Chapter 1 #3
I’d no sooner thumped down on the bench to yank off my skates when Hudson came howling into the room.
Literally. He stepped into the entrance, parted his legs, and threw his head back, offering the team and anyone else who gave a damn a lesson in how not to try to disguise yourself as a wild animal.
Maybe the chicks enjoyed his antics, but I knew what was coming next.
“And in tonight’s hall of fame we have Cole… the Rebel… Kendrick. AKA the wolf. The wolfman. Wolfie. The howler and growler.”
“Would you cut it the fuck out?” I ripped off my jersey, tossing it at him.
At a time when pretty much everyone in the continental United States and likely half the rest of the world was sick to death of hearing about the existence of shifters, Hudson took every opportunity to spout off my predicament to reporters.
And anyone else willing to listen.
Sure, the dude meant well, but Jesus, his fascination with ‘how I hunted my food,’ which was his typical unwanted way of teasing me, was about to drive me nuts. Especially since there were a bunch of people who actively kept their children away from me for that reason alone.
As if I fucking hunted people for dinner.
“Why? You’re the reason the Jagmeister made that last goal. You were rockin’ tonight.”
“Yeah, I did okay.”
“Eh, don’t worry about the fight. Drake had it coming.”
I tried to pass it off but had a bad feeling Drake would continue some imaginary vendetta. “Maybe.”
“Definitely. He’s a jerk.” After tossing me the shirt, he slid onto the bench next to me, bumping shoulders. “Hey, you should put your name into the hat for captain.”
“What?”
Hudson nodded. “Why not? With Todd being out for the rest of the season, the coach and management will need to choose another. After tonight’s performance, you’re on the radar, man.”
I hadn’t even thought about the captain’s position. It wasn’t all bells and whistles. I’d been around the block with the game long enough to know the responsibility could be heavy. “Dude, the last time I checked, I was a defenseman. You know they usually pick centers. Jagger’s up for the job.”
His snort oozed animosity. “The guy is a jerk.”
“Yeah, well, so the hell what? And anyone you don’t like you call a jerk.” Jerks usually managed to get anything they set their hearts on. “Besides, I don’t think the coach is so inclined to see me in a position of power.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Cause you’re a shifter and prone to unexplained bouts of violence?”
“What the fuck?”
“Trending on Instagram.”
“See? Fucking perfect.”
“What is wrong with you tonight?” His huge smile faded, taking on more of a knowing look. “Oh, I get it. You’re hung up on that girl. Right?”
“What girl?” Oh, sure, I was going to pass off I had no clue what he was talking about with ease and charm.
I stood abruptly, heading to my locker. The last thing I needed was to be cornered by a man with a huge mouth.
If I wasn’t careful, by the time I left the arena tonight, there’d be rumors all over TikTok that I was getting married.
And that wouldn’t be good for my sex life.
He slapped his hand on the bench. “You know which girl. The one you almost lost your shit over.”
I eyed the doorway as Jagger walked in. This time, there was no nod, no exchange of pleasantries.
“What in the goddamn fuck was that shit?” Jagger threw out from across the room.
“You mean ensuring your sorry ass was able to make a gino without fumbling?” Yeah, he made the goal because of me. I jerked to a standing position, daring the fucker to come get me. Yeah, I knew my words were antagonistic, but I just didn’t like the guy’s attitude.
He flew at me, almost launching over the row of benches before Zane, another defenseman caught him. “The question is what the fuck is wrong with the two of you. Jesus. Aren’t we on the same team?” His glare from one to the other was harsh.
“You saw that son of a bitch on the Blackhawks, Jag. He has it in for Cole.” Hudson tried to be the peacemaker, at least when he didn’t have a quart of tequila in him.
“Do you blame him?” Jagger yanked his arm free, Hudson even ready to choose sides if necessary. Fortunately, he backed off but not before snarling at me. What did he think? That the shit was funny?
So I was a fucking wolf. So what?
A few seconds later, I lowered back onto the bench.
“Well, I’m sure I’ll never see her again.” I eyed Jagger as he stormed toward his stall, tossing his helmet onto the shelf. When he darted me a look, I knew whatever he was pissed off about had my name written all over it. And it wasn’t all about the fight during the game.
Hudson leaned in, howling once again, which caused a chain reaction of a few other players doing the same thing. They thought it was funny as hell.
Jagger certainly didn’t. His entire face conveyed a level of fury he usually reserved for the ice and as soon as he ripped off his clothes, he slammed the locker door with so much firepower the building shook.
Not really, but there wasn’t a single guy in the locker room who hadn’t been warned to stay the hell away from Jagger.
Fine by me.
If there was anything I couldn’t stand, it was a pompous jerk.
Even if that could include myself. With a wry smile on my face, I shucked off the remainder of my clothes and headed for the shower.
Yeah, it was definitely time for a drink.