Page 10 of Puck Your Neighbor

Our alphas are happy. We should go be with them, bask in their happiness. They'll keep us safe.

I close my eyes. For years, I never had to hear my omega, and now she won't shut up. Reaching for my headphones, I put them on and turn on Vivaldi, letting hisFour Seasonsdistract my mind. If I can't hear them, then at least my inner omega can stop commenting on every little sound they make.

Giving in to my instincts will only bring me pain. There's a good chance I'll lose to my omega. Because I'll know how close they are. I'll just have to put the locks in place so that I can't leave the apartment for anything, no matter how far into the fog I fall.

Chapter 6

Isigh, flipping over for what feels like the hundredth time. We have practice again in the morning, and I should really get a good night's rest. I had shit sleep the night before from partying when we should've just kept it chill after moving into this place.

Reaching for my phone, I check the time. If I fall asleep now, I can still get a solid four hours before we have to be up and at the rink. My gaze drifts to my notifications. A part of me keeps hoping there will be a text there.

Why?

She's just a neighbor, and even if she's an omega, there's no reason for my mind to be this obsessed with her. But from the second I saw her, there's been this pull.

Go outside and see if she's smoking again. Talk to her.

I shut my eyes as my inner alpha growls at me. It's gotten uppity before when I've helped random omegas through a one-off heat. Meaning, we don't plan on bonding, we just help each other get off. It's pretty commonplace. There's always a chance that you'll find a scent-matched omega doing that, but since I presented as an alpha at seventeen, I've yet to meet an omega that comes close.

Now, playing for the NABHL, there's no time for one-off heats. It's not just one night, it's a whole week. And there's no way I can take that kind of time off. Sleeping with betas is okay, but I haven't had the desire to do that in a few years.

I should've gotten laid during the off-season, so I wouldn't be so antsy now. We still have practice during the off-season, but it's not as frequent as it is right now, not while we're getting ready for our first game. There's no chance in hell I'll have time to get laid now.

With a huff, I turn over again and shut my eyes. I lay there for a few seconds, trying to will myself to relax enough to fall asleep.

Go outside.

I growl. "Fuck! Fine." Tossing off my covers, I get up. We have a balcony, but my urge is to go downstairs.

Sliding my feet into slippers, I forego a jacket and make my way to the front door. The second I turn the lock, I wince at how loud it is. Maverick's soft snoring stops as he sits up. "What's going on?"

I stiffen and glance over my shoulder at him. "Just need some fresh air. Go back to sleep, Mav."

"Why are you going out that way? Go out on the balcony."

Continuing to open the door, I shake my head. "I want to go for a walk. Don't worry. I won't be gone long, my mind is just spinning."

Not giving him another chance to talk me out of it or whatever, I head out the door and take the stairs two at a time before I push open the entrance to the building. My alpha feels like it's going to rip out of my skin.

The cold air of late Fall hits me in the face, and I take a deep breath in. Something sweet but also metallic hits my nose, followed by the slight herb and skunk-like scent of weed.

My head whips to the right, and there she is. Instead of sitting on the wall of her patio, she's leaning against it. A joint between her fingers as she stares back at me. Next to her on the wall are two more joints and a lighter.

Something in her violet eyes makes all the hairs stand up all over my body. It's as if I'm staring at her inner omega, and I see it now.How did I ever think she was beta? It's obvious she's an omega.

She tugs at her black turtleneck, and there's a hesitation in her shoulders, but she offers a small wave.

Rubbing the back of my neck, I try to rein in my alpha, which wants to bound over to her and ask her a hundred questions, possibly nuzzling up to her. But logically, I know that can't happen. There's social etiquette. I'm not a caveman.

I approach her. "Evening. May I join you?"

She takes a drag before offering me one of her joints. Was she expecting me? Possibly more than just me, since there's another joint there as well. My heartbeat thunders in my ears, and I step even closer and take it from her.

"Thanks."

She nods.

More sweetness wafts toward me, but the scent of copper pennies slightly covers it up. I want to take in more of the sweetness. Jenson is probably right that she had been using a spray the other night. She smells like she did then, but it's an hour or so old, so it's not as strong as it was last night.

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