After what happened last time, Orin isn’t officially working the game, sitting in the seat to my left instead. However, he’s still wearing his earpiece, allowing him to check in with the rest of the security team. He even allowed Drax to help out becausethey’re short-staffed, assigning him to watch over the private suites. Conveniently, the only one that is currently occupied happens to be where my family is.
“Thanks for getting my parents tickets, Orin.” I already thanked him earlier, but I want to make sure he knows how appreciative I am. I glance up at the suites to see Bug peering over the edge. “I’m sure they’re having fun.”
Although I had the option to join them up there, I declined. Despite my scary encounter with the rutting alpha at the last game, I want to be in the stands, cheering alongside the other fans. We’re sitting so close to the front, we’ll practically be able to see the beads of sweat on the players. Orin wasn’t too happy with the idea, hence him deciding to be my personal bodyguard. Every time anyone even seems to look in my direction, he snarls at them.
I spot Luca weaving his way toward us, holding gargantuan sodas in his hands before dropping into the vacant seat next to Orin.
“You made it.” I smile as Luca hands me one of the sodas. It’s a miracle he didn’t spill anything. “How are the guys feeling?”
He’s been down in the players’ locker room, helping them with stretches and prep along with the team physical therapist.
“Corbin’s freaking out.” Luca nibbles his inner cheek nervously. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen the poor guy so on edge, but Adler’s fine. He’s in the zone.”
“And how does Adler Ace get in the zone?” Kady leans forward to ask him, thrusting her cellphone in his face to record him.
Delilah swipes the phone from her fingers. “No work, Kady!”
“Fine.” Kady snatches it from Delilah, pouting as she puts it back in her purse. “But he’ll have to give me an interview at some point.”
With Kady, Faye, and Delilah talking about the latest TVV issue, I spin to speak to my guys.
“How good are the Rhinos?” I point to the Riverside Rhinos on the other side of the rink. Some of their fans have already resorted to shouting leering insults, the rivalry nearing a fever pitch before the game has even started.
“Pretty good,” Orin begrudgingly admits, his hand resting protectively on my knee. “They’re an even match. The Rhinos seem to have an advantage on paper, but Adler is our ace for a reason.”
“Are those the pro scouts he spoke to last time?” Luca points at a group of people who have just entered one of the private suites.
Orin nods, jaw clenching.
“Adler’s got this,” I state with confidence as people around us stomp their feet and chorus, “Foxes, Foxes, Foxes!”
“This is the biggest game of the season.” Luca rubs his chin. “An even bigger deal since the Rhinos and Foxes have always hated each other. Most of the guys on that team are total assholes.”
Waiting for the game to start, I reach over Orin to grab a handful of M&Ms from the box on Luca’s lap. After another elaborate cheer skating performance, the players finally skate onto the ice.
Adler is first out. I’m on my feet with the Stellas, cheering and clapping along with everyone else. My heart skitters when he skates past the barrier closest to us, raising his stick in the air before blowing me a kiss. My alpha is pretty damn hot in his jersey, his sexiness amplified by the confident way he glides across the ice like he owns it.
The game is tense from the moment the puck drops.
Faye hides behind her hands, watching through the gaps in her fingers as Corbin is knocked over by a player who looks like a literal rhino. “I didn’t realize it would be this rough!”
“He’s fine, Faye.” Delilah pats her arm sympathetically. Next to her, Kady is totally gripped, leaning forward in her seat and barking complaints at the referee whenever she disagrees with his judgment.
Orin remains quiet, his gaze flicking around the rink. He looks like he’s calculating every move and step, looking for errors, his hands twitching as if he’s swinging a phantom stick.
There’re explosive cheers when the Foxes score, but the celebrations are short-lived as the Rhinos keep pace, the scoreboard providing a constant reminder of how far they’ve got to go. I’m on the edge of my seat as the game continues on this way, one team edging a lead over the other only to have them claw it back minutes later. Despite knowing little about hockey, it’s clear that they’re very well matched.
When intermission rolls around, I’m struggling to stay still, Adler’s frustration flooding our bond as the team heads to the locker room to regroup.
Faye seems a little less enthused than she did at the start, even more concerned about Corbin after he had to be escorted off by the medics after a nasty collision. Luca tries to reassure her that it didn’t look too bad, that he’s probably getting iced as we speak, while Delilah and Kady take off in search of more snacks.
“So?” I turn to Orin. “What do you think? They gonna win?”
“I have faith in Adler.” He dips his chin decisively. “He knows what he has to do.”
“You sound like Coach Tanner,” I joke.
“Well, I used to be Adler’s coach in high school, remember?” He grins. “Well, informally anyway.”
