Page 9 of The Price of Ice

“I can’t,” he told Levy, glaring weakly. “You don’t get it. I can’t just—”

“Youcan,” Levy cut him off, implacable. “You can... You can say it. Say it to me.”

And that caught Kallen by surprise. He’d thought Levy wanted him to complain to Management, or... He wasn’t sure. He licked his lips, frowning at the taste of the tequila still lingering. “I didn’t...”

I didn’t do anything wrong, he thought, but he couldn’t get the words out. It was true, he knew that, he felt it down to hisgut. But the words wouldn’t come out. He tugged at his wrist and finally Levy let him go.

“Kallen...” He’d gone soft now, but it was too late.

Kallen shook his head at him. “Thanks...” He waved at the table, the food, the drinks, everything that he’d done to try to help. And Levy did him one last favour and stayed where he was as Kallen circled the table and headed for the door.

“YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN, right?” Katherine, also known as Catwoman for her fanatical devotion to the team, was looking at him expectantly from across the conference room table where she had waylaid him after practice. She was only a little older than him, maybe twenty-five, but she was so perfectly put together with her brown curls and lightly made-up green eyes that she seemed older.

And Kallen saw what she meant all right, she wanted him to make Vandy feel like he was still part of the team, like what he’d done hadn’t destroyed all of Kallen’s faith in him. “You want me to lie.”

“No!” she said once, eyes widening. As an outsider, it was hard to tell if the kittens really believed all the hype. They were the kids of the previous generation of alpha players, both by their own partners and by the team omega, and naturally not even the best genetic material and training would produce players good enough for the Premier League every time, so there were a lot of them in the White Cats management, guiding the team true. Or so they said. “Kallen,” Cat told him earnestly. “I want you to forgive him. It was a mistake, and we all make those, but alphas... They are too proud to handle it well, that’s why the team needs you. Why Jeff needs you.” Like using Vandy’s first name would make Kallen pity him or something.

“He hasn’t... He is not speaking to me, he didn’t even say sorry,” he bit out and it came out too raw. He felt so stupid, that he’d somehow expected Vandy to come to him and apologise, totry to make it better, to somehow... He wasn’t sure because the alpha hadn’t eventried.

Her hand on his made him tense up. He didn’t pull away, which would have been quite rude, but he could only stare at her. She was still putting on those soft airs. “Look, just give him an opening, that’s all we are asking. Let him see you would be receptive to an apology, and he’ll go for it. You know you are the heart of this team, Kallen.”

HE’D WALKED OUT OFthe stadium in a daze, Johnson had caught him and herded him into the minivan the guys always made fun of. And then they’d got home, and the kids had been running around and Kallen had stopped cold in the doorway. “I... I gotta...” He’d pointed backwards, dropping his bag by the entrance and turning around for the lift.

It hadn’t been a conscious decision to go up to the seventh floor, but when he’d buzzed, Levy had opened the door at once and his face had gone bright and happy. “Hey,” he’d greeted Kallen. “Come in!”

Letting Levy cook for him was becoming a habit. But really, if he’d stayed at the Johnsons’, he would still have someone cooking for him. Only today of all days he didn’t feel like he deserved it. He knew what he had to do, for his job. And he could guess what Levy would have to say about it.

They hadn’t really spoken since Kallen had left Levy’s flat two days ago, not off the ice anyway, but somehow, he’d come right back today.

“Kallen?” The alpha’s voice was gentle. “You look— I don’t want to pry, and I— I’m sorry I got so angry the other day. I’ll keep my mouth shut.”

Kallen shook his head. “You were trying to help,” he told the carpet between their feet. Levy had led him to the sofa andKallen had gone there without thinking. He couldn’t think or he couldn’t stop thinking about what Management wanted him to do, really, so everything else became blurry and unreal.

“Well, yeah,” Levy said. “But I’d like to actually help instead of just trying to, you know?”

“I’m—” He cut himself off. Scared. But that was too much, he didn’t have any reason to be scared, he’d been asked to do something for work and there was nothing dangerous about it, was there? Just talking to Vandy— “Angry,” he got out, and it was true too.

“Yeah?” Levy asked, and he was holding himself so still, Kallen’s eyes were drawn to him. There was tension all over his body, from his curled-up toes to his stiff shoulders, except on his face, his face was open, his brown eyes clear.

He nodded. “They— They want me to fix it. With... With Vandy.”

Levy didn’t respond for a long moment, and when Kallen looked again, he’d dropped his own gaze. It should have been weird on an alpha, but Levy just looked like he was thinking hard. “How do you mean?”

“I’m not sure, just, like, let him know I’ll forgive him if he apologises. That’s... Catwoman said his pride couldn’t take it if he asked and I didn’t.”

Levy snorted. But then he shook his head and met Kallen’s eyes once more. “Do you wanna do it?”

“No!” The word was out faster than he could think, sharp and indignant, and his shoulders were already stiffening with guilt. “But... But he’s my alpha, and the team...” He glanced away; his face was burning.

“If he’s your alpha, then you are his omega,” Levy pointed out, and Kallen looked up to give him a confused look. His friend wasn’t looking at him, though, choosing each word like he was disassembling a mine. “So that means he owes you protectionand care and respect. He— He got called out on it and he acknowledged he was out of line. So he knows. And if he knows, then he has got to choose to do better.”

The words were like a blow. Kallen brought his hands to cover his face, hunching over. That’s what Katherine wanted, wasn’t it? For him to lead Vandy to the righteous path, with compassion and understanding Kallen just didn’t have, and didn’t know how to get. If he had to see the alpha in more than passing in the changing room, he was afraid he’d sock him one.

He’d never hit an alpha before, even on the ice he had never been in a fight, letting his team do that for him like he was expected to.

“I’ll talk to him,” Levy said, and these words came fast and eager. “You shouldn’t have to, and I don’t mind.”

For a moment, the relief rushed through him like air after a long swim. And then, of course, he realised it was impossible. “You can’t do that. If his pride can’t take apologising on his own, how is he gonna take you telling him to do it?”

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