Page 116 of Full Body Hit, Part 1

“Just asking, ’cause Emilio’s was kind of sucky, actually.”

Emilio turned towards them from where he’d been chatting with Sammy at the sound of his name. “Hm?”

“Just telling Chase that your first year wasn’t the best,” Beau explained.

“Oh, right.” He nodded at Chase. “I mean, it was fine, but everything felt a lot more foreign than I thought it would.”

Beau hummed. “First years can be kind of lonely even though you’re embraced by this big team family shit. I was just thinking about my rookie year and how obsessed I was with trying to prove myself. Now I think back on it and it’s like, bro, chill.”

Emilio laughed. “Yeah, there’s a lot of that. Not quite getting that you’re a small piece of a larger thing instead of a large piece of your own thing or something.”

Beau grinned, blue eyes glowing. “Wow, babe, that was wise as fuck.”

Emilio snorted, looking at his mate, and there was a strange moment where they just stared at each other, smiling and still, something passing between them.

Chase wondered if they were sensing their bond right then. If it was pulling them together.

Sammy piped up, breaking the moment. “We’re taking good care of him. Aren’t we?” he directed at Chase.

“Yeah. No, definitely. Even Captain Bozo over there is doing a good job,” Chase joked.

Noah let out an indignant burst of breath. “Why am I the one being bullied here?” he whined.

Beau laughed. “I’m still surprised Mazdaki hasn’t tried to out-captain you.”

Chase tensed at the mention of Auston, blindsided by the sudden change in subject.

Even though the comment was directed at Noah, it was Sammy who snorted loudly with a, “Yeah, right.”

Beau’s eyes widened. “Wait. What’s that about?” He turned to his brother accusingly. “You haven’t told me about any drama with Mazdaki.”

Noah shrugged. “You know I don’t like to gossip.”

“It’s not gossip if it’s about the team you captain,” Beau argued. He focused on Sammy. “What’s up with Mazdaki, then?”

“I mean, he’s fine. Just. Really don’t know how he was a captain for so many years. The dude won a couple of Stanley Cups—you’d think he’d be a better leader,” Sammy said.

Emilio reclined on his chair, extending his arm so it draped over the back of Beau’s seat. “No shit. Wow. I met him at an All-Stars once and he seemed pretty cool. Never would have guessed he’s bad in the room.”

Noah shook his head. “He’s not bad. I just think…I think he’s at the end of his career and he’s finding it hard…and he’s taking it out on the wrong people.”

“He’s acting like a douche,” Sammy replied.

Chase blinked at him. He’d had no idea Sammy felt so strongly about the older Alpha.

“I’m not saying he’s not acting like a douche,” Noah reasoned. “Just that…it’s probably not something he’s done his whole career or anything. He’s in a bad place.” He glanced at Chase. “Not that I’m excusing his shitty behaviour. I’m just saying—this is probably not who he’s been in the room for the past two decades or whatever.”

Emilio nodded. “Yeah, That makes sense.”

Beau raised his eyebrows. “You think you’re gonna turn into a jackass during your last year in the league? Because I can’t see that.”

“Well, no, but I have you. I have things I love outside of hockey. By the time we retire, we’ll probably have…well, you know. A family and stuff.”

“This guy,” Beau said, pointing his thumb at Emilio. “Always trying to knock me up.”

Emilio spluttered as Noah covered his ears with a mournful, “No.” Sammy cackled at Noah’s reaction, trying to force his hands down, telling him he was being a baby, that his brother being knotted multiple times per heat was perfectly normal.

“Stop talking,” Noah hissed.