Chapter 22
Steven
Parents insulted: Check.
Secret identity revealed: Unfortunately check.
Career possibly ruined: As expected.
Spouting off about a human being a mate: Oh, yeah. That was a double check with a dash of putting my foot into my mouth.
Or my entire leg.
Losing the girl: Not without a fight
Maybe that’s why her entire front yard appeared as if Lowe’s had regurgitated every unpurchased flower on her grass.
I’d gone to three of them so I could purchase the number of flowers I’d had in mind.
I’d spent all night digging and planting, mulching and watering.
All by flashlight while Christine had been knocked out cold.
Whether from shock, sleep deprivation, or the number of shots she’d consumed, she’d managed to fall into a deep slumber fueled by the roar of the Trans Am’s engine.
I’d done the gentlemanly thing instead of waking her by carrying her into her house. Had it been disturbingly difficult not to strip off her clothes and get into bed with her, naked body pressed against naked body?
Well, hell, yeah. Not only was I a man, I was also a wolf.
As her father had so generously been prepared to point out.
I could still hear his cackling laughter after she’d announced we were leaving. Not that I’d wanted to stay, other than to put my fist through his face. That certainly wouldn’t bode well for my relationship with his daughter.
What relationship?
I’d done the unthinkable. I’d faked my identity.
Who did that kind of shit? This boy right here.
I’d taken a perfectly good opportunity, actually the best I’d had with a delicious member of the opposite sex, and I’d tossed it into a garbage compactor.
Okay, so I hadn’t wanted just another puck bunny to ask me to show off my two genitals, but had I really needed to create an entirely different personality?
“What is wrong with you today?” Tony asked as we strolled through the parking lot headed into the arena.
“What do you mean?”
Tony chuckled. “You walked in a few minutes before six this morning. I thought maybe you’d been out with a girl, but you were covered in dirt from head to toe.
Granted, for a few minutes I was jealous.
I mean who the hell gets that dirty on a date?
Then I remembered you’re some kind of beast. A wolf, right?
I guess that means you need your time in the forest wallowing for grubs.
” I’d be damned if he didn’t take a step further away from me, his face sheepish yet full of terror. “Or humans.”
“Oh, come on. Do you really believe that?”
“I don’t know what to believe. If you weren’t hunting, why were you covered in dirt?”
Grumbling under my breath, the last thing I wanted to do was admit defeat. But hell. It seemed to follow me around like having a steel anchor around my neck.
Or a noose.
“I was planting flowers. And shrubs. Okay?”
He snorted, shifting into a laugh. “Good one, buddy. That should feed our ball-busting social media chick.” When I said nothing, he whistled. “You’re serious. What happened? Are you not paid enough for being a star?”
“I’m not a star. At this point I’m just some star’s brother who had potential once.”
“Oh, woe is me,” Tony threw out. “Well, shit. Look at that crowd up there.”
Wincing, I didn’t want to look but I did. For a few seconds, I allowed myself to puff up, even to preen. The signs were more positive than before. There were at least three dozen hot girls who wanted me. And a few haters. That was okay. “Yeah, not the same.”
“As what? Okay, I’ll bite. I’d prefer I did than for you to. Why were you planting flowers?”
I grumbled under my breath again. “If I tell you, you’re gonna keep your mouth shut.”
He threw up his hands, grinning. “Sure. Anything for you.”
Resisting giving him the finger, I shifted my duffle bag, filthy visions of the beautiful woman sliding through my mind. As they’d been doing for hours. I couldn’t close my eyes without seeing images of her. And why? Because my body believed her to be my mate. Impossible.
Damn it.
“I was hoping to win a girl back.”
“I didn’t even know you were dating.”
“Steven Masters wasn’t. Danny Wright the Zamboni operator was.”
He took a few seconds, his brow wrinkling as he tried to figure out what I was saying. Then he stopped short. “Whoa. You pretended to be a Zamboni operator?”
“Yep.”
“Why the fuck would you do that?”
“To win the girl over. She doesn’t like hockey players. Her father, the senator doesn’t like shifters.”
“Oh, wow.” He burst into laughter, doubling over as if he’d heard the funniest thing in his life. “You know how to pick ‘em. Did it work?”
“I don’t know. I doubt it. She’s a tough lady.”
“Well, I’ll give you an A for effort, but shit, man. You can have any one of those women up there. Look at ‘em. A menu board of shape, size, hair color, eye color. I’ll take the blondes. I mean if you don’t want ‘em.”
