er

ntil the second I looked

mi

red and wet against soft yellow cotton. My hands were shakin

ch. Omega

skin cheap-shotted me, and the next, I was tangled in broken plexiglass, sprawled h

ic

they'd said

rict orders to lie low, keep my head down, stay out of fights, and n

wide green eyes cloud over, everything in me sn

lled her friend, I guessed. She loo

eing close. The scent of her blood tangled with the sweet trail of

t from the barrier," he said quickly, latex gloves alread

the doctor called Conno

lway behind the locker rooms. One of my teammates, Jenkins, maybe tried to

as my

edge out there. I shouldn

yed omega was bleeding because I co

talking to the girl, clipboard in hand, muttering something about l

aid sharply, "you

to argue but finally threw h

odie half shredded, blood crusted on her arm and lip trembling lik

unsure what to sa

eeding a transfusion with how much blood she's lost. She's goin

r eyes still glazed, cheeks pale. "

sorry. That wasn't

ed from the corn

toward the hallway. "Let me finish

Erica's gaze boring into my back,

dded an

nutes and twenty-four seconds before Con

rom the pain meds, so don't expect full s

r eyes. Her good hand clutched a water bottle, her bad arm now wrapped in gauze. She blin

roat. "I'm Tyle

," her friend piped

what happened. Let me drive you home my car's ou

ted, but the bl

ke it. Th

ut the meds were clearly kicking her butt. She s

been skated through with a bruised jaw and a shrug. But something about se

her. "Can I... get your number? Just so

the friend answered a

typed something quickl

t the omega still watching me

softly. "For not

ired smile. "I'll

d onto the couch, still in my warm-up pants. I closed my eyes, but her scent wouldn'

ure, I'd been around omegas. I'd dated some, slept

soft, bleeding, wide-eyed complicatio

couch to check my gear bag, something

all

wa

ic

Student ID. A bunny sticker. Cash. And a faint trace of h

the bed, gripping the wa

or an address. But the alpha in me the part of me that hadn't stopp

to her. You m

r a cold shower and a lon

led in a flannel shirt that looked two sizes too bi

?" I c

tossed and eyes wideni

stood beside her, already grin

I said, holding u

"Oh my god. I d

person. Wasn't sure if you r

lly, fingers brushing mine

er," she

eath. "How'

ed me up like a pro." She gave me a half-smi

my pocket. I checked it Coach Aster. No do

g away. "But... I meant what I said. Let me

d to say something more, bu

loud enough for me to hear. "Don'

nder my brea

ized I hadn't asked the question burning

oon because if I didn't,

o I do if she's

ck. I stared at her number on my phone for the hundredth time, thumb hovering over the screen. My instinct