Page 41 of Cleat Heat

“Thank you all for tonight,” she says. “This helped… a lot. My parents aren’t bad people. They’re just traditional. And being an omega athlete has always been hard for them to understand…”

She drifts off with a frown. Grabbing her chin, I drop my mouth to hers, pouring every ounce of my love and devotion into the kiss. She opens for me with a moan, and my tongue dips in, tasting her, claiming her. Insatiable. Unwilling to stop until I need to come up for air.

“Vivi. We see you. We want you. And not for children. Or because you’re an omega. If we never have kids, that’s perfectly fine,” I try to explain.

“And if you want to be an athlete for the rest of your life, we will happily support you,” Fox chimes in.

“Baby girl. We love you for you,” Ty agrees. “Just please give us a chance to show you.”

Vivi swallows hard and nods. Her eyes tear up at the word love. Yeah, this is fast. But we’re scent-matches—fated for forever. She shuffles into the middle of the blanket, and we all huddle around her for a pack hug.

She’s our center. Our everything.

My teeth ache to sink into her, but without her heat, it would just be a pack bond. And she’s so much more than pack—she’s my forever.

Emotion clogs my throat as we hold one another, our scents mingling with the outside air. Nothing has ever felt so right…

“Something’s biting my toe,” Ty hollers, shooting upright to break out of the pack hug. Breaking the moment, he flounders around in the sand and screams shrilly. “Get it off. Get it off. Get it off.”

“Jeez, man. I didn’t know your voice could hit that octave,” Fox chuckles with a smirk. But Ty’s already taken off, headed through the darkness toward the car.

Guess it’s time to go.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Vivi

Fox reaches over, tugging my thumb from my mouth as their big black SUV rolls to a stop, parking in one of the three assigned Pack Walsh spots outside the stadium. My stomach is a jumble of nerves. Between my parents’ constant calls and ‘we’re sorry we upset you’ texts, and my worries about my lengthy absence from the team, I just want to be back in my new nest.

“We’re going to need to get a spot for Vivi, too,” Dash muses out loud as he turns off the engine and reaches down to unbuckle his belt.

Ty twists and looks back at me from the passenger seat. “Don’t you dare get out of the car by yourself, baby girl,” he says with a smirk, and my eyes roll back in my head at his silly rule. Although the altercation at the nesting store freaked us all out, we can’t let it take over our lives. Plus, these Alpha-Ballers hate it when I do anything for myself. It’s cute, but a little ridiculous, so I unlock my buckle, grab the handle, and swing the door open.

It’s a long drop to the ground, but I’m used to that. Bending my knees, I leap, only to be caught in strong arms. The rum punch scent of my over-eager Alpha envelops me, and he pulls me against his chest, kissing me hard on the lips.

“Knew you were gonna be bratty about it,” he grumbles, but his grin says he expects nothing less. I’m not going to let them tell me what to do—and they don’t really want to.

He holds me tightly against to him, pressing my body flush against him as he slowly slides me down to the ground. My nipples ache at the friction, and my pussy answers the call as slick pools between my legs. Ty’s cock twitches against my belly during the descent, and he hardens. Good, if I have to be horny all practice, then it’s only fair we both do.

His wicked grin shines down at me, and my belly does a slow flip. He bends down, rubbing his face against mine before slipping his hand beneath my cheer skirt. A gasp escapes me when he shoves my scent-canceling panties to the side and runs his fingers along my soaked seam, barely brushing my clit. Ty’s lips crush against mine, capturing my moans to stop them from floating across the parking lot. He then tugs them back into place, patting my mound over the thick fabric before bringing his finger to his lips and sucking it clean.

Gulping, I try to swallow around the ball of lust that’s formed in my throat. And I’m not sure whether to scold or beg him when I find my voice again.

“There, baby girl. Just a taste so I can get through practice,” he smirks, giving his finger a final long lick. “Sweet, sweet cupcake. My favorite.”

A huff pushes past my lips, but warmth swells in my chest, and butterflies take flight in my stomach. I love being his favorite—all their favorite. And they are quickly becoming mine. Dash swings an arm around me as we meander toward the practice field together.

“You don’t all have to walk me to practice,” I object, but the words feel fake on my lips. I want every single second I can get with them before we have to part.

“We know, little omega. But we don’t want to leave you yet,” he says simply, echoing my thoughts.

“And remember, after practice, don’t go anywhere. Just stay nearby! Date night begins the second it’s over,” Ty shouts eagerly from behind us.

They decided collectively that since we’ve done everything ass-backward, regular date nights are happening so we can all get to know each other better. Excitement races through me at the prospect of all the fun surprises. I made them promise not to go too overboard, but keeping these Alpha-Ballers in check is a tall order, so instead, we agreed I could plan some, too.

Three months until my next heat. Three months to get to know them better. They promised they would wait until I was one hundred percent certain about them—even if that meant years—before bonding with me. But I already want their bites, and not having them has my omega instincts feeling bitchy.

The field comes into view, and the cheer squad is already milling around in their practice uniforms. Seeing my friends means parting from my pack, and my emotions ping-pong between being thrilled to tumble and wanting to keep my pack with me.

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