Page 179 of Finding the Forward: Part One
Beau sped toward the goal, eluding Carlos, and knocking Grif on his ass. Dean crouched, ready and waiting. Defense took their positions. Dimitri took a hard shove and Nakey got tripped up, leaving Dean open.
“Why aren’t they calling Beau on his mayhem? Shit, he’s going in fast,” AJ muttered, as Beau skated into the crease, slamming into Dean.
“Dean.” I winced as his cry of pain cut through the arena. Many fans cried foul.
Grif dropped his gloves and stick and tackled Beau, punching him as number sixty-nine tried to fight back.
That’s exactly how I felt. I wanted to punch that asshole in the face.
A giant fight broke out on the ice. Players climbed over the boards to join the fray. Jonas skated straight to Dean.
“Go get them,” I shouted, anger at Beau rising. How dare he?
You didn’t touch another team’s goalie. Just like you didn’t hurt someone else’s omega. If you injured an omega goalie? No one would save you. A lineman and the team doctor talked to Dean.
“Relax, Princess, they’ll make sure he’s okay,” AJ murmured, arm around me.
The officials descended on the brawl, pulling people off. Except for Grif, who repeatedly punched Beau in the face. Finally, Elias and a linesman got Grif off him.
My heart ached because I wanted to be out there, too. The air in the arena was thick with anger and worry, despite the air filters.
“I know.” AJ’s hand squeezed mine. “This is why they don’t like omegas playing contact sports. Every alpha in the crowd gets upset when they get hurt. That’s why so far the only openly omega players in the PHL are goalies. A team will fiercely protect their goalie at all costs, like a pack protects their omega.”
“True.” My fists unclenched as Grif fought the linesman and Royce. “Known omegas? There are secret omegas in the PHL?”
It made sense. Even though there were lots of laws to protect omegas, some still felt safer hiding. Especially if their profession was alpha-heavy.
“I’m sure there are,” he shrugged. “There’s one I think might be a gamma.”
“Having a gamma sister, I can see how their fucked up danger response could be an asset in hockey,” I replied, envisioning it.
Grif fought both the linesman and Elias as they tried to break up the fight.
“You have a sister that’s a gamma?” His look went concerned.
Beau broke loose and lunged at Grif. Grif punched him back, and the ref blew their whistle again.
I nodded. “Grace, the one that’s mated to Spencer. She once whacked a shooter with a chair while in an evening gown to protect her omega.”
Several players from both teams got dragged to the penalty box. The Knights’ fans booed Beau, who had the audacity tosaunterto the boxuntil they threatened to eject him.
“What would they do if there were omegas in other positions? They’re protected under designation law. In undergrad, we had an omega defender on my team, and she would fuck you up,” I added. It was her wedding that had been at AJ’s sister’s farm.
AJ laughed. “I could see that, though there’s a difference between fútbol defenders and hockey defenders. The hockey team might not be allowed to fire them, but there are ways–trading them, not renewing their contracts, or giving them away. I should hope that if the player is good at their job, they’d stay. I mean, once they didn’t think betas could be goalies, and now look, the Knights have a beta goalieandan omega goalie.”
Grif rushed to Dean, the ref yelling. He bent down on the ice, cradling his omega in his arms, murmuring to him, Jonas by their side looking ready to murder someone. Jonas and Dean finally skated off to the bench.
“They always err on the side of caution with Dean. I’m sure he’s fine. Just shaken.” AJ tugged me to him.
A banging on the glass made me look up. Grif stood there, with a lineman who was valiantly trying to get him to the penalty box.
“Why the fuck are you wearing that, Kitten?” Grif yelled through the thick glass.
I looked down at my sweatshirt. A frown tugged at my lips. “You gave it to me. Mercy stole my Knight’s one.”
Grif drew his jersey over his head and threw it over the glass. “You only wearmynumber to games, understood, Kitten?Mine.”
His look grew serious as he stood there in his pads and undershirt, the lineman still tugging on his arm.
