“Same. She’s more likely to nap if she’s tired,” Rhodes admits as Edna takes both the leash and puppy.
“Don’t take too long suiting up so you can see how she does on the ice. She won’t be out long,” she says.
The three of us run toward the lockers, and I swear I can hear her laughing. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten dressed for practice so quickly, and I walk out on my skates to find Princess trying to catch the hockey pucks Coach is sliding toward her on the ice.
“She’s a natural, boys!” Coach Weightman yells, making me laugh.
Rhodes, Skylar and I pull off our blade guards and join our puppy on the ice.
“Hi, baby,” I croon, skating around her. “Are you having fun?”
Thankfully, we arrived early so we could get our pup situated. By the time the rest of the team skates onto the ice, Edna has a sleeping puppy wrapped in Rhodes’ sweatshirt safely inside her dog bed.
“She’s adorable,” Richards says as we begin practice. “Getting a puppy together is very domestic. Are you ready for that?”
“A bond bite trumps a puppy, don’t you think?” I ask, dropping into a deep stretch.
“Fuck. One day you’re hiding from your alphas and the next you’re bonded and bitten,” he mutters. “Things moved quickly.”
“Hush,” Olsson grunts beside us. “You two gossip like schoolgirls. Rhodes and Skylar were worried when they couldn’t find you.”
“I still don’t understand how they found me,” I sigh. “Doesn’t change the fact that I’m glad they did. That heat wouldn’t have been fun otherwise.”
“Please be so fucking for real. None of them are. You’re just very careful about ignoring the pain until you’re stuck going through it alone,” Olsson grumbles.
He’s my best friend on the team, and has always managed to see me, even when I wish he didn’t.
Instead of replying, I grunt in agreement and continue moving through my stretches.
“We’re playing the Blades tonight,” I say, changing the subject. “What are their weak spots?”
The team closes in as they stretch, and I lead them through the strengths and weaknesses of the team we’re about to play. Coach could do this, but I prefer it when I have time to talk to my teammates.
“So the Blades are going to be coming for our goalie,” Skylar says, making a face.
“They’re going to play dirty,” I agree. “We’ll push back, fight, and let Rhodes pick up his crown with his fists if they knock it off.”
Rhodes smirks as he stretches his hip flexors, aware his crown is more that of a queen than a king.
“The media flips its shit when Rhodes gets into a fight, so let’s try to prevent that,” Skylar says.
“Let’s go, Ladies! Stop with the gossip,” Coach yells as I hide a smirk.
Popping in my mouth guard, I organize a scrimmage, not feeling like being punished for more chit-chat. It doesn’t matterthat we’re working, Coach Weightman has a sadistic streak a mile long.
We skate hard during practice, setting up different scenarios we’ll have to manage during the game, and I’m ready for a nap by the time we’re done.
“I’ll see you all in a few hours,” Coach calls out. “If you think you’re sore now, then you’re going soft on me.”
Well, we can’t have that, can we?
I’m disgusting after the grueling few hours of practice, which means I need to shower in the locker room. It bothers me less with Rhodes and Skylar showering as bookends on either side of me, and we’re shuffling out the door together pretty quickly.
“Can we nap with Princess so she’ll sleep longer?” I mumble, yawning so wide my jaw cracks.
“Yeah. That’s the only way it’ll happen,” Rhodes agrees.
She’s still cuddled in her dog bed, and Rhodes grins as he picks her up.
