Page 41 of Never Bet Against A Hockey Player

He paused.

“Spit it out, delta,” I bit out.

“Our omega’s never been with anyone.”

“Never?” Lachlan asked, running a hand through his hair. It was even longer now than when we first met. Right now it was sticking out at all angles.

“Never,” August confirmed. “Until today. She was so embarrassed and mortified by it, and she feels out of her depth because we’re, apparently, impressive hockey players who have access to plenty of omegas.”

“I can’t deny that I’ve been with a few omegas, but that doesn’t mean I would judge her for not being with an alpha, a delta, or anyone,” I argued.

“We all know that,” August said, gesturing around the room, “but she’s different. Our omega needs reassurance. She spent her whole life with her mom making her life absolute hell, making her feel small and unwanted and unloved.”

“We’re going to have a lot of damage to undo,” I said, deflating all at once as reality sank in. If we weren’t careful we could really fuck this up.

“And you decided to solve that by fucking her?” Lachlan questioned. That chased away my shock and my alpha was right back to ready to kick his ass.

“Again, she wanted it. I offered to do a few lessons, to get her comfortable with herself and being with her pack,” he clarified. His voice was soothing and serious, no traces of teasing now. That was the only reason I didn’t punch him in his face. “She wants to learn how to make us feel good, and we’re taking it slow. She’s comfortable with me. She knows me. And hopefully by the time you guys establish a relationship with her, she won’t be too terrified to make those connections.”

We sat in silence for a moment as we considered that. His idea had merit. Dhara was an adult, even if she was inexperienced. The more I thought about it, the more I realized I did trust August with her.

“You should’ve seen her when she left. Cheeks flushed, her scent in the air… I nearly lost my mind. She was perfect.”

“What if you go into a rut?” I pointed out. “You’re playing with fire.”

“I’m on blockers. The league requires it,” he said, rolling his eyes. “I appreciate you looking out for her, but I am never going to hurt that omega.”

“Same for me,” Lachlan said. “She’s safe with us, and I want her to feel comfortable. I don’t love that you’re getting this part of her without us, but I get it.”

I swallowed down the bile rising in my throat. Everything about this pack coming together was a tangled mess.

Of course, I wanted her to feel confident and comfortable, and if she needed to be on a level playing field, it made sense for her to choose August.

But my alpha wanted me to be the one she turned to. Just like today, I barely knew her well enough to shop for her. My omega didn’t know me, either.

This was what she needed.

“Are we supposed to hold back on getting to know her? Because I don’t think I can do that,” I admitted.

“No,” he said. “Just take it slow. That’s exactly what she and I are doing with our sexy lessons.”

He looked a little too cocky for his own damn good.

“I’m thinking of asking her out on a date. I’m bringing Gavin along, so more of a family date,” Lachlan said. “I’m going to text her now.”

“See? That’s a great idea. She will know it’s a safe place to let you in a bit more. Gavin’s going to be there, so nothing can happen. It’s perfect.” August nodded his approval.

Fuck, I hated even more that he was taking charge. Every instinct I had was to go in guns blazing and fix all of this, but that wasn’t the alpha she needed.

“I’m going to go work out,” I said, needing to burn off the extra energy.

The class was good, and I was feeling more in control when we left. Then I walked into... this.

The scent of my omega was everywhere in here. My cock was hard as fuck, and I knew she was untouchable.

I wanted my omega ready and willing by the time we got there, but I had no idea how to get her even willing to be near me.

Maybe it was time to call my sister.