by U
“Yeah, sure, talk to you later.” Pierce hung up and called Matt, who assured him that he would have everything ready for him when he got up to the office.
Pierce flashed his badge at the security stop point and drove to the employee parking lot. He parked in his spot and headed straight into the building, flashing his badge to anyone who tried to stop him. Just because he was well known and the owner and founder of the game didn’t mean that he hadn’t put in security parameters for himself and everyone else who worked there. No matter who you were, everyone had to show off their employee ID badge to ensure that sneaky reporters didn’t manage to get back into an area they weren’t supposed to see.
Pierce ignored the shocked stares of his staff as he made his way to this office. To stop and explain would take too much time and energy.
Matt stood by his office holding up a new pair of jeans and a button-up shirt and sports jacket. Pierce waved away the jacket and kept the jeans and top. Thankfully, his assistant didn’t ask for details; instead, he just stepped aside and turned his back while Pierce stripped out of his clothes. Pierce went to his private bathroom and started to clean off the blood that had soaked through his shirt.
“Everyone is waiting for you, sir, and the owner’s box is all set up just the way you like it. Including Eddy. I couldn’t find out anything about his likes and dislikes. He seems to keep to himself. Even details of his career aren’t much to go on, so I had to guess. And the charity auction committee has sent a list of their requirements. I’ll send your tux to the cleaners and make arrangements for dinner after the auction at…Tanner’s?” Matt looked at him expectantly. “Table for two, sir?”
Pierce could only nod. “Yeah, sure. Just forward me the info so I can look over it.”
Pierce took in his features and naked torso to make sure he’d gotten every drop of blood off. Despite being in his late thirties he was still fit, his abdomen cut from long runs across the pitch. His arms weren’t overly muscular, but his biceps were large enough from all the workouts he did around the house.
He tried to get into the mind-set for game time. He had to make a small speech before the start. He hated public speaking and interviews, but they were part and parcel of this new venture. He wondered if news of the bar incident had reached the press yet. He knew that in this new age of technology and social networking the answer would be yes. He just hoped that didn’t put a damper on things and bias anyone against what he was trying to accomplish here. His staff didn’t deserve to suffer for his stupidity.
After drying his face, he got dressed and put everything into a small laundry bag that Matt had provided him. As he stepped out, he heard Matt speaking to someone and a deep reply in a booming voice that carried well, even from the outer office. A smile tugged his lips as he recognized Weston’s tone.
Pierce made his way out to the waiting area, handed off the bag to Matt with a thanks, and gave Weston a big bear hug. The man didn’t believe in shaking hands unless they were doing a business deal. To him, Pierce was practically family.
“How are you, Weston? I hope you won’t give me an ulcer worrying about your eating habits. Elizabeth would never forgive me if I gave you too much grease.”
Weston just laughed. “Don’t worry about Lizzie. She’ll be fine once I get home, and she’ll put me on a vegetable diet. Good God, you’d think I was a rabbit. ’Scuse me, Matty.”
They both looked at Matt, who blushed. “It’s OK, sir,” he managed.
“Anyway, how are you? Heard about that little scuffle at the bar. Bear shifter, huh? Always starting trouble, that Cantrell family.” He shook his head. “Everyone’s buzzing about it. Saved my Madison, which of course I’m grateful for. Can’t understand why Peter puts up with Dave in the least. If he were my boy I’d have shipped him off to military school and never looked on him again.” Weston pressed his lips into a straight line for a moment. “Peter did everything right by that boy and the ungrateful wretch practically spat all over him and the family.” Weston sighed. “Thankfully my Madison was nothing like that.”
“You know the Cantrells?” Pierce was curious as to how to use this information to his advantage.
Mr. Weston nodded, sadness in his eyes. “Knew Peter when he first came here to settle down in a para-friendly community. Good man. Too bad his wife died a few years later. Lovely woman really. Very kind. A pillar of the community. But that son of theirs.” He shook his head again. “Don’t know what’s wrong with him. Not in the least. Glad my Madison didn’t turn out that way. She’s fine, by the way. A bit angry that you didn’t let her rip the balls of the jerk, but what can we do? Can’t get everything we want, can we?”
Pierce smiled. “Nope, we can’t. Is, ah, has the press—?”
Weston grinned. “They know all right, but it won’t put a damper on things in the least. All of ’em know Cantrell and they hate him just as much as the police do. He’s rude, doesn’t give a shit, and frankly doesn’t care. Why should we? I can’t figure him out in the least. And to top it off, he’s a bear shifter. Maybe that’s the core of it, eh? Peter isn’t one but Lisa was. Maybe no one was there to help during the first shift?”
Pierce thought about that reasoning and could see the sense in it. If a shifter didn’t have a mentor—someone to help him during his first shift—there could be a whole lot of problems down the road, ranging from anger issues to confusion as to how approach potential mates. If the shifter in question was confused sexually, he could be more aggressive than usual in pursuing sexual conquests, feeling he had to dominate his chosen with size, speed, and strength.
Maybe he should have been feeling bad for Dave. But there was no time for that. Matt signaled to him that he had to go down onto the pitch.
