Page 14 of Puck Your Neighbor

As I get in, Leo comes back out. He glances toward her patio but forces himself to my truck. She's our omega. I just know it. But it's clear we weren't the first alphas to encounter her, and we need to take that into account. Compatibility doesn't mean trust is guaranteed, and that's the most important part of any bond or relationship. At least, in my book, it is. It's obvious not everyone feels that way.

I peel out of the parking lot, and it pains me. It feels so wrong to be leaving her.

Something pokes at the back of my mind as I think about the scars on her neck and those purple eyes of hers. I'm certain we've never met, but perhaps we have, because it feels like I've seen her before. I feel like I would've had a feeling if I met our omega, though. Even through the balm, I can tell that she's ours. So why do I feel like I know her?

"Dude, I really want to jump out of the car right now and run back. Even if she doesn't want me around, I just want to sit outside her place and make sure no one shows up to hurt her. I've heard about meeting your compatible omega being the end-all-be-all, but seeing her upset has me twisted in all sorts of ways."

I swallow hard as I fight my own hands to turn the wheel around and do what he's saying. "I know. Me, too. But she doesn't want us to help her, at least not right now. We need to give her space and show her we're safe." The words leave my mouth as if something else is speaking through me because my alpha instincts are roaring at me to protect my omega. But we can't provide for her if we lose our contracts for being unprofessional players.

Leo sighs. "She seemed so scared when she saw us, as if we were going to kill her, but at the same time, it was like she wanted us to be there. It's hard to read her."

I shake my head. "Probably fighting her instincts like we're fighting ours. She has to know we're scent-matched."

He pulls his phone from his pocket. "She still hasn't texted me. Maybe she doesn't care that we're compatible, she just wants to be left alone. But the idea of leaving our omega alone until the end of time sounds impossible."

Then it hits me where I know her from. "Look up the Salama serial killer pack trial on your phone."

Leo frowns. "What? They put a horrible name on alphas."

I growl. "Just do it. And find out who was the only omega to survive and get away from them."

He taps away at his phone as I pull my truck into the parking lot of the rink where we practice. Tomorrow we'll start going to the arena, and then more of the fans will be out to see us.

"It's been recently updated, the pack leader has been scheduled for execution after being on death row for ten years."

We get out and jog into the building. The team is already on the ice, doing drills, and it hurts me they're being punished because we were late. The guys aren't going to let us live this down.

"Gregor, Capello gear up and get the fuck out there!" Coach's voice cuts across the ice.

As we enter the locker room, Leo growls. I look at him as he stares at his phone. My heart sinks into my stomach.

"What is it? Is it her?"

He turns his phone toward me, showing a younger Anya sitting in the witness stand. In front of her is a tablet that looks like she's using it to speak. The scars on her throat are fresh and pink, and she looks on the brink of having a panic attack.

"She was the omega that survived their last attack and was able to put them away. They were known for luring in omegas and then killing them, usually by slitting their throats. They had nine victims, and she was their tenth."

Goosebumps spread all over my body as my mind's eye pictures her being their victim and fighting for her life. If I had been there, I would've ripped their throats out. It hurts me to know that she had to go through that alone, and now she lives in that apartment. Does she have anyone in her life who cares about her?

"We need to go out and talk about this after practice with Jenson. She's our omega, but we have to take things slow. After going through that, I don't blame her for being scared of us."

He nods, still staring at his phone and opening his locker.

Soon, we're ready and heading out to the ice. Despite being here, I'm still uneasy and my alpha wants to beat the crap out of someone. I can't do that to my teammates, so I need to redirect it into this morning.

"Again!" Coach Miller's voice echoes across the rink. My lungs burn, my legs are heavy, but I push off the ice for another suicide sprint. Beside me, Leo's face looks like a stop sign.

Conditioning drills before practice are always rough, and we're only halfway through the first round. Coach already said we'll be doing them againafterpractice, too. My inner alpha growls, wanting to be anywhere but here.

She needs us. Go to her.

I shove my inner alpha down, trying to ignore the way my chest aches.

We hit the blue line, then back to the goal line. Then the red line, then back. Each sprint is harder.

She's scared. Alone. And it's our fault.

Leo pants beside me, his breath coming in ragged puffs, his hand on his side as if to ease a stitch. "He's loving this, isn't he?"

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