5. Meggie

5

Meggie

" S occer on water. Water polo is a team sport with six players and a goalie in the pool for each team. There are four eight-minute quarters to game play with the highest scoring team winning."

The slightly slurred voiceover stops as I tap my phone screen, pausing the video for the second time that morning. The narrator sounds as if he has taken one-too-many hits to the head during his career in the pool.

I pull more pillows around me on the bed, needing the comfort of a nest while I try to absorb all the rules. I wish I had gone with Emily to see some of her brother's games when she invited me. It would have made all of this a little less foreign. I close my eyes and give myself a pop quiz, listing out the different positions.

Center forward. Center back. Right driver. Shooters… It's completely insane that I'm even considering competing at an Olympic level for a sport I've never played before. The fact I've resorted to internet videos of how this sport works should be a clear enough sign I shouldn't be doing this. It's all Emily's fault, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't crazy enough to jump for this side-door to the Olympics.

I've got a few hours until I meet up with Emily for my first water polo practice. A few hours still to bail if I chicken out, but I already know I won't be doing that. I want this too much, and I've already come so close.

It's just swimming. Swimming with more of my legs than my arms. Swimming with a different kind of cap on. And I get to play catch while I tread water. While other players try to pull me under the whole time. Yeah, easy peasy.

"Ugh!" I groan at myself and pull a pillow over my face. Emily and Ellis are giving me an incredible opportunity, and I'm sitting here debating it? What is the matter with me?!

Clicking play on the video again, I try to focus on the rules of gameplay.

"The shot clock is only for 30 seconds, so it's best to get a shot off quickly before possession passes to the other team," the man mumbles over shots of players grappling in a pool by the goal. They don't go easy on each other. This is an aggressive sport. They compare it to soccer, but it kind of seems more like hockey. Full contact. And players picking fights.

Maybe requiring betas and females on every team is the International Olympic Committee's misguided attempt to bring down the testosterone levels. The IOC clearly doesn't understand how aggressive alphas can be with or without betas around.

At the end of the video, the narrator interviews a few players, all of them still dripping wet from the pool.

I've been around male swimmers for years, so their little speedos aren't anything new. But I catch myself thinking about Ellis in one. Barely covered. Muscles glistening with water.

Competing at this level, male swimmers shave everything , and it looks like water polo players are just as silky smooth.

On a whim, I search Pack Hart and immediately find a picture of six men and a woman at a press conference. I assume the woman is the beta who pulled out at the last minute. Or their omega.

All six men are uniquely gorgeous. But Ellis's casual smile really captures my attention, remembering how he'd turned that smile on me.

A little wave of heat travels down to my core. Oh, no.

Thoughts like that aren't going to help me. Nope. I give my head a shake to clear the image of smooth Ellis out of my thoughts.

Pressing play on another instructional video, I make a promise to myself to focus on the different types of passes and not the men handling the ball.

The hour goes by too quickly, and because of my unwise googling of Pack Hart, there's the slightest whiff of my perfume lingering on my skin. Subtle, but I won't chance it. I swallow an extra dose of blockers and take another shower, being sure to use a generous amount of deodorizing shampoo in my hair.

After a quick text to Emily letting her know I'm running late, I hurry to the rec center where we're supposed to meet.

When I get there, she isn't alone. She's sitting with Ellis on the side of the pool, their backs to me, their feet dangling in the water.

The locker room door shuts, and they both turn, smiling as they stand up. Side-by-side, I can see the similarities in the siblings, even if Ellis is five years older. As an Alpha, he's tall and has a demanding presence about him, very different from his beta sister's 5'2" stature. But they both have the same dirty blonde hair, the same heart-shaped face, though Ellis's jaw is more defined.

Ellis saunters over first. "Ready to learn about water polo?"

I glare at Emily. She should have told me Ellis was coming. I'm glad I took that extra dose of blockers and that Ellis is wearing swim trunks instead of the standard speedo. But he still looks delicious. And his scent gives me a craving to lick his glistening chest right up to the bite mark where his right shoulder meets his neck. Fuck. A sudden craving to be bitten by this man makes me feel flushed and tingly. Shit. This isn't good.

I shake my head, and Emily nudges me with her elbow. "She's more than ready. She's going to rock this."

