Page 71 of Patiently Yours
My pack has always been supportive of my dream. If I do get signed, they’ve agreed to follow me wherever I go. I’m grateful for that support more than they’ll ever know.
I think about that now and my mind wanders to Stacia. The uncertainty worries me. I know she wants to be a writer, even if she hasn’t explicitly admitted it. I want her in every possible way you can want a person. Despite that, I’m not going to forceher to follow me while I chase my dreams, so that leaves a lot of questions unanswered.
If she doesn’t want to follow us, do we try long distance? Do I convince the boys to stay back with her, forgo their promise to me so that they can take care of our omega even in my absence?
Or better yet, do I forfeit my life’s goal for my scent match?
I know the answer without having to even think about it.
I’m pulled out of my thoughts by a firm hand on my shoulder. I look into the face of my oldest friend, his brow raised in curiosity.
“You ready, Captain?”
I give Kendall a pat on the back and muster up an excited smile. “You know it.”
He returns my enthusiasm and nods before making his way to his position. As I’m skating to center ice for the puck drop, I surrender my thoughts of uncertainty and decide to enjoy myself. Because this icebox has always felt like home, and despite every reason not to, my scent match is sitting in it.
That’s all the incentive I need. The future is already set, we just haven’t discovered it yet.
Kendall and Thatcherare exuberant as they smack my shoulders. I can’t contain my excitement as I hear high praises coming from the neutral zone. I hold out my stick and bask in it briefly before going into the next play.
I just scored my third goal of the night, which makes this my fourth hat trick of the season. I couldn’t wipe this smile off my face even if I tried.
We continue, and the game starts to dwindle down in intensity. A few teammates approach me to talk about theiropposers and how to take care of them. I keep an eye out for them as the game goes on, making sure no one tries to taunt our forwards into any penalties.
“I see you got the ice queen back in her natural habitat, Captain.” I whip my head towards the voice and watch as Derek skates by with a smug smirk on his idiotic face. I sneer at him, but don’t respond because he’s too far away now.
Now I’ve got to watch someone on our own team, too.
The night goes on like that. Derek making little remarks about Stacia here and there, not only to me but to Kendall and Uriah, too. I can see it start to gradually grate on them. I can feel my own alpha start to lose his temper as well, but keep trying to rein it in to help my pack mates not lose their heads.
I should have known my attempts were futile, because in the third quarter, all hell breaks loose. I hear it before I see it, but I know Uriah’s angry rasp better than anyone here, so I start flying down the ice before I can even eye the situation.
“Back the fuck up,” I hear my pack mate bark.
“You think you can fuckingbarkat me?” I see Uriah stumble back on his skates from Derek’s shove. “You and your pack have some fucking nerve.”
“You deserve way fucking worse, you controlling piece of shit!”
The shoving match turns into them gripping each other, which causes them to spin on their skates as they try to balance.
I try to get between them, to get Uriah to follow me rather than punch our teammate the way I know he wants to.
Gosh, I wish I could just let him unleash all his frustrations on this jackass. We both know he’s envious that Kendall got to punch him all those weeks ago.
We’ve all kept this situation under wraps for a while, and this public display of animosity is going to leave many people curious. Our teammates that are our frat brothers know, but ithasn’t spread further than that. I really don’t want Stacia to be subjected to that at all.
“Oh look, your prime is here to put a leash on you,” Derek taunts, causing a menacing growl to erupt from Uriah’s chest. I manage to get them apart long enough to pull Uriah away while sending a scowl towards Derek.
“This is causing a scene. Coachwillask what this is all about, sodon’tlet it escalate.”
Derek’s laughter holds no humor. “Let him ask. I’ll tell him that your pack is full of omega-beta ass-kissers.”
I ignore him and turn to skate the other way, urging Uriah to follow me. I have a mantra playing in my head as he spews venom, targeting us as we try to remove ourselves from the situation.
Think of your career.
Think of your pack.
