Cheers broke through my thoughts, and I glanced around to see that the game was finished. The Celtic Wolves crashed into each other, hugging and shouting in their exuberance. “Great win,” Hunter called, and I waited for him to remove his arm from behind me, but he appeared to be in no rush.
Don’t snuggle into him. Don’t snuggle into him.
The crowds moved around us, and I was amazed when most of them gathered up their trash and took it with them. Humans weren’t generally that respectful; I knew that for a fact as the one who was usually left behind to clean up after them.
It felt weird to be proud of being a shifter, after so many years running from my true heritage.
When half the crowds were gone, Hunter stood and held out his tattooed hand for me. I didn’t hesitate, dropping my palm against his, and when he pulled me to my feet, he laced our fingers together in a twisting motion. My insides twisted too at the sensation of our interlocked fingers, and I was breathless as he led the way along the stadium seating.
Unlike the crowd, he headed toward the ice, and we ended up on a path inside a long hallway. Slade followed at my back, leaving a few feet between us.
It only occurred to me when the two alphas ducked their heads under a doorway, that Slade had been called in as part of my security for tonight. The alphas were taking turns in keeping me from beingalmostkidnapped again.
“Where are we going?” I asked, noticing a few groups of shifters near a closed door.
Hunter glanced down with an unreadable expression. “Thought you might want to see their victory walk. And that you’ve got nothing to worry about with the puck shifters.”
I paid closer attention to the crowd milling around the door, noticing many of them were scantily clad woman, excitedly chatting or touching up their makeup. Two security guards stood on either side of the closed door, and I had to turn away from the sight of their navy uniforms.
For a few hours, I’d completely forgotten about the shitshow of my life.
Slade, who was perched nearby with his usual personal space in tow, met my gaze, and I found myself asking, “Did you find out anything about the attack? Clues or leads?”
He looked completely relaxed against the red brick wall, but I felt his coiled icy energy as he spoke. “We’ve got a couple of shifters in the holding cells near the squad training grounds. I’ll be heading out to question them as soon as I can hand off guard duty.”
“Can I come too?”
That got his attention, as his shrewd gaze snapped toward me. “Why? What skills in questioning or torture do you possess?”
Glossing over his casual usage of the wordtorture,I shrugged. “I don’t have any particular skills, but as the one who was attacked, I want to listen in.”
I’d either confused or intrigued him—his expressions were impossible to read—but he definitely felt something. “I don’t see what the use would be, but if you want to be there, I have no objections.”
Hunter’s hand tightened briefly around mine, but he didn’t voice any objections either. Silence descended between us, but for once it wasn’t uncomfortable. At least not for me. I was too busy watching the puck ladies titter around, most of them in heels so high they were in real danger of breaking their necks if they fell over.
Did they want to reach the heights of the hockey players? An impossible task, really, since they were all massive brutes. Most of the team appeared to be alphas, with just a few genetically blessed betas.
When the door opened, it was almost as loud in here as during the game. The first players out stopped and signed autographs, brushing off the women as they tried to hand them their numbers and business cards. The team all high-fived Hunter as they passed, and nodded respectfully to Slade, while eyeing me curiously.
Kellan and Christian hurried over to us, hair still wet from their showers. They had a similar look, but I preferred my golden boy over Christian’s longer brown hair and deep brown eyes.
“Great to see you again, Emme,” Christian said, bestowing the hugest smile on me.
I braced myself as he went in for a hug, only to have Kellan yank him back by his hair before he touched me. “No fucking touchy. I told you, asshole.”
Christian’s smile never faltered, even as he rubbed a hand over the back of his head. “Ouch, you fuck. I’m too young to be bald because you tore out my hair.”
Hunter released an annoyed huff and stepped closer to my side, and I barely contained my shock when Slade also closed in ranks. He never touched me, but he was close enough for his scent to mingle with mine. As a warning to the other shifters.
Christian, no longer joking, held both hands up as he backed to a respectful distance. “Kel’s my best friend, so anyone important to him is important to me.” Multiple alpha rumbles filled the hall, and he hurried to add, “In a purely platonic, brotherly kind of way.”
Kellan stood in front of me now, so I had to lean around him to reply. “Ignore the alphas, Christian. They’re a little cranky today. I think they all need a nap.”
Kellan turned and leaned down to bury his head against my neck, breathing deeply. “Are you the one putting me to bed, pretty girl?” His voice was muffled against my skin. “If so, I could absolutely get behind a nap.”
Hunter didn’t mind when Kellan wrapped us both up, and I cuddled into our Golden Boy because I’d missed him. “You guys did so well out there,” I said against his chest. “I’ve never seen anyone skate like you do. It’s beautiful poetry.”
Kellan’s huge body stilled, and when he pulled away, his expression was filled with unbridled joy. “Having you watch us play… I can’t describe how that made me feel. You make me better, Em. Please tell me you’ll be at every game.”
