I froze mid-step, wondering what fresh hell Coach was about to unleash on me. Had he noticed me sneaking off to vomit behind the equipment shed earlier?
“Yes, Coach?” I turned around, trying not to look as miserable as I felt.
Coach Flannery waited until the others had moved out of earshot before approaching me. His expression was unreadable, which was never a good sign.
“Walk with me,” he said, gesturing toward the far end of the field.
I fell into step beside him, my mind racing through all the possible reasons I might be in trouble. Had someone ratted me out about stealing that bottle of enchanted whiskey from the faculty lounge last semester? Or maybe this was about the time I’d used twilight magic to help us win that game against Moonhaven College… but that was like… two years ago now?
“You’ve been with the team for three years now,” Coach said, interrupting my panicked thoughts.
“Yes, sir.”
“And in those three years, you’ve proven yourself to be one of the most reliable players I’ve ever coached.”
Wait, what? This didn’t sound like I was in trouble at all.
“Thank you, sir,” I managed, genuinely surprised by his compliment.
Coach Flannery’s blue eyes fixed on me with that intense gaze werewolves got when they were sizing someone up. It made me squirm a little, even after three years of being on his team.
“Silver, I’m going to cut to the chase. I want you to be team captain this year.”
I blinked, sure I’d misheard him through my hangover fog. “Captain? Me?”
“Don’t act so surprised,” he huffed, crossing his massive arms. “You’ve earned it. The team respects you, you know the plays better than anyone, and you’ve got leadership qualities whether you realize it or not.”
My heart hammered against my ribs. Captain. The word echoed in my throbbing head. This wasn’t something I’d even considered. Sure, I was good—hell, I was great—but captain? That was a whole different level of responsibility.
“I... I don’t know what to say, Coach.”
“Say yes,” he replied simply. “Unless you’ve got some reason why you can’t handle it?”
There it was. The challenge. I straightened my shoulders despite my body’s protests. “No sir. I can handle it.”
Coach’s face broke into a rare smile, his canines glinting in the morning sun. “Good. Because this team needs someone like you at the helm. Someone who can keep them focused when things get tough.”
The irony wasn’t lost on me. Me, the secret prince with an expiration date on my freedom, being asked to lead others. But then again, wasn’t that exactly what I’d been trained for my entire life? Just in a different realm?
“What about Daisuke? He was expecting it, I think.” I couldn’t help but mention the senior kirin who’d been vocal about wanting the captain position.
Coach waved his hand dismissively. “Daisuke is all bark and no bite. You’re just the right amount of aggressive. That’s what we need this season.”
Pride swelled in my chest, momentarily overshadowing the nausea and headache. “I won’t let you down, sir.”
“I know you won’t.” He clapped me on the shoulder, nearly sending me to my knees in my weakened state. “Now, first order of business as captain is to get your hungover ass to the locker room and make sure nobody’s puking in my showers.”
I laughed, then immediately regretted it as my head throbbed violently. “Yes, sir.”
As I turned to go, Coach called after me, “And Silver?”
“Yeah, Coach?”
His expression softened just slightly. “I’m really proud of you.”
The comment hit me like a bucket of ice water. That kind of comment was something a father would say, not that I’d ever heard it from my own. Despite all the training and the years of sitting through long court sessions with the realm’s leaders, I’d never been told that anyone was proud of me. But Coach Flannery, whom I actually respected, was the first to give that to me.
I couldn’t help beaming as I gave him a nod and headed for the showers.
