Chapter 6 #3
He doesn’t say anything, and neither do I as he comes to sit down in one of the stiff chairs I haven’t gotten around to replacing yet.
Eventually, I clear my throat. “I trust your extra training this afternoon went well?”
That only seems to make his smile widen.
“It did.” He shifts in the chair, stretching those long legs out in front of him.
“It felt good being able to really…” He drags out the y, his tone laced with enough sarcasm to make my eye twitch.
“...watch out for the other players around me. Loved being flattened by Toby, you know?” My eyes narrow.
Toby did the opposite of what I advised him earlier today.
My goal had been to encourage Toby to trust himself and stop holding back, because when they play out there, there isn’t one single player who would.
This is practice. This is hockey, and Holden seems to have a problem with that.
It's clear that not everyone appreciates being used as a stepping stone to help their teammates and their development. Betas and their fucking egos.
I’m not here to play games though. I have a job to do, whether Holden likes it or not.
“Do you have a problem, Woods?” I question, refusing to fuck around with whatever male posturing bullshit this newest attempt at unsettling me is.
I won’t have it.
Not in my first week on the job.
Holden rolls his shoulders, making himself far too comfortable in my space.
“You don’t belong here.”
Short and straight to the point.
“Gee, Holden. Why don’t you tell me how you really feel?” His smile doesn’t falter. If anything, the bastard looks amused.
“Oh, I think I just did.” I let out an astonished huff at his audacity, though there is nothing funny about the sound.
I’m tired. Correction, I’m exhausted, and I’m already sick to fucking death of having to defend myself.
Of needing to have a backbone for a position that is rightfully mine.
I shouldn’t have to earn it. Shouldn’t have to answer for it, especially to the likes of a player.
That whole boy next door look hadn’t fooled me for long.
Underneath that fuck boy persona is just another red blooded control freak of a man.
I don’t know why or how they’ve done it, but it feels like I have to report to them.
Like they are the ones leading the charge here and not me.
But apparently, I have no other choice but to remind him who the fuck runs this show.
“The thing is, Holden, you know absolutely fucking nothing about me. Not anything more than my name and a designation that has fuck all to do with what my job is or the legacy I’ll be carrying for the rest of my life. So, all of your pretty little thoughts mean absolutely nothing to me, Beta.”
Leaning forward, I rest my hands on my desk, unable to hide my smirk as Holden’s attention is drawn to my breasts that push together for his viewing.
“I am the coach now. Therefore, what I say goes. And, I don’t appreciate little fuck boy Betas or their seemingly scary packmates coming in here and thinking that they’re going to boss me around. Not gonna happen.”
I had been waiting for the man’s smile to diminish. For something in my rant to finally click in his mind. For him to back down from this fight, which I refuse to let him win.
But it doesn’t happen. That smile turns cheshire in size now. Like he finally got something from me that he has been waiting for.
“I had hoped you would say that,” he says, pushing up from the chair.
He doesn’t leave, though. No. He leans against the desk, bending down so his face is right in front of mine.
Without thinking, I inhale, trying to catch any scent off of him.
So far, he and his two pack mates have been enigmas to me.
Their scent is bland, covered up with scent neutralizing spray. One that makes my nose tickle.
“Fine. Have it your way. Stay. But you know what that means, don’t you, Gilmore?” When I say nothing, he leans in closer, his lips brushing against the sensitive skin of my neck. “We are going to have so much fun together. You’ll see.”
I remain glued to my spot, my mouth open slightly as all thoughts remain lost on me. Nothing escapes my lips. No response. No statement to tell him where to go. Which would be Hell if I had control of myself right now. But I don’t. I have nothing. Nothing but a shaky breath that he notices.
Eventually I shake my head, shrugging off the spell he had me under. Shock. That’s what it was. Baffled by his sheer fucking audacity.
“That’s Miss Gilmore to you,” I demand but it falls flat. Terribly so.
“See you soon, Coach.”
Motherfucker.
Holden fucking Woods wasn’t nearly as harmless as I had assumed.
And I have a feeling he’s made that exact same mistake.
Because he might be a wolf in Beta’s clothing, but I’ve spent my entire life learning how to fucking hunt.
And he’s just made the mistake of showing me his teeth.
Now, all that remains is to see which one of us bites harder.