He’s known for playing dirty, trying to rattle me and throw me off. A few years ago, I’d have reacted to his comments and let my temper get the best of me, but Orin’s taught me discipline and control. If this goon wants me to lose my shit, it must mean he feels threatened.
“Too bad you’ll never know how good any omega smells,” I chuff.
His eyes narrow, pissed that his remark didn’t have the desired effect. “Fuck you, pretty boy.”
“I may be pretty, but I’m gonna kick your ass,” I snarl. “Then I’m gonna fuck my omega next to our trophy.”
Some of my teammates chortle, falling into the lineup as I position myself in the faceoff.
“You’re going down,” the Rhino’s captain sneers at me.
From the moment the puck hits the ice, everything else passes in a blur. I forget that we’re being watched as I get lost in the game. We need to score if we’re going to win.
Corbin delivers an epic tape-to-tape pass, then I’m off, laser-focused on the goal like a predator hounding its prey as I slice across the ice. I don’t stop, barreling on, the crowds’ hollering turning into a static buzz as I zero in on what I have to do.
I slam that puck toward the back of the net at full force. With my heart slamming in my throat, I watch the goalie veer to the left to try to stop it, but it flies straight between his legs.
Holy shit. I really did it.
The buzzer sounds to signal the end of the game, my team descending upon me before I can even raise my stick in victory. They leap at me, my helmet getting tugged off and thrown in the air as I’m swept away in their euphoria. Sticks and helmets are thrown, and excited hands slap my back as we move as a mass, sliding into the barrier.
“We did it!” Corbin shouts over the deafening celebrations. “We won!”
I’m dazed as the arena goes wild. Eventually, my team members spring back, some doing victory skates around the rink, others fist bumping and dancing. Meanwhile, the Rhinos remain stationary, a few having dropped to their knees in defeat.
Elation fills me as I spin to see Sabs jumping up and down. Orin stands at her side, a faint yet obviously proud smile on his lips. His gaze meets mine, and he inclines his head as if to say, “You’ve done well.”Luca punches the air while the Stellas squeal, hugging each other.
Before I can even process what I’m doing, I’m skating for the exit, sprinting across the ice to get to my girl. I watch Sabspush her way through the crowd to be waiting for me as soon as I come off. I don’t care that I should be with my team in this moment. There’s only one person I want to celebrate with.
“You did it!” Her red ponytail is swinging as I step off the ice, her cheeks a radiant flush as she throws her arms around my neck.
I pull her close, breathing her in before kissing her so hard that we’re heckled by onlookers shouting, “Get a room!”
It’s only when I release her, lips all cute and swollen, that I shudder.
“Adler?” Her rosy lips tug down into a frown. “What’s wrong?”
“You’re not wearing my number.” My response comes out as a growl.
“Oh, this?” She looks down at the jersey. “It was the only one they had left.”
“You’re my omega.” I pull her in closer. “You can’t wear another player’s number.”
“Does that really matter?”
“Hell yeah, it does!” I tear off my gloves then pull off my own jersey.
There’s an, “Oooh” from the crowd and plenty of wolf whistles, but I don’t care. Sabs’s pupils eat up her irises as she drinks me in. I probably stink of sweat, but from her reaction and what I can feel through our bond, she clearly doesn’t mind.
She puts her hand to her mouth and chuckles. “You know my parents are probably watching, right?”
My heart falls to my feet. “Oh, shit.”
She swats me playfully. “Don’t worry, they’ll be your biggest fans after seeing your performance.”
I hand my jersey to her. “Put it on.”
She laughs, peeling off the other one. I hastily grab it and toss it into the stands for Nia to catch as eight is Corbin’s number.I feel better once Sabs puts mine on. Much better. There’s no bigger turn-on than seeing my girl in my number. So much so that my jock might just crack in two from how much I’m straining underneath it.
