“Maybe we should take this outside?” Luca glances around at the crowd growing around us, but Laz completely ignores him.
“What are you even doing here?” I hiss at Laz. “I’m supposed to be seeing you later.”
“What amIdoing here?” He throws his arms up in the air, raving like he’s lost his mind. “The real question is what areyoudoing here? With him!”
“We could all sit down and explain...” Luca steps in.
Damon lets out a warning growl that halts Luca’s sentence.
“I was going to speak to you all at lunch.” I plant my hands on my hips. “Did Faye tell you?”
“Faye didn’t say anything. She didn’t have to.” Laz’s nostrils flare as he thrusts his phone into my face. He presses play on a social media post—a video of Adler declaring that we bonded outside the rink this morning. “Everyone knows!”
On the other side of the room, the skaters titter. Those bitches. I’m guessing the recording is their doing. Obviously, I knew that coming to practice would set the SVU rumor mill in motion, but I thought I’d at least have time to speak to Laz first. Apparently not.
“We’re not doing this here.” I look at Cole for support. Damon’s eyes are narrowed into venomous slits, and Laz has clearly lost all of his rational reasoning ability. “Couldn’t you have locked him in the house to save him from causing a scene, Cole?”
“We needed to see that you were okay,” Cole replies.
“No one wanted you to find out this way.” Luca tries once again to defuse the situation. “I’m Luca, and this is Ad?—”
“We know who he is. Didyoubond with her too?” Laz quickly rebuffs Luca’s kindness, looking like he wants to add him to his hitlist too. “How many more of you are there?”
I let out a puff of air. “You’re being ridiculous.”
“Am I? How many more alphas are you going to bond with without telling anyone?” He’s seething. “Next thing I know, you’ll be bonded with the entire hockey team!”
Adler’s annoyance surges through our bond. He steps forward, wrapping his arm around my shoulder protectively. “That’s enough.”
I stroke Adler’s arm to calm him down, hoping that he can keep his cool. My alpha and brother brawling is the last thing I need, especially when cell phones are now recording every minute of this conversation.
“I know you can be reckless sometimes, but this?” Laz’s breath comes out in ragged bursts as his gaze homes in on Adler’s hand holding onto me tightly. He shakes his head, fury morphing into disappointment as his shoulders sag. “You’ve taken it too far this time, Sabs.”
“I promise you that we’re taking good care of her.” Luca keeps his tone level, taking advantage of Laz’s momentary lapse of rage. “Please. Let’s go somewhere else to talk this through.”
“Luca is right,” Cole agrees. “Faye and Ren are back at the house.” His shrewd gaze sweeps over Luca and Adler. “Gather the rest of your pack, then meet us at our place.”
“Fine!” I throw my hands up. “But take a fucking chill pill on your drive home because you’re all making a huge deal out of?—”
“I promised Mom and our dads that I’d take care of you,” Laz cuts me off. “Sabs, you’re driving with us.”
Adler tightens his hold on me.
“I’m not going anywhere without Luca or Adler.” I stand my ground, raising my chin in defiance, which only makes Laz’s cheeks flush a brighter pink. “We’ll meet you there soon.”
“If you’re not at the house in one hour, I’m calling Mom,” he threatens.
I narrow my eyes. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“One hour.” He gives me a long look. “Or I won’t just call Mom, I’ll call Beckett too.”
I gasp in horror as he charges off with Cole and Damon on his heels. Handling my parents is bad enough, but my oldest brother would probably sue Adler if he found out what happened.
“Well…” Luca runs his hand through his wavy hair. “At least he knows now, right?”
Knowing and accepting are two totally different things.
TWENTY
