Chapter 7– Then Die

Lori's POV

I couldn't stop thinking about him, even after practice was over and we went back home in separate cars. And every time his face came up at the back of my mind, I always felt my heart racing for no reason at all. Maybe there was a reason... Maybe it was because of the memory of his finger on my throat, his lips brushing my ear, and the teasing comment he made about making love to me not minding that I was... pregnant.

But he was joking, I had to remind myself that to ground me to reality. Men like Dante Dominic didn't look twice at women like me— pregnant, rejected, broken. He was testing me. Or mocking you. Or both. But it didn't matter how many times I repeated it to myself because my body didn't seem to believe me.

Now it was a new day, and I was back at the arena, and my mind was still on him. Not just my mind, but my eyes. It made me wonder why I hadn't really noticed much about him while I was with Silas. I watched him coaching the players with early morning drills, and the way the early morning sun caught his face made my heart skip a beat.

"Matthew, your footwork is garbage! Again!" His voice was sharp as he cautioned one of the players on the team.

My eyes were still on him and the finely carved shape of his jaw when I bumped my head into something very hard. I rubbed my forehead and looked up to be met with dark and angry eyes.

Silas.

"What are you still doing here?"He gritted his teeth in anger and a muscle in his neck ticked. "I'm certain you were thrown out of the pack a few weeks back!"

I froze in my step as his entire frame filled my vision, and I was once broken by the hatred his eyes held for me. Eyes that were always loving now turned into contempt.

"I was hired by the coach to be the head medic." I swallowed hard and stepped to the side to let him pass. "And the practice rink doesn't border on any pack lands, so I'm not encroaching into your space. Excuse me."

He didn't move, instead he blocked my path with his hands clenched at his sides. "When I asked you to leave, I meant that you should erase yourself entirely from my life. If you think you can work your way back to my life by—"

"I was hired by Coach Dominic, and if you have any problems with that, I suggest you should take it up with him." I didn't wait for him to speak anymore as I bumped past him as hard as I could.

The audacity of him to think I would grovel at his feet and beg him to take me back after everything he did to me. Tch.

*

I was standing near the water station and organizing my supplies, when I heard them... the players' girlfriends and wives who had brought the players all sorts of snacks and dishes to help during their breaks. I was one of them a while back, and was highly respected just by being Silas' wife. But they weren't huddled together just because of dishes, but to cuss me out, and they were sure to be loud about it.

"That's definitely her. Lori, the one who cheated on Silas."

"I heard she begged the coach to hire her just to stay close to him."

"Pathetic, right? Some women just can't take a hint."

I pretended not to hear as I busied myself with tape rolls and bandages, my cheeks burning with more than embarrassment, and I tried really hard to keep my hands steady even though it was shaky.

One of them found the boldness, I think she was the wife of Silas' co-captain, and walked right up to me. "So, how long do you think you'll last before he fires you?"

I looked up at her. "Excuse me?"

"He's only keeping you around because he feels sorry for you." She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Everyone knows it. You're just a pregnant, rejected charity case who couldn't keep her own mate and now she's trying to steal someone else's." She turned back and glanced at a figure I hadn't noticed until now. "And your presence here is scaring one of us here, and we hope that you will retain whatever is remaining of your dignity and resign. The coach can find another medic for the team."

"I'm not trying to steal anyone." I responded calmly.

"Then why are you here?" She tilted her head slightly. "Why did you take this job? You could have worked anywhere. Any hospital, any clinic, any pack, but you chose here. Right where Silas is. Right where Janie is. That's not a coincidence, is it?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but my eyes caught something over her shoulder—Janie, standing at the entrance to the stands, her face pale, her eyes fixed on the floor. And I knew she was the one who instigated these women to act this way, even though they hadn't realized it. Janie was excellent in reverse psychology, mind manipulation, and acting like she was a soft flower who couldn't hurt a fly. But I knew better because I was now a victim of her schemes.

"I'm here because Coach Dominic offered me a job," I said after tearing my gaze away from Janie. "And I took it. That's all."

The blonde woman, Michelle, laughed. "Sure, Lori. Whatever helps you sleep at night."

*

I was dozing off on the medical floor, watching from the large windows as the players chased the puck down below, when a sudden scream reached my ears. I looked for the source of the scream, and when I located it, I was already running. There was so much blood on the ice, and I didn't even think twice that it was Silas who had been injured. I was already grabbing the medical supplies and clearing the table and bed for Silas to be placed on it as he was carried by his teammates.

I worked quickly, pressing gauze to the wound to stem the bleeding, my hands steady even as my heart raced. "Silas, can you hear me? Silas!"

His eyes fluttered open, at first they were unfocused, and confusion slipped in as his eyes landed on my face.

"No." His voice was weak but very certain. "Get her away from me."

"Silas, you're bleeding. You need..."

"I said no!" He tried to push me away, but his arms were shaking too much. "I'd rather die than let a mutt like her touch me."

"Then die."

Every head turned as all eyes landed on Dante who was taking measures steps into the room, his arms crossed over his chest and his face utterly expressionless. He hadn't raised his voice. He didn't need to.

"I can always train someone else to hold that championship cup you just won."