Finding the Forward, Part One (HockeyVerse)

Chapter Forty-Eight

Grif

“ A nyone home?” I called as I left the elevator, a bag of groceries in my arms. Dean had texted asking for sourdough bread.

Our quiet place reeked of sex, desire, and pheromones. Not uncommon, but Verity’s were in the mix.

Dean had hung up lights everywhere in anticipation of the holidays. Not just on the overgrown tree from AJ’s sister’s farm, but across the ceiling like we were at a rooftop bar. He’d even decorated my piano with them.

I’d drawn the line at putting his ceramic winter village on my brand-new grand piano. We’d placed them on the mantle as usual, along with hooks for our socks. Fake greenery festooned the banister leading upstairs. Dean had replaced all the cushions, blankets, and towels with holiday ones.

The lights and decorations annoyed Jonas and AJ, but they put up with it. Personally, I loved it. We’d always decorated a lot at home when I was little, but it was mostly paper chains and popcorn garlands. Something Dean and I still made. They were both on the tree.

I put the bag on the counter, then chopped the tomato, garlic, and onions. Dean and Verity were going to need something to sop up all that booze. The request for bread was probably an ask to make him food. They must still be busy. I’d check on them after I got things going.

Them together? Mmmm. Would Jonas watch or join in? The heat between them the other day was palpable.

I added the vegetables in a pot with some butter and stock. As it came to a boil, I put everything else away, including some gourmet cheese and a loaf of warm, crusty sourdough bread.

Time to check on everyone. As I walked past the den, a whimper shot me in the heart.

Dean, in only his briefs, curled in front of Jonas’ door. His toes were now painted in black and silver.

“Hey, Jellybean, what’s wrong?” I frowned, crouching in front of him and cupping his face with my hand. I’d expected him to be in bed with her, not sitting in the hall looking like someone kicked his puppy.

“He closed the door. He’s in there with her and won’t let me in. Jonas was spanking her. Not fair. It was so much fun when it was the three of us. They escaped when I fell asleep.” He gave me a baleful look. “He won’t let me join in.” Hurt filled his quiet voice as he put his hand on the door.

“Jellybean, they’re allowed to have a little alone time,” I soothed. She might have got overwhelmed and needed space and some extra cuddles.

Dean pouted, lower lip jutting out. “Did you know Jonas is cockblocking me? She has to ask to have me. Again, not fair.”

Getting fully onto the floor, I pulled him into my lap and kissed Jonas’ bond mark on Dean’s neck, trying to soothe him. “Jonas is allowed to have boundaries.”

“Still, he could let me in. I want to be spanked by her.”

I smoothed his hair and held him to me. Dean wasn’t used to not getting his way. He smelled of sex, Jonas, and Verity. The combo of Jonas’ moss and Verity’s driftwood was incredible.

“Did you say he was spanking her?” My eyebrows rose.

Shit. He was punishing her by spanking .

“It makes sense, given he basically told me I’d get it later for breaking the safety rules.” Dean rolled his eyes. “Eh, my date with her was worth it. Nothing bad happened.”

“I’m glad.” Not that I thought anything would. They were fine, just like when Verity and I were out alone.

Jonas was overreacting. However, it meant he felt like she was part of the pack, which I liked. A lot.

“Hey, I brought everything to make you grilled cheese and tomato soup. Why don’t we check on Verity and make sure she’s okay, then you can help me make the food?” I asked, still stroking his hair.

Dean perked. “With gruyere?”

“Yep.” I slid him off my lap. “Kitten?” I called, giving the door a soft rap. “Are you okay in there?”

Jonas was more intense than I was. There was a soft murmur from the other side.

“I’m okay, Tiger,” she groaned. “I... I’ll be out soon.”

“If you’re okay, take your time,” I told her. From the sounds she was making, Jonas was probably rubbing her back like he had in Glitter City. He was good at shit like that.

“She’s okay, Grif. Promise,” Jonas called.

“Good. I’m going to make Dean some food. When you’re ready, I’ll make some for you,” I told them, holding Dean to me. It wouldn’t be long before she needed to get ready for the party.

“I’d like that, thank you,” she called back.

I squeezed Dean’s shoulder. “See? She’s okay.”

“I know she’s okay. I just want to be there, too. Being with two alphas at once was incredible. ” Dean pouted as we returned to the kitchen.

What would it be like to be with AJ and Verity? Amazing probably.

Dean told me all about their date, and the subsequent sex, in great detail while I made coffee and finished cooking and blending the soup. It made me a little jealous, considering she was leaving to go to Rockland with her siblings and I wouldn’t see her for days.

I sliced the bread and buttered the outsides, putting gruyere, tomato, and prosciutto in the center.

“Mmmm.” Dean sliced off a little piece of bread and was eating it, a joyful look on his face. “Have I told you I love bread?”

“A time or two, I think?” I teased as I fried his sandwich until golden brown on each side, the cheese melty in the middle.

