Chapter 4
Zane
The air is forced from my lungs, and there’s dirt in my helmet.
I growl and try to force my way up. “Stay down, Blackwood!” The words penetrate some remote part of my brain, but it’s not enough to keep me down.
Not when my mate is out there, alone, unmated, possibly afraid.
A growl rolls through me. I forget sometimes just how big Owen is and how much it hurts to be tackled by him.
But now, I remember. I push Owen’s big body off me as my wolf tries to take control again.
I draw in a deep breath of that intoxicating scent and scan the field trying to figure out where it’s coming from.
Everything comes into sharp focus, and the game taking place on the field takes a backseat.
My wolf is running the show here, and our focus is on finding our mate.
Somebody stands in front of me, blocking my view; and I shove them out of the way without thinking.
Our mate. My wolf’s thoughts mesh with mine.
Find. I shove somebody out of my way and move towards where I think the scent is coming from.
Somebody says something to me and shoves me backwards, but I keep going forward.
Find our mate. I am aware of nothing but the driving force to find my mate.
I catch another whiff, and my wolf nearly springs from my chest. Somebody blocks my view of the rows of seats, and I shove them back as rage courses through me.
Nothing matters right now except to find our mate.
She might be hurt, in danger. What if she needs us?
I scan the rows of seats, seeing more males than females, and my wolf growls in anger.
None of these males should be here, scenting our mate. A fierce growl explodes from my chest.
“Zane! Stop!”
I’m aware of voices and chaos around me, but I tune it all out.
I no longer know what are my thoughts and what are my wolf’s, but we’re in agreement that nothing matters until our mate is safe and in our arms and.
..I lose the scent. I whirl around and sniff, trying to find the scent.
All I can smell is the male scents of my teammates.
I growl again. Where is she? Where did she go?
We have to find her now. We can’t focus until we do.
“We’ve got to get him out of here. Get Alpha Blackwood here now!” I hear voices, but none of it gets past the panic in my brain. And then one voice penetrates through all the rest.
Son, stop fighting your teammates and get to the locker room. I’ll meet you there, and we can sort this all out.
Even though he’s not here, I can feel the power behind the alpha command. Part of me, the obedient son part wants to obey; the other, the part that desperately needs to find my mate, wants to disobey the alpha command.
Come on, Zane. Fight your wolf. Control him and get out of the stadium before you make a scene you really don’t want to.
Some part of his words register in my brain, and I fight for control from my wolf.
Thankfully, he hasn’t pushed all the way through.
I’m still human, but my control is tenuous at best. I grit my teeth and wrestle back control; he doesn’t give it up easily.
I am my father’s son after all; Alpha power runs in my veins.
My beast will be Alpha one day, and he has no problem asserting himself right now and reminding me of that fact.
It takes every ounce of the strength I’ve gained over the years to push him down.
When he’s pushed down enough that I can function, I push to my feet.
I take one more sniff but don’t smell my mate’s scent.
Panic threatens to make my wolf take control again, but I keep him locked down and walk off the field, towards the locker room.
I block out the sounds of the crowd and focus on nothing but getting to the relative safety of the locker room.
I shove the door open, nearly denting the wall and take off my helmet, barely resisting the urge to throw it across the room.
I’m aware that Quint is behind me; he’d be the only one brave enough to enter the room with me right now.
Coach Mitchell probably made him come in here with me, not that he’d be able to stop me if I wanted out.
My alpha wolf won’t be contained. I sit on the bench but stand a moment later to pace.
I feel like the walls are closing in around me, and I can’t take it.
I don’t want to be in here. I need to be out there, looking for my mate.
A growl rises in my chest again before I can push it down.
Quint stays over by the door, though I’m not sure if he thinks he’s protecting me or protecting other people from me.
Probably the latter. He doesn’t say a word, and I think I’ll be grateful for that later.
I’m not sure how long I pace the room. It could be minutes; it could be hours.
All I know is if my father doesn’t get here soon, I’m going to go out and find her.
The thought of my mate stirs up every protective instinct in my body, and I can barely resist the urge to go to her.
Only the fact that I don’t know where she’s at keeps me from trying.
But if my alpha doesn’t get here soon; nothing will keep me from going back out there to find her.
The door to the room opens and with it comes a blast of Alpha power. I don’t cower, nor do I lower my head in respect. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I realize I probably should; but I can’t stay in this room one more minute. I stride towards my father. “You’d better let me go back out there.”
