45. Ellis

45

Ellis

L ast game, best game. But it won't be easy.

Hungary isn't going down without a fight. Lucky for them, we've got plenty of fight left in us. At the end of the second quarter, we're up 3-1. They're making us work for each goal, but we're ahead.

McQuinn blocks a shot, kisses the ball, and chucks it to his new bonded. Nils takes off with everything he has, and I'm right behind him, zeroing in on the ball while keeping my eye on the Hungarians around me. They're boxing me in, so Nils passes to Meggie. I lunge between her and one of the other players, trying to guard her as she passes to Harrison, who chucks the ball back to Nils, who shoots!

Blocked! Damn it.

The goalie throws the ball back into play, and I'm all over the Hungarian who receives it. He turns, trying to keep possession, and passes with a whip-like shot. Dante kicks out of the water and seizes the ball in an epic catch, but the moment his hand makes contact, his shoulder twists back and our bond explodes in pain.

Excruciating pain.

My vision goes white and then the sharp agonizing stabs are suddenly gone. I can't feel Dante at all.

I can't feel my bonded!

Panic drives me to action, and I finally focus on what's happening in the pool. Dante is floating face down, unconscious in the water.

I race towards him, but Harrison is closer and gets there first. He flips him and drags him to the side of the pool where referees and Dr. Atkinson are waiting to pull him up. I reach the edge just as they lay him on his side and he gasps in a breath, spitting out water. Tears cloud my eyes as his emotions flood the bond again. The pain is still there, but with it, there's a deep sense of guilt and grief.

I get out of the pool and reach for him.

"Don't touch him," one of the doctors says.

Dr. Atkinson puts a hand on my shoulder. "They just want to be overly cautious. We'll take him for x-rays."

"I'm coming with you." I don't even think about the game.

It's almost over. They could let us keep playing down a player like a penalty. Maybe they'd make the Hungarians drop a player too, in order to keep it fair. The referees are consulting. But I don't care what they do, because I'm going with Dante. I've never felt him in pain like that before, and there's no way in hell I'm leaving him alone.

Meggie pushes forward, wraps her arm around me, and nuzzles into my side. Like we're already bonded and she can sense how much I need her.

"We're all coming," Harrison says, putting a hand on my shoulder.

I shake my head, unsure what to say.

"No," Dante protests, trying to shove up from the tile floor. "I'm fine. Let's finish the game." His voice is lined with agony, and the grimace on his face is the exact opposite of his words.

"You're not fine," I yell, all my emotions right at the surface now. "You just passed out from the pain in your shoulder!"

"I won't be the reason we lose the gold." Dante grits his teeth and tries to stand again, pushing away the doctors.

Harrison holds Dante's gaze, and puts a hand on his uninjured shoulder, keeping him down. "We're not risking your health for a moment of glory. You're more important."

He gives us each a meaningful look, and I think about that moment in the bathroom yesterday—or was it the day before—when we were debating what to do if Meggie's heat didn't break before the game.

"Pack first." I smile.

"Pack first." My teammates all repeat.

The doctors finish with their initial workup and decide Dante can walk himself, so they help him up. Meggie immediately leaves me and wraps him in a gentle hug. Perfect little omega, knowing exactly what we need. For someone who's stuffed down her omega tendencies for years, she's really a natural.

"We forfeit." Harrison says to the referee.

Then we all walk away from the game together.