I put it on a plate. Dean had replaced our usual dishes with holiday ones. I sliced the sandwich in half crosswise and added a sprinkle of salt. Ladling some soup into a matching holiday bowl, I set the bowl on the plate with the sandwich. Then, I garnished the soup with fresh basil and grated parmesan.

“There you go.” I put it in front of him, then made some for myself. Yeah, I’d leave this off my nutrition tracker.

As we ate, Dean kept glancing at the hall as if willing them to come out.

I finished my sandwich and put my dishes in the sink. “I’ll go check on them.”

“Okay. Is there enough for me to have another? I can make her one, too. The soup was perfect, by the way,” Dean told me.

“Thanks.” I knew what post-drinking foods he liked. “There’s enough. You can make Jonas one, too.”

He glowered. “Jonas can make his own sandwich.”

Well then.

The bedroom door sat open. Jonas, in boxers, hair wet, was on the bed. Verity occupied his lap, in only one of his shirts, as he intricately braided her hair.

“Hey, Tiger. Whatever you’re cooking smells amazing.” She smiled at me.

“Are you okay?” I stood in the doorway. Did she even need to be punished at all?

“I’m okay.” Verity bit her lower lip. “I apologize for endangering Dean today.”

The look on her face shattered my heart.

“Oh, Kitten. I’m sorry your experiments failed. I’m not upset with you. Not one bit. I know it wasn’t on purpose, and everything turned out okay.” I crossed to the bed and cupped her face with my hand, desperate to reassure her.

Jonas glared at me as he continued to braid her hair.

“Also, you didn’t know.” I glared back. Jonas asked a lot of my kitten.

“Jonas is right. Protecting him should be common sense. I’d be gutted if anything happened. I...” Her voice broke.

“Kitten, it’s okay.” I squeezed her hand. “I’m happy Dean got his date. Jonas can braid hair. I didn’t know that.”

“I used to braid my sister’s hair,” he told me, his fingers moving deftly as he wove the hair together. It was like a crown at the top part of her hair.

I did, too. But not like that.

“I’m fine. Hungry. And...” Verity glanced at the clock on the nightstand. “I have to leave soon. I wish I could stay longer.”

“If you need to stay, stay.” There was a gentleness in Jonas’ voice I hadn’t heard toward her before.

She sighed. “I need to get ready for the party.”

“You’re going to play laser tag, not have a nine-course dinner. Get ready here. Wear the leggings you wore when you worked out with me this morning. If they need to be washed, we’ll throw them in on quick-wash along with anything else while you eat. They’ll only need a moment in the dryer. Jonas is doing your hair. You have makeup in your bag. Someone has a clean shirt you can wear.” I had plenty if she was going for the I just left my hockey-player boyfriend’s look.

“Wait, I have something, I have something,” Dean called as footsteps pounded down the hall as if he were running.

“Of course he does,” Jonas laughed. “Stay as long as you need. You’re always welcome here.”

“Thanks, but I need to get my gift for the exchange from home.” Her head tilted forward a little as he braided the lower part.

“If Mercy’s allowed to meet you at the party, have her grab it. You should eat some food and drink more water,” he told her as he continued braiding. A water bottle sat on the nightstand.

“Here.” Dean barreled in and flopped on the bed in only his underwear and a hockey-themed apron.

“Hey, I’m braiding here,” Jonas muttered in mock-annoyance.

“Oh, that’s pretty. You have two options. First one.” Dean held up a green crop top that said Goalie Yoga and had goalies doing stretches on it. “Second.” This was a navy tank top with two pucks and a goose on it, which looked like it would be tight on him.

I burst out laughing. Puck Puck Goose was a game often played in children’s hockey leagues. “These are so silly. Where did you even get them?”

“They’re from last year. That’s what happens when you let the EBUGs participate in the gift exchange.” Jonas tied off the end of her braid with a hairband.

“I love them. I got focaccia bread with olives in it, too,” he told us.

Verity gave him a look of mock horror. “You ate someone else’s focaccia bread?”

“It was only once,” he laughed. “She gave me some chocolate almond cookies today. I might not share, considering AJ ate them all last year.”

“Are you talking about Gwen? She gave Mercy some; they’re so good,” Verity replied. She looked at Jonas. “Thanks for braiding my hair.”

Jonas kissed her temple. “Anytime. If we’re going to wash anything, we should get it going.”

“Okay, I’ll go find my stuff. I should check my phone.” Verity scrambled up, gave Dean and I each a kiss, and left.

Dean pouted at Jonas, arms crossed over his chest. “You didn’t let me in.”

“Come here.” Jonas pulled Dean to him. “Some things aren’t for you to see. It doesn’t mean I love you any less. I appreciate your patience, Love.”

“But I enjoy being with both of you, Babe.” Dean nuzzled his alpha.

“It was nice. I might not want to share her sometimes.” He looked at me.