My father is the picture of calm, and it makes me more agitated. “What’s going on, Son?”
I crack my neck and try to keep from racing out the door. “She’s out there,” I barely get out. My father studies my face, and I know he knows what I’m talking about. But just in case, “My mate.”
“You found your mate.” His words aren’t a question; he doesn’t try to tell me it’s not true. Something about that helps my wolf to calm the slightest bit.
“Yes.”
He looks behind him a moment and then back at me. “Where is she?”
I feel the tension roll through my body, and my shoulder muscles bunch. “I don’t know,” I grit out.
He’s quiet a moment. “Well, it’s a huge stadium.”
I don’t bother responding. The fact of the matter is it’s making me lose my mind that I haven’t found her yet, but she must not be able to scent me yet either.
If she did, there would be no keeping us apart.
My muscles coil again, and I resist the urge to leave here and go find her.
If she’s going through what I’m going through, she’s going to be in agony.
Anger rips through me at the thought of her being in physical pain because she’s not near me.
“I need to find her.” My words are barely understandable; my wolf is fully engaged.
Once a shifter scents his mate, the need to be near them is overwhelming and all-consuming.
You’re in actual pain until you bond, at least that’s what I’ve always been told.
I’ve obviously never had this experience before.
But I get it now, because my insides feel like they’re on fire.
I can’t focus on anything else but getting to my mate.
I hear the low tone of my father’s voice and figure he’s talking to Quint, but I could care less. I need out of this room.
“Son.” My father’s voice lashes out at me, keeping me under its Alpha command.
“We will find your mate, but there are too many people right now.” I growl low in my chest, but he keeps going.
“Give us until after the game. She may not even scent you right now; there are simply too many people.” He comes to a stop in front of me and puts his hands on my shoulders.
“You have to focus right now. I know you want to find her, and we will. But you lead this team, and right now, that’s your priority.
” I look him in the eye and let him know just what I think of that.
His stern gaze never leaves mine. “You’re their captain, through good times and bad.
And right now, their captain and quarterback is in the locker room with their wide receiver.
Your teammates are confused and rattled; they need you right now.
They don’t need the wolf; they need the quarterback.
” His words penetrate somehow, and guilt rises.
I’m at war with myself and my wolf. “You let me work on finding the she-wolf.” I growl, but he ignores it.
“I brought a few pack members. You focus on the game; we’ll find her. ”
I take a breath and try to ease the pain in my chest. “I’m trusting you to find her.” My words are not an idle threat, and my father knows that.
“We’ll find her. You go win this game.” I stare into his eyes a moment longer and then stride towards the door. “Son.” I don’t turn back, but I pause in the doorway. “Give her a game she won’t forget.”
With those words burning through me, I stride back towards the game.
“You good?” Quint asks. I nod, and that’s that.
We jog out onto the field and over to our bench.
I grimace when I see the scoreboard and know my father was right in telling me to get back out here.
Even though this is the last place I want to be right now, I made a commitment to this team and it’s time to follow through.
Coach turns to me, his piercing eyes seeing more than I want him to see.
“You good?” It’s the same question Quint asked. Not really. But I nod anyway and grab my helmet. “Go.” He nods at the field, and I run out onto the field. Cameron, my backup, runs past me, and I stop him for a brief second.
“Thank you.” He nods and jogs back to the bench.
I take a shallow breath, so I don’t breathe my mate’s scent again and make myself get into the zone.
Everything fades away except this next play, my teammates, and the football.
I have to trust that my dad and Alpha will do what needs to be done.
Owen locks eyes with me, and I give him a nod.
He turns back and lines up for the snap.
The centering I was looking for finds me as soon as the ball touches my fingers.
I look down the field and move, buying myself time to get a pass fired off to Drew.
He snatches it midair and turns and runs all the way in for a touchdown.
I breathe a small sigh of relief. I can do this.
One play at a time. Win this game, and then I can find my mate.
Owen smacks my helmet, and Dejaun smacks my back. “Welcome back.”
I nod and head off the field. Coach grabs my shoulder as I pass him. “Good job, Blackwood.”
I head to the bench but think better of it.
That’s where I got into trouble last time.
I stay at the top end of the bench and continue to breathe shallowly.
I don’t turn around, knowing if I do, I could lose control again.
I force myself to watch the defense’s every move, just so I can stay focused.
I glance at the scoreboard and see it’s not even halftime.
This is going to be the longest game of my life.