24. CHAPTER TWENTY-
CHAPTER TWENTY-
PEM
They say time flies when you’re having fun, and it must be true. The last four days have come and gone in the blink of an eye.
Of course, my waking hours have been packed playing hockey, and my nights…well, my nights are consumed by Iseol.
Despite my promise to Puck, I couldn’t keep my paws off of her. In my defense, it hasn’t affected my moves on the ice.
In fact, we’re tied with the Ice Giants, two to two. Today marks the last game, and the winner takes home the Norsphere Cup.
The nerves I swore to my sister that I didn’t feel twist themselves around my stomach until I want to double over from the cramps.
Deep breaths, Cromlech.
There’s so much at stake right now, and even though it’s just a game, it’s always been more to me. This is everything my team and I have worked for.
Narrowed down to this one point in time.
As I skate out onto the frozen lake, I try not to look over at the Ice Giants—try not to look for her —but I can’t help myself.
I spy a set of white tails waving in the distance, but they seem larger and bushier than normal. Frowning, I glide a little closer, only to be stopped by the Twin Disasters.
“Oi, Crommy, get your arse back here before Coach sees you!”
“Do you want him to carry you back to the bench like a baby?”
Bollocks, these two prats are never going to let me forget that.
“Piss off! I don’t have to listen to you.”
“But you have to listen to me,” booms Puck from behind.
I don’t hide my cringe fast enough, and the other Puca checks me hard as he passes me.
“Ow,” I mutter while the twins smirk.
Flipping them the bird, I twirl around to warm-up but stop to take a deep breath. Because if I can’t see my mate, I’ll damn well inhale her scent.
That’s not creepy, right?
Expecting the heady rush of vanilla and snowflakes to clog my nostrils, I get…nothing. Abruptly, I stop skating.
Coach all but crashes into me, and if it weren’t for our expertise from years of being on the ice, we’d both be flat on our backs.
“For the love of Sea Witches, watch what yer doing! We’ve got one more game—”
“That’s not Iseol.”
Puck squints at where I point. All that’s visible is a swish of white tails, but I know they don’t belong to my mate.
The other Puca heaves a sigh. “Let’s go check it out. You won’t get yer horns in the game, otherwise.”
“Sometimes I could just kiss you.”
He grimaces. “Try it, and I’ll bash yer face into the ice.”
“Such a charmer—tell me again how you got a mate.”
Puck snorts. “Longer than you’ve had yours, and I’ve never lost mine. This is twice now.”
“Hey! There were…extenuating circumstances that first time, and now…”
I’m not sure about right now, but I don’t want to admit anything out loud. This isn’t the time to panic.
Maybe in another minute if I can’t find Iseol.
The K?ldrisi center sees us coming and waves. I tip my head, but this fucker is whole other set of problems—and they are all start and end with my sister.
Sure, Ramani is a grown woman who made moves on him, but since when have men ever been logical?
Never, really.
So I’m content to place full blame at Kening’s feet.
“Morning!” the K?ldrisi booms, and I swear it’s a miracle the ice doesn’t shatter underneath our feet from the force of it.
He’s so big, it’s hard to understand how Ramani and he could ever—
Nope!
Not going there, Pem.
“Morning,” Puck returns, showing at least one of us has manners, but I’m too busy craning my head to see around the blasted monster.
When I finally do, my stomach sinks because Iseol is nowhere to be found. Instead, it’s an enormous white fox holding a clipboard.
He turns around when Kening calls to him and bounds over. His graceful movements remind me of my mate, and I clutch my twig to stay upright.
“Iseol?” I whisper, and Puck claps my shoulder.
“Gents, what happened to the other coach? My center is about to lose his shite, and well, I really need him so we can kick your arses on the ice today. If this is just a mindfuck to mess with the tosser, then…well played.”
I scowl over at the bastard, but the other two monsters just chuckle.
“Iseol will be here soon, I imagine. I’m her cousin.”
“She said you couldn’t come because of the baby.” Puck elbows me, and I grunt. “Er, congratulations, by the way. I hope he’s well.”
“Perfectly well, thanks to you.”
I stare, not fully comprehending his words since my brain’s too fixated on ‘where the hell is my mate’?!
“Yer fox marble,” Puck whispers.
“What?” I manage to whisper back.
“He’s saying the baby is fine because of what you did. Remember, ya wee dolt?”
“Wha—of course, I remember. Listen, where’s Iseol? Is she ok? Why are you here?”
Coach groans. “The subtlety of a Troll in a tea shop, this one.”
But my mate’s cousin just grins. “She’s fine. I imagine she’ll be here soon, so please don’t fret. We’ll be ready to play in twenty.”
“So will we,” Puck attests while shooting me a hard glare.
He grabs a handful of my jersey and all but drags me back down the lake to where the rest of our team waits.
At the last second, the Puca lifts my arm and stuffs it in his mouth so it looks like he’s carrying me. The Gallagher twins fucking explode at the sight.
“Knock it off,” I growl, yanking my arm back.
“Get it together, Cromlech. You heard the other coach—yer mate is fine. You would know if she wasn’t. Yer bond would tell you.”
I pause at this. I hadn’t considered our bond, but when I open myself up, I don’t feel panic or pain. No, I feel…excitement.
