Page 111 of Sincerely, Pack Pucked
“Hey,” he greeted warmly, his face breaking out into a smile. “I see you found the letters,” he said, nodding to the papers in my hand.
“Are you really leaving the Chargers?” I asked, guilt and excitement warring inside me.
Percy pulled me into his arms, kissing the top of my head. “For the next year, I’m all yours.”
“I didn’t want you to give anything up!” I cried harder, more and more tears welling up.
“I’m not,” he insisted, pulling back to look at me dead in the eyes. “I’mgainingeverything. I want to focus more on classes and my pack. On you. The university will let me take most of my classes online so I can be home with you and the baby. Trust me, you are way better company than the team. Of all of us, I'm the one who cared the least about hockey. I mainly just wanted to be with my pack, and this way, I still am.Youare my pack, Mable.”
“Are you sure, likesuresure?” I held his eyes, my voice watery.
“I've never been surer of anything in my life.”
“Well, I—oh!” My words were cut off when I felt the wetness trickle between my legs.
Percy frowned, the instant concern making him grip my shoulders. “What’s wrong?”
“Well, I either just peed myself, or my water broke…”
“Shit, it’s early!”
I shook my head. “Only a couple of weeks. They’re fully grown…The doctor said to be prepared…Oh, it’s still going. Yeah, I definitely didn’t pee.”
A grin spread across his face, the excitement and nerves so clear. It was adorable.
“Well, okay.” He looked around the apartment, trying to think what we needed and remember where we’d put the hospital bag. “Umm, yeah. Hey, let’s go have a baby!”
Chapter 44
Devin
“So, what do you think?” I asked Coach as he watched us on the ice. He’d been watching us play with a shrewd eye. He hadn't liked the idea of letting Percy go but understood that it was for the best. Still, he was showing his annoyance by putting us through drills.
“I’ll admit you guys are playing pretty well together, even though you're missing a player. I think we could make this work.”
I nodded enthusiastically, clapping him on the shoulder. “We will. We’ll do whatever it takes. After our family, the team is our priority.”
The coach bobbed his head in a steady nod. “As they should be. I know I wasn't the happiest when you asked about Percy leaving, but at the end of the day, the fact that all of you guys would be willing to walk in order to protect your omega and be there for her is something to be admired.”
I paused, watching this man I’d come to know so well. He was in his early fifties and had a lot more life experience than me. I had been terrified when I approached him about Percy leaving, but when he had pushed back, I had made it clear that ourentire packwas behind the decision.
If it meant the end of our NHL careers, then so be it. Growing up, we'd all heard the stories about kids with famous dads who were hockey players, and never had any time for them. I refused to be like that. I was going to be there for my child—and for their mother.
“Thank you, honestly.”
“We are a family team. Now that you guys are having a kid, I think every single team player has a child! You guys were supposed to be our young, dumb players to attract the ladies, but now you've turned into respectable family men.” He shook his head playfully. “What am I going to do with you?”
I snorted, rolling my eyes. “We both know that having a child isn't going to do anything to stop Saint’s fangirls.”
“True, I don't think anything short of a nuclear apocalypse would stop those girls. Next time you bring your girl to a game, make sure you put her in one of the boxes, not out and about where she can see them. I assume you'll be making an honest woman out of her soon enough.”
“As soon as she's healthy enough after the baby. That’s the plan.” I beamed. The thought of bonding with my Mable was electrifying. We’d all been talking about it, and there were few things in this world that all of us had been as excited about.
“Well, get back to it for now. I’m going to push you hard while I have you.” Coach grinned, patting me on the shoulder. I could see the pride in his eyes, and it felt good to know that I’d made the right decision. I was doing the right thing.
Going back on the ice with the team, we ran through drills and got a feel for what it would be like without Percy. We were good players, so adaptability was our strong suit. And hell, I guess my pack and I were pretty damn good at it off the ice, too.
I’d just finished a lap when the coach yelled across the ice to us, waving his hand frantically so that we’d see him.
