Page 7 of Cleat Heat

My dick is rock hard, enormous but confined in my practice gear, and straining against its confines. Fuck, it hurts so much that I’m not sure if I can walk, much less chase the blond-haired beauty.

“She’s our mate,” Fox gasps, reaching out to grab the back of Dash’s jersey. He barely manages to dig his fingers in before our massive pack Alpha rushes off after her. Fox stumbles forward a step, locking his arms and legs to keep Dash in check. The material must be stronger than it looks because, somehow, no tearing sound reaches my ears.

“Let me go, you shit,” he snarls as she falls into the waiting arms of her beta base. Jealousy burns within me—maybe that beta would look better without arms. “We need to go grab her and get out of here before someone takes her.”

Yes, that. I’m in. Great idea, captain.

My head bobs up and down, agreeing with this brilliant plan. See, that’s why Dash gets to make the decisions. Hugging my arms around Fox’s waist, I yank hard, attempting to dislodge him.

“Go, Dash. Get our baby girl,” I grunt, pulling with all my might.

Fox’s muscles ripple, and his veins erupt along his arms, but he fights back; pulling and tugging. Damn strong jersey. “Listen, you morons,” he snaps, and the urgency in his tone brings us both to attention. “If we chase her right now, we could scare her. Plus, I think she has an Alpha. We need a game plan.”

“What do you mean she has an Alpha?” Dash roars, twisting quickly and surging forward to grab Fox. He jerks him by the jersey, and Fox’s head slams forward and back like a bobblehead. Well, this is escalating. The two best friends square off. Dash snorts like a fire-breathing dragon, impatiently waiting for an answer.

His eyes darken, and his inner Alpha pulses with rage. Seething through the bond we share. And Fox feels it, too. Reaching up, he grabs onto Dash’s wrists, gripping onto the hands that are still firmly clasping his shirt.

“I told you about him when I ran into her a few months ago. I tried to help her, but there was another Alpha there. The puny blond one. He’s visited her here a few times since then. He’s an asshole,” Fox reminds him with another angry jerk. At this point, I’m not sure if he’s annoyed with Dash or Vivi’s mystery boyfriend.

“The fuck!” Dash roars. “Has he bitten her?”

“Like I know—I haven’t gotten this close to her since that day.”

“She didn’t smell bonded. I don’t think her perfume would be that strong if she were,” I try to tell them as logic filters in. But, of course, they don’t hear a word I say. The two are so busy snarling at each other they can’t see past their animal instincts.

As they trade insults, I rush forward, sliding my body in between them to stop the aggression before they come to blows.

Since when am I the level-headed one?

Placing a palm on both of their chests, I do my best to send calming vibes their way, but bringing peace is really more of Fox’s gift. I’m as freaked out as Dash to have found our omega, but chasing her down like rabid wolves isn’t the answer.

Omegas tend to run. We don’t want to push this one into full flight-mode. We can’t. Our pack needs her.

I need her.

“Let’s plan. Let’s figure this out—together as a pack,” I plead, pressing against the bite marks on their wrists that cement our bonds. Thankfully, that reminder is enough to break them out of angry posturing.

“Fine,” Dash grunts, folding his arms across his heaving chest. “But talk fast. I don’t want to go another second without her plastered to my side.”

Fox rumbles in agreement as we all watch her flee from the stadium. Grabbing a bag, she disappears into the tunnel. My eyes strain, wanting to catch the last images of her pert ass in those skin-tight shorts, and I suck in a breath of air. But there isn’t even a wisp of her scent left. The urge to follow her rips into my soul—but we don’t actually know her.

All we know is that she’s ours.

“I’ve noticed her all along, but never really thought we could be scent-matched. We need to find out about the other Alpha. Make sure she’s not already claimed,” Fox reminds us.

“Claimed or not, we murder him,” I mutter under my breath. Dash catches my eye and gives me a nod. The big man and I don’t always see eye to eye… but yeah. Right now, we’re definitely on the same page. No fucking garbage Alpha is gonna touch my mate ever again.

“First, we need to go over there and talk her friend into giving us her number. Maybe her address. Get whatever information we can about our little cheer captain,” I offer.

We step forward as one, completely in synch as a pack ready to hunt down the most important prey of all, but a sudden sharp whistle rips through the air.

Oh. Fuck. Off.

Coach steps out into the sunlight, motioning for us to huddle up. Looking at my pack, I shake my head. There’s no way I’m going to worry about a damn football practice right now when our entire world’s been turned upside down.

“Fuck practice,” I grunt, heading the wrong way down the field. But a firm hand grips my shoulder. Shaking Dash off, I continue forward, but Fox steps in front of me.

“She’s not going anywhere. But we’ll be benched if we blow off the team,” he reasons. “She needs a little time. Plus, we know where she’ll be tomorrow—right here, cheering for us.”

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