Epilogue
Sloane
Vancouver Times: The Hottest Show on Earth Really is in Portland
Seattle Sentinel: The Kendrick Brothers are Ready to Shine Again
The headlines were all over the place. My favorite?
The Portland Herald: The Kendrick Brothers Versus the Masters Brothers: Who Will Come Out on Top?
Screams drew my attention, people stomping their feet creating an extreme echoing sound in the building. I glanced at the clock, sucking in my breath. Why was it that everything seemed to come down to the last couple of minutes of the game? At this rate, I was going to throw up.
Holy shit.
My pulse was in my throat. Wasn’t that the expression? Whatever the case, I was at the point of being unable to breathe. The arena was also pulsing with energy, every single person in the twenty-thousand-seat stadium on their feet.
Every seat had been sold and at a premium price. All going to charity.
People had come from several states. I’d even heard that many had come from different countries from Canada to England, even Mexico.
There were dozens of celebrities in the seats, the Jumbotron catching their faces when goals were made and lost.
And the hockey players? Well, all I could say was that the puck bunnies were out in full force, most wearing short shorts and tiny little tops that highlighted what God had given them.
Or in most cases, their plastic surgeons.
The insanity included the media from local to national television stations.
And the tailgaters outside went on for a couple of miles surrounding the building.
There was the usual share of assholes as well. Only this time, I was at the point of being unable to tolerate them.
I’d almost beaten up a poor woman who’d been at the wrong place at the wrong time. Honestly? I regretted not doing so. Her sign?
Shifters Aren’t Human
Yes, she’d almost gotten a black eye, but I’d refrained. Granted, not until Samantha had pulled one arm and Georgia, Ford’s beautiful mate the other.
Plus, a little voice had whispered inside my head reminding me that now as editor of a major newspaper, I could have more freedoms to educate the real wild dogs out there.
Those with no shifter DNA whatsoever in their bloodstreams.
“As we await the start of the final period,” the sportscaster announced over the microphone, “I’m happy to report that the event has already raised over a half a million dollars for the Children’s Hunger Fund. Way to go, Hellions. Such a great event.”
“It is, Joe, and I can’t tell you how excited I am to see such a fantastic game between two of the league’s most electric hockey teams.”
Joe laughed. “You’re right, Steve, and how incredible to have two sets of dynamic duo brothers. I don’t which I’d put my money on. The Masters brothers or the Kendricks.”
I glanced at the crowd, grinning when thousands began to chant the same thing.
“Kendricks. Kendricks. Kendricks.”
My heart was singing a little bit.
Plus, I was enjoying that I’d been the one to tell the people like Sports Today and the soon to be former owner of the Las Vegas Cruisers who’d been stupid enough to ask if they could be allowed to participate to shove it up their asses. Let them eat crow.
Including Matt.
His betrayal continued to hurt, but I’d get over it. At least he’d been allowed to resign quietly and last I heard, he was still sending out resumes.
“I’m so nervous,” Samantha moaned.
“Beck is going to get it done,” Cole said while giving me a funny look. “Granted, Savage Masters is running hot for the Wild Dogs tonight.”
“So is your brother Ford,” I reminded him. “And you need to place your trust in Beck as goalie. He’s the hottest player in the league right now.”
And I firmly believed that.
Even if the jealousy streak was running wild and free inside me from the number of marriage proposals that he’d received from thousands of girls online.
I’d learned so much in a couple of months with being around Beck and his family. From gaining a better understanding of shifter DNA to the more important aspects of how close they were, perhaps I’d benefited the most from my experience in learning to embrace and adore all that shifters could be.
Including sizzling in bed.
Even now, my skin tingled and as the players moved around on the ice, I couldn’t keep my eyes off Beck. Perhaps I was jaded, but he was the most handsome man in the NHL. Hands down.
The Jumbotron was active, flashing to various people in the stands, catching every celebrity cheering on their favorite.
“We’re coming down to the wire.” Margaret Kendrick was a powerful matriarch and when she squeezed my arm after joining me in front of the glass, a smile lit up my face.
The minutes had gone by quickly. Maybe that’s because I hadn’t been breathing, now lightheaded. Or maybe that was the lingering effects of having a big, bad wolf in my bed every night.
“Savage Masters is an amazing player.” And he was, but I knew how this was going to end. I had faith. In humanity. In the coach. In the team. And in the man I’d fallen head over heels in love with.
