Finding the Forward, Part One (HockeyVerse)

Chapter Fifty-Five

Verity

I frowned at my phone as Mercy and I got off the metro first thing in the morning. Nothing like waking up to blatant parental disapproval of public displays of affection. Ugh. How did they keep unblocking themselves from my phone? This was a new fancy one, too.

Maybe I should change my number.

Creed was giving me good-natured shit about Grif giving me his jersey and Grace was ready to plan our wedding. They meant well, but I didn’t want any of it today.

“It was cute when he gave you his jersey.” Mercy looked at my phone. “It’s not like that never happens. Rusty said she did it to her omega during a game once.”

Mama texted and I braced for more meddling.

Mama

Make sure you talk things through, especially regarding both your careers and expectations. While I loved getting to raise you all, I never thought that I'd be the one giving up my career. I never thought I’d be dragged across the country for everyone else’s jobs. I never thought there’d be so many kids.

Not trying to put a damper on things. Trying to be real with you.

Oh. That made a whole lot of sense. She’d put her career aside, only taking freelance work until Chance was in school. That was also the reason I’d helped so much with the littles when they were born. Mama had just got back to her career. She shouldn’t have to drop everything because Dad wanted more kids. She might be a beta but her dreams weren’t lesser. I was happy she’d gotten a fancy translator position in Bayside.

Me

Thank you. Those are excellent points.

I put my phone in my pocket as we entered the training center.

“Special delivery,” I yelled as we walked into the Maimer’s locker room.

“We don’t want any,” Rusty replied, as usual. “Saw that clip of the Knights’ game. Can you even sit?”

Liv grinned at me. “Still up for tonight?”

“ Rusty . I’ll be fine.” My ass ached a little, but it was from being railed. My knees hurt even more.

Still, I wouldn’t trade that for anything. Last night was hot. I’d thought three holes for three goals was something authors made up for sports romances. Apparently not. I was here for it. Also, who decided a player getting three goals should be called a boner? But I guess the two things sort of went together?

What I couldn’t get out of my head was sucking AJ’s cock–and how much I’d enjoyed being bossed around by the both of them.

Mercy blinked as she started getting ready for practice. “What do those two things have to do with each other?”

“Oh, you sweet baby,” Ash joked, as he swatted himself on the ass. He was shirtless, as usual.

“Have you not read any of my romance novels?” My eyebrows arched.

“Oh, my fuck, I don’t need to know that.” Mercy gave me a little push. “Have fun at your greenhouse. Don’t be late. I want to take a nap before the game, and we have to be early. It’s blanket toss night.”

“Of course.” I waved and left the locker room.

I was excited about blanket toss night since I got to help. We’d been practicing for days. When warmup ended, fans would toss new blankets onto the ice, which were then donated to the Omega Center to be used by their crisis response team, aptly called the ‘blanket brigade’. Also, the Brooklyn Blankets, the local all-omega semi-pro team, were coming to help.

Taking the elevator upstairs to the workout room, I did my morning workout and exercises so I wouldn’t be too sore for tonight. As I finished, hockey players streamed in.

“Looking good, Professor Mami.” Carlos stood there with a big grin.

“Hey, Team Mom, how’s that ass?” Nia grinned and hopped on a bike.

“Done with her workout, thank you.” I eased myself up and grabbed my crutch and backpack.

“Hey, Little Alpha.” Jonas snagged my waist and gave me a kiss.

I inhaled the scent of sweaty moss as I took the hug I’d been needing all morning. “Morning, Jonas.”

“Dean and Grif are going on a date tonight. So, if you want someone to hang out at Tito’s after the Maimers’ game you can call me.” Jonas gave me a squeeze.

“Or I can read this new bull rider romance my big sister told me about.” I smirked.

He’d hang out with me at Tito’s? How sweet.

“Thank you, but we’re leaving for our West Coast adventure tonight after the game. See you later.” I kissed him on his cheek.

I changed, got my chai latte, and took my usual spot on the bleachers to watch a little of Maimers’ practice. While I had plenty of work to do in the lab, I liked this moment to get my day together.

My lips tugged into a frown as I checked my plant app. Offline? Huh. I’d go in soon and get it sorted.

Mama’s text kept echoing in my brain. Grif and I had been focused on the near future. On getting through everything one step at a time–them being a pack, getting their pack contract, Mercy turning eighteen. We hadn’t really talked about what happened after that, except that I’d court Grif, then mate him, possibly Dean, too.

