“Yeah. I do.”
13
RHODES
“Good morning, hamsters,” I say as Tanner and Orion come out of their bedroom for breakfast.
“Hamsters?”
“Hamsters can have sex up to 75 times a day. Although it’s nothing on lions. Female lions copulate more than a hundred times with different partners during their fertile period. They’ll even bite the male’s balls if he doesn’t perform. There’s also a North African desert rodent who was observed mating two hundred and twenty-four times in two hours.”
“Why not call us lions, then?” Tanner crosses his arms.
“Hamsters seemed more fitting.” I turn back to my book without further comment.
It’s like Tanner’s glare is a physical thing, prickling the back of my neck. He may not be a violent alpha, but he’s still an alpha, and we can’t fight against our basic biology. Mine is warning me I just ticked off a predator.
Before he can respond, Vann comes bounding into theroom like an overexcited golden retriever. “Who cares about lions?!”
He approaches me from behind, setting both hands on my shoulders and looking over my head at my laptop. The screen is open to a video about how curling stones are made. I’ve watched other ones like it before, but this one is new.
“You should be using your super sleuth skills to see if any more articles have been published about Raven,” Vann says. “Oh, maybe any videos?”
“If he’s gonna be spending so much time online, he should be keeping tabs on our PR presence and ensuring that ill-timed punch of yours isn’t causing us any more trouble,” Tanner directs at Vann.
“I thought you didn’t want us on social media. Didn’t you give us a mandate to let you handle all that?” I tilt my head at him and lift my eyebrows.
“Things change,” Tanner grumbles.
“Like finding Raven.” Vann glares at him so hard you’d think his eyes were lasers and he was trying to melt snow. “You really didn’t want me looking for her, did you, asshole?”
“Thingslike you getting in a bar fight,” Tanner retorts. “The media isn’t good, and it’s more than I can handle alone. Rhodes could be helpful.”
Vann groans, but Tanner isn’t wrong. As much as I appreciate Vann standing up for me, I know it’s caused Tanner and our coaches stress. Unlike ice hockey, curling isn’t exactly known for fighting or causing a ruckus. One of those guys could probably beat someone senseless and get a slap on the wrist. They also have enough money fromsponsorships to buy their way out of trouble. We, on the other hand, do not.
Tanner and Vann glare at each other with stiff postures. Someone really needs to say something before Vann starts another fist fight.
“Don’t forget we have that photoshoot at two pm today,” Orion says, breaking the tension. It’s like he read my mind. If I believed in that stuff I would beverysuspicious right now.
Vann perks up at the reminder. “Oh, hell yeah! I’m ready to take some super hot pictures to help convince Raven she should give us a chance. Maybe I should shave my chest hair…”
Tanner chokes on his own spit and Orion bangs on his back while smirking at Vann. “What chest hair? You have like… three.”
Indignance covers Vann’s face. “Excuse you. There are at least 10 and that’s exactly why I need to shave them off. My measly patch is not sexy and…” He trails off when he sees our faces. “You’re fucking with me.”
Orion chuckles. “Yeah, buddy, I’m just messing with you. Go get gussied up.”
Vann pouts dramatically, but heads to his bathroom regardless. That man wears every emotion on his sleeve. Which is how I know he probably isn’t interested in me the way I’m starting to feel interested in him.
“Are you sure they want me there?” I ask Orion and Tanner. They furrow their brows in confusion.
“It’s a team shoot… and you’re on the team…” Orion speaks slowly like I may not understand him.
I worry my lip. I don’t really have many of the typical beta insecurities. I work out. I clean up well. But still. “It’sfor Alpha Athletics. I’m a beta. What if they find me, uh, lacking when we have to strip down.”
Orion slides his gaze down my body slowly, looking as if he can see straight through my clothes. My cheeks get hot, and so does part of my body decidedly lower. My mouth drops open in surprise.
When Orion meets my eyes again, he raises his brows. “You certainly aren’tlacking, Rhodes. Not in any sense of the word.”
