Page 10 of Puck of My Life

As I stared at the man that I’d kept alive by running away, I knew I couldn’t continue as I had been. I was done running.

This was the first time I’d allowed myself to say those words in my head, making it real. But reality brought danger, and how did I balance that with Walter’s safety?

I hadn’t healed since I left my hometown, and living far away hadn’t done a damned thing except prolong the grief. The mating bond wasn’t quieter, it had just made me lonely and my life a misery.

And now the universe had picked Walter up and set him down in my city, in the middle of my life. He was so close, I could scent him. But I wasn’t eighteen anymore. At that age, when I met Walter, I’d been a scared kid with no one backing him up. Our powerful Alpha was in my folks’ home, dictating what I was going to do. And all I could offer Walter was to run. To keep him breathing, I had to leave because a kid couldn’t fight an Alpha and win.

Now I was likely bigger than Garrick and stronger. I’d spent eight years learning how much punishment my body could give and take. And I finally wanted something enough to fight for it.

If Walter would have me, I would be his, for as long as he wanted me, whatever that looked like. That wasn’t a decision I had to make. It just was because fate had already played her role and intervened in my life.

But wanting him wasn’t enough, because the threat that had sent me running was still out there. As long as Garrick was Alpha, Walter’s life would be forfeited the moment I claimed him. Garrick had promised me that with my parents within earshot, and I’d believed him then and I still did. He would never allow a human into the pack, and he would remove the problem the only way he knew how.

So in order to be with my mate, I had to remove Garrick.

That decision was cold, as so many aspects of my life had been. And it was terrifying.

If I wanted Walter, and I wanted and needed him more than I’d ever wanted anything, then I had to challenge Garrick for the pack and win. I had to become Alpha myself, so that no one—not Garrick, not any of his Betas, not any alpha wolf in the pack—could ever threaten to put my mate in the ground.

I’d told myself that I had no choice back then, but I’d been wrong. There was always a choice, but I’d been too young and frightened to do it. But not now. I wasn’t scared of what I had to do.

I moved toward Walter. He didn’t look up, and I maneuvered around a waiter and a man with a gold watch that could have eliminated poverty in the entire state. I hadn’t prepared what I’d say. I only knew I had to be closer. Were his eyes still gray? And did he remember the cashier who’d given him and his uncle directions?

I’d looked at him a moment too long that day and there was something on his face that recognized me. Not as a mate but as more than a stranger in a store.

What I refused to consider was did he have someone in his life? And worse, could he be married?

I was so close to him, but there were so many people in between us, and before I could get to him, a hand closed around my arm.

“Archie.” It was the captain, and he was already steering me away. “There you are. Come on, they need us up front. We’re on.”

“On for what?” I could hardly speak because fate was intervening again and taking me from my mate.

“The auction. They told us at the start of the night, you just weren’t listening.” He was already walking me farther from Walter, toward the stage, and I couldn’t refuse to move without everyone noticing. “Come on, smile. It’s for the kids.”

The whole team ended up on the stage while a cheerful emcee worked the microphone.

It was a live auction. An experience where each of us was a lot to be bid on that included a private skating lesson, a signed jersey, and a box seat for a home game. Paddles went up and the numbers climbed as the emcee kept the whole thing rolling with jokes I hardly heard.

Because my mind was on Walter.

I stood in the line of my teammates, and I lifted a hand when the emcee said my name and the bidding on my lot began. From up on the stage I could see the whole ballroom spread out below me, table after table of faces turned up toward the lights, and I searched every one of them for Walter

The lights were in my eyes, and the one face I needed had slipped out. My wolf paced, and he was furious to be trapped up here while our mate was getting away from us again.

We’re not losing him this time.

8

WALTER

The auction was about to begin, and the hockey players were being dragged onto the stage. Not literally, but that was the vibe. No one grabbed them and pulled them along from what I could see, but it was taking them a lot longer than it should. It reminded me of my kindergarten Christmas show where parents had to carry their kids back to the stage. And by their kids, I meant me. My poor dad.

The journalist in me wondered if something was going wrong. From where I was, it looked like the attention to details had been top-tier, making the delay feel off. But then there was the lovestruck weirdo in me who didn’t care why it wasn’t instantaneous. I just needed them to hurry up so I could get this over with and get out of here. The sooner I was home, the better it was for everyone.

I had to admit that the auction was a cool way to make money. They had all sorts of donations, from physical items to activities to trips. I felt bad not being able to donate much to the cause. The only reason I had a ticket was because they wanted a reporter here. On no planet could I have paid for it.

My boss had been right that this event was right up my alley. Under normal circumstances, I’d have been having a ball here. But this wasn’t normal—Archie was here. I hadn’t been ready for his presence.