Chapter 34

CHAPTER 34

I t’s been a few weeks of living at Bram’s house and trying to find an everyday normal. There’s finally a lull in the guys’ schedule, and we find our asses perched on a soft, cream-colored sofa at a therapist’s office.

I sit next to Max while Sloane sits between me and Bram.

Things have been… tense, to say the least.

Bram is trying to control his temper and not be a possessive asshole when it comes to me and Sloane. While Max salivates for time with us while trying to not step on Bram’s toes.

Not to mention the amount of press coverage that’s been going around. None of us have made a public statement, which may have made things worse. Sloane and Max’s character are a constant thing that the press seems to be targeting and neither of them have been taking it well.

It’s honestly a hot mess, and it’s clear the stress is getting to Sloane.

Nilsen has taken the least amount of heat in the press, but it’s clear he wants to strangle every single news report or online thread that calls Sloane a succubus or Yoko Ono. It doesn’t help that the Foxes defense has been playing like shit, so everyone is blaming Sloane for making Max and Bram’s relationship worse.

She bites her nails, and I tug her hand away and give it a tight squeeze. As strong as she is, there’s only so much someone can take. The only good thing is that Max and Bram have been more irritated with the online slander than they have been with each other.

“Welcome, I’m Dr. Mahdoni, I’ve read each of your questionnaires I had you fill out prior to our session, and if it’s okay with you, I’d like to just jump right in.”

“Please,” Sloane says while Bram and Max both shift in their seats.

The doctor smiles, and something in her expression has me hopeful that she can help us.

“It’s not uncommon for Alphas to fight for dominance in packs, especially packs that have been formed around an Omega. When Alphas form a pack and then find their Omega, there’s a lot more cohesion and a hierarchy in place. It’s evident to me that the hierarchy of this pack has not been set and therefore why you’re having issues.”

“It could also be that Bram hated me well before Sloane and I realized we were scent matches,” Max says, and I want to wince, but I don’t. The whole reason we’re here is to work through our shit.

“Let’s talk about it, Bram,” the doctor suggests.

“I’d rather not,” Bram says, and Sloane elbows him in the stomach.

“This was your suggestion,” she hisses under her breath.

The massive Alpha shifts in his seat, and I can tell he is extremely uncomfortable, which is very uncommon for him. I’m also on the edge of my god damn seat, wanting to know what caused this grudge.

Not to mention hopeful. I hate that we’re not all under the same roof, not even just for Sloane’s sake, but for mine too. We need to get on the same page so we can work through this as a pack.

The sooner Bram and Max sign a pack contract, the more quickly we can dispel some rumors, and Sloane will be more content.

“It’s stupid. It’s in the past,” he says.

“That’s a cop out. If you want to forge some sort of pack mentality with Max, we’re going to need to work from the root of the issue,” the doctor says.

Sloane is nodding her head in agreement, and I’m giving Bram a glare. We don’t have all the time in the world to figure out our shit. It’s taken far too long to even get this fucking appointment. If we don’t leave here without some sort of direction, I’ll take Sloane to spend the night at my dad’s and make these petulant Alphas suffer.

“He rejected me,” Bram says so quietly I almost don’t hear him.

“I what now?” Max says, and Bram sighs audibly.

“See, this is why I don’t want to bring it up. He doesn’t even remember.”

“Feeling rejected can build up a lot of resentment. Why don’t you tell us what happened?”

“Yeah, tell us what happened?” I chime in, not even realizing that I’m saying it. I just can’t believe Bram would ever be interested in Max?

“You had feelings for Max?” Sloane says softly, and Bram grumbles.

“This is why I didn’t want to say anything,” Bram complains. Clearly, the big Alpha’s ego was scorned by whatever Max did. But the Max I know isn’t like that…

“What are you even talking about? You never liked me,” Max says in complete disbelief.

“I did. I thought you were attractive, and you weren’t as annoying as the other players on the team. I always tried to be on your team during scrimmages and always did my best to protect you in goal,” Bram says.

