Page 34 of Justice for Puck Bunnies

“You did what?” Vin demands, but I don’t respond to it.

“I’m pretty sure that even after I go back to Brad, he won’t be faithful, so it only makes sense that I can have some fun too.”

“First, don’t commit sex acts in front of me without my consent,” Vin snaps. “Second, I don’t understand why you want Brad at all. If one of my sisters brought home a guy like that, I wouldn’t stop punching until I could see the back of his throat through the hole. A million guys would drop to their knees for you. You deserve better, Izzy.”

“First,” Mason interjects, “it was your idea. I just improvised for a better performance.” He adds a lascivious grin. “And second, I’d drop to my knees right now if you want, bunny. Vin, you cool with watching me eat a different breakfast?”

Vin chucks the duffel filled with his goalie pads at him, but he masterfully slaps it away.

“That’s sweet,” I interrupt before it can escalate further. “But Brad’s it for me. He can provide for me and understands me in a way that almost no one else does. I’ve had time to come to terms with how he is and I’m willing to sacrifice. I hope you can understand. And also, I’d hope you’d talk to your sisters before assaulting their boyfriends.”

“He’s not the only one who can understand you,” Trick adds. His jaw sets like he’s daring me to admit my designation to the others.

To tell them or not to.

The options weigh heavily in my mind. I hadn’t contemplated it, not even after last night. I assumed that Trick would also want to keep it quiet so the others don’t get attached or pie-in-the-sky ideas.

The suppressants work well enough that I’ll be long gone before my next heat.

There’s no need to tell them.

And scared, anxious voices needle my mind that no one can know at all. The sounds of my mom and dads cautioning me are somehow both a whisper and a cacophony.

No, I can’t tell them, even as Trick wills me to admit it with insistent green eyes.

“I’ve invested a lot in the captain of the team, and I’m not willing to give it up without a fight,” I reply.

See, Trick? Remember why I’m doing this?

I don’t have a choice. It’s either Brad or the Admin.

It’s all fine for Trick to be judgmental. I’ll never have what they have. Submitting to the Admin will mean harsh penalties disguised as concern for my well-being. They’ll continue to live in this gorgeous house full of warmth and friendship. I had that with Jolie and I’ll figure out a way to get it again.

Once the guys disappear out the door, I scarf down my own breakfast and head to work.

***

Mason brings home success stories about Brad throwing a tantrum when he sees Trick’s neck all scratched to hell.

By the end of my second week at the house, we’ve settled into a comfortable routine.

Breakfast is hot and ready for all four of us to inhale on our way out the door. Morning skate is later than my start time, and I switch my work schedule around to accommodate the guys’ needs.

Most days, I make it home with plenty of time to cook up a hearty dinner that we eat together in the stiff dining room they clearly never used before I arrived.

I also collect their rancid base layers and toss it all into never-ending rounds of laundry, then keep the sink clear and ensure their bathrooms and beds remain relatively clean.

They’d only asked for some help around the house, but it’s a sweet home and so I want to be sweet to it.

And them. Especially them.

Exposure to the constant stream of male pheromones is starting to both dull the edge of their proximity and also make me more attuned to it.

It’s like a healing scar, the tissue tough and durable in most circumstances, but then sometimes I twist or bend and the phantom pain lances through me. I hide it well enough, I think, but it’s an adjustment being around three men constantly.

Sometimes, it’s just Vin and me watching old games or movies on the couch. He pecks at his laptop, I scroll on my phone, and neither of us could be happier. The beta embodies come-what-may calm.

More often than not, though, Vin and Trick choose to be near each other. Trick insists on keeping Mason in check. They feed off each other’s energy and their scents entwine until my skin is alive and my face is numb.

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