Punt: A British Bad Boy Football Romance

by Vivian Wood

  “Tessa? It’s Maddie. Can I come in?”

  No answer, only a pause in the sniffling.

  “I know you probably don’t want to talk to me, but the males are too scared to come in there after you. Like the women’s room is poisonous or something,” Maddie joked, pressing her ear to the door. “Can you let me in, please?”

  She was rewarded with the click of the door being unlocked. Maddie released the breath she’d been holding as she opened the door and slipped inside. The room wasn’t actually a bathroom, more of an anteroom with a large mirror and several overstuffed velvet chairs for getting ready. She made sure to lock the door again behind her, turning to find a tear-stained Tessa sitting in the midst of a huge pile of white tulle and satin. Maddie assumed that there was a chair somewhere under all that gauzy fabric, but at the moment it was hard to tell.

  Pulling up a hideous dark purple chair to the island of wedding dress material surrounding her sister-in-law, Maddie sat down and focused on the sniffling blonde.

  “You don’t look so good,” Maddie blurted, sighing the second the words were out of her mouth. Jesus, she was no good at this kind of thing.

  “Why are you here?” Tessa asked, giving Maddie a black look.

  “Apparently we need you for this wedding thing that’s happening in a couple of minutes,” Maddie said, failing to keep her sarcasm in check.

  “I don’t even know why you bothered to come. I know you don’t like me or approve of my mating your brother. If you’re just here to knock me down another peg, you’re too late,” Tessa snapped, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand. “I’m pregnant and hormonal and I’m craving raw meat. And yes, as you can see, I can’t even wear the dress I originally wanted to wear because I look too fat in it!”

  Tessa’s face crumpled and she let out a huge sob, her face and neck turning an angry red.

  “Whoa, whoa. One thing at a time,” Maddie said, raising her hands against Tessa’s accusal. “First of all, I’m sorry that I said that about your dress. It was mean.”

  Tessa looked up at Maddie, surprised. Maddie’s face heated, embarrassed that the other woman thought so little of her. Apparently she had some serious apologizing to do.

  “Second, I don’t dislike you. I just don’t know you. One day everything is normal, and then poof! My brother, the only person I’ve ever had in my life, comes back with a female I’ve never seen before. And all the sudden he’s got a mate, and a life, and…”

  Maddie stopped and took a breath, waving a hand to emphasize her confusion.

  “It’s weird knowing that I’m not the center of his world anymore, you know?” Maddie said, dropping her hands into her lap and letting her gaze follow. She’d been childish, and selfish. And it had clearly hurt Tessa, which hadn’t been her intention, not really.

  “You’re crazy, or at least blind,” Tessa said, wiping at her face again. Maddie looked up, cocking an eyebrow as a demand for explanation.

  “Jace has been going crazy since you ran off with Jasper. He keeps quiet about it, but I can tell he worries about you nonstop,” Tessa said, her mouth twisting in a frown.

  “He’s been worried about me?” Maddie asked, unable to help herself.

  “Uh, yeah. Constantly. You’re his best friend, Maddie. You show up at our house one day, acting like a huge jerk. Then we fight, and you just vanish? No phone call, not even a text message to let him know you’re okay? He’s been checking in with Jasper, for gods’ sake.”

  “He has? That bastard! Jasper didn’t breathe a word to me about it,” Maddie said.

  “Jace probably asked him not to. He kept saying that you’d check in when you were ready, but you never did. You’re just lucky he didn’t hack the security cameras at the Bunker and try to find you. He talked about it,” Tessa said, the anger seeping from her tone as she talked about her mate.

  “Oh my gods, he would do that. He’s crazy!” Maddie said, happy to have hit on a neutral topic.

  “He’s just overprotective,” Tessa said, sounding a little defensive.

  “Jace has better things to worry about than me, though. Like, I don’t know, a baby on the way? He’s probably told the entire internet, and called a press conference about it too. I’ve seen how he talks about the baby, he’s over the moon about being a daddy.”

  “Actually, I asked him not to tell anyone. You and Camilla are the only ones that know so far,” Tessa said quietly, her eyes dropping as if ashamed.

