Chapter 16
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
SILAS
The events leading up to the game passed by me in a blur. I try to focus on the game as much as I can, but I can’t. My heart isn’t in it, not like it needs to be. The chill of the arena should prick my skin, yet I can’t feel the sting with my mind stuck on Noa.
Good thing I’m on the bench right now.
I wonder how Thorne is doing and if he’s doing any better than I am. I want to ask him, but he’s so focused on the game; I don’t want to ruin his concentration. We kept things strictly hockey on the ice, and it worked out for us.
I once was a diehard lover of the game too. But lately, the game hasn’t fueled me like it once did. I want something different. Now that we have an omega, an omega in danger, things are different. I want my Pack safe. Once they are safe, I can focus on the game, but not a minute before then.
The next period starts, and our forwards take control of the puck.
Paxon’s on the ice, he’s one of the forwards, left wing, he’s got control of the puck, but he quickly passes it to Timber, our center forward who has five seconds to get it as close to the net as he can before he’s swarmed, and the puck goes back to Paxon.
This back-and-forth play will be interrupted once the other team, the Ice Wolves, think we’re dumb enough to keep going. That’s when our right-wing forward, Steele, will swoop in and make the goal.
They play amazingly, the hours of practice paying off, and they make the goal, and the crowd screams.
Tonight is not the night for me to mess up.
This team is finally getting somewhere. We have wins, fans, funding.
I can’t ruin it because I can’t get my head on the ice.
With Noa and the state of her house flashing through my mind, I should tell Coach Wallace not to put me on, but my ass stays rooted on this bench.
I stare at Thorne next to me. I can’t let him down tonight. I have to trust that Havoc has her and is keeping her safe. If anything, she’s safer than she would have been in my sight. Thorne and I can fight, but we’re not built like that, not like Havoc was.
I push Noa to the back of my mind, as much as humanly possible, as the third period comes closer. The Ice Wolves soon gain control of the puck, putting our defenses to work. The puck is flying on the ice, and I try to keep up, but I stare at Thorne more than the damn game.
My Pack. All I need is my Pack.
The game goes on, with the periods coming and going. The third finally begins, and I’m itching for it to be over. The scoreboard holds the time as we skate onto the ice. We’re at 1-1. Shaking my head, I will myself to give the game my full attention.
We’re on, and the puck is flying across the ice, each team giving their absolute all to this final round.
Thorne catches the puck and is twisting and turning his way to the Ice Wolves' goalpost, getting ready to pass it to me. I skate into position, trying to lock this shot in, when an Ice Wolf defenseman shoves me. I catch Thorne in my gaze, and they are hot on his ass, too. I recover just in time for Thorne’s pass.
Skating up the ice, my sweat running down my face under my helmet. Focus, find an opening to make this damn shot, but nothing comes. I look for Thorne, fucking praying he can get this shot, so the heat of making this shot is off me.
I see the flash of his red 22, and I focus in on the goal and swing, hoping this shot doesn’t get intercepted.
It does, of fucking course, and the Ice Wolves have the puck.
Fuck. I refrain from looking at Thorne’s disappointed face.
I know he’s scrunching his eyebrows, and I know the rest of the team will give me hell for that.
Ice Wolves shoot that puck halfway down the ice. Shit. Our two defensemen try to redirect the puck, but the Ice Wolves are already shooting at the net. Grady, our goalie, is quick and blocks the shot with his chest protector, and the ref blows his whistle.
Soon, the puck is back, and I’m dodging Ice Wolf defenses trying to get it to Thorne, and the closer I get, the less of an opening I have. I may have to take this shot myself.
Thorne is exchanging body shoves with a player, and I don’t see him get shoved into the goal crease over as I shoot. Almost as if time has slowed down, I watch Thorne and the goalie fall as the puck makes it in the net. A player can’t make a shot when the goalie is shoved.
Damn it all to hell.
The ref is blowing his whistle as I skate my ass to the penalty box.
I stop right outside the box, and I’m skating back over to Thorne as the Ice Wolves' number 44 started fighting with Thorne, over the push on their goalie, most likely. Regardless, I needed this fight, and I’m out of the game, anyway.
I pull on 44’s shoulder, wiping him back and swinging, and just as my punch lands, we’re pulled apart.
“Get your ass to the box now.”
I watch the other players skate. I nod to Thorne to let him know I’m good.
I have a ten-minute misconduct. My eyes find the leaderboard and see we only have ten minutes left, anyway.
I can’t say I’m terribly sad about missing the rest of the game.
I need to get back to Noa. I need to see Thorne, Havoc, and her all safe with my own eyes.
I scan the crowd, and I see them. Two sets of brown eyes stare back at me—one with worry and one with excitement.
Havoc and Noa sit in the stands. Noa clasps her hands together, a fabric mask over half her face, like the ones people wear when they are sick.
It must be to help with the scents, and Havoc’s got his arm around her, leaning back in his chair.
The tight ball in my chest finally unravels, and my breaths come out much easier as I see them.
My alpha finally calms as my eyes meet theirs.
Wait, what are Havoc and Noa doing here? I thought he had a commission for a piece due tomorrow?
I scrunch my eyebrows, but Noa waves her fingers at me, and now I’m damning myself for not playing a better game.
She was here the whole time. My entire Pack is all here, and here I am, sticking my skate up my ass, because I was worried about them. I chuckle as I shake my head.
I can’t wait to go home with them.