Page 48 of Scrum Heat

“I keep forgetting there’s a woman in the house,” I say suddenly.

She pulls back, eyes wide. “Uh. Thanks?”

“I didn’t mean—shit. I meant—you’re not—ugh.” I rub a hand over my face. “You’re quiet.”

“You mean I don’t act like Theo.”

“Yes.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” she laughs.

“You should.”

There’s a pause, then she leans back against me again.

“So. You forget there’s a woman in the house, huh?”

“I forget there’s anomega,” I admit.

“And now?”

“Now, I remember.”

My voice comes out low and rough, and I notice the way her breath catches.

Then, quietly, she says, “You know… you’re not what I expected.”

I glance down at her. “What did you expect?”

She shrugs, angling her head so she’s blinking right up at me. She’s closer now than she’s ever been before, and it feelsintimate.

“More knife jaw. Less… hoodie.”

I snort. She smiles.

I don’t move away, and I don’t say it out loud, but I think:You’re not what I expected either.

And that might be the problem.

Chapter Thirteen

Frankie

It’s weird how quickly chaos becomes routine.

Four shirtless alphas stomping around the kitchen, arguing about macros and microwave etiquette? Normal. Jax stealing all the protein bars but somehow still being the quietest man alive? Expected. Theo trying to pitch shirtless commentary reels over breakfast while Rory threatens him with the team budget spreadsheet? Daily occurrence.

Meanwhile, I’m just trying not to combust.

I’ve spent the past few weeks buried in research—studying what other rugby teams are doing, sure, but also checking out how clubs in other sports are building their online followings. Football, hockey, soccer, even roller derby. I’m taking notes, analyzing what works.

And it’s not just scores and stats—it’s the behind-the-scenes stuff. The messy, funny, everyday things that make people feel like they’re part of something.

Turns out, people don’t just want to see results. They want stories. They want faces. They want personality.

Especiallythe girls.

I’ve seen the comment sections of videos, the shares, even the DMs. I’m not the only one who didn’t grow up knowing anything about rugby, and sure, maybe I’m not about to start handing out tactical breakdowns or play-by-play commentary—but if I can show off how much fun this team is, how welcoming it can be, how magnetic the culture actuallyis?

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