“I’m sure she’ll be out front. If there’s one thing we know about our omega, it’s that she’s the biggest mama bear. I’m sure she would never forget to pick him up, even if she’s trying to avoid us.”Just another reason she’s perfect.
As we make our way out of the locker room and toward the front of the ice rink, we spill out into the lobby area, and parents immediately descend. They shout questions at us, which I mindlessly answer, but as much as I try to wander through the crowd, I still don’t see her anywhere. My heart pounds, getting more frantic by the second, but there’s no sign of Nixie. No sweet raspberry to lure me to my doom.
Finally, I spot Asher as he ambles into the lobby. His eyes search the group of parents, a small crease forming between his brows. As soon as Julius catches sight of the boy, he immediately shoulders past the throngs of people attempting togarner his attention. Unable to hold back, my leg muscles bunch, propelling me forward.
“Excuse me, coming through. Out of my way.” All decorum has gone, and if another person gets in my way, they’re going to get a good shove. Asher’s adorable face breaks into a grin as he waves at someone in the crowd. I swivel, nearly toppling over in my haste to see my omega. When I turn, there’s no shock of freckles to greet me. No scent of sweet raspberries to quench my craving. Instead, he’s waving at a tall, curvy woman with curly black hair. She’s objectively pretty, but not who I want to see at all. The woman sweeps Asher into her arms, and he returns the embrace with a comfortable familiarity that makes my heart squeeze. I wish he had that kind of comfort around us.
“Who the hell is that?” Julius growls in my ear. But before I can voice my theory about the woman being their roommate, he’s rushing across the room shouting, “Hey, you’re not his mom. Asher can’t leave with you!”
Asher turns back to look at us. And the fluorescent lights in the lobby make his freckles stand out even more. He looks so much like his mom that it nearly takes my breath away. It’s barely been any time, but a fierce longing to protect him rises and threatens to drag me under.
Suddenly, we are at his sides, and Julius reaches out, grabs Asher’s arm gently, and pulls him back toward the safety of our pack.
“Hey, Coach Julius! This is my aunt, Cassia. We live together.” Asher looks up at him before tugging his arm away in confusion. “Mom said that she had to work tonight, so Cass picked me up and drove me to practice. I promise it’s all good. She’s on my approved pickup list for school and everything.”
I was right. The roommate.
“I don’t know her,” Julius snarls, acting overly protective. I bump his shoulder, trying to snap him out of it. He blinks hard,then straightens up. “But if you’re sure… Do you have a phone number?” Cassia frowns and steps forward.
“Why in the world would you need a little boy’s phone number?” she asks, clapping her hand over Asher’s mouth to stop him from answering.
“Because we’ve never seen you before, and we want to make sure he gets home safe.” Asher licks Cassia’s hand, making her squeal in disgust. His eyes fill with mirth, and he chuckles.
“I promise I’ll get home safe. We’re going to the same place. Cassia has been my mom’s best friend since before I was born.” He holds up his hands, then looks at the woman for confirmation.
“I totally get that, but I’d still feel better knowing that you got home safe.” I struggle to hold back a snort of derision because he always calls me a simp for that request.
Asher looks at his aunt for approval, and when she agrees, he rattles off a number that Julius plugs into his phone. “I just texted you. You have my number in case you ever need anything. Hockey-related or otherwise, you can always count on me and Vonn. Anything, anywhere, anytime.”
The kid’s eyes widen, and he glances between us, surprised and a bit curious. Obviously, he’s too smart to think this is just about hockey. “Thanks,” he mutters, slipping his hand into Cassia’s and giving a small wave before they say goodbye and head out into the waiting night.
As they walk toward their car, I turn to Julius, sensing the opportunity right in front of us. “We’re following them home, right?” It’s all wrong. A complete invasion of privacy, but what if she needs us? Maybe as much as we already need her. Scent-matches aren’t just a suggestion; they’re a biological imperative, and at some point, she’s going to realize it.I just hope it’s not too late.
“Fuck, yeah! Now you’re speaking my language. If Nixie won’t come to us, we’ll go to her. Good job, simp.”
Sweet omega, you won’t get away that easily…
Chapter Twenty-Three
Nixie
“Do you want eggs and bacon or pancakes?” I shout in the general direction of Asher’s room. He has plans with a friend. His first time hanging out with a kid from the team since we moved here. Finally, someone who is less scared of me taking their husband and more interested in our kids being happy.
“Just some toast, Mom, and maybe bacon… Oh yeah, egg sounds good, too.” He rattles off the entire list, instead of just one choice. I muffle my snort of amusement and get to work dropping some toast into the machine.
As I’m heading to the refrigerator to grab the eggs, there’s a loud rap on the door. Abandoning the eggs, I march across the apartment and throw the door open, ready to give Cassia hell. After dropping Ash off, she went out and didn’t come home last night. I’m pretty sure she’s been enjoying some time with a special bartender at the club where she dances.
“Did you lose your key?” I open the door, laughter bubbling up, only to gasp when it’s not Cassia on the other side but Vonn Keene. His hair is messy, and the tip of his nose is rosy from theoutside chill. The big, handsome Alpha carries an oversized pink box, and his scent immediately envelopes me.
“Hi,” he says bashfully.
I stand there, staring at him, unable to comprehend the reality of this delicious man standing outside my shitty apartment. The man’s a professional hockey player; there’s no other reason than us for him to be on this side of town. Blinking hard a few times, I stare up at him, expecting the vision before me to disappear, but it doesn’t.
“What are you doing here?” A coherent thought finally comes to me, but I’m still frozen in the doorway, making no move to greet him.
“Mom, is something burning?” Asher shouts, startling me. I suck in a huge gulp of air, catching some of Vonn’s sweet chocolate-hazelnut with an undertone of burning toast. Shit.
“Crap on a cracker!” Rushing back into the kitchen, I yank the lever on the toaster, smacking my stomach into the counter in my haste. Unfortunately, the dang contraption has been busted for a long time, so we need to watch it or our bread ends up charred to a crisp.
