Somehow, I kept myself together through the first jump, my heart pounding in my chest as I swallowed down a whimper.
The second, however, my body jolted so hard that I sent the bowl of chips in my lap flying. Every single one of my mates started cracking up. At least Wilder had the decency to promise that I’d be able to return the favor with them.
I was going to absolutely hold him to that.
The next hour turned into a match of goading each other and trying to keep our cool, which wasn’t as easy as it sounded. Not surprising, Cade was the one to blow the rest of us out of the water, making it the furthest in the game without a single bit of trash talk.
I kind of envied his level of calm, something I absolutely would never be able to possess.
“Not so bad after all, are you?” I teased. The grin he gave me was so fucking cute. He was proud of himself, as he should be.
“That means you’re mine, princess. No takebacks,” he said. “And you guys get to clean up.” They groaned as he snatched me up, throwing me over his shoulder and rushing up the stairs, my laughter trailing behind us.
I could’ve let my frustration get the best of me tonight, but I was so glad that I didn’t give in.
Once again, my pack proved to me that I was more important than hockey. The lingering doubts that used to stick around, saying that I had to wait for them to fail me, were finally silent.
Maybe I was truly letting go and embracing this new life.
The one that felt like mine.
Chapter
Twenty-Eight
Lana
My exes must have gotten the hint, because the boxes had finally stopped rolling in. Maybe my video was enough to convince them that I was over their weak attempts at reconciliation.
Either way, I was counting it as a win.
The guys were at practice, and I was cleaning up the last of the lunch dishes in the arena kitchen. Soft music filtered through the air, and I sang quietly along, perfectly at peace here.
I was trying out some new snack ideas, rolling the protein bites between my hands and laying them out on the sheet pan. I startled when a thunder of voices echoed into the quiet, meaning that practice was over.
Of course, like usual, the guys stormed in here first. A few of them made comments about how good it smelled, snatching treats right off of the trays that were still waiting to be packaged up for them.
I playfully swatted at hands, but I secretly loved it. It was nice to know they were comfortable with me now, that they genuinelyenjoyed everything I made. It made all the hard work more satisfying.
At first, I wondered if it was just because of my pack and my brother that they were nice to me, but then they started coming in here on their own. The guys were chatting and laughing with each other until my pack walked in, and then that now-familiar tension rose back up to the surface.
Disappointment curdled in my stomach, mixing with guilt. I knew they threw got suspended because of me, and I hated that this was still going on.
It settled a bit as everyone went back to their conversations, until the door opened again. An unfamiliar alpha walked in, startling at the obvious wall of angst he’d walked into.
“Chill, I’m just a delivery guy,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m looking for Lana Flynn.”
“That’s me,” I said, drying my hands on a towel and walking over. I didn’t have to see what it was to know exactly who it was from. The fact that they would not leave me alone or take a hint was infuriating. Even though I blocked them, they continued to find ways to get to me.
I wasn’t sure there was anything I could do at this point to convince them that I was done. They were determined, and even I could admit that not all the gifts were superficial. Some of them were meant to mean something.
Just not to me anymore.
I signed the tablet the delivery man held out before taking the thick envelope, swallowing hard. I wasn’t sure how much more clear I could be, and I was afraid that the guys would go beat their asses again.
“It’s from them, isn’t it?” Lennon growled, already moving in to see.
His face was pure anger, and that got the attention of the entire team.
