Page 82 of Never Bet Against A Hockey Player

“Oh, and fuzzy socks,” Deb added.

By the time they rang everything up, my head was spinning. Allie handed over the list of additional things I could get while the other two walked me out and helped me load the truck.

I didn’t expect them to stick by me through every store but they had a vision and took any ideas I had and helped weave them in. Even though they tried to refuse, I handed them each a big tip before leaving.

The back was packed so full of boxes I could barely see through the rear window. It was far more successful than I expected.

Before I could leave, Allie was by my window. I rolled it down and she passed me a business card.

“When you’re ready to decorate, call us. We close at five. We’ll douse ourselves in de-scenting spray and come help.”

I blinked. “Why?”

She smiled softly as shadows filled her eyes. “Because not every omega gets the chance to embrace their omega. I don’t need to know her story to recognize that. We just want to help give her the chance to embrace that side of her.”

I swallowed around the lump in my throat. Even strangers who don’t even know her name treat her with more kindness than her mother ever did.

“Thank you.”

By the time I got home, I only had enough time to unload everything before practice. I hated to walk away already and the universe seemed to be on my side.

A text came through right as I was grabbing my keys.

Coach

Emergency heat delay. Practice for today is cancelled.

Coach hated practicing without everyone present. I always felt it was a bit unrealistic but I’d never been more thankful for his stubborn outlook.

I threw on some clothes I didn’t mind getting dirty and snagged the paint supplies. I’d gone for a dark charcoal. It was just dark enough to make the room feel cozy, and the perfect neutral to let her other colors pop.

For the first time in weeks my mind was quiet. My entire focus was on something tangible and that alone was calming. Each pass of the paint roller on the walls felt like a step closer to being a pack.

Conrad and August had turned the house into a real home. One that included our omega and her little brother. Now the nest was slowly becoming something we could present to our omega with pride.

It was a space built just for her. One that was brand new and she could call the shots from the very beginning.

August and Lachlan found me still painting an hour later. Neither of them asked a single question. They simply grabbed rollers and joined me.

For the first time since we’d lost Dhara, something felt like it was going right. We were back in control again, no longer helpless and flailing.

Chris Laurant was building our case and in a few short days we’d be bringing her right here to this room.

Having the guys beside me kept me grounded. At the end of the day, a pack was only as strong as the bond between its members. As much as I hated that ours had been forged through fear and trauma, I was grateful for it.

On Laurant’s orders, we’d already filed the paperwork to be legally recognized as a pack. Everything was coming together as planned.

The Steele Pack was ready to fight for our omega.

Chapter

Twenty-Three

August

“What the hell is going on with you three?” Coach was livid and I couldn’t blame him. We’d lost the last two games, and every bit of it rested on our shoulders.

Between the things Dhara had found and our lawyer insisting we wait, we’d been a mess. One practice was cancelled for a false heat, but the next two days weren’t. Meaning we’d been here fighting for our lives against our instincts.