  “What? This is a big deal. Natural-born Shifters are few and far between these days. You guys should be super excited,” Maddie said, curious.

  “We are, it’s just… I did some research and found out that sometimes Ascendants can’t carry to term. A lot of them miscarry early on,” Tessa said, her voice wavering. She sounded absolutely miserable, and no wonder.

  “Oh, Tessa,” was all Maddie could think to say. She pulled her chair right up next to the other woman, not caring if she smooshed their fancy dresses. Maddie reached out and gave Tessa an awkward but genuine hug, trying to soothe her. “It’s okay. Nothing’s happened yet, right?”

  Tessa sniffled and shook her head, not comforted in the least.

  “Today is supposed to be this big, happy thing. How can I be happy knowing she might not live?” she said, putting a protective hand over her stomach.

  “Is she officially a she?” Maddie asked, pulling back to look at Tessa’s face.

  “No, it’s just a feeling. I’m too scared to let a doctor examine me. What if they can tell she’s a Shifter? Or worse, what if…” Tessa trailed off. “I’m just a big mess right now.”

  Maddie gripped Tessa’s shoulders, giving her a gentle shake.

  “Listen to me. You are a strong female. Jace is a strong male. Between the two of you, those are some pretty damned great genes, right?”

  Tessa let out a watery puff of laughter, nodding.

  “You are going to carry that baby—”

  “Elena,” Tessa cut in.

  Maddie paused, her brain whirling.

  “You’re going to name the baby after our mother? Did you talk to Jace about that?” Maddie asked, trying to keep her tone neutral.

  “I know you two think of her as a betrayer, but… in the end, she did what she had to do to protect you two. I could think of worse namesakes,” Tessa said, her voice turning firm.

  “I’m not against it, just wondering how Jace will react. Anyway, that’s not the point. You are going to bring Elena into the world just fine. We’ll get you a Shifter doctor, and we’ll get everything sorted out. But right now, your mate is pacing around the whole Armory and worrying about you and the baby. You have a lawn full of people who came from all over the place, just to celebrate your mating. We have a show to put on, Tess,” Maddie said, reaching out to touch the blonde’s damp cheek.

  “Okay,” Tessa said, sounding unsure.

  “Do you want me to send Jace in here?” Maddie asked, concerned.

  “No! It’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding,” Tessa insisted, biting her lip.

  “That doesn’t even make sense,” Maddie said. “Human superstitions are weird. Good thing you’re a Shifter now, huh?”

  Tessa laughed, throwing her arms around Maddie.

  “Thank you,” Tessa said, pulling back. “Can you send Camilla in with my makeup bag? I probably need a major touch-up by now.”

  “Sure thing. Get yourself together, and I’ll see you at the end of the aisle. I’ll be keeping Jace from bolting over to check on you and ruining the whole thing,” Maddie said.

  “Okay,” Tessa said. Maddie stood up and brushed the creases out of Tessa’s dress, then her own.

  “By the way, this dress is WAY prettier,” Maddie said. “You look like a princess.”

  Turning, she moved to unlock the door and let herself out.

  “Hey Maddie?” came Tessa’s voice.

  Maddie looked back to see Tessa standing and rearranging her dress.

  �
�Yeah?” Maddie asked.

  “Thanks,” Tessa said, giving her a soft smile.

  “What are sisters for?” Maddie asked, smiling back.

  As Maddie headed to find her brother and Jasper, she was surprised to find that the smile clung stubbornly to her lips.

  38

  Jasper had to admit that he was impressed by his first human wedding. The huge grassy space in the middle of the Den had been transformed for the occasion. A fancy oak archway had been set up in front of the Armory, with two large sets of white chairs facing it. The chairs flanked a long white-carpeted aisle, and the whole area was decked out in white and peach ribbon, rosebuds, and other soft touches. The trellis forming a sort of doorway through which the couple would exit after the ceremony. Jasper recognized the last part as a nod to Shifter ceremonies, which was a nice touch.