Having the wolf along for the ride wasn’t too terrible either.
Every family member joined me at the glass as it became apparent Savage was making his way down the ice, thwarting the Hellions’ line of defense.
The crowd hadn’t sat down the last few minutes. Now everyone was holding their breath.
You could have heard a pin drop when Savage made the play, the puck skimming across the ice, getting off a shot at the last second before slamming into the boards.
The slow motion Beck had told me about in discussing what it felt like being the last possible savior in deflecting the puck? It was true.
When I turned my head toward Beck, I realized something pretty amazing.
His eyes had found me in the stands. There was no doubt in my mind. That’s how intense our connection was, how electric our relationship.
In the last seconds, I planted my hands on the glass, rising onto my tiptoes just in time to watch the puck sail away from the net.
And the crowd went wild.
“The Portland Hellions have done it!” Joe, the announcer bellowed through the speaker system.
As near pandemonium escalated, I had my face plastered to the plexiglass until I realized the Jumbotron had found me and lo and behold, they did a split screen with Beck just seconds after he’d yanked off his mask.
Once again, he’d found me in the audience and there was no way to hide the words he’d shouted to the wind.
“I love you.”
I’d been lucky my parents had instilled so many of the amazing qualities that had defined them into me.
They’d always been decent, hardworking, fair, honest, and nonjudgmental people.
It had taken me meeting a handsome, pain in my ass hockey player with a heart of gold and a smidgeon of shifter blood running through his veins to appreciate all they’d taught me.
But now, all that was tossed aside, hunger for the man prevailing.
Even I, the person responsible for the charity event at least in presenting the idea, would need to wait her turn in line.
This time, I didn’t mind watching the man, his incredible brother, and his entire team taking center stage.
Articles would be written, the game replayed a dozen or so times on every sports channel, and those lucky enough to be here left with amazing memories.
There would be analysts going over the game in infinite detail and fans talking about being lucky enough to watch the game live for weeks to come.
But perhaps the historic moment was all about the fact that right now, no one cared one way or the other if either team had shifters on their roster.
Maybe one day, their appearance would no longer be mentioned.
What seemed like a lifetime later, I finally made it to the locker room, the coach winking at me when I pushed my way through the crowd.
“He’s inside,” Coach Griffen said under his breath. “You did good, kid. You did real good.”
While I’d never like being called a kid, from the coach? I didn’t mind.
The players were celebrating, bottles of champagne already popped open as if they’d won the Stanley Cup. Maybe in a small way the challenge and win were more important.
I moved through them, finally noticing Beck holding court with one of my reporters. Mine. As if I owned them.
I hung back, noticing Beck was wearing a towel, unaware that the young woman had already turned several shades of crimson. She’d learn.
When she was finished, she almost panicked in trying to get out. I nodded in approval and with taking my eye off him for two seconds, Beck had disappeared.
An internal laugh bubbled, but I bit it back. Somehow, I had a feeling I knew where he’d gone.
I meandered through the very nice area, hearing water running a couple of minutes later. The individual showers were a nice perk of the venue.
With a quick glance over my shoulder, I realized I couldn’t seem to control my bodily functions around my man.
“Just a few more questions, Mr. Kendrick. If you don’t mind.”
He threw open the curtain, the mischievous smile on his face filtered against the way his nostrils were flared and his sizzling gaze traveled down the length of my body.
“Anything for the press.” The deep rumble in his voice sent a series of vibrations straight to my core.
“I noticed you said something on the monitors after you won the game. I’m curious. What was that and to whom? Your fans would like to know.”
“To hear that answer, you’ll need to step into my office.”
“Your office, huh?”
He wasn’t interested in waiting. With a quick snap of his hand, wolf style I might add, I was dragged into the shower with him. My squeal didn’t stop him, the man on a mission.
“Yeah, my office. As far as what I said, some fancy editor once told me the best way to share a story was to show and not tell. That’s what I plan on doing.”
As he cupped my face, tilting my head, I realized I was even more breathless than usual. “Oh, yeah?”
“Oh, yeah, baby.”
“Is that because I’m your mate?”
Beck’s grin covered the width of his handsome face. “No, baby. That’s because I’m a man and you are one hot woman.”
How many times had he kissed me just like this? More than I could count, but as I’d experienced with him, every time was like the first time.
Somehow, I couldn’t wait for the next.
And the next.
And the next…
The End