17. Teagan

seventeen

"There's my favorite puck bunny." Large arms circle my waist, pulling me close for a big hug.

"What the fuck, man? She's not a puck bunny. She's part of our team, so have some goddamned respect." Royal jerks me to him before thrusting me behind Fin and Coulter, who are equally pissed at the joke my uncle likes to play on me.

When I was five years old, I overheard one of my dad's teammates talk about how wonderful and beautiful puck bunnies were and that my dad needed one. Not knowing what a puck bunny was, I spoke up and said I was my dad's puck bunny. I thought it was a cute nickname since I liked hockey and bunny rabbits.

Unfortunately, my family hasn't let me live that one down. Even today, my Uncle Colt had to open his mouth and call me a puck bunny in front of Royal, Fin, and Coulter when he pulled me into his arms to greet us.

"So much loyalty and protectiveness." My Uncle Colt looks between Royal, Fin, and Coulter with a mischievous gleam in his eye. "Just what I'm looking for on my team."

The three of them continue to glare at my uncle, ready to snap him in two with their next breath. Even though my uncle deserves a little sense knocked into him for continuing to tease me about that stupid incident, I concede and introduce him to my teammates.

"Uncle Colt." I move from behind Coulter's and Fin's backs and take a step closer to him.

"These are my teammates Royal Reynolds, Fin Baxter, and Coulter Collins." I point to each one as I say their names. "Guys, this is my Uncle Colt Hayes. Please excuse him. He has a warped sense of humor."

"He's your uncle?" Coulter asks. "But he looks too young to be your uncle." The guys all eye Colt warily as if deciding if I'm telling the truth or not.

"He was an accident," I say, not missing a beat. "At least that's what Grandma Hayes always says." I batt my eyelashes at Uncle Colt, daring him to correct me.

"Touché, little bunny," Uncle Colt replies. "Now, why don't you guys take a seat in the front row and enjoy some food and drinks? See what it's like to live life in a luxury box while I have a chat with my favorite niece." He motions for the guys to take a seat before sending a waitress over to take their order. I don't correct my uncle that I'm his only niece.

"Now that we're alone tell me how things are going on the team. Your teammates seem to be overly protective of you." He raises an eyebrow, nodding his head towards Royal, Fin, and Coulter, who have taken their seats but are showing zero interest in the game, their gaze locked on mine.

I know his question is innocent enough, but I feel the heat rise in my cheeks as I remember just how protective they were in the locker room yesterday.

"Teagan, are you okay?" My uncle's concern pulls me back to the present.

"I'm fine." I take a bottle of water from the waitress's tray as she passes by. Taking my time to unscrew the lid before continuing the conversation. "We got off to a rocky start, but for the most part, I think my teammates have adjusted pretty well to having a female on their team," I trail off, not wanting to lie to my uncle but not wanting to share the truth either.

"Sure, then why are those three looking at you like I'm about to take you away at any moment? That's not teammates getting along pretty well. Those three look obsessed with you like I'm going to steal their favorite toy."

"We've come to a mutual understanding." That's a lame response, but how do I tell my favorite uncle I've seen a lot more of them than the rest of my teammates? That I want to continue to feel a lot more of those three, both inside and out.

My face heats at the memory of the locker room shower yesterday and how close I came to begging them to let me feel them both inside and out.

Thankfully, my uncle takes pity on me and doesn't press me anymore about my relationship with Royal, Coulter, and Fin. Which is a good thing because I don't understand it myself.

We haven't talked about what happened. I don't know if they want to forget it happened or are just waiting for one of the others to bring it up. I hope it's the latter because I think I might die if I never have the opportunity to experience that pleasure again.

"Enough about my teammates and me; what's up with the invitation for my teammates to watch your NHL team?"

Coming from a family of professional hockey players, I know it was hard for my Uncle Colt when he blew out his knee in his junior year of college, ending his career. Luckily he was able to bounce back, finishing his degree in sports management. He became the most sought-after agent and was able to pick and choose his clients, making him the highest-paid sports manager in history.

He never gave up the love of the game. Along with two of his closest friends, he started his own NHL team, the Minnesota Norse. It's still young, but if anyone can make this team a hockey powerhouse, it's my uncle Colt.

"It's purely selfish why I invited you and your team here to a professional game. I'm looking for a couple more great players to round out my team, and I think your special friends over there are just the guys I'm looking for." He nods toward Royal, Fin, and Coulter, who have yet to look away from us and watch the game.

Our team is fortunate to have the opportunity to watch a professional hockey game in style, only an hour"s ride on the bus from campus. The VIP suite with a wide array of food and drink would be enough to convince anyone to play for this team. It doesn't hurt matters when you throw in the famous celebrities who wander in and out of my uncle's VIP suite.

"Plus, I want to have the first female professional hockey player on my team. Now that I've seen the dynamic of your relationship for myself, once I sign you, those three will follow suit."

"I- I don't have that kind of power over them," I stutter. Thinking of yesterday and the power I felt between the four of us, my body starts to pulse with need, reminding me we didn't finish what I started. I clear my throat, trying to erase the memory.

"I have an idea. Why don't you take the three of them to my private suite and see just how much power you have over them."

"Uncle Colt, I'm not going to seduce them so they'll sign with your team." I hiss, unable to believe my own flesh and blood wants to pimp me out for a winning hockey team.

"Whoa there, little bunny. I never said anything about seducing them. Besides, with all the sexual energy rolling off of the four of you, I thought that was already a thing you guys were doing together."

"I-we-our relationship isn't like that," I finally get the words out, bitter denial coating my tongue.

"Teagan, I've known you your whole life, and I have never seen you this so unsure about anything. Hell, you were so determined to play hockey you could skate before you could even walk. Do you know why that poster with you sitting on your dad's shoulder is the most iconic hockey poster of all time?"

I shake my head. I've always hated that poster. Not that I don't love the reminder of one of the best days of my life. No, it's the constant reminder that I will be forever chasing my father's legacy.

"It's not because of Teddy. It's because of the pride and determination shining in your violet eye, focused on the camera, letting the world know that one day, this will be you holding the Stanley Cup Trophy." I shake my head in disbelief. "Yes, Teagan, you're the reason all these wannabe pro-hockey players have that poster hanging on their wall. They want to have someone gaze at them with that same look of pride you had for your father."

I take a tentative step toward the guys, their eyes still on mine, unlike the rest of our team, whose eyes are glued to the game in front of them, and then glance back at Uncle Colt. He nods his head, encouraging me to talk to Fin, Royal, and Coulter in private.

Dragging my feet, I turn back around and walk toward the guys. I finally reach where Royal, Fin, and Coulter are sitting. "Can we go somewhere and talk?"