Page 80 of Never Bet Against A Hockey Player

We had to trust his judgment. This lawyer had worked tirelessly, scouring everything we gave him and his team had dug up just as much. We shared a look before August answered.

“Fine. Two days.” His voice carried more warning than agreement.

“Talk soon,” Chris offered before ending the call.

Finding everything Dhara had risked herself to gather should’ve felt like a victory. Instead, two more days suddenly felt like forever.

“I’m writing her a note,” August said. “I’ll have Lydia slip it to her tonight. She deserves to know this is almost over. Until then we keep our heads down and our usual routine. We can’t ruin this for her.”

“Fuck.” Conrad scrubbed a hand over his face. “This is exactly what I was afraid of.”

He started to pace, hands gripping his hair and tugging slightly.

“I’ve got to go hit the gym or something before practice. And I’ve still got class tonight.”

He hadn’t missed a single one. For weeks he’d thrown himself into learning everything he could for our omega. Cooking, meal planning, shopping. Anything that would make the house feel more like a home when Dhara finally came back.

The only thing he’d refused to touch was her nest. None of us could bring ourselves to disturb it. Now, it felt like the time to finally face it. I had two days to get a nest prepped for our omega. She had already been through hell and back and deserved a soft place to land.

I had until practice to get a head start, then after to keep going. We parted ways and I headed for downtown South Lake. There was a strip mall called Omega Row that was full of businesses dedicated to omegas.

My delta needed something physical he could do and this was the perfect solution. Providing for my omega would soothe this desperate, uneasy edge that had crept into me with her absence.

I parked near the center and climbed out. My first stop was the nesting store. Then every other shop on the strip. I wanted Dhara to come home to everything she’d ever been denied.

“Hello, Delta.” The omega behind the counter smiled warmly as I walked in. She had her auburn hair pulled up into a ponytail. “Can I help you?”

Her nametag read ‘Allie’ and she looked genuinely happy to help me find what I needed. This was the exact kind of boost I needed at the moment.

“Actually... yes,” I admitted. “I have an omega who’s never had a nest before. I’m trying to fix that.”

Her smile softened immediately. “I can help with that. What are we working with?”

“Let’s just say her circumstances never allowed her to meet any of her omega’s needs. She doesn’t even know what she likes yet. I need a nest we can build on over time while she figures out her own preferences. I want it to feel safe, complete, but also leave room for her to add things later.”

“Oh, we can always add things to our nests,” the omega joked, but her eyes were already scanning the store. “I’m going to need backup on this one. Give me one second.”

“Alright,” I said, but she’d already raised her voice, yelling out to whoever was in the back.

“Rachel! Deb! I need you!”

“What are we working with?” one of them asked as they hurried over.

All three omegas looked at me with open curiosity. They were ready to get to work. I’d, apparently, walked into the right store.

“We’ve got an omega who’s never had a nest,” Allie explained. “He wants something cozy and comfortable, but with room for her to make it her own later.”

Rachel studied me for a second while Deb tilted her head thoughtfully.

“Do you know her favorite color?” Deb asked.

“Or what kind of textures she likes?” Rachel tacked on.

My cheeks burned. These were things I should know, but didn’t. “No.”

The admission felt pathetic. But, I wasn’t even sure Dhara knew those things about herself yet. I wasn’t about to explain her past to strangers.

They must have sensed those thoughts on my face.