Page 62 of Baseball and Shifters

My heart clenches at her words, the warmth in our bond soothing the last of the lingering rage.

“Fates, Moonbeam…” I breathe in her scent, burying my face in her hair as I hug her tighter. “I love you, too. Always.”

I feel her body relax against mine, her tension finally easing. The bond between us has settled and I no longer feel her fear, but I don’t miss the lingering wisp of worry floating between us.

“What is it, Moonbeam?” I ask softly.

She pulls back just enough to meet my eyes and chews her bottom lip.

“Lucas… What if Coach finds out? Isn’t there a no fighting rule?” Her voice is barely above a whisper.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll handle Coach.” I try to reassure her.

“Okay,” she whispers. “Just please don’t get in trouble because of me.”

“Trouble’s worth it if it means keeping you safe,” I murmur, kissing her softly.

When we reach her dorm, I send her off with one last passionate kiss goodnight and make my way back to the boys dorm. Entering the front door I make my way over to the small cafe in the back corner to grab the snacks I was tasked with bringing to Liam's party. I’m perusing the offerings when the back door closest to me opens. Turning to see whose entering the building I lock eyes with none other than Trent fucking Hopper.

My wolf chuffs in pleasure when he audibly squeaks and darts back out the door before it can fully close. Snacks secured I make my way back up to the dorm to start Liam’s movie marathon.

Monday, I wake up to someone pounding on my door. Wiping my bleary sleep filled eyes, I make my way out into the living room to find Derrick standing just inside the front door.

“Dude, what did you do? This says you’ve been summoned for a disciplinary meeting with the dean in an hour.” Derrick hands me the piece of paper in his hand.

“Shit what time is it? This paper says the meeting is at two. Did I really sleep all day?” I shake my head still trying to clear the fog from my brain.

“Yeah, man. I tried to wake you up earlier, but you were dead to the fucking world. Rachel called. She’s worried about you. I told her I’m sure you’re fine, but clearly, she knows something I don’t.” He eyes the paper in my hand.

“FuckingTrent,” I snarl. It has to be that fucker stirring up shit after yesterday. I swear to God if he comes after my mate again, yesterday will be a dream compared to what I do to him.

“The fuck did he do?”

Shaking my head, I turn back to my room. I know D wants to help, but I don’t have time for it right now. I’ll have to explain everything to everyone when I get home. I didn’t want to ruin the party last night; that’s the only reason they don’t already know. I hurry to take a shower and get dressed then make my way over to the admin building where Dean Harold’s office is.

Sitting in the dean’s office facing off with him and Coach Mace is like being stuck in a pressure cooker. The walls feel like they’re closing in around me and the air is thick with tension.

I sit in the uncomfortable leather chair, my leg bouncing uncontrollably. The afternoon sun filters in casting shadows across the room. Coach stands just behind Dean Harold, arms crossed, and jaw set tight. He hasn’t said much since we walked in, but the disappointment rolling off of him is suffocating me.

“Lucas,” the dean sighs, adjusting his glasses before looking back down at the folder in front of him. “I’m not going to sugarcoat this. We’ve got a serious problem.”

I grit my teeth, keeping my mouth shut even though my wolf is pacing in frustration.

“Benching you for one game is the easy part,” Coach finally speaks up. “Hitting another student, even in self-defense, is against the code of conduct. You know that.”

“I didn’t hit him.” I mutter, jaw tight.

“Don’t lie to me boy.” Coach grits out at me. “He had the bruises to prove it this morning.”

“I didn’thithim,” I repeat through clenched teeth. “I shifted and chased him a bit, maybe I nipped at his heels. But I never laid a damn hand, or paw, on him.”

“Lucas,” Dean Harold cuts in, his voice soft but serious. “Regardless of the details, whatever happened between you and Mr. Hopper was enough to land you in hot water.” He flips through a couple of pages in the folder before looking back at me “Someone has submitted an anonymous report.”

“A report?” I question, my stomach drops, and I feel myself begin to sweat.

He nods, his expression grim. “They’ve claimed you are a danger to the other students.”

My jaw clenches so tightly that my teeth ache.

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