More inconvenient now that I’m going to be living with three Alphas whose scents make you want to climb them like trees.
"Then we'll visit the nurses' station for your initial health check. Standard procedure for all new students. After that, I'll show you the Omega-exclusive shops on the east wing. Most Omegas enjoy having them handy for major essentials,especially during..." She clears her throat delicately. "...sensitive times."
I nod, filing away the information.
Omega Lounge. Nurse. Shops. Got it.
But there's one thing I need to know more than any of that.
"What's the process for those who want to use the rink?"
The question comes out before I can stop it, tumbling from my lips with an eagerness I hadn't meant to reveal. My cheeks flush, but I don't take it back.
Miss Phillip beams, her entire demeanor shifting from polished administrator to genuine enthusiast.
"Ah, the rink! I can explain all of that for you." She tucks her tablet under her arm, gesturing animatedly. "I know hockey training is about to start, so we're currently waiting for the finalized schedule. But there are designated off-times that allow anyone to use the rink, including skating lessons for beginners."
She pauses, and her smile widens.
"There's also a figure skating club for Omegas. Very active. They practice three times a week and compete regionally. And," her voice drops to a conspiratorial whisper, "there's a professional team in the works. The board approved funding last month. We're hoping to have a competitive squad by next season."
A professional team.
In the works…
My heart stutters in my chest, and for a moment I forget about slushie-throwing mean girls and naked hockey players and the ticking time bomb of my twenty-fifth birthday.
Figure skating. Real figure skating. Not just YouTube videos watched at 2 AM while pretending I don't miss the ice so much it hurts.
"Do you skate, Ms. Rose?" Miss Phillip asks, studying my face with keen interest.
I shrug, forcing casualness into my voice even as my pulse races.
"I do it as a hobby from time to time. My dad was a coach here and there."
Here and there.
Like it wasn't the center of my universe for fifteen years. As though I didn't spend every free moment on the ice until my ankles ached and my fingers went numb.
Or how giving it up felt like cutting off a limb.
Miss Phillip practically squeals, which is not a sound I expected from such a composed woman.
"Oh, you absolutely must try out if you're interested! We're always looking for talented skaters. The club would be thrilled to have fresh blood."
Fresh blood. Interesting choice of words.
But the excitement bubbling in my chest is hard to suppress.
This is why I came here. Not for the Alphas or the pack integration or the elaborate escape plan from my parents' machinations.
For the ice.
For the chance to remember who I was before the world told me I wasn't enough.
Hell, it would be nice to finally have hobbies again.
To find the joy I used to take for granted, thinking that spark would be there forever.