  Another surprise was the sheer number of Shifters that showed up for the event. Most packs only had twenty to thirty members, so seeing upwards of two hundred Shifters in one place was pretty astonishing. As far as Jasper could figure, about half had shown up out of respect for Jace and the Copeland family, or the Louisiana pack in general. The other half seemed to be here to watch the spectacle of a human wedding. He couldn’t blame them, really.

  The Shifter version of the ceremony involved biting, licking blood off one another, shifting into wolf form, and then running off into the woods to find a place to consummate the bond… all but the last in front of your pack. Not super romantic, he supposed. Certainly there would be no classical quartet playing in the background, unlike in this human version.

  Jasper’s participation in the ceremony turned out to be minimal; he’d walked Maddie down the long aisle and sat next to her in the front row. After that, all eyes had been on the rest of the procession. All the females were dressed in that same little number that his mate was wearing oh-so-well, all flirty and sweet in the front and then all bared skin in the back. He had no idea where the dresses had come from, but he wanted to track down the designer so he could dress Maddie like this every day.

  For the one or two months they had left together, anyway. Jasper clenched his jaw and closed his eyes of a moment, trying to focus on the moment at hand. The ceremony was getting started now, it seemed.

  The music slowed and changed, rising in volume as a traditional wedding march began. Shaw Geaudreaux stepped onto the beautifully decorated stage, decked out in a black suit with a white shirt. He raised his hands, bringing the crowd to their feet.

  The Louisiana pack’s Alpha pointed down the aisle, and everyone turned to watch as Tessa appeared at the end of the carpeted path. She looked like some kind of frothy confection, from the blonde ringlets piled artfully under her veil to the strapless ivory bodice that wrapped her torso, a sudden riot of sheer ivory fabric and layers upon layers flowing out from her hips.

  As Tessa walked down the aisle, Jasper was blown away by her expression. Her smile was so wide and bright that it nearly hurt to look at it, and her eyes were fixed on the stage. As she got closer to the stage, Jasper took a minute to examine Jace. All Jace’s earlier worry had vanished, leaving only a crooked grin. He was looking at his mate with such an intense and private expression. Jasper almost felt he was intruding, even though there was a sizable audience watching the ceremony.

  He heard a little sniff and looked over to where Maddie sat beside him. He sat, pretending not to notice that his female was so affected by the scene. He could tell she was trying not to outright cry, which for some reason made him grin.

  He grabbed her hand and squeezed it, drawing her attention. She looked at him briefly, her eyes twin pools of liquid violet. He couldn’t pin down a single emotion in her eyes, only able to see a few bits and pieces in the tumult. Joy, yes. Sadness, too. And longing, he could see that quite clearly.

  Too soon, she shuttered her gaze and turned away, giving him a nudge with her elbow. Jasper returned his gaze to Jace and Tessa, who were now standing together on the stage and holding hands.

  Shaw cleared his throat and began to read off a set of index cards he held close.

  “Welcome, Shifters, to the ceremony of bonding between Jace Copeland and Tessa Anderson. This is my first human ceremony, so you’ll have to forgive me if I get some of the details wrong,” Shaw said to Tessa, who laughed. The audience chuckled along with her.

  “Tessa, do you swear upon your life that you will honor, cherish, and respect your mate?” Shaw asked.

  “I do,” she agreed, the distance softening her voice.

  “Do you promise to be loyal and faithful not only to your mate, but also to this pack? To protect your pack as you would those of your blood?”

  “I do,” she replied, nodding.

  “And you enter into this pact willingly and joyfully?” Shaw asked.

  “I do,” Tessa said, her smile returning. It wasn’t much of a secret that Jace had actually started their mate bonding without her knowledge or permission. Obviously it had worked out for them, although the idea baffled Jasper.

  “Jace, do you swear upon your life that you will honor, cherish, and respect your mate?” Shaw asked.

  “I do,” the Shifter grumbled, not taking his eyes off Tessa for a second.

  “Do you promise to be loyal and faithful not only to your mate, but also to this pack? To protect your pack as you would those of your blood?”

