“Ow,” she says weakly. “I wasn’t expecting that.”
“I guess you could say that we’re all in when it comes to you,” I say. “We’re older than you, and don’t believe in messing around. Things tend to happen faster for scent matches, butwe’ll go at your pace. Whether you call it dating or courting, my position still stands.”
“In the end, age is also just a number,” Miles says, making a face. “I don’t see you as a kid, and I think a lot of that comes from not seeing you in years.”
“I went to college right after and refused to go to games,” she explains. “A part of me is angry that this industry turned its back on Dad.”
“What did he do before working for the Dragons?” Levon asks.
“He consulted for college, minor, and professional hockey teams,” she says. “Dad just wanted to make sure I was taken care of, and even then I worked through college.”
“People wanted his expertise really badly,” Levon observes. “We’ve never beaten the Dragons. They’re literal beasts on the ice.”
“It’s professional hockey,” she says. “They play to win every time they play. The Dragons are respectful of my space, though it took a few panic attacks for them to realize the need.”
“Panic attacks?” I ask worriedly.
“I found out that part of it is due to the blockers I’ve been taking,” Caelia says. “Apparently all the side effects are ones I’ve been experiencing. Lucky me.”
“Well how long have you been taking them?” I ask.
“Six years,” she says. “I wanted nothing to do with alphas, being an omega, or hockey.”
“And now?” Miles asks.
“I’m dealing with things day to day and detoxing off my medication,” Caelia says. “I’m still on one that I really don’t want to stop taking.”
I really don’t want to pry, but I feel compelled to ask.
“Which one?”
“My heat suppressant,” she grumbles. “I can’t handle the idea of being at someone’s mercy or spontaneously going into heat at a hockey game.”
“I don’t know which part to address first,” I breathe. My heart hurts that she thinks that sex would make her someone’s toy. The problem is that’s been her experience.
Pressing the heels of my hands against my eyes, I sigh.
“I want to fucking kill everyone right now,” I complain.
“He’s not being dramatic. I kind of want to beat the shit out of people too,” Levon mutters.
“Join the club,” Miles grunts. “Let’s take this one step at a time, guys. Caelia, sex should never be about having power over someone. I need you to know that.”
“Heats are different,” she whispers. “That’s too much power for me to give.”
“A heat is meant to be spent with people who are going to adore and take care of you,” Miles explains.
He lifts her into his lap unceremoniously, and Caelia sits straight as a board, unsure how to react.
“You were too far away from me,” he says mildly.
“Okay?” she squeaks.
Well, at least Miles is figuring out his shit. Before, I worried he thought she would break or burst into tears in his presence.
“You’ve had a really shitty introduction to what alphas are like,” Miles continues. “There are more that are protective, caring, and supportive than not.”
“I can maybe name two,” Caelia huffs. My gaze moves to her chest as her breasts jiggle just a little and I swallow hard. Levon pinches me hard, causing me to move my gaze back to her face.
