20. Twenty - Tate

twenty - tate

. . .

My phone buzzes in its holder while I'm on my way to the arena for morning skate.

SS: Did it work how you wanted it to?

Me: Whether it worked or not shouldn't concern you.

SS: I'll take that as a yes. Haven't seen you at the club in a while. Planning on visiting again any time soon?

Me: The time isn't right yet.

SS: Tell me she at least knows about that part of you.

Me: Again, none of your concern.

Socrates and I have been acquaintances for years. He runs an underground safe house for omegas running from abusive alphas and has no problem coming to take care of problem alphas. The safe house is funded by La Peau, his underground playground. I've been patronizing that place for years, until now. I won't go again until I know she's ready.

Maybe I should visit sometime soon. It doesn't mean I have to play. It's more than acceptable to just come and watch others. Hell, some people enjoy it. I wonder if my Rebel will.

I'm getting hard just thinking about her tied up and at my mercy. Fuck .

SS: Come to the club soon. Bring your omega.

I don't respond to his last text. She's not ready yet.

Pulling into the arena lot, I realize that everyone else is here already. If I hadn't run home first, I probably would've been here sooner. Parking first, I hop out of my car and jog towards the entrance, through the doors, and down the hall to the locker room. A few guys are slowly finishing up.

I quickly, or what I think is quick, get dressed in my gear and head out to the rink. Bitter cold kisses my face as I step onto the ice, and I close my eyes and inhale, trying to slip into the zone. The sound of skates heading towards me catches my attention, and I open my eyes to find Drake standing in front of me.

"How's your omega?" He asks, eyeing me weirdly.

"She's good…" I leave it open-ended.

"Saw some weird shit going down outside your house last night."

My eyes narrow. "You saw.. Wait, how did you see my house?"

He gives me a tilted grin. "I'm your new neighbor. Moved in yesterday."

Well, damn. I wasn't expecting that at all. Seeing as he's one of my friends, I feel like I should've known this information.

"So… is that some sort of kinky shit you do with the omega?"

"None of your business what I do with or to my omega, got it?" I growl. Anger spikes through me, but I shouldn't be mad. He's a friend just asking about his friend's omega. He doesn't mean any harm by it.

His nostrils flare, but he puts his hands up. "You're right, my bad."

I go to speak again, to apologize, but the piercing sound of Coach's whistle cuts me off.

"Let's go, ladies, gather ‘round," Coach bellows over the laughing and chatter of the guys. I watch as he skates out to the neutral line, and the guys make their way to him slowly. He's looking weathered today. His salt and pepper hair seems louder with gray than normal. The lines of his face etched with years of dedication and determination in the world of hockey seem more pronounced. His shoulders are still broad from his years in the sport, and he commands all attention. He's all too aware of what it takes to make it at the professional level, and he rides us hard each practice, but it's because he cares. He wants us to succeed, even if that comes in the form of gruff feedback on how we're playing.

His astute gaze flows over each of us as he looks around the rink. It commands respect, but I can't seem to give it today.

Coach starts to speak, but he's quickly drowned out by the thoughts coursing through my mind. Rebel. What is she doing right now? Will she start coming to my games? Is she going to turn into a brat? My palm twitches at the mere thought.

I simply can't and don't want to shake the obsession with this omega. What is it about her? It's the same question I've been asking for weeks. The fact that my alpha marked her the night of the party doesn't surprise me. He'd been riding my ass to claim her every time we snuck into her room to watch her sleep or spied on her.

The glittery pink box still proudly displayed on my kitchen counter has me coughing to cover up the chuckle that threatens to slip loose.

"Geekies."

"Geekies!"

"Jesus, son, pull your head out of your ass." It's the word Jesus that brings me back to the current moment. The guys are all standing around chuckling at me. Coach's face looks like he's about to blow a gasket. "Welcome back to Earth. Now, as I was saying…."

His voice fades into the background again.

My eyes trail to where Rebel and Nova will be standing ringside

two nights from now. We've got two days to tighten up our lines before we meet our rivals, the Cyclones, head on. I eventually get out of my head and focus on the task at hand.

I finally start to listen when he starts discussing the drills for today. He wants Drake and I to focus on practicing with Evanz today before we all come back together for passing and hitting drills. He finishes going over the plan before we all disperse to our own corners.

Every time Evanz says something to me, he has to fucking repeat it. What the hell? It has to be the mating and my minds unease at Rebel still trying to fight it. I need to make her see that it's her and me. We're the end game, and I don't plan on going anywhere.

Eventually, I'm excused from practice when I can't get my shit together. I'm still in the locker room when the guys finish. I'm freshly showered and getting dressed. They rib me as they come in, and I ignore them.

"Good practice today, men. If you play like that two nights from now, we'll be sending the Cyclones back with their tails between their legs." My teammates bang their sticks against the floor in agreement with Coach while hooting and hollering like idiots.

Gus scoffs, flinging his arm over my shoulder and smacking me on the back. "Guess it depends on our goalie and whether he can keep his head in the game."

"What the fuck, man." My growl at him is deadly and has him quickly taking back his hand. "You got something to say to me, forward?"

