Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

I leave the ice with a huge smile on my face, putting my skates away and trading them for a pair of comfortable heels.

I watch the video a few more times before a notification shows up on my phone.

Unknown

Would you feel comfortable coming to my place on Sunday? Or I can make a reservation. I know you want to keep this between us for now.

I smile at his message before frowning. I’d never want Bram to feel like I don’t want to be seen in public with him. I just need to make sure that he’s the right Alpha for me before I make the situation awkward with my dad. I change his contact information on my phone and reply.

Bram Nilsen knows how to cook?

Bram

Bram Nilsen knows a lot of things.

Consider me curious. What time should I be there?

Bram

6?

It’s a date.

I walk through the back halls like I’m on cloud nine. Not only do I have a date with the hockey player I’ve had a crush on for months, but I also felt something when I was with Max and Ethan.

Ethan is a no brainer; he’s charming and funny. I knew we would get along well. But Max was a wildcard. I knew about his reputation, of course, but the man who would do my stupid video ideas seems nothing like the media has made him out to be.

What I know about Max is mostly second hand from his brother and his Alphas, Alexi and Piper. Plus, I saw what happened on the ice last season when Max and Owen got into it. But the guy who skated around the rink with me with a wide grin and not a care in the world? He seems like someone I might want to get to know.

I’m walking down the hallway with a clipboard pressed against my chest as someone calls my name. I turn and see Liz giving me a worried smile.

“Hey, Liz, is everything alright?”

She takes a deep breath and then suddenly starts sobbing. I rub her back and direct her into the office. I grab a fistful of tissues and hand them to her as she sits down.

Liz is in her late thirties, a pretty brunette Beta with a ton of drive. Helping market the Foxes from the ground up was her biggest dream and accomplishment.

“What’s wrong?” I ask her, and she sniffles before blowing her nose.

“Phillip’s cancer is back,” she says, and I rub her back and wrap my arms around her as she sobs against my shirt.

Liz’s husband has been in remission for two years. I can’t imagine how devastating this must be for the both of them.

“I don’t know how we’re going to make it through this again,” she says between sobs.

“Whatever you need, Liz, I’m here for you.”

“Thank you, Sloane.”

“Seriously. Anything you need,” I reassure her.

“Can you handle the Humane Society ribbon cutting next week? I just can’t,” she says, and I squeeze her tighter.

“Of course. Why don’t you go home for the rest of the day?”

She sniffles. “I’m not ready to talk about it with anyone else yet.”

“Do you want me to tell my dad?”

“You wouldn’t mind?”

“No, go home. Take care of yourself and Phillip, that’s the priority.”

She nods, blotting away her smeared mascara as she puts on sunglasses and grabs her purse, hightailing it out of the office. I take a few deep breaths, trying to put myself in her shoes, and I just can’t imagine.

Liz and Phillip are high school sweethearts. They’ve been each other’s everything for the longest time. I can’t imagine what it’s like watching someone you love suffer and trying to be strong for the both of you.

I head directly to my father’s office so that Liz doesn’t get in trouble for leaving without telling anyone.

I knock on his door.

“What?” he barks, not looking up, and I smile to myself.

“Have a second, Dad?” I say, and he immediately looks up and smiles.

“Yeah, honey, what’s up?”

“Liz had to leave early,” I say, shutting the door behind me.

“Okay? She could have emailed.”

“Phillip’s cancer is back.”

“Fuck,” my dad hisses out, leaning back in his chair.

“She was crying, so I told her to head home for the day and that I’d help pick up any slack.”

“It looks like we’re lucky to have you on the team, then,” he says, and I roll my eyes and plop down in the chair in front of him.

“Listen, old man, if you have something to say, say it,” I tell him.

He only has himself to blame for my direct attitude. He grabs his mug and takes a sip of his coffee, his eyes not leaving mine as he sips.

“It’s already been said. You’re keeping up your end of the bargain?”

“I am.”

“How was the matchmaker?”

“Not as bad as I thought,” I tell him, not a complete lie. Only, I’m talking about Max, not about the cracked-out matchmaker I don’t trust as far as I can throw her.

“What do you and Liz have planned for the preseason?” he asks, crossing his arms.

The thing about my dad is he’s the biggest hard-ass I know, but he’s also a complete sucker when it comes to me. I know he’s busy and stressed, but yet here he is, taking time out of his day to talk to me and make sure it isn’t rushed.

“I’m rebranding the mascot.”

“What’s wrong with Finnegan?”

“He’s boring. He’s almost as ugly as Harvey the Hound, and Ethan is great. He just needs a chance to let his personality shine through.”

“Who’s Ethan?”

“Jesus Christ, Dad, he’s been the mascot for two seasons now.”

He waves me off.

“My job isn’t to worry about the mascot.”

“Then let my job be to worry about the mascot. I guarantee you I can make a video that gets over a million likes and it’s solely mascot content.”

“That confident?”

I arch an eyebrow at him. “Want to make it interesting?”

“You get people to like that glorified rodent, and I’ll give you five grand. You don’t get the likes and you have to go on a blind date with the pack of my choosing,” he says.

