I settle back in my seat, staring out at the ice unseeingly. Thoughts swirl in my head, my heart and biology fighting my logic. I don’t realize how long I’ve been zoning out until cheers break out on the ice and through the stands.
Jerking back to reality, I look at the scoreboard. The guys won. Pride swells in my chest through the bond, and I force myself to put aside my worries for now. They deserve to celebrate.
37
VANN
Ican’t get to my omega fast enough. Who the fuck cares about changing or celebrating or shaking hands with the other team? I just need Raven. I make a beeline straight for where our girl is sitting in the stands with her massive bodyguard, ready to jump the barrier and climb right to her, but Tanner cuts in front of me, blocking the path.
“You can’t,” he says, low and serious. “She wants to keep this a secret. You know that.”
“I wasn’t gonna charge up there and kiss her.” Okay, I totally was, but he’s right. I’ve got to be more discrete than that. “There’s nothing wrong with old friends going to say hello.”
“After,” he hisses, dragging me back to the rest of the guys.
With a disgruntled growl, I let him haul me across the sheet to the other players. I congratulate the other team on a game well played while keeping my girl in my sights.
When she stands up with that damn bodyguard and two other women, I give up and bolt across the ice.
“Raven!” I yell.
Her head turns, and she offers a hesitant smile, eyes swinging side to side like she’s worried someone will see and judge her. Was she always this anxious, or did we make her this way? Foster glares at me as Raven stops her ascent up the stairs. The two women with her look back, giving me assessing looks. The one that’s clearly an alpha narrows her eyes and frowns. The other goes right back to typing something out on her phone.
I hop over the divide and bound up the few steps to reach them. “Long time no see,” I say, playing along with her charade. “What’s it been? Since high school?”
Raven gives the other woman a panicked look. “Um… yeah.”
“Hard to believe we’re both here, right? What a world.” I put my hands on my hips and try to put a bewildered look on my face. Okay, so I’m not gonna win an Oscar any time soon. “We should catch up.”
“Uh, sure. We could do that.”
“Who is this, Raven?” The alpha woman sidles up next to my girl, and Raven tenses. “Aren’t you going to introduce us?” She gives me a suspicious once-over. I really hope it’s just because of the tattoos and not because she knows how people treated Raven in high school.
“I’m Vann West.” I don’t offer my hand. The only person I want to touch right now is Raven.
“Ana Dubinsky. Raven’s coach.” She waves a hand toward the woman in a smart suit beside her. “And this is Harriett Davis.” The other woman barely looks up from her phone with a nod when she hears her name.
“So how about lunch?” I turn all of my attention back to Raven. “You free?”
Foster stands taller, moving closer to Raven’s back protectively. Raven looks to Ana and Harriett, like she needs approval. Fuck that. The only one who needs to decide if she’ll give us a chance is her.
“She’s all booked up today,” Harriett says, still looking at her phone. “Meet and greets, appearances. Full schedule.”
Well, that’s not gonna work, and Raven knows it. She and Orion will be ready to crawl out of their skins within an hour or two of being separated. The rest of us won’t be much better.
“We’ll go with you.” Orion’s voice startles me. Not sure when he came up behind me, but the rest of the pack is with him now, too. Tanner’s expression is completely neutral, giving nothing away. Rhodes watches Ana and Harriett like he’s trying to solve a puzzle.
Harriett looks up at Orion. “We’re going to the spa with some of the Italian ice skaters. You’re really gonna get facials and lay around with cucumbers over your eyes?”
“Sure,” I say with a shrug. “I’ll go wherever Raven goes.” I push all my devotion through the bond with the words, hoping she can feel how true they are.
Raven blanches, swaying slightly until the big guy takes her elbow and steadies her. I wish she’d let us touch her that easily.
“Can we get massages, too?” I wiggle my eyebrows at my girl.
“Don’t you all have practice or something?” Ana snaps.
“Nah, we’re good.” I give Raven’s coach my most charming smile, but judging by the sneer on her face it isn’t working. “Just give us a second to change, okay?”