"N-no," he stutters, and it makes me grin like a feral beast, which has him once again shifting uncomfortably. I shift my eyes away, feeling like he knows his place now.

I forgot that Coach was still in the room during this whole shakedown. When I find his gaze locked on me, I know immediately what's about to happen. "Tate. My office, now," he barks before turning on his heel and stalking out of the locker room, leaving the door to slam behind him. I swallow hard, getting up. I hate dealing with him one on one, but I don't have a choice. I'm sure he's wondering what the hell my problem is today.

"You rang," I say as I saunter slowly into his office without even a knock.

"Tate," he grunts, pinning me with a glare that may have some of the other guys pissing their pants, but I'm not afraid of him. Leaning back in the chair, he folds his arms over his chest. "Tell me what the fuck was going on in your head out there today? You're never distracted, and I can't have my best goalie distracted during a game. Do I need to put Drake in for the next game? I won't hesitate to do it, just say the word."

"You can't bench me, Coach."

"I can and I will. Want to bet?" He raises an eyebrow. My alpha bristles at the clear challenge in his voice and stance, but I know he's being completely serious.

"Absolutely not, Coach. I'll figure my shit out."

Lips pursed, he stares at me for a minute before sighing. "What's going on? Is this girl drama?"

"I'm mated, now. It's recent, and…" I sigh. "You know what it's like…"

He nods his head in agreement as he looks over at the picture sitting in the corner of the desk. "Unfortunately, I know all too well." It's a picture of him and his mate with their three kids. Two boys and a girl.

"Just figure it out, Geekies. I don't want to bench you, but I will. Take the day tomorrow and get your head on straight." His eyes go back to the papers laying on his desk, effectively dismissing me. He's right. She needs to come to my next game. The only way I'll be able to focus is if I can keep an eye on her. Problem solved.

I fume the whole way back to my house. As much as I'd like to just go straight to Nova's place to see my mate, I need to do a few things at home first. Like get my fucking head on straight before I lose my goddamn mind. Coach has never chewed me out like that before. Not that he really chewed me out, but normally, I'm on top of my game and don't need to be dragged into the office for my inability to do my job.

I don't realize how fast I'm going until red and blue lights start lighting up the roof of my car. It's then I hear the sirens. Fucking great. I slow down and pull to the side of the road like a proper adult and leave my hands on the wheel, waiting for them to get out of the car and write me the ticket I know they're about to give me.

This damn omega. She's driving me mad.

I roll down my window as the officer approaches, waiting for them to be a dick with a gun because he's got a badge. These guys who think we can do whatever we want and get away with it because we're famous, or because we play hockey, or any of the other reasons I've heard in my years on the team.

I brace for impact, but when I finally see the officer, I notice that it isn't a male at all. She's not an omega, thank fuck, but she's definitely a beta.

"Well, as I live and breathe, I've pulled over the infamous Tate Geekies. Guess it's my lucky day." There's a hint of flirtation in her voice, and she flips her hair away from her face in one of those stupid attention-grabbing motions some girls do.

"Afternoon." I smile at her through gritted teeth. It feels slimy even occupying another female's space. I may have had my time on the player wagon, but I have Rebel now.

"Do you know why I've pulled you over today?"

I shake my head at her, pretending to be oblivious to the fact that I was more than likely speeding like a bat out of hell and not realizing it.

"I clocked you going 60 in a 45."

I frown, trying to look repentant for my actions. "I'm sorry about that. It's been a crap morning, and I just really wanted to make it home. I'm sure you know how that goes."

She gives me a big grin as if she thinks I'm trying to relate to her. "I get it, believe me. And, hell, I should give you a ticket for being reckless, but I gotta be honest. My kids got a birthday coming up, and he's your biggest fan. We don't miss a game in our house. He's even begged me to start letting him go to the ice rink with his friends."

My mind starts to assess what I've got in my car that I could possibly sign and give to her, but I left most of my crap in the locker room, and what I did bring with me smells like sweaty balls.

"Well, you caught me on the one day I don't have anything on me, but…."

"Wait, right here." I watch as she jogs back to her cruiser and rouses around in the backseat. Please, don't tell me she just drives around with random shit in her cruiser, waiting for us to get pulled over. Surely, not, right?

But as she pulls away from the backseat, I notice a jersey in her hand as she walks back up to my car. "How about this?" A faint pink flushes her face as she looks away in embarrassment.

I give her my best grin. "Absolutely. I'll sign that and do you one better. Write down your address and name. I'll give it to my PR girl and have her send you tickets to one of the games for his birthday?"

"Really?" Her eyes widen as she looks down at me through the window.

"Of course." I rummage around in my console and find a paper and pen to get her information. I wonder if this is illegal, what she's doing, but it's getting me out of a ticket, so I'll take it.

Ten minutes later, she's back in her cruiser, and I'm on my way again. I pull up and park in front of the house. Walking into the house, I notice the difference. My home used to be a place of solace, but now it's too quiet. There's no life in it. I need my fierce little omega here, filling the house with her apple pie scent.

Well… time to get packed and go take my omega out for dinner, or maybe, I'll make her dinner. Another reason I wish she was already fucking moved in. Soon enough.

Soon enough.