“He’ll probably go for a field goal,” Reid says, joining the conversation.
“If it’s up to Zane, they’ll go for fourth down,” I say with absolute confidence. Seconds later, the call is made. The offense stays on the field.
“They’re going for it,” Reid says.
Evie squeezes my hand, and I squeeze right back. I’ve watched so many of Zane’s games over the years, and it never gets any easier. “Breathe,” I remind her, but I don’t think she does. Our offensive line gets ready. Zane shouts over the noise, but it has to be impossible for his guys to hear him. Owen snaps the ball, and Zane grabs it. He takes a few steps back, looking downfield. And then he launches it. I hold my breath as it soars downfield, right into Drew’s waiting arms. Drew walks right into the endzone, uncontested.
Touchdown!
We hang on to our lead to win the game. After the game, Reid leads us down to the area where the players will come out. To no one’s shock, Zane is one of the first players out. Evie runs for him, and he catches her with a grin, kissing her soundly. He finally realizes there’s a whole world out here besides Evie and turns to Reid and I. “Hey, Sis.”
“Hey. Congrats!” I give him a big hug. Reid gives him a slap on the back and a bro hug.
“Hey, what about me?” Quint asks, jogging over to our group.
“Awesome game, Quint!” I say high-fiving him.
“Let’s go out and celebrate,” Quint says to our group. “Zane’s buying.”
Zane just shakes his head. “I don’t think that’s how it works.”
“Sure it does,” Quint says as he walks away.
Zane wraps an arm around Evie and pulls her close as they follow, leaving Reid and I to bring up the rear. “You ready for tomorrow?” he asks.
I glance up at him. “Tomorrow?”
“Your birthday.”
Chapter 5
Riley
I wasn’t messing with Reid last night; I really had forgotten my birthday’s today. I wake up early, too excited to go back to sleep. It’s not just the fact that today is my birthday, though that’s exciting. It’s that today I get to shift for the very first time. I've waited forever for today. I have a full day ahead of me before that happens, though. My mom has my entire day planned out. We’re going out for breakfast, just the two of us. After that, we’re headed to the nail salon for pedis and manis. We’re meeting my dad for lunch, and then we’ll head to the house to get ready for the party tonight in honor of my first shift. I’m thankful I have things to keep me occupied all day and hopefully help the time pass faster. After a quick shower, I flip through the clothes in my closet and decide on a cute yellow summer dress that falls almost to my knees. I pair it with a cute pair of sandals and work on blow-drying my hair. I run a straightener through my hair and then leave it down for the day. After spending a few minutes on my makeup and adding earrings, I feel ready for the day. After checking myself in the mirror, I grab my phone and wallet and head out.
When I step outside, I see a certain male holding a bouquet of yellow tulips, my favorite flower and color. I can’t hide my smile. “Happy birthday, Sis.” Zane wraps me in a big hug.
“Thank you, Zane.” I look past him. “Are you my ride?”
“I am. I had to drop Evie off anyway at the coffee shop, so I told Mom I'd drive you over.”
“Thanks. Let me just run these upstairs really quickly, or wait, maybe I should take them to the house for the party.”
“Nah, take them upstairs, so you can enjoy them in your room. I’m sure Mom will have more flowers at the house.” My mom breaks all the rules when it comes to being a shifter. Most shifters can’t stand strong smells, but my mom has always loved flowers. So, we’ve all learned to deal with the smell over the years. Flowers don’t bother me, and they don’t bother anyone in our family. For as long as I can remember, we’ve always had a vase of fresh flowers on the dining room table. I put the flowers on the desk quietly, since Ashley is still sleeping and head back out. Zane’s waiting in his truck when I come back out. “Thanks for the ride. Good game last night.”
He grins. “It felt good to win the first one of the season.”
“Be honest; it always feels good to win.”
“Can’t argue with that,” he says with a grin.
“What are your plans while Evie’s working?” I ask.
“I have a meeting with Dad, Joe, Coach Mitchell, and a few other pack members.”
Coach Mitchell, Zane’s football coach, is also the beta to our dad. And Joe is the enforcer. I glance over at Zane. “Did something else happen?”
“No. It’s just a regular meeting, nothing to worry about. There hasn’t been anything since we took out most of their pack, or whatever it is they call it, back in February.”
