Mated to the Hated Hockey Alpha

“That was f*****g brutal,” Katie huffs, chuckling slightly as we get into her car. I can’t help but chuckle, still feeling the burn in my legs. “Well, at least you’ve got Sansa helping you out with healing. I’m still just plain old me.” Katie rolls her eyes, but she’s still grinning. “Yeah, Sansa’s amazing like that. Funny how much stronger I’m getting now.” She turns on the car, and we slowly roll out of the gym’s parking lot. I’m still drinking from my water bottle, trying to get my heart to calm back down, because following a werewolf through a workout is hard enough on a normal day. But I’m doing it for Katie, and she’s the only real friend I’ve got, so why not? “That’s what I told you,” I say between sips. “The stronger you and your body get, the better Sansa will be at both healing you and lending you her strength. Why do you think our warriors spend six hours a day training? It’s not just for the aesthetic.” Katie laughs, the sound melodious and beautiful. “But what a sight it is.” Now it’s my turn to roll my eyes at her, shaking my head slightly as I look out the window, taking in the familiar road leading back to the Alpha’s mansion. Katie is the daughter of our Alpha and Luna, and for a long time, that used to be her entire personality. Everyone knew exactly who she was, and she made sure they never forgot it. But somehow, when she started high school, something shifted. Then, at the end of junior year, she approached me, telling me that perhaps I wasn’t as awful as she first thought, and declared that we were friends now. Just like that. Now we’ve spent our entire summer break getting her back in shape, and it has worked out. Katie is slimmer than she has ever been, she’s getting stronger, and her confidence is more her own now, rather than tied to her heritage. “By the way,” Katie says, “Mom and Dad are out for dinner tonight. Something at Beta Kenneth’s place. Apparently, it’s Patrick’s birthday, and instead of throwing a party like he usually does, Beta Kenneth has convinced him to throw a ‘grown-up’ party.” As usual, she’s giving way more details than I actually need. “The point, Katie?” I ask her, unable to help but smile. “They’re gone for the night. So I was thinking,” she grins, “that we could put on comfy pajamas and set up camp in the living room, using the big TV for a movie night?” “Sure,” I say, nodding. “But no more of those lame princess movies, okay? Can’t we watch something with just a bit of substance?” “Like watching cars exploding is substance?” Katie huffs. “But sure, if you don’t wanna watch my amazing movies, then I guess you’re picking.” I grin, leaning back into the seat, my body finally starting to calm down after the workout. “Then I can show you one of my newest healthy snack discoveries. I’ve found something new. It’s Greek yogurt and peanut butter. You mix it together, swirl it up, and freeze it. Should turn out just like ice cream.” Katie sighs, her body slumping slightly in her seat. “I’m never having actual candy ever again, am I?” “Hey,” I say, reaching out, my hand landing on her thigh as I brush my thumb over it, trying to offer her some comfort. “It’s not like you can’t have it, Kat. You just need to be a little more careful. I’d hate for us to lose all your amazing progress.” Then I turn in my seat, facing her more properly. “How about this? We put a little caramel drizzle on it, and add some chocolate pieces? That way, you still get some sugar, while still getting a low-calorie and high-protein dessert.” She smiles at me, not her full brightness, but still better than before. “Yeah, that’s… sure. It’s better, I guess.” “That’s the spirit,” I grin, settling back into my seat. After a few more minutes, Katie rolls up to the gates, the guards immediately letting us through, before she continues up the massive driveway that you never quite get used to. Katie and I live two very different lives. She’s the popular, rich Alpha’s daughter, bound to be mated to another Alpha, Beta, or perhaps even Gamma. She lives in a mansion with a pool, a tennis court, and actual staff milling around, making sure she and her family have everything they need. She wears designer clothes, gets her hair done every four weeks, has fake nails and lashes, and is generally the perfect, curvy i********: model. While I’m the daughter of a regular warrior and Omega. I don’t need much, but I don’t live a life of luxury like she does. Mom and Dad have to save up for things like travel and new electronics. I wear clothes from Target or Costco—they’re fine, and I like to think I make them look pretty good. I even have a side gig at the library, helping to stock books every Sunday, earning some extra pocket money. I’m not bound to have an all-powerful mate, and honestly, I prefer it that way. I’m bound for university, for getting my MD, for helping people the best way I can—by healing them. Hopefully, I’ll get a sweet and caring mate who supports my goals and understands the busy home life I know I’ll have. “Earth to Nora,” Katie chuckles, pulling me back from my thoughts. I blink and turn my head toward her, still a little lost in my own head as if I’ve been dragged up from underwater. “Are you ready to go inside, or…?” she prompts. “Yeah, sure. Sorry, guess I zoned out for a second there,” I smile, heat already creeping up my cheeks at getting caught spacing out like that. “Don’t doubt it. Come on, let’s go get showered and jump in our pajamas,” she grins, already hopping out of the car and heading around to the trunk to grab our gym bags. I follow a second later, stepping out into the cool evening air and taking a slow breath, letting my eyes close for just a second as I try to fully come down from the workout high still buzzing through my muscles. Then I shut the car door behind me. I