What would happen if they got traded? It wasn’t as if I could change PhD programs again.

“That’s quite the pensive look for this time of the morning.” Grif sat down next to me.

I pulled him close, taking a moment to collect the thoughts bouncing around my head.

“We’re it, right? I’m having trouble imagining life without you. House, kids, dog, I want it all. With you.” My voice was soft as I stared at the Maimers doing speed drills on the ice.

“Yeah, we’re it.” He ran his hand through my hair. “As many or as few kids as you want. We can wait until you’re ready. Dean and I talked about two or three.”

“That sounds perfect. I really don’t want as big of a family as I grew up in. I could see having babies with you two after I finish my PhD and get settled.” Maybe even the others. We’d see.

“Is something wrong? Jonas mentioned you’re still getting weird messages. Or is it the queen twatwaffle?” he asked, brow furrowing in concern.

I’d still been getting mean messages. But I didn’t want to worry Grif with it. I just blocked them, screenshotted them, and sent them to Jonas.

“I still have a couple of years at NYIT. What if you get traded? I know you three will be together, but what about AJ… and me?” The awkwardness made me squirm. But I needed to know how I fit in long-term.

He gave me a squeeze. “If we get traded within the division, we can commute. Jersey, Philly, and Boston are all a quick hop on the ultra-bullet.”

“Commuting on the ultra-bullet every day will get expensive.” Though do-able given how fast the trains were.

“We have money. It’s easy enough to get everyone passes and even keep two places if needed. We could make most of the eastern conference work. Parts of the southern conference too. If we got sent west or north, well, that would get harder,” he told me.

“True.” At least he wasn’t an omega. While it could be a little hard for him to be separated from his bonded alphas for long periods of time, it wouldn’t be anything like if he was an omega.

He leaned his head on my shoulder, his scent souring. “You and AJ could come see us whenever you wanted. It probably wouldn’t be for that long.”

“I may not just be able to move wherever when I graduate.” I couldn’t get Mama’s words out of my head and my voice came out tarter than I intended. My career was important to me, too.

“I was talking about us , Kitten.” He kissed my temple. “Jonas is in his eighth year; Dean and I are in our seventh. We don’t have that many years with the PHL left.”

“Oh.” That made sense.

“Dean and I have always wanted to be Royals. If we ever get the chance to play for Boston, could we make that work? Even after you graduate? If you still want to teach, there are lots of great universities. I’m sure there are research facilities there. Or again, you could commute here. I don’t think AJ ever plans on giving up his place, so even if we move, we’d always have a base here,” he told me, hand playing with my hair.

“I like Boston. After you retire, you’d move there to the house you got Dean?” I tried to visualize what that would look like, since I’d still be early in my career.

“I hope so. AJ’s firm has an office in Boston. Dean and I figured we’d eventually end up back in there. Jonas would love to coach for BosTec. It would be nice to raise our kids there,” he admitted quietly, gazing at me with hope in those green eyes.

“That would be nice–and the Boston symphony is there.” Home was where they were. I’d never thought about permanently living in New York. Boston though. I could see that. The house Grif bought Dean was adorable .

His thumb stoked my forehead. “Shit. You were going to move to Rockland, weren’t you? Work for Spencer. Be near your siblings. We could make that work.”

“Spencer wants me to work for him,” I confessed. “I don’t have to. They also have facilities elsewhere.”

Well, it was more like secret teams of researchers in other places working on controversial projects.

“Of course, Spencer also mentioned buying the Daredevils and trading you three to the team, so I could work for him,” I laughed, as my gaze shifted back to Mercy and her team as they changed drills.

“That could work, too. If he wants you so badly that he’d buy a hockey team, he could probably buy a lab in Boston. Or buy the Royals and a lab.” He chuckled. “We’ll make it work, Verity. All five of us.”

“What if someone gets a good opportunity elsewhere?” I wasn’t thinking so much of myself as Jonas. Those collegiate coaching positions weren’t easy to come by. My coach at Marquess had moved quite a ways to take the position.

“We’ll figure it out together.” He nuzzled my neck. “I know things were a little rocky at first, but everyone likes you. You and AJ getting along makes me so happy. Dean really wants you to be his alpha, too.”

