Page 90 of Sienna Rossi: Beyond Shattered Trust

“Sorry!” Patricia apologises, laughing.

“Losers!” Daniel shouts, darting in to take possession of the ball, and sure enough, that same flicker of smoke coils around the ball again as it clings too neatly to his feet, moving it closer to the goal.

For a while, the match dissolves into movement and noise, laughter mixed with excited shouts, as Sienna subtly tries to guide the game, drawing the ball ever closer to their goal while still letting the girls get a few touches in so it doesn’t look too obvious.

I slow as I come up behind her, watching the way she moves, the slight tilt of her head whenever she’s concentrating, the almost imperceptible lift of her hand when she’s guiding the ball.

“Someone’s playing dirty,” I murmur close to her ear.

She jumps, spinning around quickly, and for a brief second, we’re closer than either of us expects, her shoulder brushing my chest as her focus breaks and her control vanishes. Her eyes widen, strands of her curls falling into her eyes.

Patricia immediately darts in, stealing the ball from the boys.

I don’t step back straight away.

Instead, I let my gaze linger, just long enough to feel the shift in the air between us before I step away and rake my fingers through my hair.

“Didn’t think that was the way you play,” I remark, trying to break the tension.

“As I said, maybe you don’t know as much as you think,” she replies with a small, mischievous smile. It’s not spiteful, just a reminder that we didn’t have as much time as we should have to get to know everything about one another.

She pushes past me then, her hand pressing briefly against my side as she slips around me, and the contact sends a sharp, unexpected jolt through me that lingers even after her hand is gone.

I turn just in time to see her take control of the ball properly this time, no magic, driving it forward.

“Luna!” Sophie pouts from behind us.

“Sorry!” Sienna calls back, laughing, though when she glances at me again, there’s a clear challenge in her eyes.

“Alpha, aren’t you supposed to be a pro?” Patricia shouts, clearly disapproving of me standing around.

I shake my head, exhaling a quiet laugh as I move back into the game.

“Alright then,” I say, eyes flicking to Sienna for a brief second longer than necessary. “Let’s actually play.”

I step in, cleanly taking the ball off one of the boys before bringing it between my feet, keeping it close as I weave past them and push up the pitch. I sense her before I see her, her scent hitting my nose. I’m extra aware of every little thing about her without even having to focus on it.

She doesn’t hold back this time, attempting to nick the ball away, and I angle my body instinctively, blocking her path as she presses closer, her shoulder brushing mine as she tries again.

“You’ll have to do better than that,” I say arrogantly.

“Maybe I’m just warming up,” she shoots back, her breath slightly uneven as she keeps pace with me.

I feel her power reach for the ball again, subtle but there, and I react immediately, letting my aura wrap around it like a shield, cutting her off before she can take control.

She exhales softly in frustration, though there’s a hint of a smile tugging at her lips when our eyes meet again, neither of us looking away.

“I would have gone easy on you,” I add huskily, holding her gaze for a fraction too long. “But I can’t let my team down.”

Before she can respond, I strike the ball, sending it straight at our goal.

The girls erupt into cheers while the boys groan behind us, but I barely register it.

Sienna slows to a stop a few steps away, hands planted on her hips, a small smile on her face.

“Sorry, guys,” she says, her eyes finding me once again.

“It’s okay, Luna,” one of the girls calls. “The Alpha’s just fast.”