Page 55 of Vampire Pack

Paige stepped back too. She didn't like or dislike Hollis and Jude, and she wasn't around them often enough for it to really matter.

"Yeah, babe. Party at our place! Pack attendance required!" Jude called out, grinning as he gestured to all six of us.

"Don't call me babe!" Mallory yelled back.

"Did he just say that like we're in their pack?" Paige murmured.

"He did," I confirmed.

King shoved his helmet into Hollis's chest on his way over to us. He immediately dragged me into his arms, kissing me deeply.

The members of the team still in the hallway howled in approval.

I felt the urge to join them, even with King's mouth on mine.

Mallory coughed back a howl of her own, and Paige cleared her throat.

"We're all a pack through mating," Jude called over his shoulder, on his way to the interview. "See you tonight!"

King finally pulled away, dragging his eyes over me and inhaling deeply, to check my scent.

"He's such a fucking asshole," Mallory muttered.

"We'll give you guys a minute," Paige told me, grabbing Mal's arm and towing her down the hallway a few steps.

"You okay?" King asked me.

"I'm good. Just riled up."

"I can unrile you."

My lips curved a little. "I've got an appointment with a pretzel stand and a physical therapist. After?"

"Yeah. I'll meet you in the therapy room. Tell that big, blonde fucker to keep his distance so I don't have to kill him."

I rolled my eyes. "Sure."

King kissed me again, before stepping backward. He didn't turn away until he had to.

It bothered me to be missing all the normal team and game shit, but preserving my shoulder was more important at the moment.

I would be healed by the next game, though.

As long as I didn't go into heat first.

Paige, Mallory, and I stopped at a merch store in the arena and bought a jersey with my number and name on it, in King's size, as a joke.

Mostly as a joke.

If he was going to make me wear his jersey sometimes, I was going to make him wear mine too.

We grabbed pretzels afterward (after waiting in line for way too long), and sat down at a small table away from what was left of the crowd.

"Do we really have to go to the party?" Mallory asked. "I don't think I can handle any amount of time around Jude."

"I can make an appearance and duck out fast," Paige said. "We don't want things to be uncomfortable because we all skipped it. Carmen is going to be spending a lot of time with them, so we're going to see each other."

"If you don't want to go, I can make up an excuse," I said.