“Orin was a better player than both of us.” Luca joins our conversation. “He could’ve easily made it into the pros. In fact, I’m pretty sure you got some offers that you turned down.”
“I loved the game,” Orin shrugs, “but other things called to me more.”
“You’ve never mentioned that before,” I say, eager to know everything about him.
He smirks. “There’s still a lot you have to learn about me, dynamite.”
“I’m looking forward to finding out.” I grin right back. “Especially what happened on our date.”
Delilah, having just returned, must have caught the tail end of our conversation as she asks, “What happened? Did you have fun?”
Before I can tell her that we had a littletoomuch fun, Kady jumps in. “What was The Velvet Room like?”
“Actually, we didn’t check out much of the club; I was too distracted by my company.” I tug at my collar. Despite the chill in the air, I suddenly feel a little hot, recalling what happened when Orin and I snuck off. I change gears, not wanting to test my scent blocker. “Orin busted some moves out on the dance floor.”
“You got Orin to dance?” Luca’s jaw drops. “No way!”
“You should have seen him.” I can’t stop the cackle that bursts from me. “He was an unstoppable force.”
“It was a once-in-a-lifetime thing,” Orin glowers at me, folding his arms over his chest, which only makes me laugh harder. “Never again.”
“We’ll see about that.” I nudge him, then I notice what Delilah’s holding. “I thought you went looking for snacks.”
“I thought wearing team colors might bring Adler luck.” She hands each of us girls an orange jersey to wear over our tops. “They didn’t have any number ones left,” she mutters apologetically when she hands me one. “But here’s an eight.”
I tug the jersey over my tee. What difference does a number really make?
THIRTY-FIVE
Adler
“Final period, boys!” Coach slams his hands together, clapping.
The locker room air is thick with testosterone, sweat, ice, and the sheer will to win. We’re all out for blood. The Rhinos have kept us on our toes. They’re good, better than I remember.
“How’s the ankle, Corbin?” Coach barks at him.
Corbin’s icing it, his lips pressed into a grim, determined line. It’s rare to see him not joking around, but after that penalty, he’s not going down without a fight. “Never better.”
“Are you sure you’re good to play?” I whisper under my breath as Coach paces.
“Fuck yeah.” Nothing is going to stop him. “We’re taking those bastards down.”
My limbs tingle, adrenaline still shooting through them, ready to push my body to the limit when it counts the most. Knowing Sabs is out there in the crowd, cheering for me, gives me the extra push I need. Sure, there are scouts here, but she’s the one I really want to impress. I’m gonna win that damned trophy for her.
It’s time to give my team a pep talk.
I stand, drawing myself up to my full height. “We’ve worked hard for this.” My voice comes out in a low, deep, rumble.“Everything has been leading up to this moment.” There’re murmurs of agreement, fists punching the air. “Those Rhinos are onourfucking ice, and we’re going to show them whose rink it is. We’re gonna bring this home!”
Corbin slams his ice pack down on the bench. “Hell yeah, we are!”
“Let’s fucking do this!” I yell, extending my arm, palm down. Everyone gathers in a circle, gloved hands roughly pile on top of mine. Even though I can’t stand some of the guys on the team, right now, we have to act as one, putting aside all of our differences. We’re all locked in on our mission, and nothing is going to stop us as we bark in unison, “Foxes!”
“Go get ’em!” Coach Tanner thumps me on the back as I pass him. “Make me proud.”
Helmet on, I head back out to the ice, looking straight at Sabs. Her red hair is easy to find, pride swelling in my chest to see she’s donning an orange jersey. I can just imagine how good it’s going to be when I fuck her in my winning jersey later. Just like I did the first night we met.
“Nice omega you have there.” The opposing team captain follows my gaze. He’s built like an oversized gorilla with hulking shoulders and stubby legs. “Wonder what she smells like.”
