Page 18 of In Too Deep

Oli looks up at me then, the intensity in his stare stopping my excitement in its tracks. My heart squeezes at the bald emotions gazing back at me, the fear, the pain, the longing.

“It’s not that simple, sunshine,” Eli adds as he scoots over to take my hand.

“Whyareyou hiding it? We’re not living in the 1800s. And there are other queer guys in the locker room,” Spencer asks, plucking the question out of my mind.

Oli and Eli share a look before the latter gives the former an encouraging nod. I catch his amber eyes for a moment before he looks down at his hands, his fingers twisting over and over.

“My dad isn’t exactly…supportive. I’ve known that I’m bi since I was pretty young, but some stuff happened when I was growing up that showed me I wasn’t safe to be out of the closet. And even now…” Oli trails off, his eyes growing distant.

I sigh in frustration and empathy. Bigotry in the hockey world, particularly toward players who aren’t perceived to be “manly” or “alpha enough,” is something I see all too often on social media, and within the back-office staff of other teams in the league. But knowing what I do about how close Oli is with his dad, my heart breaks that he can’t be his authentic self.

There’s a heaviness to Oliver’s shoulders that makes my chest ache, and I can’t sit still. I slide off the couch and dart over to him, running my fingers through his hair for a moment before he sits back and allows me to crawl into his lap. His arms hold me close, and he buries his face in my hair, taking a deep breath before going on.

“I don’t like hiding this part of myself, and it’s not fair to Eli that we have to keep our relationship secret,” Oli says at last.

“You could just tell your dad to take a long walk off a short pier?” Spencer suggests with obvious irritation on behalf of his friend and roommate.

I’m inclined to agree, but Oli’s heavy sigh stops me from verbalizing it. His arms hold me tight, lifting me slightly so he can adjust his posture before settling me across his thighs again, this time sideways, with my feet draped over one arm of the chair. A hand on my back eases me into the crook of his arm, perfectly positioned for his strong chin to rest on top of my head. I can see Spencer and Eli better this way, and my eyes flick between them over and over. Eli’s mouth droops with a weary frown, but I can practically hear Spencer’s teeth grinding with how hard he’s clenching his jaw.

“He’s my dad, BlackJack. He’s got some fucked-up views, but he’s not... He’s still my dad,” Oli says, starting off strong before trailing off until he’s barely above a whisper.

I press a hand to Oli’s chest, nuzzling him slightly. I am quite lucky that my parents are as supportive as they are, but it doesn’t take a giant leap of imagination to understand what he’s trying to say. For a heartbeat, it looks like Spencer might try to argue, but then he sighs and his shoulders slump. I’m sure he has a lot more to say, but it’s big of him to drop it.

“I promise you; we’ve tried to think of every possible way we could do this. But between Oli’s dad, and the league rules, we’re only left with one option.” Eli pulls my attention back to him.

“What do you mean?” I question, confusion returning with a vengeance.

Eli and Oli share another look over my head, but I don’t take my eyes off Eli as I wait for an answer. The silent exchange either lasts a few seconds, or several decades. But once Eli nods, and Oli’s arms tighten around me, I brace myself for whatever bomb they’re about to drop.

“The only way we can think of to be together in the public eye, and stay together on the same team to play hockey, is to form a pack. A pack with an omega at the center.”

As soon as thewords are out of Oliver’s mouth, all the color disappears from Tori’s face, and her body locks up. He’s still talking about how long they’ve tried to think of other solutions, and how they hope she understands where they’re coming from. But it’s as if Tori’s brain has checked out and is halfway back to New Orleans. I take a deep breath, and the hair on the back of my neck stands on end as soured sugar hits me.

“Oli, let go,” I snap, eyes not leaving Tori’s face.

He stops mid-sentence and growls, tightening his arms around Tori’s chest. She is still a thousand miles away, and I’m not sure what I can do to bring her back. I don’t want to punch my teammate, but I will. But then I think for a moment, a long moment when the smell of rotten tea left out in the sun invades my nose and makes my heart race in all the wrong ways. The solution hits me.

“Go to the kitchen, omega,” I bark, the strain in my chest uncomfortable and unfamiliar.

I can’t remember the last time I’ve barked at anyone, let alone an omega. But it does the trick. Tori starts fighting against Oli’s embrace, her little whimpers tearing at my insides.

“Let her go, Oli. She’s going to hurt herself if you don’t,” Eli says, turning a pleading look onto his co-conspirator.

With one more growl, Oli finally relents, and Tori is out of his lap as if she was spring-loaded. As soon as she’s put the island between herself and us, the compulsion fades, making her slump over the counter, resting her weight on her forearms. Movement out of the corner of my eye has me out of my seat and stepping in front of Oli, our chests touching as we stare each other down.

“That was a dirty trick, Black,” he snarls, though I’m not sure I see any real heat behind his amber eyes.

“Well, one of us has to take care of her, and it sure as shit wasn’t going to be you.” I’m not backing down in the slightest.

“Will you two stop it?”

I whip around as Tori’s voice reaches us, the flat drone like she’s trying not to cry making me uneasy. She’s still not looking up, and I can’t see her face anymore. Her body language is telling, though. Tight shoulders, shifting from side to side. Discomfort, anxiety.

“You don’t have to decide now, princess,” Oli persists, and I growl again. He needs to back off before I pay him back for the punch he gave me during the hurricane.

Tori shakes her head, and I start to walk toward her, but Oli is right behind me. I shoot a heated glance at Eli, telling him with my eyes to get his lover under control before I have to. The Swede nods and gets to his feet, grabbing Oli’s forearm and holding him back as I close the distance to Tori.

Her inhales and exhales are deliberate, like she’s counting them out as a coping mechanism. I lean sideways, trying to lookat her face before I proceed, but the curtain of her golden hair has fallen forward. Carefully, I hook a finger into it and draw it back, tucking it behind her ear.

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