I grimace at the thought. He would probably set me up with the most boring finance guys he could find in all of Connecticut.

The thought alone gives me shivers.

“You have a deal,” I say, reaching out my hand and giving him a firm shake like he taught me.

“Oh, don’t forget about your mom’s birthday next week,” he says as I stand, and I scoff.

“Like anyone can forget that woman’s birthday,” I reply, and he just laughs it off. I learned from the best Omega, and there would be hell to pay if anyone forgot a major holiday, which includes her birthday.

“Fair enough. I’ll see you at dinner. And if there is anything you can think of to support Liz and her husband, just let me know.”

I give him a nod and think I have just the person in mind to spearhead a fundraiser. It will look great for Max while helping out Liz and Phillip. I can manage that while also making Finnegan the Fox the hottest new mascot in the NHL.

I go through eight outfits before landing on a simple black dress, heels, and a leather jacket to go on top. Nerves are rippling through me, and the only thing keeping me sane is that I know Bram is likely just as nervous as I am. We’ve been dancing around this attraction since last season.

At first, I thought he was handsome, and I liked how grumpy and aloof he was, but it was just a pheromone-driven attraction. But as time went on, more shameless flirting, and scenting, I kinda realized that it was more than attraction, that I wanted to really get to know who Bram really is, because there’s no doubt in my mind that there’s a soft, gooey man underneath that gruff exterior. Which happens to be this Omega’s favorite type of kryptonite.

I go sans deodorizers because I’m only wearing that shit to appease my dad. In all reality, I hate hiding anything about myself. I love being an Omega, and hindering my scent at all is honestly quite upsetting. Maybe once I solidify things with Bram and help Max and Ethan, I’ll quit. The whole reason I wanted the job so badly was to get closer to Bram in the first place.

Though some of my motives seem to be shifting lately.

I have my car keys in hand and I’m walking to my car when I hear a loud whistle and whip around.

“Going somewhere nice?” my Beta father, Henderson, says as he sneaks a cigarette. He better brush his teeth multiple times and take a shower, or both of my moms will give him hell.

“Smoking again?”

He shrugs his shoulders, snuffing it out and putting it in a ziplock bag. I smirk to myself, loving how the ire of his Alpha and Omega is driving him to hide his dirty secret, but I also wonder what has him smoking again.

“Seems like we both have secrets, then,” he says, arching a brow at me.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say, and he laughs.

“I know damn well you’re not going to that fucking matchmaker.” I purse my lips and say nothing. “You're our kid. To expect you to not be the strong woman we raised you to be is just Kristoff pretending to be blind. Which one of his players are you seeing?” he asks.

Out of all my parents, he’s always been the one to truly call me out on my shit. It’s exactly why I want a Beta in my pack. They’re always the most observant and levelheaded.

I still don’t respond, and he laughs.

“Let me guess, then?” I roll my eyes, and he squints at me. “Definitely one of the big ones.”

“Ew. They're all big.”

“You know what I mean.”

“No, I don’t think I do. I better get going.”

He snaps his fingers. “Shit, what’s his name? The one that got the four-game suspension last season.”

Of course, that’s the thing he remembers about Bram.

“The less you know, the better. You know, plausible deniability and all that.”

“He’s worth pissing your dad off?” he asks, and I smirk.

“I don’t know, is smoking worth pissing off your Omega and Alpha?” I retort.

He groans and shoves his hands in his pockets. “Your Mormor is coming to town,” he whispers, and I hiss.

Mormor Applegate may be Satan reincarnated. I know she’s my grandmother, but the issues she’s caused for my parents’ pack are unreal.

“That explains a lot,” I say, and then I wince. “She’ll be here for Mom’s birthday?”

“Unfortunately.”

“The smoking makes more sense now,” I reply, and he groans.

“I promise to stop. It just seems to be stressing everyone out.”

“When does she fly in?”

“Three days from now,” he says and takes a deep breath.

It’s not a surprise my parents didn’t tell me. The last time she was here, she made me cry, and I hid in my apartment the rest of the week because the old bitch can’t climb the stairs.

“You got another one of those?” I joke, handing out my hand, and he grimaces at me.

“Don’t even joke, Sloane Loraine.”

“Well, I’ll make sure that my date has normal or dead relatives.”

My dad laughs, shaking his head. He hasn’t aged much. You’d never guess he has a kid that is in her twenties.

“Just make sure he’s worth it. You deserve the best. And do me a favor and let me know before you plan on telling Dad. Maybe I’ll plan a work trip that week.”

I shake my head and laugh.

“Deal.”

“Have a good time, kid,” he says as he slides through the back door and goes through the house to hide the evidence of his naughty behavior.

It’s nice knowing I’ll have one parent on my side if things with Bram, and possibly other players, work out. That’s a lie. I know my Omega mother will be happy with whomever I choose; she doesn’t care if they’re on my dad’s team or their jobs as long as they’re perfect for me.

My two Alpha parents are the ones I’m going to have to work the hardest on accepting this.

I shake my head, hating how ahead of myself I’m getting. But that’s typical of me, planning ahead, daydreaming about the future. And I got to say, the one I’ve been imagining lately seems pretty fantastic.