Page 58 of In Too Deep

“So. Here’s the deal. We’re going to get a court date, which is amazing. It means that we filed all the right paperwork and the judge doesn’t need to see anything else to make his decision. We can talk later about what exactly we can expect when we go in, but the long and short of this is that, once we have our date, that’ll be it. Y’all will walk out of the courthouse officially as Pack Mystic,” she explains, and I can almost hear the smile in her words.

My heart jumps around in my chest as I leap to my feet, my cheeks burning from how wide I’m smiling. “Oh, my God.Putain de merde, c’est incroyable.1 Are you serious?” I ask, slipping back and forth between my native languages in my excitement.

“Very serious. But I want to warn you: there’s a good chance we won’t get to see the judge until the end of March, at the earliest, and that’s if I can cash in a few favors. We’re realistically looking at the beginning of April,” Rita says, her tone warm but cautious.

My mood deflates as if a bucket of ice water cascades over my head. End of March? That’s well past the deadline, and April is basically the end of the season, if the Mystics don’t make the playoffs.

“What... what — That’s too late. The trade deadline—” I cut myself off as I clear my throat, holding back the acidic disappointment filling my chest.

“I know, baby. It’s not ideal, but I’m just trying to be realistic with you. That’s why I was looking in your contract, to see if wehad any loopholes that could keep you in NOLA and with your pack. I think I found one, but it’s sort of risky…”

I stay silent, waiting for her to go on. Meanwhile, my mind is running through every wackadoodle scheme she could possibly propose. Forcing Tori into heat and bonding with her? Two of us eloping off to Vegas and having a drive-thru wedding officiated by a C-tier Elvis impersonator? Getting Tori pregnant? Not that I could pull that off with my vasectomy, but I can’t deny there’s a part of me that wouldn’t mind if that was the plan.

“We’d have to keep things quiet until all the pieces are in place, but then, out of nowhere, we’d throw a press conference announcing your intentions while posting all over the internet about your story. Gussied up, obviously, but we’d make the public fall in love with y’all.” Rita speaks hesitantly, like she’s afraid I’m going to spook at any moment and hang up.

I exhale heavily, which morphs into breathless chuckles. “That’s all? I thought you were gonna suggest we do something actually crazy, like get caught making out in public or something.”

I can almost hear Rita’s rapid blinks across the phone line, and it takes her a minute to gather her composure again.

“This is incredibly risky, Oliver. If we don’t frame this exactly right, you might not get on board. Without the public pressure, the team—”

“Did you forget that our omega has been running the Mystic’s social media accounts for over five years? If anyone knows how to spin a story and win over fans, it’s Tori,” I interrupt, my voice fond as I praise my omega.

Rita hums in thoughtful before releasing a sharp sigh. “The press conference could be tricky. We’d have to think of a cover story if we’re going to do it through the team.”

I smirk, remembering what Tori told us about her conversation with her boss. “I think it’ll be easier than you think,” I say with an ironic chuckle.

“You’re acting pretty cavalier for someone who could very well end up being forced to abandon his pack,” Rita chides, but there’s no heat to it.

I sober at that. “I’m sorry. I think this is a good plan, and it’s got a really good chance of succeeding. I can talk to my pack when the other alphas get back from the road trip, but I’m sure they’ll be on board.”

“Still. Talk to them before making a decision. Going through with this is going to impact all y’all,” she replies, a warning in her tone.

We finish our call, and when I pull my phone away from my ear, I stare at the screen until it goes black. I consider this plan from every angle, trying to see why Rita would consider this risky. It’s honestly a solid play, taking advantage of our strengths and assets as a pack. Perhaps the risk is in keeping the secret? But we’ve done well enough so far, even better since Logan found out and has been able to give a mostly unbiased outside perspective.

I sit back as the first pangs of a headache form behind my eyes. This is not how I wanted this day to go. Even if we probably have a plan to prevent the trade from happening, the offer is still there, looming over my shoulder. I’m so close to getting back on the ice. I don’t want my first game back to be anywhere except here, in my adopted home, with the people I love with me.

Their faces flash behind my closed eyelids, and I sigh again. I have to think of my pack now, as the prime alpha. It’s my job to take on the intense stuff so my pack mates don’t have to. But Rita is right. Going through with this is going to impact all of us, and the decision needs to be unanimous.

Thankfully, several sharp knocks on the front door help to pull me out of my head, my whole body relaxing as I stand up to answer the door.

I can still salvage this day, and hopefully make my omega happy at the same time.

1. Translation (French): Holy shit! This is incredible!

I adjust my bagon my shoulder as I wait for Oli to answer the door, taking advantage of the reflection on the glass to check my makeup. I’d done my best to touch up on the way here, but I’m not sure if I succeeded in covering up the redness and puffiness around my eyes from the crying fit I had.

By this point in my life, I should know better than to think the team that starts the season is going to be the one who finishes it. Injuries, trades, call ups, all these reasons and more can shuffle the roster in the blink of an eye. But getting the call directly from the owner to inform me he’s sent a trade offer to Oliver’s agent was a blow I wasn’t expecting.

One of these days, I’m going to stand up to Gideon St. Clair and tell him where he can shove that smug fucking attitude of his. But today, I was too stunned to do more than thank him for letting me know, though I’m grateful I hung up before I started crying.

An offer isn’t a guarantee, the stubbornly optimistic part of me cries.Oliver can reject it.

Yes, to a certain degree, a player has a say over the deals they’re part of. But at the end of the day, unless there’s some sort of No-Trade Clause in his contract, or if there isn’t some sort of pack consideration to be had, management could ship any player they want to any team in the league if the price is right.

And, even if my heart hates it, this is a good trade. Which makes it hurt all the more.

Thankfully, I manage to wipe the despair from my face right as Oli opens the door. If he noticed anything, he doesn’t mention it as he steps aside to allow me into the home he and his linemates share.

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