Max furrows his brows, and I’m sure I do too. Because how does that equate to being into someone?

“It was at the away game in Florida. We were celebrating pretty hard. I kissed you, and you laughed in my face,” Bram says.

Sloane gasps and holds his hand as she glances over at Max.

It all truly feels like a telenovela at this point.

“I didn’t do that,” Max denies.

“You did. You laughed and walked away, and I’ve never felt more rejected or belittled in my life,” Bram says, pointing at Max.

“You’re full of shit,” Max says defensively.

“Why else? Why else would I harbor these feelings against you?”

“Because you’re a dick,” Max says.

Dr. Mahdoni holds out her hands in a placating gesture.

“This is good. You’re both allowed to express yourself. Max, were you drinking that night?”

“Of course I was drinking. Everyone was.”

“Excessively?” she asks.

“Bram, is it possible that you approached Max when you had your own liquid courage and he truly doesn’t remember this encounter?”

“No,” Bram says, and I pinch my nose.

The doctor doesn’t get discouraged and decides to turn her direction to Sloane who is looking both shocked and frustrated.

“Sloane, can you tell me what traits you like in Bram, Ethan, and Max?”

“Ethan is kind, protective, and I can tell him anything, and I know he won’t judge me. Bram is gentle with me, always there when I need him, and he takes the best care of me. Max is easy to talk to, fun, and watching how much he’s grown over the few months I’ve known him has given me such joy. He’d also give the shirt off his back to anyone who needed it,” Sloane says, and I squeeze her hand.

“I need for each of you to see yourself how Sloane sees you and how she sees the other members of the pack. If you care for your Omega, then you’ll understand her intentions with every one of you. If it’s okay, I’d like to set up individual sessions with both Bram and Max and you two together.”

Both of the Alphas grumble but agree.

“I know you all have busy schedules, but I’d like for you to spend more time as a pack, not broken up in trios,” she says.

“Thank you, Dr. Mahdoni,” both Sloane and I say before getting up and leaving the building.

Sloane’s phone chimes as we walk out, and I look over her shoulder. Of course she has alerts on her phone about when any of us are mentioned in the news. This time, it’s a picture of her smiling as she’s getting smoothies with Piper and Charlotte.

The headline reads, “Unbonded Team Wrecker.”

She exits out of the article and puts the phone in her purse, acting like it doesn’t bother her. I’ll need to have a talk with Max and Bram. She can’t keep seeking out this shit; it’s only going to drive her crazy.

Bram drove all of us to the appointment, and he holds Sloane’s hand to make sure she doesn’t slip on any ice. The parking lot is covered in dirty snow as she glances over at me.

“I don’t feel so good. Sit in the back with me?” Sloane asks, and I agree, even if it puts Max and Bram together in the front seat. He opens the back seat, and we both climb in before Max and Bram get in the vehicle.

Sloane doesn’t look so great next to me, but when I touch her head, she doesn’t have a fever.

“You’ve got to stop getting alerts for that trash,” I whisper to her.

She rubs her forehead and nods. “I know,” she replies, resting her head on my shoulder.

The rest of the drive is quiet, almost uncomfortably so, until Max cuts through the tension with a metaphorical sharp knife.

“I didn’t reject you,” Max says, and I sigh.

“What, I’m just making it up?”

“I’m not saying you can’t feel that way. But how the fuck can I reject you when I didn’t even know you were propositioning me? This could have all been solved years ago if you didn’t try to approach me when I was drunk.”

“That would have been difficult, considering you were constantly drunk that season,” Bram says.

Well, this could either go great or terrible.

“I don’t feel so good,” Sloane says again.

“Aw shit, are you going to be carsick?” Bram says, the malice slipping from his tone as he looks at us in the rearview mirror.

She covers her mouth and nods.

“Fuck. As soon as I get over the bridge,” Bram says, glancing back in the mirror.

“Look—” Max shouts, but it’s too late.

The screeching of metal on metal against Bram’s SUV is disturbing as another car hits us on Bram’s driver’s side.

