Four

SEVEN

I shouldn’t have come home because the house was too loud, not after spending the night at a friend's place.

Of course the TV. She'd sit at it, with so much loathe because he was on it.

It was Levi, holding the cup with the headlines written: WESTON CROWNED CHAMPION. ALPHA TALK NEXT?

I could tell she had repeated that play thrice now when the wins happened yesterday, cussing.

Mom was on the couch, arms crossed. She didn’t look at me when I walked in.

But then the girl from the rink had my mind occupied, her weary face, her messy hair.

The way she talked like she thought she could control me.

It was stupid.

It was cute.

I sensed her weak wolf, the fear like their lives depended on that request which made it worse.

Oddly, I can't trust anyone who once worked with Levi. The thought of that only makes my wolf flash before my eyes.

But I'd stabbed myself with a repellant just to keep him at bay.

"Do you see that?" Mom began, pulling me to reality. "He did it overnight."

Her fragrance hits me first, I smelt her panicking wolf.

I dropped my bag at the couch close to me. "I saw it."

"Zero goals, Seven," she barked, drifting her eyes to me like she was counting what I was worth. "Zero. And you want me to stay quiet?"

"I’m working on it," I assured dryly, not even certain if I meant it.

"Levi won the League" she snapped punching the arm rest "The pack is already saying his name for Alpha. Do you know what that means for us?"

Mixed emotions kicked inside me.

"Tell me," I mused, considering her in silence.

She sighed like I was slow. "We did not start in Canada, Seven. We started in Australia. With Levi’s father as Alpha."

"I know," I grumbled. I hated that name too and I just couldn't tell why that girl's face was still stuck in my head.

"You were eight when I left," she narrated like I was in history class.

"Canada was supposed to be our fresh start. So six years ago I married Richard Calloway. Canadian wolf. Good name. He gave us this house.”

"And he died eight months ago," I added bitterly, because if he were alive, he'd ask me why I couldn't sleep.

Mom only cared about scores.

"Yes," she eluded my thoughts. "And you are not his blood."

That was it. That was the whole problem.

"In the pack," she continued. I dragged my legs to the kitchen to get water and quenched my thirst.

But mom followed me like a leech as though to wake me up from my slumber.

"A widow keeps her roof if she has blood. Or if her son brings value. You are just his stepson, Seven. You are not Calloway."

"So?" I muffled with a mouthful of water, praying to any gods that exist for her lecture to end.

Why did Levi come here? He just made it worse.

"So my seat is temporary," she pointed out. "The council told me last week. They are reviewing us. If you do not score, if you do not prove you are worth keeping, they will give this house to another family."

My gaze returned to her and grief struck me. "And Levi?"

"Levi is Australian Alpha blood," she said, spat on the floor like he's a curse. "He is Champion. The pack wants him. If he becomes Alpha, the council will have no reason to keep us."

I looked at the television from the distance Levi was still smiling.

Mom's rage seeth through me.

"Richard knew," I muttered, quieter but didn't want to show how broken I was.

Because if I did, she'd call me worst, a weak cell.

Mom frowned. "Knew what?"

"Nothing," I covered up pouring the water on my head because it was on fire now.

Richard was the only one who knew about the Beast. I was twelve when he found me shaking in the basement after my first shift. 

He saw it behind my eyes and he did not flinch.

Back then, in Australia, he was my coach, no title head over heels for mom but she was with my dad.

And suddenly when he became supreme alpha here in Canada she returned to him with me.

I still remember his words when he kept me calm. "Promise me something, Seven."

"Anything," I said back then, frightened.

"No ice," he whispered. "No games. No letting it out. Some wolves are not meant to be caged in a rink."

"But I love hockey" I cried cowering inside my closet.

"I know my superstar" he took my hand, pulling me out gently. "You'd be a part of the team, I'd make sure of it".

I fell to his chest, and met his eyes briefly. "But you'd be benched, that way, we control it better... because anger triggers it and players can be something else"

"I promised him," I said, comfortably resting on his chest, agonized.

"What?" Mom's voice chipped in again and I dragged my jagged memory behind me.

I shook my head as she'd only see goals and not my pain.

Some nights I dream of Richard. Some nights I dream his neck was under my hands.

Some nights the Beast is smiling. I wake up with blood under my nails that isn't mine.

