Page 14 of Baseball and Shifters

“Ahh, man,” a few players grumble, but no one argues as they leave the field.

Derrick is back to his easy-going self before we make it to our dorm. We eat a dinner specially curated by the team’s nutritionist and then gather around the TV to watch the tapes of Shadowpeak’s players before they were recruited to the college team. It’s not long before we’re bored of it and Lucas turns his attention on me.

“What’s up with you?” Lucas asks.

My eyes look around trying to determine if he’s actually talking to me or if his question was meant for one of the other guys.

“Yeah, I’m talking to you, dummy. You’ve been all quiet and reserved the past few days. That’s not like you. That’s Liam’s gig. Don’t take it away from him. He’ll have nothing left.”

D huffs a laugh as Liam glares at his twin.

D and I grew up in a town only one over from the twins and were on rival teams until a month ago. I’ve known them almost as long as I’ve known Derrick. They’re opposites in every way. I swear the only things they have in common are their DNA and baseball.

For identical twins, they are surprisingly easy to tell apart. Beyond the fact that Lucas is always carefree to Liam’s uptightness, they also have vastly different styles. Liam is always dressed in a way that can only be described as a polished outdoorsman and his camera is almost always strapped around his neck when he isn’t practicing or playing baseball. Lucas on the other hand has a more casual approach wearing whatever is clean which is usually a pair of athletic shorts and a team t-shirt. Even something as simple as their hair seems to be at odds with each other, Lucas’s shaggy blonde locks falling into his eyes while Liam’s is buzzed closer to his head on the sides and almost always perfectly styled on top.

I’m lost in my thoughts and must take too long to answer because Derrick joins the inquisition. If anyone knows when I’m hiding something, it’s him.

He pins me with an intense stare and I know I’m seconds away from cracking. The fucker’s always been able to pull my secrets from me without even trying. A skill he picked up from his councilman father. Mr. Ashford would be proud.

“I met my mate,” I blurt. “Well, I think I did… She didn’t seem to recognize me. Wouldn’t even look at me in class.”

“You met your mate? Man, that’s awesome! Congrats!” Lucas cheers.

“I saidmaybe. I could have sworn she was. But she didn’t bat an eye no matter how close I got. Think something’s wrong with my nose? Wait, what if something is wrong with her nose?” The thought strikes me for the first time and I am instantly concerned about her.

D huffs a laugh and I glare at him.

“You know not everyone can sense their mates through scent, right? I mean dragons know at first sight so she probably isn’t a shifter who mates on sight or scent.” He rolls his eyes. “Maybe she doesn’t know you’re her mate. When have you ever doubted your nose? I swear you could find a cheeseburger in a trash heap.”

My eyes widen and my jaw drops. “So sheismy mate?”

“I mean… she could be.” He shrugs. “I’m just saying, maybe whatever kind she is mates differently. Did you touch her? Sing her a little ditty?”

“What? No. Why would I do that?”

“Well, do you know what kind of shifter she is?” He arches a brow.

“She smells like the forest.”

Liam hasn’t said a word all night, but his eyes flash as I describe her scent.

Does he know her? We had both English and Math with her and it seemed like he was actively avoiding her. He obviously has some idea who I’m talking about.

“Okay. Forest… That could still be a lot of different animals. Wolves, birds, deer, squirrels…”

“She’s not a squirrel.” I scowl at him.

“I hope not. Can you imagine a tiger with a squirrel?” Lucas joins him in laughing at my expense, but I don’t find it the least bit amusing.

“Yuck it up. Just wait until you meet your mates. Then we’ll see who’s laughing,” I grumble.

Rachel

“Oh my God, I’m glad to be home,” Dallas groans. “Fridays are so long. Why do I have to end my week with three classes when you guys only have two? That’s just not fair,” she pouts, flopping dramatically onto the couch.

“That’s what you get for being a science major,” Aubree teases, nudging Dallas with her shoulder.

“We can’t all studyhistory. Besides, I would be bored out of my mind. You know I need a challenge. What bigger challenge is there than understanding how someone’s brain works? What makes them tick? Why they are the way they are.”

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