  “Always.”

  “And you enter into this pact willingly and joyfully?” Shaw asked.

  Jace paused for a minute, grinning.

  “Yes, I do,” he affirmed. Tessa let out a giggle. Clearly some inside joke between the couple, Jasper thought.

  “You may exchange rings, as is human tradition,” Shaw ordered.

  The couple each slid a ring onto the other’s finger, causing a stir in the audience. Jasper had the feeling that Tessa had just started a new craze, and that every female was now imagining a big diamond sparkling on her left hand.

  His own mate, on the other hand, wouldn’t be speculating in the least. She was probably counting down the minutes until she changed out of her dress. Or, he thought bitterly, the days until she could take off for Europe and leave her old life behind, Jasper included.

  A wash of dark emotion flooded his chest, making him tense. Maddie looked up at him for a moment, giving him a questioning look. When Jasper didn’t respond, she turned back to the stage.

  “I now pronounce you mates,” Shaw said, eliciting a cheer and a big round of applause from the crowd. Everyone stood and watched as the couple came back down the aisle, practically radiating happiness. It hurt to look at them, knowing that he’d never have that.

  The newlyweds stepped down from the stage and made their way across the clearing to a cluster of graceful old oaks. Underneath the shelter of the trees, large tables had been set up to form a reception area of sorts, and parquet had been laid out nearby to create a dance floor. Dusk was falling, and the fading light of the early evening was accented by thousands of twinkling lights strung through the branches of the trees. A fancy bar was set up on one side, and the other side was framed by a long row of buffet tables laden with foods of every variety. Candles flickered at each table, glinting softly against the glasses and plates laid at each seat. Jasper studied the scene for a long time, marveling at the beauty of the setting.

  Maddie slipped away almost immediately to congratulate her brother and his new mate, and for once Jasper didn’t mind the separation. His mind was full of too many thoughts, too many repressed desires. He grabbed a scotch on the rocks from the bar and tucked himself away at a table in the far corner from the festivities, brooding.

  39

  He watched the happy couple for a few minutes, noticing that Jace could barely keep his hands off Tessa, and he was paying special attention to her stomach. Tessa’s pregnancy was still undetectable, but you would have to be blind to miss the fact that Jace was highly aware of it. Not just aware, but also thrilled. The lucky bastard.

  Jasper kicked his fe
et up onto a chair and sighed. A few months ago, he could have watched this with nothing but admiration for the other male. He’d spent his whole life setting low expectations for himself, starting with the fact that he never believed he’d have the untouchable Madeline Copeland. When he’d reached about twenty five years of age, he’d given up on the idea of having a loyal mate and the kind of large, loving family he’d once thought to have.

  He’d channeled those desires and his disappointment into action instead, and had devoted himself to bettering the situation of his pack. Though Maddie was derisive of the Bunker’s current state, in reality things had been much worse under his father’s watch.

  He’d worked hard on the pack’s security business, trying to bring in enough money to keep the pack fed. The security jobs paid off exponentially, filling the pack’s coffers, but the long hours and stress added to Jasper’s unstable family life left him little energy for hobbies or flirting.

  Hell, when Gwen had seduced and then dated him, he’d been shocked. If the Beta wolf hadn’t flung herself stubbornly into his path, he probably would have been celibate except for a few drunken one-night stands over the years.

  He’d never been good enough for the one female he truly wanted, so he’d just said fuck it and given up completely. And up until now, that had worked for him. He’d functioned, at least.

  Now here he was, sitting in the shadows at someone else’s mating celebration, wondering what the hell he was going to do when Maddie got the inclination to take off.

  And she would take off; of that much Jasper was certain. She’d start feeling stagnant, or like he was weighing her down, or maybe she’d just plain get bored. In any event, he’d wake up one day to a note on her pillow, and a big heap of heartache.

  If he let things continue like this, he was going to end up in a world of hurt at her hands. All for the sake of her sense of independence, her pride. He could only wonder how long it would take her to tire of playing house in Alabama. Not long enough for him. It would never be long enough with Maddie, he realized now.