“Can no one get an allowance? Or just Fiona? Grace pays some of my bills,” I replied. “Also, I can’t pay rent on my place in Research Circleanda place in New York. I think I’m going to have to go back and forth? Fuck, that train fare is going to be a lot.”
How was I going to do this? Would my sisters help or would they make me figure it out?
Carlos squeezed me. “We’ll get you a pass. Once we get your last semester sorted, we’ll work on your PhD.”
“Yeah. Where have you gotten in and where else have you applied?” Dusty asked me. “We should also make a spreadsheet of every chemistry PhD program with open applications in what, like a thirty-minute ultra-bullet radius?”
“We can always ask your sister’s pack to buy the Rockland team and put me on it. What were they going to call them? The Rockland Theorems?” Carlos grinned. “Back when the Knights were giving Grif trouble, they were joking about it. It would have been fun.”
“I didn’t get into Rock Tech,” I blurted. “Not even with nepotism. I haven’t gotten inanywhere.I haven’t heard from everyone. But I think the only program I could count on would be at the university I’m at now–and how would we handle that? My state has a hockey team, but they’re not near my city.”
Location was an issue because omegas couldn’t be away from their alphas for too long.
My head went back to my knees. “Maybe I should give up.”
“Maybe you need a nap and one of those cookies your sister made. Probably a cuddle.” Fiona laid her head on my back, love flowing through the bond.
“Isn’t rich big sister’s pack powerful? Forget buying a hockey team. How about a university?” Carlos suggested.
I sighed. “I sort of wanted to get in on my own merit. However, my grades went to shit last year after the pack broke up and I wason my own. This semester has been a little better, but not amazing. It’s sort of hard to get into a PhD program when your grades are shitty.”
“Could you work at a chemistry place for a year or two then go back, maybe they’ll pay for it?” Dusty offered.
“Wherearewe going to live?” I asked Carlos.
“I bought a townhouse. It’s by Dimitri’s. I just closed on it. No one knows. Especially not my family. It’s not turnkey. But it won’t need that much work to start. Except for the secret assassin fortress we’ll need in the basement. Also, we’ll need to check the gun laws and get permits and a gun safe,” Carlos replied.
“Good idea.” Saoirse made a list on her phone.
“You bought a house? You’renota trainwreck.” I frowned.
“I’m a relationship trainwreck but I’d like to think I’m not a financial one. Though my savings are shot. I can tap into my investments if I need to.” Carlos looked at Dusty. “We should try to get some guest roles together during the off-season. Or maybe All-Star break?”
“Yes!” Dusty fist-bumped Carlos. “Brothers forever.”
“I still don’t think I can help toward the mortgage.” Disappointment filled me.
“There is no mortgage. I paid in full to get it cheaper and faster. That’s why I now have no savings. Don’t worry, we’ll do everything proportionally. Also, maybe Grace will buy your drug for lots of money,” Carlos added.
Optimism sparked inside me. “That would be good.” My shoulders slumped. “There’s still so much. How are we going to do this?”
“One step at a time. Together,” Fiona told me. “We’re a pack now.”
“Okay. I’ll try. Really hard.” I owed her that much. Applying to local PhD programs wouldn’t hurt.
“Good.” Fiona kissed me.
I had a pack. Fucking shit. Hopefully this would be the good I hoped for–and not the disaster I feared.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Carlos
Nerves shot through me as I entered the New York Ice Training Facility in Manhattan. Last night Saoirse and Fiona had stayed at their place in Boston while Hale, Dusty, and I returned to New York.
Dusty had gone to his moms’, since he had some explaining to do.
As did I. I’d gotten my new phone, but my family was out of range still. While I thought about using the satellite feature to contact Anita, it would be fine.
