Responsibility #2
For a while, the match dissolves into movement and noise, laughter mixed with excited shouts, as Sienna subtly tries to guide the game, drawing the ball ever closer to their goal while still letting the girls get a few touches in so it doesn’t look too obvious.
I slow as I come up behind her, watching the way she moves, the slight tilt of her head whenever she’s concentrating, the almost imperceptible lift of her hand when she’s guiding the ball.
“Someone’s playing dirty,” I murmur close to her ear.
She jumps, spinning around quickly, and for a brief second, we’re closer than either of us expects, her shoulder brushing my chest as her focus breaks and her control vanishes. Her eyes widen, strands of her curls falling into her eyes.
Patricia immediately darts in, stealing the ball from the boys.
I don’t step back straight away.
Instead, I let my gaze linger, just long enough to feel the shift in the air between us before I step away and rake my fingers through my hair.
“Didn’t think that was the way you play,” I remark, trying to break the tension.
“As I said, maybe you don’t know as much as you think,” she replies with a small, mischievous smile. It’s not spiteful, just a reminder that we didn’t have as much time as we should have to get to know everything about one another.
She pushes past me then, her hand pressing briefly against my side as she slips around me, and the contact sends a sharp, unexpected jolt through me that lingers even after her hand is gone.
I turn just in time to see her take control of the ball properly this time, no magic, driving it forward.
“Luna!” Sophie pouts from behind us.
“Sorry!” Sienna calls back, laughing, though when she glances at me again, there’s a clear challenge in her eyes.
“Alpha, aren’t you supposed to be a pro?” Patricia shouts, clearly disapproving of me standing around.
I shake my head, exhaling a quiet laugh as I move back into the game.
“Alright then,” I say, eyes flicking to Sienna for a brief second longer than necessary. “Let’s actually play.”
I step in, cleanly taking the ball off one of the boys before bringing it between my feet, keeping it close as I weave past them and push up the pitch. I sense her before I see her, her scent hitting my nose. I’m extra aware of every little thing about her without even having to focus on it.
She doesn’t hold back this time, attempting to nick the ball away, and I angle my body instinctively, blocking her path as she presses closer, her shoulder brushing mine as she tries again.
“You’ll have to do better than that,” I say arrogantly.
“Maybe I’m just warming up,” she shoots back, her breath slightly uneven as she keeps pace with me.
I feel her power reach for the ball again, subtle but there, and I react immediately, letting my aura wrap around it like a shield, cutting her off before she can take control.
She exhales softly in frustration, though there’s a hint of a smile tugging at her lips when our eyes meet again, neither of us looking away.
“I would have gone easy on you,” I add huskily, holding her gaze for a fraction too long. “But I can’t let my team down.”
Before she can respond, I strike the ball, sending it straight at our goal.
The girls erupt into cheers while the boys groan behind us, but I barely register it.
Sienna slows to a stop a few steps away, hands planted on her hips, a small smile on her face.
“Sorry, guys,” she says, her eyes finding me once again.
“It’s okay, Luna,” one of the girls calls. “The Alpha’s just fast.”
“Or he’s just good at football,” Sienna replies, tilting her head slightly, her gaze still locked on mine. “I don’t think he’s that fast.”
I scoff, stepping closer, resisting the urge to pull her close and bury my nose in her neck and instead focus on her dreamy red eyes.
“You’re talking to the Deimos King,” I remind her, my voice softer now, more deliberate. “Our bloodline is known for our speed.”
She raises her eyebrow playfully. “Oh really?” she says, her tone shifting just slightly as challenge settles in. “So you think you could beat me in a race?”
“Yeah,” I reply with full confidence.
“Race! Race! Race!” the kids chant.
“Shall we?” I ask.
“Yes,” she says, and I take a few steps closer to the wall behind us.
“We start on three. First to the far wall wins,” I declare.
“Sure,” Sienna replies as she turns slightly toward me, close enough that her scent fills my nose, and close enough that my gaze dips to her beauty spot above her lip. I’ve always loved it. There’s a subtle shift in her breathing.
“Ready?” one of the kids calls, taking charge. “One… two…”
I glance at her just as she fixes the strap of her bra, a loose strand of hair brushing over her lips, her thick eyelashes flutter, caressing her cheeks, before her gaze sears into me, promising me everything I could desire and more.
The world fades away, and for a moment it’s just her and me. A small seductive smile curves the corner of her lips.
And then she’s moving.
A flash of motion and she’s gone, her laugh ringing in the air as she sprints across the garden.
“Alpha, go!” one of the kids shouts, and I blink, snapping back to reality. I break into a run, but she already has a head start.
She knew exactly what she’d do to me.
Sienna gets to the wall first, spinning around with a burst of energy as she throws her fist into the air. The kids erupt into cheers while she flashes me a brilliant smile before turning to the kids as they gather around her.
I hang back, crossing my arms as she ruffles their hair and speaks to them. She’s a natural with them. Then they’re waving goodbye.
“Thank you, Alpha! Thank you, Luna! We’re going to go now, bye!” they call, grabbing the ball and scattering as Sienna waves until they are out of sight.
I walk toward her. “You played dirty,” I say, though there’s more amusement than accusation in my tone.
“All’s fair in love and war,” she replies lightly, her eyes flicking up to meet mine again.
“And this was neither,” I counter, stopping just in front of her.
“Depends how you look at it,” she replies softly, tilting her head as she peers up at me. “I’d say it was a bit of both.”
I hold her gaze for a moment, something unspoken settling between us, before I arch a brow slightly.
But she simply smiles, turning and walking off toward the mansion, leaving me standing there.
But her words remain with me.
All’s fair in love and war.
She left for love.
And we’re standing far too close to war.
“Seize every precious moment without delay, because no one knows what the future holds.” Those were words Mom spoke, and I know she’s right.
Sienna stops at the door, turning her head to the sky as some birds chirp loudly in the trees above.
My phone rings, and I drag my eyes away from the goddess before me and frown at the name on the screen.
It’s Ahren.
“Hey. What’s up?” I answer.
“Yeah, not much. Do you think you can meet me in Stratford-Upon-Avon? There’s something I discovered that I wanted to show you; bring Sienna.”
“Sure, when do you want to meet?”
“Does tonight at ten work?”
“Sure.”
The phone call ends, and I stare at my mobile.
What has Ahren discovered? Will it bring us closer to the answers we seek?
I fucking hope so.