Page 70 of Step Alpha

He touches you, he’s a dead man, I texted back.

She sent me an eye roll emoji that made me smile.

This morning, I made sure Rayne ate a huge breakfast of the leftover pancakes and Canadian bacon from yesterday, then I opened a window in her room and stripped the bed. Our parents will be back sometime today, and they would definitely scent everything that went down between the runt–I mean, Rayne–and I.

I threw the sheets in the washing machine and started it up before I drove her to school, then I took the damaged Jeep to the auto shop to see what Greg had to say about repairing it. As I suspected, he will help me repair it at very little cost. I just have to go to the salvage yard to find a fender, and he’ll help me repair the dent and replace it.

I give three short blows of my whistle, and the team switches into the next play.

I love assisting Coach Jamison. Maybe it’s lame, but I feel like the Wolf Ridge High field is where I belong. Where I became a wolf. Where I became a man. Where I learned about the brotherhood of pack and the glory of youth.

Coach asked me to teach the team something new I learned at Duke, so I went through some formations and plays on the whiteboard first, and then we go out to practice them.

It took the team only an hour to master what it took the human team at Duke months to perfect.

“What do you think?” Jamison asks me.

“They look great.”

“Agreed. Run them through the strength and agility and then make them stretch out before they go.” He walks away, leaving me completely in charge.

It’s a strange feeling to have his trust like this. To know that he thinks I’m worthy of leading a team I only left a year and a quarter ago.

He disappears, showing the team his faith in me, only reappearing when it’s all over.

“You obviously won’t see much of this out on the field this weekend,” Coach warns. “But these skills will definitely come in handy when you’re old enough to compete in the shifter games.” He refers to the regional competitions that serve as matchmaking functions. A chance for all the shifters in the region to gather and sniff each other out. See if they can find their fated mate.

“This weekend I want to see you excel at losing until the final quarter. That’s the game. Look good while screwing up. Make it all seem like bad luck. Then sweep it at the end. Got it?”

This is how Wolf Ridge ballers play. We can’t look too good, so we make games out of fumbling and recovering. Appearing human.

“Yes, Coach,” the team chants.

“Okay, go get in the showers. Practice is over.”

I head into the showers for a quick clean-up, too, then I find Abe. I’ve been mulling over what Bailey said to me about changing Rayne’s status here and decided she’s right.

“Oakley, what’s this?” I wave the Homecoming ballot in his face.

He gives me a cocky grin. “What?”

“You put Rayne on the ballot. Why?”

His grin grows wider. “I dunno. I thought it would be funny to have a human and the ru–” he breaks off when he sees my upper lip lift in a snarl. “Sorry, bro.” He throws his hand up in surrender.

I fist his shirt and flatten him against the gym lockers. Every guy in there was listening already, but now they get dead quiet.

“Well, you put her on the ballot, you’d better make sure she wins.”

Abe’s brows pop in surprise. “What?”

“Make. Her. Queen.”

Abe lets out a surprised laugh. “Why?” He draws back at something he sees in my face. I don’t know–maybe my eyes changed color. “Okay. Okay, man. Absolutely.” He does his best to crane his neck and look around at the other guys, which is difficult because I still have him pinned to the metal. “You hear that, everyone? Rayne the– Rayne for homecoming queen.”

I slowly release him and nod. “Good. You fuck with her again, andI will end you.”

“I’m sorry, Wilde,” Abe says immediately. He may be alpha at Wolf Ridge High, but he knows I’m far superior to him. His wolf defers to mine.

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