"An alpha who lost control and charged at an omega in heat," Lexie interrupts, and every head swivels to her. She stands straight despite being dwarfed by hockey players, chin raised. "Imay not be an expert in hockey, but isn't it a bit backwards to penalize the player who was attacked rather than the one who couldn't control himself?"
The corner of Jax's mouth ticks up. "The lady makes an excellent point."
"Morris went feral," I add. "Every camera caught it. Everyone saw what happened with their own eyes. Aidan defended our packmate."
Mitchell slumps in his chair like someone cut his strings. He looks older suddenly, exhausted. "The league isn't going to like this."
"Tough shit," Zayn says. "It's about time the league changed."
"You're serious." It's not a question. Mitchell's eyes move across our faces, searching for cracks. "You'll all walk if I bench Malloy."
"In a heartbeat," I confirm.
"Without hesitation," Aidan adds.
"Already got my resignation letter typed up," Zayn lies cheerfully.
Jax just nods, and somehow that carries more meaning than all our words combined.
Mitchell drags both hands down his face. When he looks up again, there’s a hint of resignation there. Respect, too.
"Fuck," he mutters. "Twenty years of coaching and I've never..." He shakes his head. "The board's going to crucify me."
"Or," Lexie suggests, "they're going to realize they have a chance to make history. The first openly omega player in the NHL. The first pack to stand together against discrimination. The first franchise to say talent matters more than designation."
"You've got a marketer's brain," Mitchell tells her dryly.
"I run a business," she replies. "I know opportunity when I see it."
Another long silence. I can hear the building's ventilation system, the distant sound of someone running equipment in the rink. The normal sounds of a normal day that's anything but.
"I need time," Mitchell finally says. "To talk to the board. To figure out how to spin this."
"Darren plays or we don't," Jax states. Not a question.
"I'll do what I can," Mitchell says with a sigh. "I'll contact the league, let them knot your terms. But the rest is out of my hands."
"Thank you," Darren says, looking completely shellshocked. I can't help but be afraid he's upset we didn't tell him, but we weren't going to let him sacrifice everything he's worked for just so we could keep playing.
We file out in reverse order. Lexie first, then Darren, then the rest of us. Nobody speaks until we're back in the hallway with the door closed behind us.
"What the fuck just happened?" Darren demands, spinning to face us. "You were going to quit? All of you?"
"Yes," Jax says simply.
"That's insane. You can't just?—"
“Pack,” I interrupt. “Pack means pack. You fall, we fall. You rise, we rise. Simple.”
"It's not simple! Your careers?—"
"Mean shit without you," Zayn finishes. "So stop being so stubborn and just shut up and accept it."
Darren looks between us, mouth opening and closing. Finally, his gaze lands on Lexie. "Did you know?"
"No," she says, a glimmer in her eyes. "But I'm not surprised."
"I..." Darren's voice cracks. "I don't know what to say."
