“Except you want us to win this game,” someone quipped.
“Yeah, no pressure, Coach,” another player said.
Laughter filled the dressing room, easing the tension.
James grinned.“We’re doing this for Maia and the other prospective Black Ferns.We want them to show well for the selectors.”
“Yeah,” their winger yelled, pumping her fist.
“Right,” their manager said.“Squeeze together, and we’ll take a quick photo to post on our social media.”
Five minutes later, they jogged down the tunnel into the stadium to the crowd’s roar.Maia ran at the rear with Henry and Gerard beside her.Henry grasped her hand and kissed her hard before she exited the tunnel.
“I love you, Maia, and I’m proud of you,” he said, his eyes glinting golden, which she now knew was his wolf.
“Have a great game, Maia,” Gerard said, giving her a brief hug.“We’ll be watching and cheering.”
Family.
That got Maia straight in the heart because it was something new.She’d stayed with the team the previous night, but London and Megan called to wish her luck.She’d spoken to Jacey and Levi, who was beyond excited that he and his team were attending the game.Emily and Saber had texted her while Isabella, Leo, and Kian were in the stadium crowd.Isabella had told Maia she expected a personal recommendation of her services since she’d done a fantastic job of whipping Maia into shape.
Yeah, this support gave her all the feels.
“Crush them,” Henry said, and after a last kiss, he released her.
Maia ran onto the pitch, ignoring the flash of cameras and the increased volume from the crowd.She and her team warmed up at one end of the field, the Auckland team at the other.Before Maia knew it, the whistle to start the game blew.She put on her game face and threw herself into the play.Her first touch of the ball eased her nerves, especially since she caught it and passed safely.
After a tough battle, they were leading by three points at half-time.
James was pleased.Maia could tell, although he wasn’t effusive about it.
“You have them rattled,” he said.“Their coach will urge them to plug the holes in their backline, so this is the plan.”
It was an excellent plan, and Maia’s team followed his instructions when they grabbed the ball in the second half.They took the Auckland team by surprise, and they were slow to regroup.Two converted tries later, Maia thought they had a solid grip on the game.But they kept plugging away, their fitness helping them to keep the pressure on their opposition.
Maia snapped up the ball from a loose pass and galloped toward the try line with minutes left on the clock.She dotted down and, seconds later, found herself crushed in the middle of a team hug.
Their fullback missed the conversion goal, but it didn’t matter.They kept the Auckland team in their territory, not allowing them room to maneuver or get near their scoreline.
The final siren wailed.The game was theirs.Players hugged Maia before they lined up to shake hands with the opposition team.The crowd applauded, and Maia noticed her Middlemarch friends cheering loudest of all.She waved at them before speaking with the Auckland opposition players, trading a few friendly words and shaking hands.
An inner sense made Maia’s attention stray to the crowd.A man jumped the barrier, sprinting in their direction.He held something in his hand.She squinted and quickly backed up.
“Maia,” Henry said with sharp urgency, appearing behind her.He grasped her arm and shoved her behind him while Gerard blocked her when she tried to stand beside Henry.
The man kept sprinting toward them, and the other players noticed.
“Is that a gun?”one asked.
Every player ran in different directions, pushing and shoving.Some shouted in alarm.
Maia peeked between Henry and Gerard and glimpsed security men giving chase.
“He’s got a gun,” Henry said, his muscles tense.
“Any idea who he is?”Gerard asked.
“I don’t recognize him,” Maia said.
