"Yes. The scholarship covers tuition and housing regardless of athletic performance. Even if we lose every game, we are still students here."
I nod, relieved for reasons I do not want to examine too closely.
"Are you grateful for it?" I ask. "The scholarship?"
He thinks about it.
Not a quick, reflexive answer. A long, genuine pause where I can practically see the gears turning behind those storm-blue eyes. His jaw tightens slightly, then relaxes. His fingers tap against the steering wheel in a slow, thoughtful rhythm.
"Not really," he says finally.
I frown.
"Why not?"
He exhales through his nose, leaning back in his seat.
"Because we are just... pity projects, essentially."
"Pity projects?"
"We do not have an Omega," he says, and the way he says it carries the weight of a confession. "Our pack does not have an Omega. No bond. No balance. That is considered basically loser central for any Alpha pack trying to be taken seriously in this world."
He gestures vaguely toward the campus outside the windshield.
"We got scholarships here, and sure, that is great on paper. But really, it just buys us time. Delays the inevitable. Because without an Omega, without a complete pack structure, we are always going to be looked at as incomplete. As less than. As Alphas who are not good enough to attract or keep a bond."
Less than. Incomplete. Not good enough.
Funny. I know exactly what that feels like.
"My brother is the perfect example," Etienne continues, his voice quieter now. "Bastien. He had a pack. He had teammates. He had everything on paper that should have set him up for success. But without an Omega, without that stabilizing influence, it all fell apart."
I set down my coffee cup, giving him my full attention.
"Well, is it not his choice to decide to find one?" I ask carefully. "An Omega, I mean. Is someone stopping him?"
Etienne laughs, but there is no humor in it.
"My brother cannot even find a pack that can tolerate him at this point, let alone an Omega willing to bond with him. Whether it is rebellion, self-sabotage, or just his personality being genuinely insufferable, who knows. But no Omega in their right mind would look at Bastien Laurent and think, yes, that is the Alpha I want to build a life with."
Accurate. Based on my brief encounter with the man, I would rather bond with a cactus.
I hesitate, fiddling with the wrapper of my now-finished bagel.
"I am confused," I admit. "Sorry if this makes me sound stupid, but I do not fully understand how the pack situation connects to everything. The scholarships, the hockey, Bastien..."
Etienne reaches over without looking, his hand finding the top of my head and giving it a gentle pat. The gesture is becoming familiar. Grounding.
"No question you ask is stupid," he says firmly, those storm-blue eyes meeting mine with an intensity that makes my breath catch. "Never think that way. Not around me. Not around anyone. Your curiosity is one of the best things about you, and I will not let you apologize for it."
I smile, feeling warmth bloom in my chest that has nothing to do with the coffee.
"Okay," I say softly. "Then explain it to me."
He settles into his seat, choosing his words with care.
"My older brother was originally pack members with Rafe and Cal. They grew up together, played hockey together, were supposed to go through the whole system together. Bastien, Rafe, and Cal. The original three."
