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The opposing team came through the neutral zone with speed, and my attention automatically shifted to Bwat who set up a collision course with what appeared to be a random member of the opposite team. The human wasn’t pay attention to the orc heading his way, and I sucked in a breath, anticipating carnage.

“Oh, look,” Stephanie said. "Your boyfriend's going to flatten that guy.”

My head snapped toward her. “What?”

She calmly selected a nacho. “Bwat. Your boyfriend. The orc who looks at you like you’ve hung the moon. The one you keep staring at.” She smiled and bit into her nacho.

“The one you’ve been having lunch with every day. And the one you’ve been arriving to the arena with in the mornings as well,” Willa added.

Should I admit it? I probably should at this point. “He’s very sweet. And…and…we are sort of dating. I mean, we are dating.”

“He’s improved,” Jordan said, mercifully returning our attention to hockey. “A lot.”

He had. Three weeks ago, Bwat's primary game strategy had been trying to stay upright and not seriously injure any of the humans he took down with him when he fell. Now he was actually playing. Passing. Blocking. Skating competently. Well, sort of competently, I thought as Bwat executed a tight turn and had to wave his arms wildly around to keep from falling.

I leaned forward. The opposing winger entered the Tusks' zone along Bwat's side. Bwat intercepted him, stick extended, trying to block the human’s attempt to pass.

“Come on,” I murmured.

Stephanie snorted. I ignored her.

The human tried to cut toward the middle but amazingly, Bwat anticipated the move and blocked him. The player pulled the puck back, tried to go outside, and Bwat reached in with his stick.

The puck popped free.

“Yes!” The word came out before I could stop it.

Three heads turned toward me.

“What?” I asked, my face heating up.

Jordan's eyebrows rose. “You just yelled ‘yes’.”

“Bwat made a good defensive play,” I told her, as if she hadn’t seen that amazing play with her own eyes. “I’m supporting the team. I would like them to win… or lose by two points or less.”

Jordan's mouth twitched.

I pointed toward the ice. “Watch the game.”

She did, but I could feel her smiling.

Bwat had possession now. He looked up before passing, saw Ozar crossing through center and sent the puck his way. Ozar grabbed the puck and accelerated. Two of the Flyers moved to block his path.

“Oh, shit,” Jordan whispered.

There was no one open for the orc to pass to. He tried to quickly maneuver around the defensive players, but agility on skates was still a weak point for the team, especially for Ozar. Instead of hitting the two humans head-on, he plowed into them shoulder-first.

A whistle shrieked.

"Oh, for God's sake." Jordan threw her arms wide. “They were in his way! He tried to go around him.”

Willa patted her on the shoulder. “We’ll work on that this week. Hopefully next time he’ll actually manage to go around instead of through the opposing team.”

The referee pointed Ozar toward the penalty box. Ozar objected, throwing his arms wide just as Jordan had done a second earlier. The referee pointed again. Ozar's head turned, looking over at us. His expression changed, a sheepish grin spreading across his face.

Jordan rolled her eyes and motioned him toward the penalty box. With a wave, Ozar complied.

Stephanie started laughing. “You two are absolutely adorable.”