Quint grins and takes a big bite. “Want to talk about it?”
I raise an eyebrow and look over at him. “Are you a therapist now?”
He shrugs. “You look like you’re going through something. I’m sitting here with nowhere to be. Your mate’s gone. Figured you could use a listening ear. How’s your first week of practice?”
“You really want to know?” I ask.
“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t.”
So I tell him. I tell him all the nitty gritty details from this week. I finish with telling him how things went down after practice last night. “I’ve never felt that way before; my emotions felt so overwhelming.”
Quint grins. “So, I was right. You reallydidwant to jump his bones.” I scowl at him, and he just laughs. “Okay, sorry. I just had to get that out of the way. What are you guys waiting for? Why haven’t you bonded?” He puts up a hand. “And if you don’t want to share, that’s okay too.”
“I just wanted to experience college life and be free for a little bit. This last year was such a mess. I couldn’t go anywhere without at least one enforcer following me around. And I was confined to the house so much. I just wanted some time before we take the next step.”
“I get that. I also get why Reid wanted you to be able to go for a run but couldn’t go with you.”
I look up from my plate. “Why?”
“As soon as your wolf starts running, his would give chase. And he probably doesn’t trust his wolf not to mate with yours when he catches her.”
I take that in. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
“I can guarantee Reid has,” he says in return. We eat a little longer.
“Thank you; that was really good.”
He pushes his plate away. “You’re welcome. Ready for that run now?”
I pick up both of our plates and take them over to the sink and wash them. “Yeah.”
“I’ll leave the door open for you; one of the enforcers can close it behind you.”
“Thanks, Quint.”
I head to my room and strip down and then let my wolf come to the surface. It’s not as painful as it was the first time I shifted. The front door is open, like Quint said it would be. I step outside and breathe in, clocking two enforcers. My wolf bounds down the steps and follows Quint’s scent into the woods. It doesn’t take long to find him. As soon as we get close, his wolf bounds off. We take off after him, but it’s nearly impossible to catch up to him. Still, my wolf gives chase. I can feel her joy, and I make a mental note to try to let her run more often. I have no idea how long we run, but Quint’s wolf finally turns back towards the house. The two enforcers that followed us part ways, and I follow Quint back to the house. He shifts, and I wait for him to throw on a pair of sweats and open the door before following him in. Once I'm in my room, I change back. I open my door and call out to Quint. “Thank you.” I check my phone and notice I have a missed call and voicemail. I listen to the voicemail while I get dressed.
“Riley, it’s Coach Parella. Give me a call at your earliest convenience.”
I frown, wondering what she could be calling about first thing Saturday morning. Before I talk myself out of it, I return the call. “Coach, it’s Riley,” I say after her greeting.
“Thanks for returning my call. I’ll get right to it; I just wanted to clear something up. All freshmen have to live on campus during their freshman year. I wouldn’t be able to have someone playing for me that wasn’t abiding by the rules because others on the team would complain about it and the unfairness of it. I can’t say whether or not you’ve made my cut, but if you were to make the cut, that would need to be cleared up. I’m sure it’s not an issue though.”
I try to process everything she’s saying. “I didn’t realize—”
“I’m sure it’s not an issue. I told others as much.”
I take in what she’s saying. “Uh yeah. It’s not an issue.”
“Good. I’m glad we cleared that up. Goodbye.”
I hang up and stare at my phone a moment. Without another thought, I grab my bag and start packing up. I head out to the living room where Quint’s studying and stop. “You’re studying. Is the world coming to an end?”
“Hey, now. I study...occasionally.”
I laugh. “Sure, you do. Hey, random question. Are freshman required to live on campus?”
He cocks his head. “Maybe? I never really thought about it, but Tessa and Evie both lived here their freshmen years.”
