Page 130 of Never Bet Against A Hockey Player

Could it really be that easy?

“They’ll probably need time to prepare. If we’re already going to be in town because of the trial, then it sounds like the perfect time to have a girls’ outing,” Roxie said excitedly.

“What exactly does that entail?” I questioned.

“Whatever you want,” Lana reassured me. “Not booze since we’re both pregnant as fuck, but usually Roxie and I just pick a restaurant that has good food and drinks. We eat more than we should and gossip until our packs come pick us up later.”

“It’s the best,” Roxie agrees. “You’ll love it.”

“That sounds kind of nice,” I admitted as I took a sip of my own drink.

It was sweet, tart, and perfect. The sun was warming the fall air, and everything seemed to be falling into place.

I’d never had friends before.

Roxie and Lana were so different, but they also fit perfectly into place. Lana was soft and sweet, and Roxie was the take-no-shit kind of omega. Together they were funny and teasing and I felt like I belonged. Both made me feel seen when they talked to me.

Gavin came to join us with his plate as the packs made plates for us omegas, then themselves. We ate and listened to music, chatted, and simply had a normal afternoon surrounded by the village we were creating.

By the time the sun dipped behind the trees, Gavin was drooping. Roxie, Lana, and their packs said goodbye for now while I got Gavin upstairs to bed.

As I stepped into the hallway Lachlan was there waiting. He reached for me and pulled me close.

“How are you feeling after all that?”

“They didn’t drain me like I expected. Lana and Roxie were amazing and Gavin had a blast,” I admitted as I wrapped my arms around his neck. His face was inches from mine, his usual smile softer as we spoke quietly.

“They’re all great. It’s nice to know we can give you guys a family like this,” he said gently, kissing the corner of my mouth. “Are you too tired to come relax with me? I want some alone time. The others are handling cleanup.”

“That sounds amazing,” I agreed, leaning in and kissing him this time. “Where should we go?”

I’d already fucked both our packmates. Let them claim me as much as I claimed them. Now, I needed Lachlan with that same desperation. I wanted my entire pack before my heat. Wanted to know what they felt like, what they liked.

Maybe some part of me thought if my omega knew them well she’d be more confident during the heat. I could almost feel her indignation. She’d been confident all along, it was my overthinking brain that caused the issue.

Lachlan’s room was different from the others. Conrad had his in creams and light blues, serene and calming. Meticulously clean.

August was chaotic but homey. He went for a dark den and his room was cluttered in dark furniture, books, clothes, and a music system that he wasn’t afraid to blast when he felt like it.

Lachlan was somewhere in between. It wasn’t meticulously clean, nor was it cluttered. He had a bookshelf stuffed full of books that were organized by color. There was a fluffy couch next to it and a TV across from it. A plush rug sat in between. I could picture quiet nights sitting there together, my feet on his lap, a book in both of our hands.

“I didn’t realize you were a reader,” I said as I ran my finger over each title as I read them.

“Mainly thrillers and mystery. I needed something to pass time on the away game trips and it escalated into a full collection.”

He reached over me and pulled one from the shelf. “This was my very first, so it’s my favorite. I bought it at the Milwaukee airport.”

I took it from his hands and read the back. It was easy to see why he’d chosen it, I was already curious just from that.

“It sounds good,” I mused as I turned to look up at him.

“It really is. There’s some good twists if you’re interested. If not, I get it, you’ve got enough crazy people in your life,” he said as he wrapped his arms around me.

“Yes, but in the books they usually end with justice, right?”

“Not all,” he mused. “But this one. Yes.”

“I’ll have to read it sometime,” I said as I put it back in its place.