His shoulder-length hair is pulled back. Gosh, I love the few strands that have slipped out. I let my gaze fall on his strong shoulders to his thick arms. I can clearly see the bits of tattoos, but now that I’m watching him up close, I notice something.
“What’s that?” I ask, laying my hand open so he’d give me his arm. His gaze slides to his arm, the one I’m staring at, and he chuckles before giving it to me.
Right below the crook of his elbow, black ink fills in little contorted squares in an almost circular pattern, maybe more oval than circular.
My eyes trail up to his, which are light and humorous, as it clicks what this is.
“Is this my bite mark?”
He doesn’t answer me, but he doesn’t have to. My omega goes insane inside at the mark, but the rational part of my brain is trying to dampen her excitement. This was from our first date.
He committed to me on the first date.
I stare at the tattoo. Flattered and aching. My mouth itches to give him a proper bite, a bond, but I shake my head. It has to be too soon, right?
“I—” I am speechless as my eyes move from thetattoo to his eyes, back to the tattoo. Slick drips from me as I stare, and I can’t believe this is real. “I love it.”
“I’m glad you do, sweetheart.”
My rational mind completely shuts down as I lift my arm to him. “Bite me, too.”
“You can’t copy, sweetheart.”
“Come on,” I say, lifting my arm, knowing he won’t do it.
“When I bite you, it’ll be my bond bite, right here.” He points to the same spot on my arm as his tattooed bite is.
“Then this is a placeholder,” I say, touching the tattoo. “For my bond.”
He grumbles in agreement as he turns back to his clay.
“Good,” I say and walk back to my little spot, trying to work again. More than giddy in my seat this time around as my eyes keep snapping to Havoc’s arm.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
SILAS
The events leading up to the game passed by me in a blur. I try to focus on the game as much as I can, but I can’t. My heart isn’t in it, not like it needs to be. The chill of the arena should prick my skin, yet I can’t feel the sting with my mind stuck on Noa.
Good thing I’m on the bench right now.
I wonder how Thorne is doing and if he’s doing any better than I am. I want to ask him, but he’s so focused on the game; I don’t want to ruin his concentration. We kept things strictly hockey on the ice, and it worked out for us.
I once was a diehard lover of the game too. But lately, the game hasn’t fueled me like it once did. I want something different. Now that we have an omega, an omega in danger, things are different. I want my Packsafe. Once they are safe, I can focus on the game, but not a minute before then.
The next period starts, and our forwards take control of the puck. Paxon’s on the ice, he’s one of the forwards, left wing, he’s got control of the puck, but he quickly passes it to Timber, our center forward who has five seconds to get it as close to the net as he can before he’s swarmed, and the puck goes back to Paxon.
This back-and-forth play will be interrupted once the other team, the Ice Wolves, think we’re dumb enough to keep going. That’s when our right-wing forward, Steele, will swoop in and make the goal.
They play amazingly, the hours of practice paying off, and they make the goal, and the crowd screams.
Tonight is not the night for me to mess up. This team is finally getting somewhere. We have wins, fans, funding. I can’t ruin it because I can’t get my head on the ice. With Noa and the state of her house flashing through my mind, I should tell Coach Wallace not to put me on, but my ass stays rooted on this bench.
I stare at Thorne next to me. I can’t let him down tonight. I have to trust that Havoc has her and is keeping her safe. If anything, she’s safer than she would have been in my sight. Thorne and I can fight, but we’re not built like that, not like Havoc was.
I push Noa to the back of my mind, as much as humanly possible, as the third period comes closer. The Ice Wolves soon gain control of the puck, putting ourdefenses to work. The puck is flying on the ice, and I try to keep up, but I stare at Thorne more than the damn game.
My Pack. All I need is my Pack.
