Chapter 23 #2
While the great scientists had yet to come up with a better name for my condition, there’d been hundreds of reports of them and subsequent matings during the two-year period. In turn, and at least according to the latest information, several babies had been born to mixed species couples. Who knew?
The announcements had pushed various hospitals into embracing the fact soon there would be a need for an entirely different wellness program geared toward hybrid children.
I was still having a tough time wrapping my mind around the fact two creatures from different species could be drawn to one another both chemically and emotionally.
I’d also found an article written about the debacle on the Today Show incident. They’d insisted they’d been lied to. Some attorney by the name of Michael Weston had threatened a huge lawsuit. I’d done further digging, realizing the lawyer making all the fuss was attached to the Masters family.
And boy, did I find several articles on Steven’s father Barrett Masters. The man was practically a legend in the shifter world. I’d been blown away.
And impressed.
When several beads of sweat rolled down both sides of my face, I had to get some air. I headed to the bathroom, splashing water on my face. As soon as I involuntarily scratched my arm again, I held it into the light. There was a light rash covering several inches.
Another telltale sign of the mating process.
Heat: Oh, you bet. It was like I was having hot flashes twenty-four/seven, especially when Steven was within a few hundred yards.
Itch: All I had to do was lift my shirt or check my arm.
Throbbing pussy: As embarrassing at it was, my cunt hadn’t stopped throbbing since the night before. I’d changed panties four times because I’d been so wet, the material had been soaked.
Swollen nipples: If the anguish caused by them scraping against the lace of my bra was any indication, I was fully in heat.
Huffing, I stormed from behind the stand, refusing to believe what human nature was trying to tell me.
I was not Steven Masters’ mate.
No way.
Impossible.
A loud cracking sound followed by wild applause drew my attention. I couldn’t help myself and headed toward the stadium seating, taking my apron off in the process. I wasn’t certain if the team manager or my boss would like me to be seen with the concession stand apron on.
Tawny had been right. I had a perfect view of the ice.
And I was in awe.
This was different than an ice-skating event. The energy level was off the charts. Plus, there was a vibe of electricity that could not be denied.
Including buzzing in every muscle in my body.
My mind skipped back to what I’d read earlier in the day. Was it really possible karma or Mother Nature or some shifter god above had determined we would be good mates?
Almost immediately, my eyes caught Steven racing down the ice, flicking the black chunky thing around with his stick. No, I had no idea of hockey terms. I couldn’t care less.
But I didn’t need to know what play he was making to know they were winning. They’d already scored and it appeared the Beast was already trying to do so again. I found myself walking closer, eager to see if he could do it.
Fans were already on their feet, cheering the home team.
And one man in particular.
“Beast. Beast. Beast.”
He was coming in my direction, sailing across the ice as if he was born gliding on skates.
I was shocked how excited I was, happy for him and the entire team.
Suddenly, another huge player from the visiting team jumped into Steven’s path.
I don’t think there was a single person in the arena who hadn’t sucked in their breath, most now standing and waiting to see what happened.
I could swear the man knew how to ice dance. Steven swerved around the guy with a solid spray of ice and all of a sudden, took a shot.
Now every person in the arena was on their feet, the entire moment pivoted to slow motion.
And the puck flew past another huge, gruff guy trying desperately to catch it.
When the black puck was caught in the net, the entire arena went wild.
And so did I.
Including jumping up and down. After making the goal, he threw up his hands, turning in a little spin and I’d be damned if he didn’t notice me.
How could he not? I hadn’t realized I’d made it to the railing, close enough to the goal that all he’d had to do was to lift his head.
The eye contact even though he was wearing a helmet and grid mask was noticeable enough my skin was flushed. Now the heat was excessive.
What did the brat of a man do?
He lifted his arm, pointing a finger at me. Then he turned in another little dancing circle before blowing me a kiss with both hands.
If that wasn’t bad enough, immediately some asshole taking pictures for the jumbotron turned the camera toward me.
Oh, shit.
But I was quick. You bet I was. I hadn’t been trained as an ice skater making quick moves not to use them now.
So first I ducked.
Then I ran, rushing back to my position behind the counter, fumbling to jerk the apron over my head.
It took several minutes for me to calm down and just in time for the next rush.
The intermission was busier than the one before, more beer sold in fifteen minutes than I’d ever done. I’d heard the game wasn’t a sellout, but you could have fooled me.
When I’d served the last customer, I heard my phone ringing. This time I wouldn’t dare put myself in a position to catch his eye. No way.
Tawny was calling, which was strange in and of itself. But I moved beyond the concession area. “Hello? I really can’t talk right now.” I need to scuttle away like a rat.
“Was that you on the jumbotron?”
“What are you talking about?” I was already in the habit of lying. Why not more now? “Of course not. I’m working.”
“Sure you are. I just wanted to check and see if you noticed your boy had scored?”
“Yeah, I noticed, but he’s not my boy.”
She yawned. “Gotta run. It’s getting hot in here.”
“Ha ha.”
I tried to ignore what was going on with the game, but everyone behind the concession stand was now glued to the television. Which meant after a little while I couldn’t stand it any longer, moving behind them.
As things became heated, some asshole tried to trip Steven.
“Hey, he can’t do that!” I yelled before I knew what I was doing. “Can he?”
My fellow coworkers started to clue me in on what was going on. When a fight almost developed, the referees were all over it.
I was glued to the set, realizing there was an argument between coaches and referees. Then whoever was the announcer started talking about how the opposing team’s coach had accused the Tampa Bay Gators, specifically the Beast of cheating by using his shifter abilities.