Her chipper voice reminds me that Ellis asked a question, and I quickly add, "Yeah, let's do it."

"We won't play an actual game yet, since there's only the three of us and you need to learn some fundamentals first."

While he's talking, I throw my towel down on the bench that runs the length of the wall. His gaze skims over my body, and I can't help noticing that his scent is stronger, overpowering the chlorine coming off the pool.

And I'm back to imagining my tongue on him. Great.

I glare at Em for setting this up, knowing full well how dangerous it is for me to be around an alpha. She looks at her brother, pretending she doesn't notice. Traitor.

"How much do you know about water polo?" He asks.

More than I did this morning, but less than I should. "A bit."

"Ever seen a game?"

If the videos I watched this afternoon count. "Yeah."

Emily does her signature little hop of excitement and grabs my arm. "Come on, let's get in. I'll show you how to do the eggbeater."

One video I watched talked about the wide-legged style of treading water, so I have some idea of the concept, but I haven't actually tried it before. Those kicks are clearly the reason Ellis has legs like a god. Thick thighs that could probably thrust and squat for hours. Nope, not gonna think about his legs.

The cool water and chlorine smell helps to alleviate some of the attraction I'm feeling, and I manage to pay attention as he and Emily demonstrate the eggbeater. It's harder than it seems, but I figure it out.

I might have to forgive Emily because her brother is an excellent teacher. I'm actually glad he's here.

"You picked that up a lot better than Oz did the first time I taught him. I'm impressed." Ellis beams at me, and I bask in the praise. Omegas thrive on praise, but it's not a part of myself that I regularly indulge. I try not to act too eager for it, but this man could give me a serious praise kink.

"Who's Oz?" I ask, in order to keep myself from thinking of Ellis and his praise.

"He's one of El's pack mates, remember? Ozren?" Emily says, treading water beside me. "He's got this bad boy look that's nearly irresistible, if you ask me. All those tattoos." She uses her hand to fan her face in an exaggerated motion.

That's right. Emily mentioned him last night, but honestly, her quick descriptions of the team went in one ear and out the other. And when I looked up their picture today, I didn't let myself linger or pay much attention to names.

Ellis gives his sister a crooked smile. "He is very attractive, but not for you."

"Yeah, yeah. You've already made that clear." Emily waves a hand through the air.

"Alright, Megs, let's see how long you can go. Tread water with those eggbeater kicks."

My cheeks heat at him calling me Megs. Emily is the only one who calls me that, but I like the way it sounds coming from him.

He presses something on his watch and it's clear he's starting a timer. After only a few seconds, Emily drops under the water before emerging with a laugh. "I'm out. You two have fun."

She goes to the end of the pool and starts swimming laps. I'm pretty sure Emily gave up on purpose to leave the two of us alone. She's an Olympic diver, so her legs are plenty strong.

Ellis holds my gaze. "You good?"

My thighs burn a little, unused to this particular movement, but I nod my head. We don't say anything more, but he doesn't look away and neither do I. There's something about Ellis that puts me at ease. It's more than just his delicious scent. Maybe it's the way he exudes friendly confidence, like he's comfortable in his own skin and willing to let the people he's with be comfortable in theirs too. He seems like an open book. Authentic and genuine. I wonder what that's like.

I spend so much time trying to blend in and lie low, I'm not sure I would even know how to be myself with someone else. Apart from Emily. And even with her, it's hard sometimes. We're with other people a lot, and I always have to be careful to hide my omega tendencies and suppress my scent and physical reactions.

"Still good?" Ellis asks. His hands skim through the water, and I notice his nails are each a different color. A rainbow. His nails were white yesterday. I want to ask him about it and what the colors mean, but I'm not sure if he'd find it too personal. It's only nail polish, but something tells me Ellis isn't the type to have a tattoo or paint his nails without it meaning something.

I nod and offer him a smile. Used to a lot of cardio, I'm not worn out or breathless, but my muscles are protesting.

"You'll be sore tonight. If you… have someone who can give you a massage, that might help."

Is he fishing to find out if I have a boyfriend? Or just offering a casual suggestion? I'm honestly not sure. I want to ask him to do it, but I obviously can't, so I just nod and change the subject.

"What happened to your other beta? Em didn't say."

