Chapter 22 Vann
VANN
Our girl lost. Not only that, but she got hurt. And I’m not there to comfort her. We all watched her Free Skate as soon as our game was over, hunched over Tanner’s computer at a coffee shop just outside the village. Tanner’s on his third cup since we got here.
When Raven fell, I wanted to ditch this place, rent a car, and speed to her side.
Tanner was only able to contain me by reminding me she’s supposed to be coming here.
Some news article said she was coming to Cortina to see the arena where her great grandmother competed, where we’re competing.
Is she gonna come to our game or one of the other ones?
Does she know that we’re here? Does she care?
Man, I can’t wait to see her again.
Tomorrow can’t come soon enough.
I lean back, the front legs of my chair lifting off the ground as I mentally practice what I’m gonna say to Raven. It’s gonna be hard to win her over, but not impossible. I’m sure my gifts helped.
“You’re gonna break the fucking chair,” Tanner pushes me forward so all four legs slam down.
“Play it again,” Orion says, still staring at the computer screen. We all watch in rapt silence as Raven once again flies across the ice. She’s so damn pretty.
I knock my knuckles repeatedly on the table. Tanner covers my hand with his, stopping the nervous action.
“Fuck, I can’t take it anymore.” I stand up just as Raven takes the jump that will lead to her fall. “How bad was she hurt?” I ask for the tenth time, pushing in my chair and leaning over it. I need something to do with my hands. I need to move. I need to be with her.
Behind the counter an espresso machine steams, and someone calls out a greeting in Italian.
On the screen, Raven crashes to the ice.
We all wince at the same time. Tanner lets out a low growl that draws the attention of the people at the table next to us.
They’re American tourists, speaking in loud English, and wearing matching shirts that say ‘Shred the Pow.’ Snowboarding enthusiasts, I take it.
I give them a two finger salute. “All good here.”
My stomach twists at the lie. We won’t be good until we see Raven and make sure she’s okay. Did they take her to the hospital? We would have heard if it was that extreme, right?
Rhodes clicks around on the computer, skimming through articles with a speed I’d never match. “They're still saying it’s just a minor injury.”
“What the fuck does that mean?” I slam my chair into the table, even though it’s already pushed in. I need to get out of here. The cafe suddenly feels too small, too crowded, too loud, like the walls are closing in on me.
“It means she’s okay.” Orion stands and pats my shoulder, but there’s a tightness in his eyes that tells me he’s just as worried as I am. “Maybe we should go for a walk.”
“I can’t believe she kept skating,” Rhodes muses, still staring at the screen as Raven’s song finishes. “That was really something.”
I like hearing the admiration in his voice. I want him to be as fascinated with her as I am.
“You really think she’s okay?” I ask no one in particular, shoulders deflating.
We all know she’s not. Even if she’s not injured, a fall like that would be humiliating for any athlete, especially on a public stage. To have it happen when you’re trying to prove yourself as the first omega figure skater at the Olympics would be even worse. She’s got to be an emotional wreck.
I grab my empty coffee cup and pop the lid, tilting it back to down the last dredges, even though there’s really nothing there. Finished, I toss it in the trash a few feet away, basketball style.
Tanner glares at me. “You really should go burn off some of this energy.”
“Maybe we should all go for a run,” Rhodes suggests, looking from one tense alpha to the other. “There’re some treadmills in the gym.”
“I don’t want to run.” I throw a crumpled napkin at him. “I want my girl.”
“Even if she were here, she probably wouldn’t want to be comforted by you,” Tanner says, standing up.
“And whose fault is that?” I snap. “You’re the one who started it all. If you hadn’t picked on her back in high school, I never would have noticed her—or hurt her.”
It’s not true. I always noticed Raven. I just didn’t do anything about it until Tanner started in on her, and then, too eager to please him, I did the wrong thing.
She was always on my radar, though. And he probably knows it.
I’m so bottled up and angry, I shove his chest. “This is all your fault.”
He pushes back, knocking me into the table. A sports drink spills, flooding Rhodes’ lap. The beta jumps to his feet, hopping between Tanner and me. “Hey, hey, we can’t do this here.”
Orion positions himself by Rhodes, a hand on Tanner’s chest. I look around, suddenly realizing how many people are watching us.
Shit. Leave it to me to fuck up and draw negative attention yet again.
This is the last thing we need. Orion’s supposed to be meeting with investors this afternoon.
If they get wind that we got into a pack fight in public they’ll never want us.
Just like Raven won’t. Why would she ever want an alpha like me?
I’m volatile, and I’ve hurt her before. Fuck!
“Let’s all go for a run,” Orion piggybacks off of Rhodes’ suggestion. “It’ll be good for us.”
I nod, unable to speak through the self-hatred swirling through my brain.
On the way out the door, a guy wearing a sweatshirt with the Greek flag on it stops Rhodes and hands him a flier.
“Some of the ski team is hosting a party at Club Niente tonight,” he says in explanation.
He smiles, seemingly oblivious to the tension radiating off me and my teammates. “You should come.”
The guy’s gaze lingers a beat too long on Rhodes, and something protective tightens in my chest. I throw an arm over our beta.
It’s long past time we put a bite mark on him.
I think we’ve all hesitated because it’s an intimate experience—whether a bond is romantic, sexual, or just based on friendship, it’s still an extreme connection—and Rhodes has always liked his privacy.
He’s a slow-moving, think-everything-through kind of guy.
But I’m not. I’m the exact opposite. Impulsive.
Impatient. Needy as fuck. And equally possessive.
I want everyone to know he’s ours. Man, it’s hard to wait.
“We’ll think about it,” Tanner says, taking the flier from the Greek dude. He reads it silently as we all bundle back up in our coats, then step out into the biting cold. It’s snowing again, the world blanketed in a calm white that doesn’t match the swirl of emotions inside me.
I keep my arm around Rhodes as we head back to our room to change for a run, grounding myself with his warmth. He leans into me a little more than normal, and something about that calms my pulse and makes my chest glow.
“We’re not really gonna go to that thing, right?” I say, motioning toward the paper.
“Maybe we should,” Orion takes the flier from Tanner. “Could be a good distraction. Burn off some energy.”
I love dancing, but I’d rather do it with my omega. I’m not exactly in the mood for a party right now. “Who am I gonna dance with, huh? It’s not like I’ll dance with someone other than Raven—especially not now.”
“You could… dance with me,” Rhodes says quietly.
When I glance over at him, he’s looking at his feet, each step making a crunch in the snow.
“Alright, yeah.” I pull him a little closer. “Let’s get our groove on, beta.”