Page 13 of Eight Count Heat
I keep my expression neutral. "Kinsley Adams. Still captain, I see."
Her smile hardens. "We competed against each other three times last season. You should remember."
"I remember winning twice," I reply, unable to resist.
Her eyes narrow. "And now you're the first female cox on the men's team in Sable Ridge history. Quite the achievement."
"Thanks," I say, though it's clearly not a compliment.
"Just curious why you jumped ship to the men's team instead of coming to us. We could use your experience. Especially after that... incident at Westlake."
My blood runs cold. The truth, that women's teams have more Omegas, making detection more likely, isn't something I can share. "I go where the competition is."
Fire flickers in her eyes. "Implying we're not good enough? We placed third at nationals last year."
"And the men's team has a shot at Olympic development. That's my goal."
"So ambitious," the redhead cuts in, voice sweet as poison. "Maybe she thinks she's too good for us now, Kins. Just like at the Eastern Qualifier."
"Something like that," Kinsley says, looking me up and down. Her nostrils flare slightly. "You smell different than at Westlake. Like... nothing."
My heart skips. "Scentless Beauty soap. Hypoallergenic."
"Hmm." She leans closer. "Funny. You had quite a distinct scent at the Eastern regionals. I remember it clearly."
My pulse quickens. Had my suppressants failed before without me realizing?
"The guys on the team have been talking about you," she continues. "Especially Gray Lockwood."
This change of subject catches me off guard. "What about him?"
"He's my boyfriend." Her smile turns razor-sharp. "Or was, until recently. Just thought you should know in case you got any ideas."
Of course. Alpha territory marking. How original.
"Your relationship status isn't relevant to my ability to steer a boat," I reply, echoing my words from breakfast.
Kinsley's laugh is brittle. "So cold. No wonder you fit right in with those machines. Just remember, Gray might be letting you call the shots on the water for now, but he always comes back to me."
"Is there a point to this conversation? I have class."
The brunette finally speaks, her voice surprisingly deep. "The point is, stay in your lane. Cox the boat if you must, but remember where you stand in the hierarchy."
"Which is nowhere," the redhead adds.
"Thanks for the warm welcome." I adjust my bag on my shoulder. "Now if you'll excuse me."
I move to step around them, but Kinsley shifts to block my path.
"One more thing. There's a reason female coxes don't bond with male crews. It destroys team dynamics. Creates jealousy. Drama." Her eyes narrow. "The university doesn't take kindly to disrupted athletics programs. They've been known to investigate... irregularities."
The veiled threat hangs in the air. She knows more than she's letting on, and she's making it clear that my position here isn't as secure as I'd like to believe.
"Good thing I'm just there to steer the boat," I say finally.
"Good." Kinsley steps aside. "Keep it that way."
I walk past them, keeping my pace measured though my instincts scream to run. Their eyes burn into my back all the way to the classroom door.