don’t even get a chance to take another step. A loud smack echoes sharply through the air, followed immediately by a sting blooming across my right butt cheek. “Hey!” I yelp, more out of shock than anything else, though the laugh that slips out right after completely betrays me. Katie is already walking past me, grinning like she hasn’t just committed a crime. “Come on, sweet cheeks. Get your peachy ass inside,” she calls over her shoulder, both of our gym bags slung casually in her hands like she didn’t just assault me in broad daylight. I fall into step beside her, still laughing despite myself. “Wanna know the depressing part?” I say, shaking my head. “What?” “That’s the most action I’ve gotten all summer.” Katie’s laugh gets louder instantly, echoing off the mansion exterior as we walk. “You want me to hit the other one too? Just so it doesn’t feel left out?” The guards at the front entrance are openly grinning now, which only makes the heat in my face spread further, all the way up to my ears. “No, but thanks for the offer,” I call back at her, trying to keep my voice steady even as I’m laughing. “If it starts feeling neglected, I know who to call.” That earns another burst of laughter from her, and she drops our bags in the foyer as we enter. An Omega staff member appears almost immediately, taking them from her with a polite smile. I return it automatically, the habit ingrained from years of pack etiquette. “It’s too sad that you have to call me for some action, Nora,” Katie continues, already moving toward the stairs. “I hope you find your mate soon, otherwise your hoo-ha might end up going on strike.” I snort, following her up. “Me and my hoo-ha have a very stable, professional relationship, thank you very much.” “Whatever you say,” she muses, waving a hand dramatically. “Just wait until you get your mate and find out how good getting eaten out is. You’ll thank me profusely.” I roll my eyes so hard it’s a miracle they don’t get stuck. Katie hasn’t found her mate yet either, but she doesn’t have the same constraints I do. She’s an Alpha’s daughter—no matter who she ends up with, they’ll fall in line with her status. Nobody is going to question her worth. Me, though… I’m an Omega. I always will be. And somewhere in the back of my mind, there’s this constant pressure to be… acceptable. Compatible. Enough. Like I need to be the best possible match for whoever the Moon Goddess decides I belong to. That, and honestly, guys are disgusting. I haven’t met one yet that’s convinced me otherwise. “You shower first,” Katie says as we pass the bathroom in her and her brother’s wing. “I’ll go find you something to wear after.” “Thanks,” I call back, already reaching for the door handle. The nice thing about Katie being bigger than me is that I can basically raid her entire wardrobe and pretend it’s mine. I’ve even got a toothbrush here, which says everything about how often I end up staying over. I step inside the bathroom—and stop so abruptly it’s like I’ve hit a wall. My brain takes a second to process what I’m seeing. Because right there, completely and utterly naked in the middle of the room, is Cole. Katie’s older brother. Future Alpha. And unfortunately… the same guy I used to have a crush on before he opened his mouth and permanently ruined it by speaking to me like I was an inconvenience. If there is one thing every shewolf should experience at least once in her life, it’s apparently walking in on Cole Murran naked. Because objectively speaking, it’s unfair. Completely unfair. Every inch of him is infuriatingly perfect. Broad shoulders, defined muscles, the kind of physique that looks carved rather than built. Even his posture is annoyingly confident, like he owns the space he’s standing in—which, technically, he does. My brain very unhelpfully supplies more information than I ever asked for, and I immediately regret having eyes. And then, because the universe hates me personally, his brown eyes lift. Locking directly onto mine. We both freeze. Completely. My entire body goes rigid as reality slams back into place all at once, like I’ve just been dropped from a height. My lungs forget how to function properly, my brain short-circuits, and the only coherent thought I manage to form is: absolutely not. I do the most humiliating thing I have ever done in my entire life. I scream. And slam the door shut so hard it nearly rattles in its frame. “What’s going on?!” Katie yells immediately, footsteps rushing back toward me. I’m still standing there, hands covering my face, like that somehow erases what just happened. “Brother,” I manage, voice breaking slightly. “Naked. Scarred for life.” The door opens again behind me, and I want to evaporate on the spot. “Don’t you ever lock the door? You’re a f*****g creep, Cole,” Katie snaps, arms wrapping around me protectively. “It’s my bathroom, mutt,” Cole’s deep voice follows casually, like this is a normal Tuesday for him. “Keep your prude friends out of it.” “It’s our mutual bathroom, creep,” Katie shoots back immediately, but I can already hear Cole moving away like the entire incident is beneath his attention span. Katie sighs and tightens her hold on me slightly. “Sorry about that. He’s a douchebag, don’t worry about him… just remember to lock the door, okay?” Her voice softens at the end, shifting from annoyed sister to concerned friend. “Yeah,” I mutter, finally lowering my hands, my entire face still burning like I’ve been personally sunburned from the inside. “Douchebag.” I clear my throat awkwardly, gesturing weakly back toward the bathroom like I didn’t just mentally leave my body. “I’m just gonna—” I start, then swallow hard, forcing my brain back into functioning order. “Yeah. Shower. Definitely shower. Not… anything else.” And I very deliberately do not think about anything else. At all.