I miss him. He was the only one who saw seven, not a tool for fame.

"So you will win one," mom buttressed with shaky eyes. "Just one game. Or we are gone."

I couldn't assure that and I opened my mouth to speak when she raised her hands to stop me.

"Well, it's okay. I've got you a marriage deal. You wouldn't win anyway" she switched so fast that my hand squeezed the empty bottle I held.

This wasn't the first time we had this argument about goals. She always had everything planned.

“Marriage deal,” I repeated half-stricken.

“Yes.” Mom was already moving to the coffee table, adjacent to me, then I discovered there were papers laying there all this while, like this was business.

There was no emotion on her face when she said; To the Di Matteo girl,” she said. “Italian-Canadian pack. Old money. Her father sits on the council.”

I gnashed my teeth, fighting to urge not to explode on her. “Why?”

“Because,” she processed, sliding a pen across the table, “a Calloway stepson marrying council blood. That keeps our roof. That keeps me on the council’s good side. That shuts Levi out.”

She pushed the papers but not too close because of the water dripping from my wet hair.

“One season, make it public. Engagement photos. Dating rumors. Then you file separation after you score enough to be untouchable. Standard.”

I examined the paper but dared not touch it.

My name wasn’t even on it yet.

“Di Matteo,” I called and oddly enough I didn't know her face.

“She’s 19, pretty. Obedient,” Mom presumed shrugging. “She won’t ask questions about the Beast. Or your ice. Or why you flinch.”

She knew about the beast but believed it could be controlled by the repellant I used.

My chest got tight, really hot.

"Marriage with her will stall more time until you win a goal"

I set the crushed bottle down, carefully like I was measuring my coping mechanism.

“No,” I responded.

Mom caught my eyes and clenched her fists.

"I didn't hear that"

"I said no!"

"Seven!"

“I’m not marrying a stranger so you can keep a house, and not to one of Richard's rivals” I grimaced but in a steady tone “You want Levi out? Win. Don't bother me.”

“You have no choice. The council meets in 3 days. You want to sleep on the street?” she retorted, glaring at me.

I felt her panic but also her greed in all this.

I was already grabbing my bag and didn't even know when.

“Where are you going?”

“Out.”

“Seven Calloway, don’t you walk—”

I walked, to keep this house?” I fired, panting as she went silent “then let me do my thing not your way”

“But seven time isn’t-”d the door behind me before she could finish.

***

My head replayed the scene as I drove, no direction, just away.

Until I was at Lakeshore again. This time around it was totally empty and I was stupidly staring at her.

I mean an illusion of her.

Mikka!

And suddenly her proposal made sense. Mom would definitely sign that marriage contract with or without me.

If i introduce mikka as my girlfriend and ex coach to Levi, mom might back off. She might even use her against Levi.

I knew her addr

I can't marry a rival's daughter.ess from the video a college student posted, I couldn't believe I saved it.

Basement unit. 14B Maple Grove.

Seconds later, I was driving towards her direction.

Arriving there, I noticed the whole building was dark.

There was a sign in the window: FOR SALE. VACANT.

I felt heavy yet I jumped out and walked to the door.

I'd knocked desperately but no answer, I tried the handle, locked.

Two doors down, I heard a door creak and an old woman came out.

Dressed in an overflowing robe and squinting at me like I was about to steal copper pipes.

“You looking for the ’reAustralian girl?” she questioned.

My heart kicked "yeah"

She looked me up and down but kept her eyes on my NHL hoodie. “You’re late.”

I staggered. "W-What?”

“Landlord cleared The landlordesterday,” she explainedyoming explained, comingn suifully.me early. Took her.”

Men in suits.

The Canadian border service agent which is CBagent, whichwearCBSA, doesn'teveryone thinks they do.

I gripped the railing. “Took her where?”

She pouted “Don’t ask me. She was in a hurry. Crying. Had a bandage on one knee.”

Mikka.

I couldn't breath.

“Did shebreathenything? A name? Where she was going?” Iwas sheed.

The woman shook her head. “Said she missed her time. That’s all I heard before they closed the door.”

Missed her time?

“Thanks,” I appreciated, my voice didn’t sound like mine.

I turned before I screamed. At her. At the door. At myself.

I got to my car and didn’t drive, just sat there, hands on the wheel.

I was fucking late.