"She fell in love." My forehead wrinkles in confusion, and he adds, "With another alpha pack. You know how alphas can be."

Possessive. Territorial. Even more so with Omegas. Yet another reason I don't want to be found out. I don't want to find myself trapped in a controlling relationship.

"Her alphas didn't want her living with a bunch of other alphas. We tried to convince them to let her stay through the Olympics, but… her pack alpha put a stop to that."

"He didn't…?"

"Yeah, he used his bark on her."

"Shit." I hate how some alphas think that just because they can control others with their bark, it means they have the right to. I wonder if Ellis truly understands how horrible that feels. It's clear he's powerful. Even Daniel submitted to Ellis's bark. And I'm grateful he used it to help me yesterday, but he still used it.

As if he can tell the direction of my thoughts, he says, "I've never used my bark on a beta or omega, Meggie. You don't have to worry about that with me." His smile returns. "Doesn't seem fair when they can't bark back."

We tread water for a few more seconds before he asks, "So why do you want to go to the Olympics so badly? Apart from keeping Em company."

The question takes me off guard. "Why wouldn't I want to? It's the height of athletic accomplishment."

"So you want the accolades."

I shake my head slowly. "No. I don't think so. I mean, sure, the praise and attention is nice." Especially for an omega who doesn't get much of it. "But I think I really want the experience. I want to know what it's like. I want to say to my kids someday, I did that. You know?"

Growing up, we didn't always have a lot. My cereal wasn't name brand, and I didn't buy my back-to-school clothes at the mall like my friends did. But my mom worked really hard for the things we had. I know my competitive swim lessons weren't cheap, or the gym fees so I could use the pools. Plus the race entry fees and coaches. My mom sacrificed a lot for me to get to this level, and if I don't make it to the Olympics, if I don't come home with a medal…

She would tell me it's alright. She'd say it doesn't matter as long as I did my best, and she'd smile while a tear or two rolled down her cheek as that dream for her daughter died.

Too many of my mom's own dreams died. She wanted things for herself, but then kids came along and she always put me and my sisters first. My mom was at every swim meet, every chorus concert, and every bake sale. She handmade costumes for the school play and served hotdogs to pay for sports team dues. But she gave up on her own dreams in the process. There wasn't ever enough time for everything. There wasn't enough money for everything. So she put herself last and her kids first, like a good mom does, I suppose. But in my own adulthood now, I wish she'd chased some of those dreams of hers.

I have to bring home a medal for my mom. If it can't be swimming, it might as well be water polo.

Ellis clears his throat, and I realize I've completely zoned out and missed what he said.

"Sorry," I offer.

He gives me a slow warm smile, and I'm fully zoned back in again. Fully zoned in. It should be illegal for someone to be this attractive. His hooded eyes drop to my lips, making it clear I'm not the only one feeling this.

Snap out of it, Meggie. He's got an omega. He's bonded. He's not for you.

"Let's see how you are with balls." His cheeks turn a slight pink as he realizes what he said. It makes me smile and defuses some of the tension between us.

I want to respond to the unintentional innuendo, but that wouldn't be a good idea. So I swim to the side of the pool where he's left a water polo ball, and we spend the next thirty minutes playing one-handed catch since you can't use both hands in water polo unless you're the goalie.

We talk a little about casual topics, like television shows we're watching and about how lettuce on a burger is a crime against humanity. He's funny and easy to be around. Before I know it, Em is finished swimming laps, and it's time to go.

I'm thoroughly worn out, but sort of sad to be done. We all climb out of the pool, and Ellis makes plans to meet up with me again tomorrow for more practice. Then he says goodbye, giving me a smile and Emily a big hug.

As he reaches the men's locker room, he looks back over his shoulder, and gives me a long look, this one dangerously intense. He looks like he wants to devour me. My insides quiver and something eager flutters to life in my chest.

Clueless, Em jumps up and down, throws her arm around me, and gives me a big squeeze as if my first practice went off without a single hitch, which I guess it did, if you don't count my raging hormones revolting against my life choices every time Ellis looked at me.

"This is gonna work," she says. "I just know it."

I really hope she's right. Because spending time with Ellis is doing dangerous things to me. Things that will make it hard to stay hidden.

If the rest of his pack is half as appealing as he is, I might be in serious trouble.