

“Of course not.” I let out a bitter laugh. “I paid every bill in that house. I bought Gavin’s school supplies, his clothes, paid for registrations. She just stole everything else.”

I rubbed a hand over my forehead as they moved in around me. Sharing was part of being a pack and I knew I needed to let them shoulder some of the burden, but I hated to sound like I was begging for money.

“I knew I’d have to pay to get him back on the team. I just didn’t realize I’d have to replace everything.”

Conrad didn’t hesitate. “We’ll take care of it.”

His voice wasn’t asking. He was simply stating a fact.

“Hockey is our world. We know which brands last. What gear actually matters. Between the three of us, we’ll make sure Gavin has everything he needs.”

When I hesitated, Conrad walked over and sat beside me. He gently turned my stool until I was facing him. His warm, brown eyes held mine.

“This is what being part of a pack means. You’re not alone anymore. You don’t have to carry everything by yourself. It’s okay to lean on us.”

“It just feels like a lot to ask right away. I don’t want you to feel like you have to carry everything,” I explained.

“We don’t think you’re using us. You’re not a charity case. We’re your mates. Taking care of things you can’t is our job. It makes us happy.”

For so many years everything had depended on me. The idea of handing over even one responsibility felt impossible. But, he was right.

“Okay.” The word came out in barely a whisper. When I opened my eyes again, Conrad was smiling. Not because he’d won something but because I’d trusted them with this.