Page 34 of Full Body Hit: Part 2
He glanced over to Chase—the Omega appeared fine. Normal. Already in his pads and skates, he was chatting with Sammy, a slight smile on his face.
Auston gritted his teeth against the impulse to go over there and check Chase out more thoroughly—a hidden bruise, a cut, an ache.
There was something wrong, instincts on high alert.
He just didn’t know what he was supposed to be bracing for.
He stayed close to Chase as they made it out onto the ice, but apart from a questioning quirk of his eyebrows, Chase didn’t seem phased. Nobody did.
Auston tried to focus on the game, insects crawling under his skin. He kept checking to see where Chase was, an itch in the shadow of his mind he couldn’t quite reach.
He scented the air again, blood boiling. He was going to punch the next guy who evenlookedat Chase. He was going to—
No. Fuck. He shut his eyes. He wasn’t too hot. He wasn’t producing more saliva than usual. He wasn’t aroused.
It wasn’t rut. It wasn’t a nearby heat.
This was something else.
He wasn’t surprised when they lost the game. Whatwassurprising was that he didn’t even care. Was glad to get off the ice.
He tried to keep close to Chase, but PR nabbed him before he could even get his sweaty jersey off. “Media,” she said. “Sorry.”
Auston took a deep breath. He’d never snapped at a staff member, and he wasn’t going to start now.
He stood at his locker, surrounded by press that insisted on putting their phones and recorders right in his fucking face, and gave the most bland, monosyllabic answers he could until the crowd dispersed.
Fuck. Finally.
He rushed through a shower, pulling his sweats on even though his skin was still damp and it was fucking freezing outside. He couldn’t be bothered to put his suit back on—luckily, the Spirits weren’t that strict about post-game dress.
He searched for Chase, but all he found was Noah and Sammy arguing playfully with each other.
“Hey. Chase gone?” he asked them.
Sammy narrowed his eyes even as Noah smiled his big, puppy-dog smile. “Yeah. He went home.”
“Right. Thanks.” Auston stomped out of the locker room as the feeling got worse. He upped his pace. It was like following a scent, only there was nothing there.
He kept going. The cold air outside hit his underdressed body, but he barely noticed.
There. In the shadow of the car park. Chase was standing with someone. His shoulders were hunched in, head tilted down.
Auston took a few more steps.
It was Chase’s mom.
The knowledge hit him out of nowhere. He could smell her, obviously, but it wasn’t as if he could compare it to Chase’s real scent. There was no physical resemblance, either—her pinched mouth and slit eyes were nothing like Chase’s.
It was Chase’s body language that gave it away.
Auston’s body lurched forwards, heart pounding in his throat.
“Hey,” he called out.
Chase flinched at the noise. He looked up, face paler than usual, even in the low light. “Oh. Auston. Hey.”
Auston nodded at Chase’s mother. “Hi. Auston Mazdaki, nice to meet you.”
