CHAPTER 21

JARRETT

The league office smelled like bleach and old money. I hated it so much in here.

Helena was sitting next to me, her back straight and her hands folded on the table. She looked like a blade in the suit I bought her yesterday because hers didn’t fit right anymore.

She hadn’t slept either. I could tell by the way her jaw ticked every 10 seconds.

Across from us was Brent. He’d gained weight. Or maybe he just looked bigger because Vanessa was sitting behind him, one hand on his shoulder like she owned him. She wore all white like she was mourning something.

My wolf hated her and hated the way she smelled like lies.

“Mr. Brooks. Ms. Callahan,” the commissioner started. “This is an internal hearing regarding allegations of species-related instability and conduct unbecoming. Let’s keep this civil.”

Brent’s lawyer stood with his $800 suit and a teeth that was white.

“Commissioner. Board. We appreciate you hearing us on short notice.” He slid a folder across the table. “We have new evidence that speaks directly to Ms. Callahan’s fitness for a management role in the league.”

My stomach dropped when the lawyer opened the folder.

“These are medical records from March of last year.” He paused for effect, then, “Ms. Callahan suffered a miscarriage. At 14 weeks while married to Mr. Callahan.”

The room went silent. Helena went pale but she didn’t flinch.

“According to her attending physician,” the lawyer continued, in a soft, sympathetic voice, “the patient presented with severe emotional distress, insomnia, and what he termed ‘unstable decision-making in the months following.’”

He looked at Helena like he was sorry...like he hated to do this.

“My client, Mr. Callahan, has carried this burden privately for a year,” he said. “But we cannot in good conscience allow someone with this level of personal trauma and instability to oversee young athletes. Especially when coupled with the recent...revelation that she is an unregistered wolf.”

Brent put his face in his hands like the grieving husband. Perfect timing.

I could smell the smug and the relief on him.

Vanessa smirked behind him. They thought they’d won.

My vision went red around the edges. They took the worst night of her life and turned it into a PowerPoint.

My wolf surged forward to protect Helana from all this but I gripped the edge of the table until my knuckles went white. If I shifted here, in front of humans, in front of cameras, Helena would lose everything.

“Mr. Brooks,” the commissioner said. “Are you alright?”

“I'm fine,” I ground out.

Helena’s hand found my knee under the table and squeezed once. But the moment I exhaled, my eyes found Made Merrick at the back row sitting like he was at a board meeting.

Then his eyes flicked to Helena. I could tell he too wanted this, he wanted her to break and he wanted her to run.

When Helena saw him too, I felt her go still.

“May I speak?” she asked in a calm voice.

Her lawyer jumped up. “Ms. Callahan, we have a statement prepared...”

“I’m not using it,” she said without bothering to look at him.

The commissioner blinked. “Ms. Callahan, this is highly irregular...”

“You just entered my medical records into evidence in an employment hearing,” Helena said. “I think we passed irregular 5 minutes ago.”

She walked to the front of the room without any notes or lawyer.

Brent looked up with a confused on his face while the smirk on Vanessa’s face faltered.

“First,” Helena said. “Yes. I had a miscarriage. It was the worst day of my life. And you’re right. I wasn’t okay for a long time after.”

A few board members shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

“But you know what I was?” she continued. “I was coaching. I was running drills at 5am. I was keeping 22 kids alive on the ice while my husband was cheating on me with his assistant.”

She turned and pointed right at Vanessa.

“And while he was embezzling from this league.”

Vanessa gasped. “How dare...”

“Sit down,” Helena said it in a way that made the room obey.

Kade leaned forward in the back.

“Second,” Helena said. “You want to talk about instability? Let’s talk about the $2.3 million missing from the West Coast affiliate’s travel budget last season. The same season Brent was GM.”

The lawyer stood. “Objection...”

“There is no objection,” Helena cut in. “Because I’m not in court. I’m in a hearing. And I’m asking the board a question.”

She looked at each of them, one by one.

“Do you want to audit my therapy records? Or do you want to audit his expense accounts?”

Everywhere went silent.

“Because I have receipts,” she said. “Hotel charges in Vegas during ‘scouting trips.’ Shell companies registered to Vanessa’s brother. Bonuses paid to players who never made the roster.”

She pulled a USB from her pocket and set it on the table. “I made copies,” she said. “In case this hearing was about something other than my uterus.”

Brent shot to his feet. “That’s confidential...”

“That’s fraud,” Helena said. “And if you want to talk about emotional instability, we can talk about the man who forged my signature 6 times and then blamed it on grief.”

She turned back to the board.

“I’m also the best coach you have. And I’m not unstable. I’m angry. There’s a difference.” she said and sat back down.

The room didn’t breathe for a full 10 seconds.

The commissioner cleared his throat. “We... we will need to review the materials Ms. Callahan submitted.”

“Take your time,” Helena said. “We’ll wait.”

Brent was already red while Vanessa was texting furiously under the table.

And Kade? Kade was smiling like he’d just seen something interesting. He stood, tipped his head to Helena, and walked out.