Shaking off the feelings of pity, he focused on the task at hand. “Let’s leave that talk for later. Time for the game.”
He led Weston and Matt to the owner’s box where he left them and headed out to the pitch. He exchanged handshakes, hugs, and thumbs-up with players and staff, while members of the coaching staff and TV stations rushed around getting last-minute things done. He nodded to the two coaches and the referees and headed out to the platform that had been erected. With a deep breath, he tried to calm himself. His heart seemed to trying to make a break for it through his rib cage, and he tried to savor the rumble of the crowd as he strode toward the dais.
His palms broke out in a sweat as he climbed the stairs. Tension sang along his shoulders. He felt as if all eyes were on him, even more than when he’d played. At least then he could have lost himself in the game, but that was no longer possible. His thoughts traveled back to the pub and Madison. Was she watching him now? The flutter in his stomach turned into a storm as sweat drenched his shirt. He could only hope she was tuning in. Just the inkling that she could be sitting in front of a TV somewhere calmed him down, gave him strength.
He took a breath, stepped up to the mike, and began the rousing speech that he’d been reciting all week. He threw in how important it was for paranormals to have a sports outlet since the human leagues had decided to cast them aside. He talked about how paranormal talents should be nurtured and not ignored. Most importantly, he talked about how the competition should bring their community together, not divide them.
At least he thought that was what he was saying. For all he knew he could be speaking Martian. The noise coming from the crowd filled his ears and drowned out his words. At least their energy was up. The crowd cheered and the energy increased with each word. They became louder and louder until he was sure he would go deaf just from their screams and chants. A grin tugged on his lips and he pushed back a chuckle. All the cheers and positive energy only bolstered his.
He ended his speech and signaled for the game to begin. As he walked away, his heart stammered and his blood pressure increased. Anticipation grabbed him by the scruff of his neck. A longing filled his heart at not being able to be out there with the lads, running all over the place and scoring goals.
There was only one thing missing. Someone to share all this with. Someone who would understand all his emotions. Someone to go home with after it was all over. Madison.
Pierce growled and entered the owner’s box. No more thoughts like that. He admonished himself silently and joined Weston, Matt, Mack, and Eddy.
The men were so engrossed with what was going on outside of the window they barely noticed his arrival. Pierce sank down in a plush chair, accepted a proffered beer, and turned away the crisps. He wasn’t sure he could eat, not when the butterflies in his stomach were still flapping up a tornado. He focused on the action, which had started off at a fast pace. As soon as the first touch on the ball came it was like watching NASCAR racers, only more chaotic. By the time the ten-minute mark was hit they’d had two goals and three penalties.
Pierce focused on the announcer as he tried to follow the action on the field.
“Wow! Look at that! The goalie has used an Earth spell to raise up a mini cliff. Let’s see if that’s going to stop the Thunder Prowlers!”
Pierce groaned as he watched the mini cliff rise higher into the air until he was sure it would pierce the dome. Thankfully, it stopped just a few feet away. That didn’t stop the offense. One of the forwards partial-shifted into a ram and began butting the ball with his head back and forth with another forward. The opposing team’s goalie withdrew the cliff until it was only a bit of torn up dirt and grass. This time the goalie called up wind to keep the offense at bay.
“And we have a flag up. Offside. Too bad for the Thunder Prowlers!”
Pierce rolled his eyes. He took a swig of beer and tried to relax into his seat.
“Looks like the Thunder was ready for that wind. The center has manifested a shield to help stave off all that hot air.” The announcer guffawed and Pierce could only groan.
“Oh! An attempted bicycle kick! And too high! The goalie almost lost a finger trying to stop that goal! Remember folks, goalies can only use their powers to stop plays within a certain distance. Once players are in the goalie box, everyone has to go normal. Oh and we have an accusation of diving. Oh! It’s a yellow card. Let’s hope that that’s the only one!”
Only twenty minutes before the half. Pierce wasn’t sure his heart could take much more.
“We have a free kick for the opposing team. The wall is set up! Ref has blown the whistle and—”
The chanting from the crowd grew to a fever pitch. The team captain took the shot. The crowd’s chanting lowered and rose as the ball sailed through the air. Too high! The ball sailed over the goal and out of the goalie’s reach.
Pierce let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. The whistle blew and the first half was over. With a shaky hands, Pierce took a sip of beer and smiled weakly at the rest of the people in the box. He wished that Ryan was here to see it, watch their dream come true right before their eyes and celebrate along with them.
Pierce loved that they were truly testing the bounds of the rules. The werewolves and feline shifters especially were taking advantage of their abilities. They used their great speed to dodge opponents, running so fast they were a blur.
“And another offside call for the Vultures! That offense is too fast for their own good. And that water spell is back into play. Oh, and the center has used an ice spell. Let’s see if this helps the Vultures.”
It had taken months and years of playing in private, hiding from the public, to figure out the dynamics of the game and change the face of football. So far he’d accomplished his goals. As he entered the owner’s box he felt a sense of apprehension despite the jubilant party atmosphere in the space. Weston had already started drinking—well, drinking water, since Pierce refused to let him break the rules after his heart attack—but he was still in good spirits.