Now I was hot under the collar.
I had to see them for myself. I rushed toward the same spot where I’d been before, pushing my way through fans who were already on their feet jeering the referees.
So did I, screaming louder than I had likely in my entire life.
“You can’t do that! He’s just a man. A very special man.”
There was no chance anyone had heard me, yet I felt better in joining in the utter chaos that was being fueled.
People were stomping their feet, creating a ruckus and I could tell by Steven’s body language how furious he was.
I had no idea what a high stick was, but when the call came down and a goal was removed from the board against the Gators, I knew for certain the referee had better have an armed guard when he tried to leave.
Now the two teams were tied two to two with four minutes left in the game.
I’d never heard such comments about any team, but they were heartwarming.
“The Beast is the best.”
“The Beast is a star.”
“Our home boy!”
I stood right where I was, sending subliminal messages to him. And maybe I was crazy, but I could swear he was reading my mind again.
He looked up, while taking several deep breaths, even ripping off his helmet. This time, I didn’t bother ducking. I wasn’t even paying attention to anyone else.
Only him.
As a slow and steady smile crossed his face just like I’d seen so many times, I did the unthinkable. I blew him a kiss.
And he caught it, making a big deal out of capturing something I’ve given him.
After he pretended to pocket the imaginary kiss, the game was on.
And let me tell you, I’d never seen anything so damn exciting in my life. Maybe I’d get fired for spending the rest of the last period watching him play, but wild horses couldn’t drag me away.
The plays were rough, the opposing team on edge and angry.
So was every member of the Gators, who worked seamlessly. As the buzzer ticked down, the fans were on their feet again and in a whirlwind of exchanges, the pucky thing being shifted from one play to another, I had a feeling they were playing down the clock.
Once again, everyone was holding their breath.
Finally, the Beast took a shot that could be heard around the entire arena. In what seemed like minutes but was only seconds, the puck flew under the arm of the dude from the opposite team trying to stop it, hitting the netting with flair.
And the crowd went wild all over again just as the buzzer sounded off, ending the game.
In the next few minutes there was crazy activity as the team celebrated the win, hugging and slapping hands. Then they took a victory lap. That’s when I backed off, refusing to get in his way. Besides, there would be people eager for one last beer to celebrate.
I hurried back to my station, purposely ignoring the celebration.
But my heart was fluttering.
A crowd formed, eager to soak up the win with a brewski and I busied myself.
Until I noticed a reporter hovering a few yards away. I made the mistake of catching his eye.
At the same time one of my coworkers yanked on my arm.
“You need to hear this, Christine.”
I turned around, keeping an eye on the reporter until I couldn’t any longer. There was Steven on the ice talking with Tawny’s boyfriend. And what was that? My picture. Oh, shit. They had gotten me on the jumbotron the second time while blowing him a kiss.
My phone rang while I was trying to process the shock. I didn’t even bother looking to see who was calling. “What? I’m a little busy.”
“Yeah, I think you are since you’re getting married? What the hell?”
“What?” Hearing Tawny’s question stunned me. “What are you talking about?”
As she rattled on something about the fact that I was the daughter of Senator Carrington, a man running for governor, at the same time I was seeing a horror story unfold on television.
“I’m trying to tell you this is the blockbuster story of the year. Jeff is required to run with it.”
Tawny’s warning was a wee bit too late. My mouth dropped open as the camera came in for a close-up on Steven and Jeff.
“I understand congratulations are in order,” Jeff said as he held the microphone toward Steven.
“Thank you. I think we played a great game,” Steven answered, still whooping and hollering with his team.
“Actually, I meant because of your upcoming nuptials.” Just then, a split screen was provided with my picture on it.
“And I understand Christine is Senator Edward Carrington’s daughter, a former national ice-skating junior champion who not only is a junior high teacher but also works here at concessions.
And I am curious about how you feel regarding her father’s position on whether shifters should be allowed in team sports. ”
“What are you talking about?” Steven asked and I could see the fury in his eyes. He took a step away so he could have a better look at the jumbotron, which was now flashing little hearts all over our pictures.
My stomach sank, my pulse racing. This was a fucking nightmare.
I backed away, shaking all over just as a shout came from behind me.
“There she is,” a woman yelled.
Without even realizing what I was doing, I took off running, dodging between people as reporters began to chase me down the corridor.
This was absolutely crazy.
I flew down the hallway, trying to figure out where to go. If I could gain some momentum, I could make a break for it out the employee entrance. Maybe I could jump into my car before they had me cornered.
The damn arena was like a maze.
But they kept coming.
Sadly, the group of reporters reminded me of wild animals or barbarians chasing after their prey. Somehow, they were gaining on me even though my legs were pumping.
I rushed around a corner going blindly while glancing over my shoulder.
So when I collided with something huge, hard, and impenetrable, I would have screamed had a hand not covered my mouth.
I was pulled into the shadows and pushed against the wall. The huge man standing over me was so warm and jolts of current were flowing, singing every nerve ending.
When the man who’d captured me placed a finger across his lips, I nodded.
Just as the mob flew by.
And in those seconds of wishing and waiting for them to pass, I realized my captor was none other than the man I was supposed to marry.
He finally removed his hand, chuckling under his breath. “I got your message.”
“Which one?”
“That you wanted me to win.”
I slipped my arms around him. “You did that for me?”
“Mmm… What if I did?”
“Then I’d say you’re still not getting off the hook for lying to me. However, you’re getting warmer.”
As he lowered his head, still chuckling, my entire body began to sway. So what if he was a big, bad wolf? I always did love dogs.