Page 1 of Free Me

ONE

Linus Higgs eyeballedthe goal about twenty yards ahead of him and the position of the opposing team’s goalie. The goalie was protecting the closest part of the net, not the farthest, more open side, but from Linus’s angle that side was also a more difficult kick. Their teams were tied, the final seconds ticking down, and they’d likely go into overtime.

But Linus didn’t want overtime to decide this game. It was the biggest of his university career. At least a dozen scouts from various professional soccer teams were in the stands, watching and evaluating the players for potential contracts. Linus loved living in Sansbury Province, he adored his huge, extended family, and he wasn’t a big fan of change. However, he loved soccer and wanted to play professionally for as long as his body and talent allowed. If that took him across the continent after graduation this spring? So be it.

He dribbled the ball closer to the net, his mind a whirling dervish of indecision. He could simply keep control of the ball and let the clock run out. It wouldn’t be that hard. But there was still the tiny chance an opponent could steal the ball from him and attempt a final-seconds run at Linus’s goalie. If he was fastand the Sansbury goalie was too slow to react, they could lose the game. And the championship.

And if Linus lost the ball, he’d look like an idiot to those scouts. Scouts who were deciding his future right now. Time to take his future in hand and run with it.

Literally.

Linus chose his shot and toed the ball forward, barely missing an opposing player’s attempt to intercept him. Countless hours of practice drills kept the ball in front of him, always moving toward his destination. Instinct kept his head up, awareness on the twenty other players moving around the field with him. Some close, others far away. Ten teammates, ten opponents.

A shape moved in his left periphery. Linus ducked low and spun, avoiding the human obstacle without losing control of the ball. The net was getting closer, his target looming. The goalie was shifting his weight on the balls of his feet, hands up, trying to anticipate. The money shot, the fancy shot that audiences devoured, was above the goalie’s head. The sure shot, the winning goal he needed, was to the goalie’s right and the wide-open net.

Let’s win this fucking season.

Linus stopped the ball, shifted his position, pulled back his leg, and made the most important kick of his university career. He watched the yellow and black ball sail through the air, a clean arc toward the net. The goalie jolted in that direction, hands outstretched. Mere centimeters seemed to separate the two objects in motion: man and ball.

The goalie’s fingertips missed it by a hair’s breadth. The ball hit the net in the back of the goal. Linus stumbled to a halt, blood thundering in his chest while cheers thundered in his ears. He’d done it. Scored the winning goal. He stared, stunned that the one thing he’d dreamed of and longed for this entire academic yearhad finally come to pass: he was a starting varsity senior and MVP who’d just won the Territory Championship for his team.

Everything got a little surreal for a few minutes as his teammates surrounded him, laughing and back-slapping and congratulating him. Linus did his best to respond but he was stuck in his own head, still unsure if this was happening, or if he was dreaming it. Not until his team lined up to shake hands with the other team, and it finally began sinking in that they’d won.

Someone dumped ice water on his head. A couple of guys, not teammates but supporters, kissed him right on the mouth; he wasn’t even sure who they were.

Everything focused a bit more when his family came onto the field and found him. Dad and Papa were there with Linus’s youngest older brother Layne, plus Layne’s mate Peyton. Dad was already out of breath and sweating from the long-ish trek across the field, and Linus wanted to scold the elderly alpha for exerting himself. But Dad would make excuses like he always did, and Linus didn’t want to take this proud moment away from any of them.

Papa would certainly give Dad an earful later.

Linus’s other older brothers, Tarius and Aven, appeared in the crowd, as did so many of Linus’s childhood friends. Linus’s best omega friend, Miko Tovey, was hugging him hard and nattering on about the final few minutes of the game. One of his other best friends, fellow alpha Caden Cross, was there with his mate and family. Everyone Linus loved seemed to be there, cheering on his victory and finely-honed skills.

Everyone except his beta brother Demir. It didn’t surprise him, not really. Demir Lars-Higgs was a genetic researcher, highly sought after in his fields of expertise, and he worked long hours in between maintaining a three-way marriage with an alpha/omega bonded pair. School activities weren’t high on his To Do list, but he’d hoped Demir would make this game.

This was The Game.

He ignored the disappointment and focused on the positive. The people here now, celebrating this momentous win. His coach took him aside and introduced him to two different professional scouts, and Linus wasn’t entirely sure what they asked or what he said, only that they all shook hands and left the huddle smiling. Linus was absolutely delighted by everything he didn’t remember talking about and basked in the glorious good feelings filling him near to bursting.

“I kind of want to hate you right now,” Danyel said as he came up behind Linus. He was their star defender and one of Linus’s best friends on the soccer team. “You’re my fucking hero, Higgs.”

“You hate me and I’m your hero?” Linus laughed. “Make up your mind, dude.”

“Hey, two things can be true at the same time. We won because of you, but now you’re, like, our school’s hero, and I bet you get choice pick of where you’ll play when you graduate. You’re golden!”

“Hey, you played like a rock star today, Danny. You’ll have offers. You still have a whole final year to play before you have to worry about life after graduation.”

“We’ll see. Look, no one said anything because we didn’t want to jinx it, but we’re having a victory party at Alton’s house, starts at nine. Be there. And don’t worry about a date, you are so hot right now you could get laid ten times over before the first keg is empty.”

Linus snorted and clapped Danyel on the back. “I’ll get there. My parents will probably try taking me out for ice cream or something else lame like that, but I promise to make the party.”

“Hey, enjoy the lameness of ice cream with your folks while you’ve got it.” Danyel’s bright smile dimmed, and Linus regretted his comment. Danyel’s parents had both passed awayin the last two years, his omegin from liver cancer and his sire from a sudden heart attack. He was the youngest of five siblings and the last still in university. Linus and the entire team had done their best to support Danyel through his grief, but he still struggled and would for a long time.

Linus couldn’t imagine losing either of his parents, much less both in such a short period of time. Every day with his sire was a gift, because of his age. Didn’t mean he still wouldn’t prefer to head straight to the party at Alton’s house.

“We’ve both got to live our best lives while we’ve got them,” Linus said. “I’ll see you at the party, okay?”

“For sure. Invite your friend Miko, too. He’s hot and needs to get out more.”

He bit back a growl. “Miko gets out plenty. He’s had a lot going on these last two years, after everything with Peyton’s coma and then Emory Cross’s situation.”

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