“I’d like that. But you’re first when we’re ready.” I leaned in and kissed him. Six months until Mercy turned eighteen. That was a good amount of time for us to continue building our relationship.

Though part of me was ready now.

Grif nibbled on my lower lip as my hand crept under the back of his shirt, feeling his rippled muscles under his skin.

“We don’t have to wait,” Grif mumbled between kisses. “We could make it work.”

Banging on the glass startled me.

“Get a room,” Mercy yelled through the glass. She flashed a heart with her fingers and skated off.

“That’s why I have to wait. Once she’s eighteen, she can sign a new contract and get an overpriced loft with Kaiko. Until then, she’s stuck with me.” I kissed him again, my fingers running through his beard.

“She can live in the guest room. Of course, that means you’d have to stay in my room. What a sacrifice.” His scent grew sweet with arousal, with twangs of something I couldn’t quite identify, as his hand ran up and down my pant leg.

I smelled it last night when we were together in the storeroom. It made my core ache to spear his cock with my pussy and keep him locked inside me for eternity.

“Let’s sneak out. I’ll tell Coach I’m sick. You can take me home and mark me.” His voice grew husky, and that scent intensifying between kisses.

“That sounds lovely. But AJ would be very jealous if I bit you first.” I ran kisses down his neck, trying to soothe him before he got too worked up. “One day, I promise. I think I’d like to mark you here.” My lips grazed his collarbone.

Of course, maybe we could have a quickie some place before I had to go into the lab. I rubbed my thighs together in anticipation.

“We’ll call him. He can meet us. The three of us can fuck senseless, then you both can bite me,” he murmured.

His voice held a timbre I’d never heard before. Something not quite needy or desperate but wanting. It tugged at my soul. Not to mention the scene he proposed enticed my pussy. Greedy bitch.

That realistic part of me said no . The least of it being that I was leaving tonight with the Maimers after the game. It wouldn’t be fair to him to bond with him and leave like that. Bond marks needed to be tended.

“While I’d love to do that, we should wait at least until you get the pack contract.” I kissed him again, resignation in my voice. I wanted to be practical, but if it was hurting him by waiting, I’d figure something out.

As long as everyone else was onboard.

Grif's head popped up, eyes wide as his scent grew bitter. “You don’t want to bite me?”

“Of course I do. I’m so excited at the thought,” I soothed, planting another kiss on that spot on his neck. My belly twisted.

He scooted away from me, a hurt sound coming from his lips. “Why wait? Do you not want me?”

This felt off. His expression–and that sound he made–broke my heart.

“Of course I want you. I want you so much. Grif, I love you. I want to bond with you and be your mate. One day, I’ll have your babies and grow old with you. Just not today. Soon. If you don’t want to wait until summer, I’ll talk to everyone and we’ll work something out.” It would take some creative logistics, but we could make it happen.

“I see. I… I need to get back to the team.” He stood quickly, voice cold.

Too quickly.

“Grif. Wait.” Something’s wrong.

“It’s fine.” Grif’s words turned curt as he walked down the row toward the bleacher stairs.

“No, really, what happened? I’m sorry. Wait.” I stood, struggling for my crutch as he left. “Grif, wait, please.”

I went as fast as I could, but he didn’t stop.

What happened? One minute we were making out, the next moment he was leaving like I’d done something wrong.

My crutch slipped. Before I could catch myself, I slid downward, taking a tumble down the metal stairs. Thump, thump, thump.

The wind whooshed out of me, my crutch clattering to the ground. Ow.

Pain shot through my ass. I laid there, trying to catch my breath. Embarrassment warmed my face because that was quite the graceful moment there.

“Grif?” My voice came out soft. I didn’t see him. I called again. “Grif.”

Because I wasn’t sure I could get up on my own.

At any moment, I expected to hear his voice. To feel his hand take mine as he eased me up.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck. Verity, are you okay?” someone called from the ice. “Coach, we need you.”

Everything swam as I tried to get my bearings.

“I’m fine. I just slipped. It’s fine.” Yeah, I wasn’t hurt. Just mortified. I struggled to sit up on my own and looked around. Where was Grif?

Sure, he’d taken off, but I’d expected him to come back when he heard me clatter down the stairs. Or at least check on me when I called.

My eyes swept the stands for him as my throat swelled.

Grif was gone.