Page 39 of Never Bet Against A Hockey Player

Maybe I was oversharing but I had a feeling this group would understand.

“We do tend to like to bulldoze our way right in, don’t we?” the first guy asked, shaking his head. “That’s gotten me in trouble more times than I care to admit.”

“Trying my best not to,” I admitted. “Have you guys taken these classes before?”

“I’ve been in three so far,” the first guy said. “I’m Henry, by the way.”

He flashed me a white-toothed smile. The alpha reminded me of Ken with his perfectly blond hair, tan skin, and linen button-up.

“I’m Tanner,” the buzz-cut guy said.

They went around introducing themselves before they finally got to me.

“I’m Conrad,” I said.

“Wait,” Tanner said, his eyes narrowing. “Holy shit... it is you.”

I braced myself, knowing exactly what was coming.

“Do you guys know who the fuck this is?” he demanded, gesturing at me.

The others shook their heads.

“No, but I’m on the edge of my seat,” Henry joked.

“This is Conrad Flynn. He just transferred in from Westgrave. He plays for the Renegades.”

“Oh, no shit?” Henry said, his eyes widening. He was clearly impressed. “My nephew is actually on the Junior Renegades team.”

“I’ve helped out a few times with coaching,” I said. “They are some great kids.”

“Clearly, it’s my influence,” Henry teased with another grin. He didn’t seem to take things too seriously, which I was glad for. It made this whole thing a whole lot easier to handle.

Before they could ask any more questions, two omegas walked in.

“Oh, look. Our fearless leaders are here,” Henry called out.

They both rolled their eyes but looked amused, apparently used to his antics. They were clearly sisters. Both had the same honey-blond hair tied into high ponytails and matching aqua-blue eyes. Our leaders seemed to be in their forties and likely had dealt with alphas like us before. I knew right then I’d have to work my ass off to keep up or they’d call me on my shit.

“Oh, we have a new face,” the first one said. “My sister Sadie and I are here to make your lives a little bit easier. Don’t let these guys scare you off.”

I was honestly relieved to be here. This wasn’t what I’d expected, and I belatedly realized I needed to text Lachlan to let him know what was going on.

“Thanks for having me,” I said as I did just that.

“No problem. You can ask Serena or myself any questions along the way. We have patience, and we just want you to succeed,” Sadie said, gesturing between them.

“Alright, alpha, you have a little bit of catching up to do,” Serena said, wagging a finger at me. “Last week we covered the basics of baking. I’ll give you all the handouts and cheat sheets that I gave the others, I just need to put a binder together. You were an unexpected, but very welcome, addition.”

They had the class’s full attention now. Every alpha was here because he wanted to be, even if their omegas suggested it.

“This week we’re working on the basics of cooking.”

It was truly the basics. The kind of shit I should know, like which pots or pans to use, the art of sautéing, and when to cook on low heat versus high.

The others had their own binders they pulled out, and Sadie brought me one over. It came in handy since they had handouts for everything, from substitutions to measuring to which spices made good combinations.

I was overwhelmed, but relieved. Everything they mentioned would ensure I could at least cook basic meals for our pack. I found myself enjoying it as we worked at our cooking stations, the aroma filling the air much better than I’d expect from a group of alphas.