Page 8 of Quarterback Sneak
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 peoplefromme. 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 thatmy 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.
Chapter 5
Zane
The discipline and control I’ve learned over the years helps me focus on the task at hand. Somehow, we finish the game with a win. I tried to keep the thought of my mate being here far from my mind, but knowing she’s watching also might have pushed me to play better. I go through all the motions at the end of the game and don’t let myself think about what I’m going to find when I get to the locker room. I just need to get through the team meeting, and then I can meet up with my dad and find my mate.Finally. My heart thunders in my chest at the prospect, but I keep a steady control of myself and my wolf.
I barely hear a word Coach says, until he says my name. “And Blackwood, nice recovery.” I nod.
“What happened out there with you?” Terryl calls out.
I lift my eyes to Coach, wondering how to field this one. I’ve never, not once in my life, lost control the way I did today. “Ever heard of the yips?” Coach asks in a stern voice. Of course they have. Every player has. “That’s what happened to our boy today, but he recovered and finished strong. That’s what counts.”
I stare at him a moment.So that’s how we’re running this.I don’t exactly like it, but we have to have some kind of cover story. I let Coach say what he’s going to say and will him to just finish. When he finally finishes, the guys take to the showers. I’m anxious to meet up with my dad and finally meet my mate, but probably a shower is the best way to go. I hurry through my shower and get dressed. While I’m in the shower, I reach out to my dad through our pack link.
Where are you? Did you find her?
He responds almost immediately.I’ll come to the locker room.
I deflate a little because he’s probably not planning on bringing my mate, my very female mate, into the college men’s locker room. Finally, all my teammates except Quint leave. I’m glad because I don’t know if I can keep pretending that everything is normal, and that I just had a case of the yips.Thanks, Coach.Quint doesn’t say anything, and that’s just as well because I don’t really feel like talking right now.
