Page 38 of Never Bet Against A Hockey Player

“You could leave Gavin with us.”

He shook his head. “No, I don’t think it would have as much of an impact. She needs to know that her pack sees Gavin as part of her, that we’re going to give them both what they need, not just her.”

The delta had a good point.

“I didn’t realize you were so good at this.” I was trying for a light tone, but it fell flat.

He rolled his eyes. “It’s not that I’m good at this. I’m just trying to do things that I think would make her life easier while also making it known that we want to be a part of it. I’m not going to get left behind.”

“Where are you thinking of taking her?” I asked, curious just how far he’d thought this through.

Lachlan was a hard one to read. He tended to think things through before doing them, so I knew he wasn’t flying blind here.

“I found this arcade restaurant. It’s meant for families, so I figured it was a safe bet. They’ll have stuff for Gavin to do while I can get to know her better. I figured it would be a good first outing if she’s willing.”

“It’s a good idea,” I agreed reluctantly. I couldn’t deny it was perfect, even if I was jealous as hell that I hadn’t thought of it myself.

My own brain was already starting to turn over ideas of what we could do while we drove to the mall. The lot was fairly empty this early in the day. I pulled into a spot in front of the main entrance.

“Divide and conquer,” Lachlan suggested as he climbed out.

“That’s fine,” I said.

As much as it would be nice to have someone to bounce ideas off, I also needed to learn to stand on my own two feet if I wanted any hope of proving that I was the alpha this pack needed.

I could sit here and be upset that August and Dhara had history, or I could start creating my own with her.

It was hard wanting to know more about her while navigating how complicated her life was. This was a delicate situation and not one that I could just sweep into and try to problem-solve for her, no matter how much I wanted to.

Every nesting store and omega boutique felt wrong. I couldn’t get her anything there but generic things. I didn’t know enough about my omega, and each store I went into just solidified that a little more.

I left yet another store feeling defeated, scrubbing a hand over my face, ready to give up. Just as I sat on the bench I spotted a home store. Even if I couldn’t find her a courting gift, maybe I could find something for our future pack house that would make it feel a little homier.

A perky worker greeted me, her eyes bright but amused.

“Are you here for the Alpha Cooking Class?”

“Maybe?” I questioned. She had my attention now.

She let out a soft laugh and waved me over to the front counter, handing me a pamphlet. “It’s run by two omegas. They have a series of classes, one a week, each one aimed at teaching you more about managing a pack.”

Cooking wasn’t ever a skill I craved to learn. I could make the basics, but if I was going to be a father figure and leader in this pack it would be an important one to learn. Dhara was worth the work, and I couldn’t simply let this go once she explained it.

After going over the information and having me swipe my credit card to pay for it, she led me to the back room where a group of alphas were standing.

“Oh, another sacrifice,” an alpha said, giving me a good-natured grin as if he found this whole thing amusing.

“What are you in for?” a deep-voiced alpha asked from next to him. He ran a hand over his buzzed hair. It looked like a nervous tic to me.

“Just trying to make sure that I’m a good alpha for my omega.”

“Same here,” a guy chimed in from the back.

Buzzed-Hair Guy rubbed the back of his neck and winced, looking every bit the guilty alpha. “My omega threatened to leave if I don’t step it up.”

There were a few nods around the room. He wasn’t alone.

“My omega situation is complicated,” I admitted. “It’s going to take some work to even get to know her. I want to start courting her, but I need to be able to do something. My alpha hates not being able to help.”