What is that woman up to now?
But I don’t linger too long because Puck’s right—damned bastard. I have a game to play and need to focus.
It’s fucking torture when my mind wants to drift every fifteen seconds, but I somehow manage to make it through warm-ups.
Puck ushers me to the center of the lake for our first face-off, and that’s when I catch it—her scent—from the other side of the ice.
I whirl around, away from Kening and Iseol’s cousin. Coach snarls something at me, but I don’t hear him.
Can’t hear him.
Because walking through the snow is a vision.
And this vision is dressed in a yellow and teal hanbok with a Goodfellows jersey over the top of her outermost layer.
Next to her stands my sister, their hands clasped and the biggest smiles on their faces. Ramani spins my mate around, pointing at the number on the jersey.
Mine.
Someone touches my elbow, but I can’t stop staring at Iseol.
“She wanted to surprise you.”
I realize that it’s her cousin talking.
“Surprise me?”
“Yeah. It was my idea, as a ‘thank you’ to both of you, but we both know that she’s still rooting for the Ice Giants.”
This makes me laugh, even though my eyes sting—from the cold. Certainly not because I’m tearing up at the sight of my mate wearing my colors.
“Dry yer fucking eyes and get ready to play,” Puck mutters.
“It’s the cold!” I insist.
The other Puca just rolls his eyes, but sticks his hand out to shake the Gumiho’s before they disappear and it’s just the K?ldrisi and me.
“Ready to show off?” he teases.
I grin.
Damn right, I’m about to show off.
The game goes into sudden death.
Of course it does, but damn if the crowd doesn’t go wild. And there on the side is my mate, cheering me on.
I’ve scored twice, and the score is tied—three to three. The Ice giants are playing fierce, and I’m gassed, but no one backs down.
With only ten seconds left on the clock, we crouch for another face-off. My heart pounds like a war drum—it’s now or never.
The world narrows to the puck and my opponent. Every muscle in my body coils, ready to spring the moment it hits the ice.
Across the frozen lake, I hear Iseol shouting my name, her voice cutting through the roar of the crowd.
It’s a damned barn burner but I wouldn’t want it any other way. The ref lets go of the puck, and time slows.
I win the draw clean, sending the biscuit straight to a Gallagher. He tears up the ice with me hot on his heels.
My pulse thrums in my ears as we pass it back and forth, weaving through defenders like water slipping through cracks.
Eight seconds.
The Ice Giants tighten their defense, but I see the opening—a narrow gap on the left side. It’s risky, but what’s hockey if not a bunch of calculated risks?
I shout out for puck in Fae, and my winger sends it over as we get closer to the other team’s tendy.
Five seconds.
The monster of a man crouches, ready for the shot. I shift my weight, selling a fake to the right before cutting left.
My twig kisses the biscuit with a satisfying crack. It flies, slicing through the air, toward the top corner.
Three seconds.
Coach shouts something as the tendy stretches, glove snapping upward, but it’s too late. The puck hits the back of the net just as the buzzer blares.
We win.
We fucking win!
For a split second, the world holds its breath. Then, the lake erupts in chaos. My teammates swarm me, yelling and laughing, their sticks clattering to the ice.
“Hat trick! Hat trick!” they chant, but I barely hear them because barreling toward me is my everything.
Iseol sprints across the ice, her tails flying behind her like white flags heralding my victory. A huge smile wreaths her face, and my chest swells.
My heart leaps into my throat as she throws herself into my arms. I catch her and spin my mate in circles.
The rest of the world disappears until it’s just us.
“I’m so happy for you.”
“Truly?” I whisper.
“Truly, even if I was torn about who should win. This is what you’ve wanted since you were a boy.”
“No. I thought it was until you. Then I realized you’re what I’ve been waiting for my whole life. Winning today will never compare to when you agreed to be my mate.”
Tears sparkle in her eyes—probably from the cold, too—and then she’s kissing me. Her tails curl around us, creating a cocoon of white.
It’s not a commiseratory peck, but a fierce, consuming kiss. Iseol’s fingers curl into my jersey, holding on like I’m the only thing keeping her upright.
My hands tangle in her braid, pulling her closer until there’s no space between us. Every hoots and whistles, but we’re lost in our own bubble of joy.
When we finally break apart, she’s laughing as my mate tries to put some space between us—but I don’t let her.
“You doing anything after this?”
“Erm, you mean tonight or now that the season is over?”
“Both.”
She laughs again. “I assumed we would be…busy tonight. You know—celebrating.” Fuck if I don’t love the sound of that. “As for afterward, whaddya have in mind?”
“You, me, maybe the Norsphere Cup, doing a tour to meet your family and mine.”
Iseol bites her lip, her eyes shining.
“I would love nothing more.”
Puck shoves a flute of faery wine in my hand and one into Iseol’s.
“A toast!”
Around us, the Ice Giants mingle with the Goodfellows. There are no hard feelings. We all played our best.
It was one hell of a game.
“Maybe next year?” Kening shouts over the din, as if reading my mind.
I raise my glass in answer before turning to look back down at Iseol. She holds up her faery wine to clink against mine.
“To us?”
To us.