Page 105 of Scrum Heat

I don’t understand it, butfuck,I want to believe it. I do.

Still, if we do this—if we all bond her—it’s forever. It’s instinct, sure, but it’s more than that. It’s obligation.Loyalty. It’s wakingup every morning knowing someone else’s happiness, safety, whole damn life is threaded into yours.

Am I ready for that, at twenty-four years old?

I run a hand over the back of my neck. The air is cool now—damp with the kind of breeze that tells you it’ll rain tomorrow.

The door creaks open behind me, but I don’t turn.

Bare feet on grass. A sigh so loud and theatrical it might as well have an intermission and an interval ice cream.

“You gonna pace a trench into the lawn, or can I join you in your brooding silence?”

“Do whatever you want,” I mutter.

Theo drops down onto the patio like it’s his throne, leaning back on his elbows and staring up at the sky. We sit in silence long enough for the back door to click shut behind us, and the faint sounds of Finn rustling around in the kitchen drift through the air.

He’s probably stress-baking again. He made an entire banana bread army last week.

“She’s not scared,” Theo says eventually.

I glance at him. He’s looking straight ahead.

“She’s not panicking. Not spiraling. Not hiding in a hoodie with five anxiety cookies in her mouth—which, by the way, is what I would be doing.”

“Yeah, well, you’re always eating.”

“It’s calledcoping, Rory. You should try it. Might loosen up your spine.”

I snort, but I don’t argue.

He sobers again. “She chose us. You get that, right?”

“I get it.”

“Then why do you look like you’re trying to telepathically explode the rhododendrons?”

“Because this is a mess,” I snap, frowning at him. “We’ve got a board review inthree days. The OSCandDenton Vale breathing down our necks. I’ve got an omega in a nest upstairs, and two forwards arguing in the locker room about protein powder brands.”

Theo hums. “So... a normal week?”

I shoot him a look.

“Fine,” he says. “Okay. Not normal. This is… chaos. But it’s notbadchaos. It’s good chaos. Sexy chaos. Bonding chaos.”

“You need to stop saying the word chaos.”

“You need to stop clenching your jaw.”

I drag a hand through my hair, then drop it with a sigh.

“You know what’s insane?” I ask, half-laughing at the ridiculousness of it all. “We’re top of the fucking table. One game away from the final.”

Theo nods. “I know.”

“If we get through…shit.Scouts will be there, Theo. This isn’t the time to be focusing on anythingbutthe game. Right now, I should only be worrying about footwork, and defensive setups, and whether Ollie’s learned how to tie his own boots yet.”

Theo shrugs. “Yeah, but instead you’re thinking about your omega and her gorgeous mouth and how much you want to bond her.”

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