“I want something special in a relationship. A woman who sees me for me.”
He smacked my arm, laughing as if I’d told the funniest joke in the world. “Well, since you’re the Beast, that ain’t gonna happen. Get used to it. Now, ya gotta concentrate on the game today, buddy. This is make or break it time.”
Truer words were never said and here I was working on a couple of hours of sleep. But it was all worth it. Maybe. Oh, hell, as long as I was able to convince her to see me again.
That would be nothing short of a miracle.
Our approach was finally noticed, screaming girls running toward me.
I hadn’t paid any attention to the number of news vans waiting in the parking lot.
The game was big news for several reasons, not only that a shifter had made the team.
This was almost like a Hail Mary, which meant the pressure was on.
Chaos ensued, women and a few men surrounding us, questions and comments coming fast and furious. It didn’t matter that we were clustered around the employee and back entrance every hockey player used. They were blocking it off as if it was their God-given right.
“Beast. Can I have your baby?”
“Ooh-la-la. Look how handsome you are. Much better than your pictures.”
“Mr. Masters, I’d love to see your cock. Pretty please?”
“Can you show us your wolfie side? I do love furry creatures.”
I managed to pull off a huge grin as notebooks and pens were shoved into my hands, the girls all clamoring for an autograph.
At first, Tony was laughing, but I could tell the longer the organized melee went on, the worse his mood became. Not that I blamed him. I was getting all the attention when he’d been a glorified star until I came along.
“Beast. Can you sign my tits?” The girl was wearing a barely there, low-cut top and as soon as the question popped from her cherry-stained lips, Tony cursed under his breath.
This was a new one. I’d never been asked to sign a pair of boobs before. Before I knew it, a passion purple Sharpie was shoved into my hand and she was jutting her chest out.
“Sure. Who should I make it out to?”
“Oh, to Barbie from her werewolf.”
At least Tony had a good laugh at my expense. I didn’t correct her as I provided the wording she wanted. As soon as I popped the top on the pen, every girl squealed.
Given the number of photographs being taken on every phone, I could only imagine the comments long before the game even started.
And the dressing down Ms. Adams would provide.
“Mr. Masters,” a reporter asked while sticking his damn microphone in my face. “Are you aware there is still a huge contingency of people who believe shifters shouldn’t be allowed in sports?”
“So I’ve heard,” I said, continuing to sign autographs.
“What do you have to say to them?”
I lifted my head, facing the cameras. “That they don’t know what the hell they’re talking about. Special skills aren’t needed when top notch training and sheer, raw talent is involved.” I flashed a pearly white grin and could hear Ansley groaning all the way from wherever she was watching.
The crowd continued to shift even as we tried to politely push our way toward the door. Now, only a few yards away, a tightness in my chest was followed by a blur off to the side. Whoa. Hold on. Was that Christine heading to the employee entrance?
Something possessive, toxic, and riddled with hunger came over me.
A jolt of lightning tore through every limb.
I was hot, completely aroused, and my beast was once again dangerously close to the surface.
While reporters continued to clamor on, asking questions and girls were trying to push themselves to the front of the line, I was fighting my way to get to her.
I vaguely realized I was close to trampling fans while driving myself forward. If I was right and the brunette was the woman my body insisted was my mate, she was making a beeline to the door. She wasn’t even bothering to take a quick peek.
I’d scratched and fought my way to the front of the line with every woman chanting.
“Beast. Beast. Beast.”
None of it mattered because she was ignoring me.
“Christine!” A moment of silence killed the chaos just long enough for the girl in question to turn her head.
There were the huge eyes the color of purple petunias I’d planted in her yard.
And her luscious lips, the ones I hungered to bite and lick were on full display, yet instead of a smile as I’d hoped for, she wore a scowl that could rival any winger ignored on the ice.
She didn’t waste any time either, punching in the code for the security system and throwing open the door in a huff, disappearing inside.
“Is that the girl?” Tony asked as soon as he flanked my side.
“That’s the girl.”
“She works here?”
“Not that I know of. She’s a teacher.”
“You fucked a teacher? Man, that’s… Hot.” Tony whistled. “But if she doesn’t work here, how did she get in?”
That I couldn’t answer.
I turned my head slowly. “I need to find her. Can you hold back the piranhas for me?” I nodded toward the reporters and women who were still making lewd offers.