Shared by the Three Captains

CassyI adjusted my thick, round tortoiseshell glasses and pulled the edges of my oversized hoodie tight around my body. My heart was beating so fast against my ribs I thought it might burst right out of my chest. Today was the day. Two whole years. Two years of supporting him, writing his game notes, sitting in the back row of every single practice, and keeping his secrets.The energy inside Stanford Arena was deafening. Thousands of students and sports fans packed the bleachers, cheering and screaming as the bright stadium lights washed over the cold floor. The air smelled like stale popcorn and ice. I smoothed down my baggy jeans and wiped my sweaty palms on my scuffed sneakers. My long, dark chestnut hair was pulled back into its usual high, messy ponytail, swinging against my neck as I pushed my way closer to the front entrance near the team tunnel."He's going to love this," I whispered to myself, clutching the small velvet box tucked safely in my hoodie pocket. It was a customi

Cassy"Where the fuck are you taking me?" I gasped, my voice shaking so hard my teeth rattled together.I grabbed the leather armrest with both hands, staring out the rain-streaked windshield of the Maybach. The heavy SUV was flying down the dark highway, fast and smooth, leaving the bright lights of the campus far behind us in the storm.Karius didn't even turn his head. His massive hands held the leather steering wheel at ten and two, his dark ash brown hair cut short and neat against his thick neck. His broad shoulders completely filled out the driver's seat, his fair skin dusted with light freckles under the dark dashboard lights."I told you," Karius growled, his deep voice rumbling through the leather seats like distant thunder. "You're coming with me.""Turn this car around right now!" I yelled, pulling my oversized hoodie tight around my soaked body. "I don't even know you! You can't just kidnap me because I accidentally scratched your stupid car!""Accidentally?" Karius scoff

CassyMoving into the Golden Trio’s penthouse took less than thirty minutes.I didn't have much to bring. Two security guards hired by Elijah drove me back to my campus dorm early that morning. They stood like concrete walls in the hallway while I packed my entire life into a single worn duffel bag. None of my old dorm mates even looked me in the eye. They just stared from behind their cracked doors, whispering and holding up their phones.By seven in the morning, I was officially living on the forty-fifth floor of the most expensive high-rise in the city.Mrs. Mori helped me unpack my few sweaters and jeans into the massive walk-in closet of the guest suite. She gave me a sympathetic smile every time I let out a heavy sigh, but I couldn't relax. My chest felt tight, my pulse racing at every quiet sound in the hallway."Don't look so terrified, child," Mrs. Mori said gently, smoothing down her crisp white apron. "They are intense young men, yes, but they won't bite. Well... unless you

Cassy"I just need the advanced spatial geometry textbook," I whispered to myself, my voice trembling slightly in the quiet air of the university library.I walked slowly down the dim, narrow aisle of the back stacks. The towering wooden bookshelves blocked out most of the afternoon sunlight, leaving the deep corners draped in heavy shadows. My heart was still beating far too fast. Every time I closed my eyes, all I could see was Chase Castillo leaning over me in the kitchen, his hot breath brushing my lips, and Karius looking at me like I was the most brilliant person he had ever met."Focus, Cassy," I muttered, pulling the sleeves of my oversized grey hoodie down over my knuckles. "Coach Jimenez said the defensive playbooks require a solid foundation in spatial math. I need that book if I'm going to fix the rest of their defensive traps."I trailed my fingers over the worn spines of the textbooks, scanning the faded numbers on the shelves."Talking to yourself now, Cassy?" a voice s

CassyThe silence in the kitchen was so heavy I could hear the rapid, chaotic pounding of my own heart in my ears.Chase didn't pull his hands off my waist right away. He took his time, his long, warm fingers lingering over my bare skin under my sweater for three long, agonizing seconds just to prove a point. A slow, provocative smirk spread across Chase's handsome face as he looked over his shoulder at his captain."Take it easy, El," Chase drawled softly, though his amber eyes were sharp and guarded. "She was shaking after what happened at the library. I was just taking care of her.""I said get your hands off her," Elijah repeated, his voice dropping into a register so dark and lethal it made the hairs on my arms stand straight up.Elijah didn't shout. He didn't have to. The pure, suffocating alpha authority vibrating off his six-foot-three frame filled every single corner of the kitchen.Chase let out a low, breathy sigh, finally sliding his hands out from under my sweater. He ste