I nodded, not having a problem with it.

“Fine. I’m going to help her. But I’m not giving her back her panties.” Dean left the room.

“You punished her?” I frowned, voice low and quiet.

“I told you I would. She broke the rules. Things could've gone bad. I need her to remember that. She took it well, and I took good care of her, but she’ll need some extra snuggles from you.” He gathered up the hair ties on the bed and wrapped them around the handle of the brush.

“That’s why you were encouraging her to stay.” Understood.

“I don’t regret fucking her.” He looked smug. “Her blowjobs. Fuck.”

“I know.” I sighed in memory of the last one she gave me. “It just went fast from there being tension between you two to this? ”

Not that I was one to talk. If we had a pack contract and she didn’t have so many responsibilities, I’d be pushing to tell her everything so we could bond.

“True. I’ve wanted her for a while. It’s difficult to get time with Dean around. It also felt right. She feels right. Verity had the power to stop me at any time, with zero consequences. Look, I’m head alpha. I have to keep order. Since you and Dean are keeping her, we need to hold her to the rules, too,” he told me as he set the brush on his nightstand.

“While it’s nice that you think of her as basically pack, there’s only so far we can go before...” Before I told her the truth about my designation.

“I know. We’re not there yet.” His look went wistful as it fell on the empty doorway.

I left his room and entered the kitchen. Dean hadn’t even started making the sandwiches, so I made one for her.

As I dished up a sandwich and soup for her, she padded into the kitchen. Still in Jonas’ shirt, she put her phone on the counter.

“Come here, Kitten.” I opened my arms, and she curled inside them. Pulling her to my chest, I hugged her tight.

“That snowman holding the toilet paper in the hall bathroom is scary,” she told me, shuddering a little.

“I know. Dean loves to decorate.” I gestured to all the decorations.

“I can see that. Growing up, we never had many decorations. The alpha parents didn’t like clutter. It’s so pretty.” From my arms, she looked out onto all the twinkling lights.

“It is.” I rubbed her back, trying to soothe her. She’d taken a gigantic leap today.

She looked at the plate. “Is that for me?”

“It is. I made some coffee, too. We have a lack of chai lattes here.” I should fix that.

“Hold me while I eat?” Her voice went soft.

“Of course.” Grabbing her food and coffee, I led her over to the couch. Dean could make his own sandwich.

“You’re not mad?” She took a bite and her shoulders danced. “Oooh. Sourdough. This is delicious.”

“I told you I’m not. Please, take Dean on dates. Fuck all the guys. Even AJ.” I put an arm around her, and she squished into me.

“Getting pedicures with Dean was fun.” She smiled shyly.

I grinned back, recalling the photos. “I bet.”

As she ate her sandwich and soup, Verity told me everything.

“Push back on Jonas if you need to. You don’t have to take everything from him just because he’s head alpha,” I told her, putting her bowl down so I could cuddle her.

“How novel.” She rested her head on my chest. “He was caring. He braided my hair after our shower. It’s so pretty.”

“Ooh, snuggles.” Dean came into the living room, still only in his underwear and the apron. He dive-bombed the couch. “Your stuff is on quick-wash.”

“Thank you. Mercy is grabbing my gift and meeting me at the laser tag place.” She gave him a kiss.

“Good. We’ll snuggle you as much as you need,” I assured her.

Dean made sandwiches for himself and Jonas as I cuddled her more, food finished.

The elevator opened, and AJ came in, laptop case slung around him. His nose flared. “Is everything okay?”

“Hi, AJ.” Verity waved.

“Would you like a grilled cheese sandwich and some tomato soup, Pepperjack?” I asked. Though we were going on a date tonight.

“I’m okay.” He put his stuff down and plopped down on the couch on the other side of me. “Hey, Princess.” His fingers traced her braid crown. “Beautiful.”

“Jonas braids hair,” she told him.

Jonas and Dean were at the other end of the sectional, eating their sandwiches.

“I do, too. Hazards of having sisters. But I can’t do that,” AJ admitted.

Maybe I should learn. It might be a nice thing to do for her, braid her hair all pretty after I wreck her in bed.

“Your piano is so beautiful, Grif.” Verity’s eyes rested on it.

“It is. Do you want to hear something?” My fingers itched to play for her.

“Please?” She beamed at me and it filled my heart full.

“Ooh, play some holiday songs we can sing to,” Dean pleaded as he finished his sandwich.

Verity’s eyes lit up. “I’ve always wanted to do that.”

She’d never sung around the piano?

AJ patted my shoulder. “I love hearing you play.”

“Sure.” I got up from the couch and went over to the piano.

I sat down, stretched my fingers, then launched into Dean’s favorite holiday song. The four of them started to sing. My heart swelled as I joined in. This was everything I wanted.

It was nice that Jonas was preparing to keep her. But once she found out my secret, would she stay?

If she didn’t, it would shatter our hearts.