“You looked pretty good yourself on the big-screen, cheering me on,” he replies playfully. “But you would have looked better in a jersey.”
“Maybe I’ll wear one for your championship game?”
“Then I’ll have no choice but to bring the trophy home.” His expression turns serious. “But I really did want to come back sooner. Orin used his stupid bark to get me to stay to speak to the pro scouts.”
“Well, I’m glad he did.” I raise my chin. “When we agreed to make things work, we said neither of us would be putting our lives on hold, so I’d have been mad if you broke that promise. Anyway…” I sniff the air. “You smell a little funky right now.Well,yousmell good, but I can smell other sweaty alphas on you, and gross!” I pat my stomach, which has begun gurgling for attention. “Plus, I need something to eat after burning all that energy. How about you shower while I grab a bite?”
Adler chuckles. “Orin’s here. He’ll make you something.” He kisses me on the cheek. “See you down there.”
Drax and I head downstairs, finding Orin in the kitchen. Unlike Adler, his reaction is positively frosty, making me wish I’d put on pants.
“Can Sabs and I have a moment alone?” Orin asks Drax.
Drax opens his mouth, but Orin’s narrowing eyes have him hurriedly slamming it closed. I step in to minimize any tension between Drax and his new pack leader. “It’s fine, Drax.” I squeeze his arm. “Go put on a movie, and I’ll join you in a few.”
He lingers then nods, eyes scanning my face, loping out of the room to leave me and Mr. Grumpy-Pants alone. I feel like I’m about to get a lecture from a teacher but don’t know what I’ve done wrong.
Orin looks me up and down. “How are you feeling?”
“It was just a heat spike.” I stride over to the refrigerator to check out what’s inside. There’s a lot more healthy-looking green stuff than there was when I first arrived, which I suspect is no accident. What I wouldn’t give to have another toffee cheesecake right now. “Although you probably already know that because I’m not writhing around begging for sex.” I perk up when I open the freezer and find a pint of ice cream. I pull it out then grab a spoon. “Mm, cookie dough.” The sugary vanilla melts on my tongue. Sweet and delicious. “Not as good as Vi’s but still tasty.”
“Do you think a heat spike is a joke?” Orin crosses his toned arms over his chest, his piercing eyes burning into mine like a laser. It’s a wonder he doesn’t melt the ice cream. “It’s not something to make light of. You could have gotten hurt.”
“Well, I wasn’t.” I shovel in another huge spoonful, giving myself brain freeze. “You got rid of the rutting alpha, and Drax took care of me. Everyone’s happy.”
I put down the spoon to rub my head, then grab a glass of room-temperature water to get rid of the uncomfortable sensation in my skull.
“We should go to the pharmacy to check out your suppressant prescription.” It seems like he’s speaking more to himself than me. “To make sure it’s working.”
“First of all, I stopped taking my suppressants.” I sigh, putting the lid back on the ice cream before stashing it in the freezer. “I stopped after I bonded with Adler, and second?—”
“You did, what?” A vein in his forehead bulges. “But that means you could go into heat at any time!”
Oh, boy. Someone is about to lose his cool quicker than a housewife on a reality show.
“Well, duh. That’s kinda the point.”
“But it’s dangerous!” He throws up his hands. “You could have been seriously injured at the game. If you go back on them, you’ll have more control. You’ll be safer!”
“Listen up.” I jab my finger into his chest, resulting in his eyes widening. Obviously, he’s not used to being put in his place. “It’s my body and my choice. Have you ever been forced to take medication since you were sixteen, having to deal with all the terrible side effects every month?”
“Well, n-no.” He drags a hand down his face. “But?—”
“Exactly!” I poke him again to emphasize my point. “Coming off suppressants after bonding is something many omegas choose to do. After experiencing bonding sickness, my doctor recommended it. Heat spikes are totally normal.” I nibble my inner cheek. “Admittedly, I’d rather one didn’t happen during Adler’s game, but we don’t always get what we want.”
“Maybe you should stay away from crowds for now.” He lifts a finger to his lips, tapping. “Until we can be sure that unexpected spikes won’t happen.”
“I’m not being kept in this hockey shrine of a prison!” My blood is boiling. “I’ve been attending my classes online, but I don’t plan to do that indefinitely. I do have a life outside of this pack too. I’m the captain of a volleyball team that needs me, I go to a hot yoga class that, quite frankly, I’m in desperate need of, and a girl needs to let loose every once in a while. Do you realize that I haven’t hit the Club Knotty dance floor in a few weeks? That’s basically a crime in my book.”
“I’m only looking out for you, Sabs.” Although his tone has softened, his expression remains stony. “I want what’s best for this pack.”
“And what’s best for me is best for the pack, right?” I lift an eyebrow in challenge. “That means no more suppressants. And if you must know, I did cover myself in scent blocker as a precaution. Obviously, sending a random stranger into rut was not an item I ever wanted to tick off my bucket list, but here we are.”
“How can you be so casual about what happened?” Orin’s entire body is rigid. “He could have hurt you.”
“But he didn’t.” I sigh, leaning against the counter. “Are you always so uptight? I know you have your whole ‘I must protect people’ act, but I’m not a delicate omega you have to take care of.”
“It’s not an act,” he growls. “And I’m not uptight!”
