Chapter 135

The fans filed out of the hockey rink with downtrodden expressions. The team took a hard 5-1 loss, and the play had been brutal. Matt got more than a few penalties, and Seth had to be taken off the ice after a brutal hit into the boards. A fight broke out while Seth was still on the ice, and it took a few minutes for the refs to separate the players before they could get him back to the bench. Matt was in the penalty box at the time, and he’d hit the glass so hard with his stick, the entire structure rattled.

I hovered to the side near the closed concession stand, waiting for the crowd to leave and the players to emerge. It was easily their worst loss in a while, and I was glad I was there to comfort Matt. Fiona waved goodbye and left with a tall blond boy I didn’t recognize. Apparently, they met in one of her labs.

Across the room, Sabrina stood in a huddle with a few of her friends. She gave me a dirty look, but I just dropped my eyes and did my best to ignore her. She was free to hate me. There were more important things going on.

It took a long time before the players emerged. Their expressions ranged from anger to dejection. My eyes met Matt’s, and he gave me a half-smile.

“Hey,” he said, dropping his hockey bag to the side before he pulled me into a hug. I hugged him back hard.

“Rough game,” I said, stepping back.

He nodded. “A real rest for my temper.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, you did a great job keeping it in check.”

His smile widened, and he put his arm around my shoulders, picking up his bag with his free hand. “Come on, let’s get this to the car.”

I allowed him to steer me out of the rink and across the parking lot. He squished his bag into the trunk of his car, then turned to look at me. “Hey, so I know we had plans to spend some time just the two of us, but if it’s alright, I’d like to stop by Seth’s place first? He’s having a party for the team and it’s important I be there, just for a little while. Especially after a loss like that.”

“Of course.” He was their captain. It made sense that he should make an appearance. “I don’t mind.”

“You sure? I know you prefer privacy.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine,” I reassured him. “I’m used to being around Jack’s parties.”

“That’s true.”

He got the door for me, and I sank into the passenger seat. He waited until I was settled before closing the door and walking around to the other side of the car. The minute he was in his seat, I leaned over the console and kissed him.

We made out until a sharp rap on the window had us jumping away from each other. A boy from the team was looking at us through Matt’s window, a grin on his face.

Matt rolled his eyes and lowered the glass. “Yes?”

“You coming tonight, Captain?”

“Yup.”

“Great.” The boy eyed me, then looked back at Matt. “Seth was wondering if you could grab some beer on the way. He’s not allowed to drive.”

“Sure, fine.”

He nodded and saluted Matt with two fingers. Matt rolled the window back up.

“Why can’t Seth drive?” I asked, thinking of him splayed out on the ice.

“He has a minor concussion.”

“Oh.”

“He’ll be alright.”

I just nodded.

Matt put the car in gear and drove us to the liquor store. He was gone for a few minutes, leaving me alone in the car. I tapped my fingers along my knee and peered out at the dark parking lot. Students kept emerging from the store, bottles of liquor and cases of beer in hand. I imagined it was busy every Friday and Saturday.

Matt returned a few minutes later with a keg in each hand. He maneuvered them into the back of the car, then got back into the front seat. Despite how heavy they must have been, he hadn’t even broken a sweat.

“I’m surprised those fit in here,” I said, looking at the backseat.

“Just barely.”

He drove us to Seth’s house–a mansion on the outskirts of town. The houses on his street were spaced out, and they all backed onto woods. Matt pulled up the wide driveway, stopping as close to the doors as possible. He typed something on his phone, then a few boys from the team came running over to the car.

I got out and watched them carry the kegs up to the front door. The house itself was one of the biggest houses I’d ever seen. It had three stories, a four-car garage, and what looked like a huge wrap-around deck.

Matt took my hand and led me inside. “Don’t worry,” he said as we walked into the crowded room. “We won’t stay for long.”

“However long you need,” I said, though the thought of spending the night there made my stomach turn over. There were already enough people to fill out the kitchen and living room, both of which were huge. Matt led me by the hand to the far end of the room, where Seth had his arm around a tall brunette with wide green eyes. I didn’t recognize her, but I suspected she was his girlfriend.

“Captain,” he said. They fist bumped. “Thanks for grabbing the beer. Just let me know how much it was and I’ll pay you back.”

“Sounds good.”

I recognized Seth from a few of my brother’s parties, but we’d never spoken to each other. He had curly black hair and narrow black eyes. Even though he was only a little taller than me, he was wide and stocky.

I remembered what Nina had said, and my curiosity only piqued. If he was a Peacekeeper, did that mean there were other werewolves on the team? Was his girlfriend one of them? I remembered his hit earlier, but he didn’t look any worse for wear. How long did it take for a werewolf to heal from a minor concussion? I didn’t imagine it would take long. Did that mean he had to fake it for a bit?

“Hey,” Seth said, turning to look at me. “I’m Seth.”

He held out his hand, and I gave it a tentative shake.

“I’m Jenna,” his girlfriend said with a smile.

“Hey, I’m Celeste.”

They both nodded. “Sure, Jack’s sister,” Seth said.

“Right.”

Matt gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. I wasn’t used to interacting with so many people. They generally just ignored me.

“Well, we’re glad you’re here,” Seth said.

“Me too,” I answered, my cheeks instantly heating.

He smiled and looked at his girlfriend. “We should go say hi to everyone. We’ll see you guys later.”

They disappeared into the crowd, leaving Matt and me alone by the window. Matt leaned down to talk in my ear. “Seth’s a good guy. If you ever need anything and I’m not there, he’ll help you.”

I nodded, thinking of Alyx. “Good to know.”

The party only got more packed as the evening wore on. At one point, I lost track of Matt, and I found myself alone in the living room. Not knowing where he was made me nervous, and I started to look for him. He went to get drinks for us a while ago, but he must have gotten sidetracked.

I moved through the room, finally making it into the kitchen. Matt wasn’t there either.

“Have you seen Matt?” I asked, turning to one of his teammates.

He just shrugged. “Outside maybe. People go out there to smoke.”

Matt didn’t smoke, but it was possible he went out with one of his friends. I’d just go and check. I thanked him and made my way to the front door. He wasn’t on the front porch, or anywhere near his car. A shiver went through me as a gust of wind cut through my thin jacket. There was a full moon, and I looked up at the bright sky.

“Maybe I just missed him,” I muttered to myself, trying to calm my beating heart. I couldn’t freak out every time he wasn’t by my side. Something bad wasn’t going to happen just because he wasn’t with me.

I was almost at the front door when it occurred to me that he might have gone out back. I headed around the side of the house and walked across the back lawn. There was no one else around, and a shiver ran down my spine. The dark woods rose above me, the trees swaying. A crack from somewhere deep in the darkness made me jump.

I took a step into the forest, my heart pounding. “Matt?” I called when I heard another crack.

A dark shape moved into view, a pair of red eyes shining in the dark.