“Coach Freedman’s kid,” a tech says. “I heard the Dragons’ owner is trying to put more butts in seats and hired her as the social media manager.”
“How do you know that?” I ask.
“I’m friends with the new intern,” Roger chuckles. “We’re going out for drinks later. The coach is a hardass about her safety, and Rían told me he’s her shadow during games. If she needs to leave the rink, so does he.”
“Doesn’t that piss him off?” I ask. “She doesn’t seem like a wilting wallflower.”
“There’s a lot of people here,” Roger shrugs. “Omegas go missing all the time, Dr. Diaz. I think her father is smart to make sure that she’s safe. It would be a shame for some dumbass to get too handsy while drinking and scare her. Rían says that she’s really intense, carries a stun gun in her boot, and tends to talk to herself.”
My eyes are glued to the television as I watch her move elegantly across the ice. I have been gay my entire life, but she’s making me rethink this. My cock twitches as she returns to the bench, her lips lifting as she looks over her footage.
Even the television crew is semi obsessed with her I think, because they continue to record her before moving on. A shiver slides up my spine, telling me she may be important. I don’t know why, but I try not to ignore these feelings.
“I’ve never seen anyone dress like that before,” I admit. “If our guys think she’s a weak spot for the other team, they’ll use her.”
“Fuck, you’re right,” Roger mutters. “Be prepared for some injuries. You don’t fuck with the coach’s daughter.”
Dammit, I better grab more supplies. This is going to be bad.
MILES
Leaning forward, I wince as yet another fight breaks out between the players. The Dragons scored again earlier, and now we’re fighting to make our way to the goalie’s net so we can push things into overtime, otherwise we’ll be eating the loss. Kane tears down the ice, and I can barely breathe as he turns his body to give the defensemen his back to block them as he passes the puck to Thorne.
They’re dialed in, completely focused on where their teammates are, and working together. This is something I’ve been dreaming about. I know they can fucking do it, which is why I’m on them when they fall apart.
We don’t have long before we run out of time on the clock, and I can feel every second wiring my body tighter and tighter. Every penalty gives us a moment to breathe, but I can feel how much pressure there is surrounding every play. My blood is pounding in my ears, and my heart is in my throat as I watch my team give everything to this game.
Levon suffers a punch in the face for running his mouth, and even though I can’t hear him, I know he’s being a dick to distract our opponents. Maybe he’s offending the players’ mamas, or perhaps teasing them about why the pretty dark haired girl is sitting on the bench beside the team. Several Dragons press Levon against the boards, hiding the punches that are flying between them all.
Levon is going to be a sore fucker later. I hope Santo is ready to help him out. I’ll continue to mess with them about this relationship that’s brewing because I enjoy watching the good doctor blush. He’s damn good with my players, the last thing I want is for him to get fired for fraternizing.
My gaze moves to Thorne, watching as he shoves people off Levon. Breathing hard, they both join the game again, stealing the puck back from the Dragons. This game has been relentless, and goalies from both sides have worked their asses off to keep pucks out of their nets.
A lot of our support team traveled out for this game, despite it being a long drive. They know the Dragons have beaten us game after game, and how much we want a win. Our friends and family section is full, and the cheers and jeers are loud. It doesn’t matter that the stadium itself isn’t sold out, the people who matter are here.
It seems silly for Caelia to be huddled on the bench beside her father, bouncing in between her photos. The fans should be here without fancy tricks, if her job is in fact to get more people here.
Hockey sticks slap against each other as players jostle for position, and the minutes are ticking down. Goddamnit, I swear my heart is syncing up to the clock, that’s how tightly wound I am. My eyes reduce everything down to numbers and plays as I swallow hard.
Number three, Axel Warner, breaks free, his skates tearing up the ice as he crosses it toward the goalie’s net. My guys defend him with everything they’ve got as he passes the puck to Levon, who gives up chirping to set up his shot. The Dragons’ goalie strains to block it, and my breath freezes as he knocks it out of his net.
Holy fucking shit.The buzzer feels as if it’s a scream as I stand there numbly, and then shake my head as I realize how damn close things were. My gaze cuts toward Coach Curtis, and I have a moment of confusion as I see instead that Caelia is quickly leaving with someone sticking close beside her.
It almost seems as if she’s running away.
Pushing the thought away, I watch as my players console our goalie for our loss. They all tap each other’s helmets as they skate off the ice, but I’m still proud of them. It was very close. Headed toward the lockers, I think about how fucking hard this game was played.
“You fought to the end! I don’t think I’ve ever seen you work together so well” I yell.
“Coach?” Marilyn asks, her hand over her eyes as she pushes her way into the locker room.
“Yes?” I drawl, smirking since my players are already in various forms of undress.
“I need Levon and Julius to talk to the press,” she says. “It won’t be long.”
“Yeah, that’s fine. Levon and Julius, you hear that?” I yell out.
“I’ll be out soon,” Levon calls out.
