Page 91 of Choosing Their Omega

He wants me. Period.

A sleepy grin stretches across my face as Miles and Knox settle onto the mattress on either side of us, all five of us crammed into my nest. I’m exhausted and sated, and it’s already getting harder to hold my eyelids open. When they told me about heats at the ORD office, they described it as a constant cycle of fucking, sleeping, and eating whenever possible—and they weren’t wrong.

“I would’ve said that day was the best one of my life,” I admit. “But I think today just claimed the top spot.”

Knox’s deep chuckle is the last thing I hear before I drift off to sleep again.

Chapter 28

Cruz

Everyone is passed out again, including Lily. She’s clearly still in her heat, but she’s resting for now, and god knows she needs it.

I watch over everyone for a while, feeling sated and content. This is my pack. My pack mates and now, our beautiful Omega. I didn’t think for a long time that we’d find one, with our careers being such a focus, but now… look at her. She’s perfect.

I stretch, wincing. My shoulder’s bothering me worse than before, after I took that hit from a Grizzly trying to stop me from passing the puck last night at the game. Fucking hell. I grit my teeth. I just gotta keep pushing through it. It’s fine, just a twinge, really.

I do a few more arm stretches, continuing to wince. Yeah, I’m not in my best shape.

“It’s worse, isn’t it?”

I jolt in surprise and turn to see Lily awake, watching me with solemn eyes, her hair spilling around her like a red halo. She’s beautiful. But her words are like ice down my spine.

“Like I told you before, sunshine, I’m fine.”

Lily shakes her head. “No, you’re not. You’re really not. I wish you wouldn’t pretend that this is all fine when you know deep down it’s not.”

“Things have to be fine, Lily. I have to be fine. I’m the captain, I can’t fail my team.”

Lily frowns and sits up more, careful not to disturb the other three Alphas still asleep around us. “It’s not… a failure to have an injury, Cruz.”

“If I can’t play with my team and lead them, then I’ve failed them.”

She shakes her head. “If you ignore this injury, it’s just going to keep getting worse, and you could end up with something that’ll end your career. Is that the kind of example you want to set for your teammates?”

I start to speak, but she takes my hands and kisses my knuckles. “You need to deal with this instead of denying it. This is only going to get worse. I don’t want you hurting and I don’t want you losing out on the rest of an amazing career because you didn’t take a break when you needed it. If you stop now, and you rest and heal, then you might lose out on some time with your team. But if you push through and you make it worse… you could lose everything.”

Her eyes get wet. “I don’t want you in pain. Please, Cruz.”

Her care is touching, and I don’t know that I can change my mind and listen to her, but her words mean a lot. I appreciate her honesty with me, and how she’s not going to just roll over and let her Alphas do what they want without ever voicing her own opinion. And I appreciate just how much she cares.

Lily’s a good, loving person. I’m so lucky that we have her.

“Look.” I sigh. “My family’s waited long enough for me to win the Stanley Cup. They’re relying on me. Everyone is. My family didn’t have a ton of money growing up. My mom was a cook and my dad was a janitor, and they busted their asses to make sure we had food on the table and they could pay for my hockey supplies. They sacrificed a lot, all of them, my parents and my siblings, so that I could be here today.”

“I’m so glad that you had a family that loved you so much,” Lily says softly.

“I know. I’m really lucky. I’m so grateful for them. But I have to succeed. I have to show that their sacrifices weren’t in vain. I have to be the best.”

Lily shakes her head. “If your family loves you the way you say they do, they don’t need you to win the Cup for them. They’re already proud of you. You’ve come so far.”

“It’s my dream to bring the Stanley Cup to my hometown. I told my parents that’s what I’d do, and I’m going to fulfill that promise. My word is my bond.”

“And I know that you’ll do that someday either this year or another one. I just don’t want you killing yourself over this, and I know your parents wouldn’t want that either. Andrea loves you, and she’s already so proud of you. I know she doesn’t need you to win anything.”

I sigh. “I… I know they love me. I just also know how much they talk about me, back home. The idea of letting them down…”

“I know. I hope that I’m making my grandmother proud, every day. And there were times I wondered I was failing in that. But the people who love you, like me, we’ll love you no matter what. We’ll cheer your victories but we’re not… we’re not measuring our love for you by your achievements. People love you for who you are.”

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