My shoulder twinges instantly, and I’m trying to collect myself as the shriek of metal and another car hitting us from behind makes me realize what’s happening.

The car is going directly into the icy depths of Mill River.

I’m sure there’s screaming around me as I brace myself for impact. I glance over at Sloane who is thankfully buckled in and has just thrown up on herself. In a blink of an eye, the car smacks against the water, disorienting me for an unknown moment in time.

A sharp smack hits my face.

“Sorry. Sorry,” Sloane says as she unbuckles her belt, and I blink myself awake.

My cheek stings, and it’s not from Sloane’s slap, I must have hit my head on something on the way down.

Sloane has tears streaming down her face as cold water starts to rush my feet.

Both of the front airbags activated, and Bram and Max seem to both be unconscious.

“Wake up. Wake up,” Sloane says, shaking Max who is sitting in front of her.

She’s sobbing as she tries to wake him up.

The car is sinking, thankfully rather slow, so I don’t think the river is too deep. But with the way it’s rushing from the latest snow, if we don’t get out of here soon, the car could fill up, or we get hypothermia.

“Wake up. Please. Please. Wake up,” Sloane is crying, and I shake my head, trying to get my brain fully functioning.

I reach across the seat and feel that Bram still has a pulse before reaching over to Max.

Okay, they’re both good.

When I lean toward the trunk, Sloane looks at me like I’ve gone crazy.

I pull apart Bram’s bag until I find what I’m looking for and open the smelling salts.

As soon as I put them under Max’s nose, he wakes up with a jolt. Unfortunately, Bram doesn’t do the same.

Max makes a startled sound as he realizes what’s going on as the cold water laps at our shins. He shoves at Bram’s shoulder, but he doesn’t wake up. I don’t see any blood anywhere, but I don’t have the greatest vantage point either.

“Get her out of here,” Max says.

“We can’t leave Bram,” Sloane says with her teeth chattering.

“I’ll get him out,” Max promises. “Go, get her out and somewhere warm, now,” Max says, and I nod my head. I grab a long sleeve workout shirt from Bram’s bag and tie one sleeve to Sloane’s wrist before tying the other to mine so she doesn’t drift away from me.

“We can’t leave,” she chatters.

“Go to safety now,” Max says, using his Alpha voice.

Sloane’s eyes go wide as she stares at him and then glances at Bram.

“Baby, I won’t leave him. Please go,” Max pleads, trying to hold back his own emotion.

I roll down the window and climb out first. I can stand on a rock, but the water is brutally cold, and the current seems to want to drag me along with it. I hold out my hands, and Sloane climbs out, her teeth chattering as I direct her to lie on her back, and we let the current take us down river.

Once we’re close enough to the bank, I grip her hand and drag her to shore.

We’re both so fucking cold. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced this level of cold, like every inch of me is freezing yet on fire at the same time.

Sloane holds herself and sits in the snowy, muddy bank, just staring at where the car is half above water and half below.

If the car floats away, we’re fucked.

But we also need help, immediately.

“Sw-sw-sw. Fu-ck.”

I can’t even get the words out. I'm shaking so bad.

“St-ay here,” I grate out, and she just shivers as she stares at the car.

I climb the bank and wave down a few cars. Four cars pass me until one pulls over and calls the police.

She blessedly has some blankets in her car, and I take them back down to the bank where Sloane is sobbing.

She’s staring at the car, and neither of the Alphas have come out of the watery depths.

There’s no way I can swim against the current. There’s nothing either of us can do except wait for emergency services.

The woman who pulled over is trying to console Sloane while she’s on the phone with dispatch.

It’s looking hopeless.

Things get worse as we see the car shift, and we both fear the worst.

Suddenly, a lone dirty blond head gasps for air out of the river.

But he’s completely alone.

Sloane begins to hyperventilate next to me, and my heart sinks.

No, there’s no fucking way.

Bram can’t still be in the vehicle. Max promised.

I can’t lose Bram. Sloane can’t lose Bram before we even get to bond and be a real pack.

There’s no way we’re coming back from this.