Matt had the game’s Facebook page and Twitter accounts up to post updates and monitor what people were saying. Once he figured out the kinks in the system Matt would train the media department and choose who would go to what games. All of that went over Pierce’s head. It was the smiles and good-natured bets going on between Mack and Weston that made him smile.
Eddy was watching the action and eating some wings with a small smile on his face, which made Pierce feel as if he’d been a success. Everyone was truly invested in this now. Even Matt seemed unable to tear himself away from the action until the halftime show kicked in.
“It’s a success, sir.” His voice shimmered with excitement. If he’d been in his rabbit form, his ears would have stuck up and his whiskers would have been twitching nonstop with his tail wagging. “Everyone can’t wait for the second half, and I, for one, need another beer.” He got up and grabbed a Stein rather than a small plastic cup.
Pierce shook his head. He’d never seen Matt drink so much before. They’d have to go out for a celebratory dinner with both teams to party properly. He slipped out his cell phone and dialed Ryan’s number.
“What?” the cheetah shifter growled.
“What’s wrong? Pull you away from a beauty?” Pierce teased.
“You know goddamn well that I’m waiting for the second half to start. I’ve got a hundred quid on this game and you damn well better tell me who has the better players. I can’t tell, even if I manage half of each team. Why are you calling? You gonna brag about this being a good idea? ’Cause I don’t care.” Ryan paused in his tirade and Pierce heard him take a few deep swallows. “Besides, I got a lovely on each lap. One gorgeous lady and one sweet-assed lad. Both of whom have promised to do lascivious things to me if their respective team wins.”
Pierce rolled his eyes. “Trust you to find bed warmers even while watching the game. I won’t give you inside info but I will say I’ll expect your call after the game for a full-depth analysis and news of new additions. We need to fill those rosters.”
Ryan grunted. “Yeah, yeah, I’ll get you the names. No worries. Gotta go. Need more beer.”
The call ended before Pierce could say anything back. All he knew was his best friend and first investor was pleased and just as eager as he was.
Madison. Her name drifted through his mind, but he brushed it away. Not now. Not when there was the second half to deal with. Disaster could still happen. He looked over at Matt who’d taken his seat and pulled his laptop and tablet toward him. His gaze bounced back and forth between the two screens.
Matt would be taking on a lot of responsibility besides being Pierce’s PA. They had only a skeleton crew and were in the process of trying to lure big names in the sports world over to their team. Matt had done the footwork, gotten a list together and made the calls himself. Pierce could see that he would be perfect to take over for him during the times he was away or when he was ill.
Ryan loved bouncing around the world too much to settle down in an office. And his other best friends and investors liked being where they were. Settling here in town was out of the question. It would all be up to Matt, whether the young man was ready for it or not. Pierce would train him unofficially first before throwing him in at the deep end.
As the whistle blew for the second half, Pierce could feel the tension climbing back up his spine and filling his limbs. His right leg began to bounce as he reached out and took a pull on his beer. The stands were packed, much to his pleasure, and he hoped it would stay that way. For now, all the teams would be playing in this stadium until they got permission to build in other cities.
All too soon, the second half started. The next forty-five minutes would determine if this truly was a success.
The Thunder Prowlers weren’t going
to sit back. Their goalie had decided that water was going to be called for. He used his witch powers to make the box around the goal into a series of mud puddles. The ref took out a yellow card and issued a penalty, demanding that the goalie withdraw the spell and only use it when someone was getting close to the goal. Pierce chuckled. Lei would be pissed. The goalie withdrew the spell and the game went on.
“Too bad for the Thunder Prowlers. Uh-oh. Looks like the Vultures are taking advantage of this ruling and their two forwards have partially shifted into hawks. This is going to get messy. Let’s see if the ref will…and he did! Penalty against the Vultures. No flying! Free kick for the Thunder Prowlers. The wall forms and…goal!”
Pierce let out a whoop.
“We have the score two to two, folks. This just got interesting.”
The face-off came again and the Vultures got a one-up on the Prowlers with a sneaky bit of complicated footie. One forward remained in human form and the other partially shifted into a panther.
“And they’re getting down the field. This could be a goal folks. The goalie isn’t even trying a spell. The defense is on the attack…but no! Kirks has passed the ball to Mueller! Mueller to Robins, Robins back to Kirks. This partial shifting is madness! The goalie is trying a wind trick. No dice! And…goal!”
“Aw, fuck!” Pierce shouted. He threw a pillow down to the floor.
“The Thunder Prowlers have the ball and they’re not letting it go. Tight formation. Tight passing. The defense is trying to break through. No dice! From Torsten to Denver, to Keene, back to Torsten. The goalie is going for a wall of ice. And goal! With a hat-trick over the wall! Insane, folks, insane!”
The score was tied. Pierce loosened a few buttons and downed the whole bottle of beer. He shifted in his seat. His tiger wanted to be out there, among all the excitement.
The Vultures got the ball back with a few interesting shifts. The bears on defense for the Thunder Prowlers managed to keep the ball, but only by their fingernails. The goalies decided to try dueling earth spells.