Page 42 of Cleat Heat

“I can take it from here,” I say with a gulp, raising my chin and squaring my shoulders before turning toward my own practice. A big, warm hand grabs mine, lightly tugging me back right into a big, broad chest.

My pack circles around me, dropping kisses all over my face and squeezing me between them before releasing me from the crush of their embrace.

“We’re right here if you need us,” Fox promises.

“Don’t leave,” Ty reminds me.

“Mine,” Dash growls, swooping down for a last kiss before whirling me toward my team with a not-so-gentle pat to my ass. My cheeks flush red, but it’s the motivation I need to get moving.

Tam lets out a delighted whoop; jumping up from his stretches and racing toward me as soon as I step foot on the lush green field. The grass squishes beneath my shoes, and everything smells exactly the same; welcoming me home as my bestie reaches me, tossing his arms around me in a crushing hug.

“Holy shit, I missed you! I know we texted a little, but it’s not the same as seeing your beautiful face,” he gushes enthusiastically, smacking a kiss on my cheek. “Jeez, you STINK of Alpha Crusher.”

Tam fake gags as we rush toward the rest of the team.

“Well, that’s what happens when you spend five days having the best heat of your life,” I chirp, happiness rolling through me in waves.

“Happy for you, babe,” he says, completely serious now, giving my hand a squeeze. “Coach is here today, just FYI. She started coming more while you were out.”

My lips twist in a frown, I wonder why. Coach usually oversees one or two practices a week because I run them. But I guess that makes sense. I wasn’t here, and she didn’t want us to lose any time.

“Hi, Coach,” I call, waving to her before jogging over. Nerves tingle along the base of my spine and I push them down. We’ve always had a great relationship, and she knows about my heats. I’ve never hidden my designation.

“Hey, Vivi! Welcome back!” I breathe a sigh of relief when she gives me a huge smile. “There was a complaint lodged while you were out, so I wanted to be here today to make sure everything went smoothly with your return.”

“What kind of complaint?” I ask, concerned. This team is a huge part of my life.

“Oh, look, you’re back,” a snide voice comes from behind me. “See what I mean, Coach? It’s not even her heat anymore, and the omega can’t be on time.”

Fucking Maureen. This bitch again.

Rage lights a fire in my veins, pumping adrenaline through me as I whirl around to face her. Her coppery hair bounces in pretty curls, every single one in place, her external beauty so at odds with the ugliness that lives inside her.

“I’m not late,” I disagree, glancing at my phone to see that I am, in fact, five minutes early.

“Um, no, you’re not. Practice started thirty minutes ago—which you would know if you weren’t so busy getting railed,” she replies haughtily, flipping a curl over her shoulder and narrowing her eyes. “It was in the email. We have to practice earlier to give the field to the football team since they lost their first game.”

Her pointed tone lets me know that I’m to blame for that, too—which is fair. But I’m too busy scrolling through my emails to let it rile me. My heartbeat pounds in my ears when I finally locate the message she’s talking about—opening it to see she’s right.

I am late for my first practice back.

The color drains from my face as I stammer out an apology to Coach, who waves it off like it’s not a big deal.

“No worries. Let’s just get started. We have four months before Nationals, so let’s do this,” she chirps, sending us to our places. My body moves on autopilot, doing some quick stretches to prepare for stunting.

She pushes play on her phone, and music streams from the speakers, and fortunately, I could do this routine in my sleep. But the usual rush of excitement is absent today. Instead, I’m sluggish and unfocused, my mind whirling at Maureen’s accusation that I shouldn’t be captain anymore.

Is she right?

My earlier peace and happiness from being around my pack has dimmed, and I move through the motions, pushing all of my pep to the forefront, even if I’m drowning in worry.

Do I only want my pack now? Have I become nothing more than a needy omega?

My arms raise, legs bunching and preparing for my backflip sequence when the familiar thrill finally zips through me, and my smile becomes genuine. Springing backward, I soar through the air, my hands finding the perfect spot on the ground to launch into my next trick. My legs come around flawlessly, and I glide into a flawless flip.

Suddenly, a hard impact sets my teeth on edge as I spin out of control with a scream before landing with a loud thump on my back. All of the breath leaves my lungs and I gasp for air as I stare at the clouds above me. Sucking in, I try to inhale, but nothing works. Tam’s face appears in front of me, white as a ghost with absolute horror in his eyes. No. No. No.

“It’s going to be all right, Vivi. Try to breathe through your nose,” he says, voice wobbling with emotion as he kneels by my side. Doing as he says, I flare my nostrils, my body panicking when I still get nothing. Big hands cup my cheeks, and finally, something makes its way through. The scent of spring rain instantly calms me as Fox’s handsome face hovers over me, and he caresses my cheeks.

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