Page 63 of Vampire Pack

One of the guys on our team had been a complete asshole to me in those first few days. He went on and on about how I'd never be one of the boys.

I'd just gotten drafted at the time, and was trying to adjust to the team. I forced myself to ignore his taunts for a few days, but eventually, I couldn't take it anymore.

I dropped my stick without preamble, and just launched myself at him. Everyone had been shocked, including him. The man hit his head so hard that he'd been concussed.

Sure, I probably couldn't have taken him in a fair fight, but I did some damage.

King stepped in when I got off of him. He did a lot more damage.

In the locker room afterward, I'd yelled at King for helping me. He had growled back that he would be stepping in during every fight I started or participated in from there on out.

We ended up fucking while we were supposed to be calming ourselves down, and we'd been together in that way ever since.

It was a year or two after that when I finally lowered my guard enough to let him bite me.

And now, we were mates.

That was still a mind-fuck, but I was adjusting, surprisingly enough.

"So you told them I was yours based on my scent alone?" I asked him.

"You also told me to fuck off, when you caught me staring at you on your first day."

"Oh my god, I forgot about that. Maybe you really were obsessed with me."

"I was. Still am. And you couldn't convince yourself to stop fucking me, so…"

"If you'd been just a little worse in bed, we'd be history."

He chuckled. "I think you were obsessed with me too. You just managed to convince yourself that it was fueled by hate."

"Maybe I was." I fiddled with the edge of his wing, and he moved a little. Guess it was a little sensitive there. "You never told me anything about yourself, outside of hockey."

"You never asked."

I made a noncommittal noise. "You didn't ask about me."

"You wouldn't have answered if I did."

"Fair."

"And technically, I did tell you things. I learned about Paige and Mallory when I was over here. You learned about Jude and Hollis with the team, and from me. There's not much to me outside of hockey, my pack, and you."

"What about your family?"

"You would've seen them at the games if they were involved. You've seen Jude's and Hollis's families."

"Yeah," I confirmed. "You talk to them every time they come."

He nodded. "My parents are… fine. They're just not involved in my life. Never were. I grew up in a big house, and was usually alone. They paid for hockey because it kept me out of their hair. I had a driver to take me there, and they didn't come to anything. They still don't. I haven't seen them since before I met you. Only talk to them once a year or so, and it's never for more than a few minutes."

"But you met Jude and Hollis through hockey?"

"I did. We've been friends since we were on the same team as kids, and that's never changed," he said simply. "We went to college together, and our agent managed to get us drafted together. Felt like a fucking miracle."

"I can imagine. I was excited when I found out I could keep living with Paige and Mallory. I would've ended up in a pack with a bunch of obnoxious hockey players if I had to move, and I'd miss Paige and Mal like crazy. If I'd actually convinced the managers to trade me last year, I probably would've been devastated."

King chuckled.