I’m tracking his movements as he leaves through the gated entrance and I miss Des’s words as he calls out the play before the snap. Fuck. I take off, hoping I’m heading in the right direction. When Des throws, I realize I’m way the fuck off and have to kick it into gear to reach his intended mark. With wolf speed, I veer towards the ball. My fingers graze across the pigskin but I fumble the catch. Thankfully, one of my fae teammates is close by to recover it. I kick at the field, unearthing a chunk of grass as I curse and head back to the start-up line.
The rest of the game goes similarly, but I’m not the only one affected now. It’s like everything went to shit the second half. Des throws an interception and we miss two field goals that we should have had in the bag. Jordy lets two running backs slip past him, allowing the Saints to score. We’re still in the lead but we’re down to the wire and if we don’t score, there’s a good chance the Saints will on their next play, and we’ll lose. There isn’t enough time on the clock for the ball to come back to us again. I have to score now.
I know the play. We went over this maneuver a million times during practice. It’s our hail Mary. The play we reserve for when we’re down to the wire, knowing it will only work once.
I focus on my breathing, drawing on my wolf’s sight as I narrow my field of vision and zero in on where I need to be and how to get there as quickly as possible. There are two vampires and a fae on the Saint’s team that I know are watching me, trying to determine if Des will throw to me or one of our other receivers.
We set up the play in a spread formation, giving us five receivers on the field in the hopes of dividing the Saints’ attention. When Des takes the snap, he’ll feign throwing it to Sebban and I’ll run hard left to steal the pass. It’s not foolproof but it’s what we’ve got.
My pops never returns after stepping out and I still haven’t caught sight of my girl. Focusing all of my anger and frustration into our last play I sprint up the field, adrenaline rushing through my veins. My hands find the ball and then I’m racing along the boundary line.
Two players are hot on my heels and I have no one from my own team anywhere close to help. One of the assholes—a fae with long blond hair—is gaining on me, but with the ball tucked under my right arm I shove out with my left, shoving him away with shapeshifter strength and then TOUCHDOWN!
My team rushes me. Helmets knock into mine and fists knock me in the shoulder. There’s less than a minute on the clock and the other team has no time-outs left. I cheer with my team. We won. We’ll run out the clock, but my job here is done.
I’m riding high and smiling like an idiot until I look back up at the stands.
Meiying’s nowhere to be found now, and neither is Isa.
My smile tightens, my wolf growling in frustration. I turn back to the guys, accepting their good-natured high-fives and shouts of congratulations, all the while thinking in my head, where the fuck is she?
25 Isabella
I’m running late getting to the game. Meiying was going to meet me at my place and we’d drive over together but something came up, so she sent a text letting me know she’d have to meet me at the school.
I call a Ridez and get the oldest grandma in the history of Ridez drivers who happens to drive five miles an hour below the speed limit the entire way, but I get there just as the first quarter ends and make my way over to the bleachers where Meiying said she’d be.
“Hey. Sorry I’m late.” I claim the empty seat beside her.
“Damn, Isa. Looking good,” she says, taking in my black jeans and red crop top baring my midriff where I painted Rafe’s jersey number—four. I blush. It hadn’t been planned but my rib finally healed, and I figured, why the hell not?
“Thanks. Think he’ll like it?”
Her brows wiggle. “I think he’ll love it.” She smirks, then winks. “He’s a possessive asshole so the fact that you marked yourself as his will make his stupid wolf happy.”
I roll my eyes. “I’m not marking myself as his,” I tell her. “I’m just, you know, being supportive.”
“Sure you are.” We both laugh because yeah, I guess I am marking myself as his, but I like belonging to him. Roman makes me feel wanted. He makes me feel safe.
“Oh, don’t hate me, but I might have to leave the game a little early.”
Oh. I look around, instantly realizing I don’t have anyone else to hang out with here if she leaves, but I promised the guys I’d be here so I can’t very well bail.
“My aunt is running short-staffed at Suzy’s,” she tells me. “I don’t usually work there but she’s in a bind. That’s why I was late. I filled in after school for one of the girls whose sister went into labor. I can stay for most of the game, but I’ll need to leave before the end of the fourth so I can get there before the crowd shows up. She’s expecting a lot of the players to show up after the game.”
“Oh. That’s totally fine.” It’s great, actually. I won’t be alone the whole game. Just for part of the fourth. No big deal.
I look out on the field and instantly find Rafael—number four. My heart quickens and I watch him run up the field, scoring for the Devils. The
