34

34
As the double doors swung open, the pair of us were greeted by a chorus of squeaking shoes and basketballs hitting the hardwood floor. We’d only been a few minutes late, and already, the guys’ faces were red and running with sweat. “Looks like Noah’s not satisfied with one win under his belt,” I whispered.

Aiden chuckled, dropping me off at the bleachers before jogging across to the lockers. I was quick to hop up onto the lower bleacher, stepping across to avoid getting run over by the overenthusiastic players.

As usual, Noah was standing just between the middle walkway, signature clipboard in hand while a pair of whistles hung against his chest. I found myself staring at the dog’s whistle for a moment, shifting my gaze to the corner where I’d first spotted Trevor. God, it was uncanny how recent it all felt.

“Nice to see my assistant coach’s up and about,” he commented lightly. “Arm’s still actually in a cast, or is that for show?”

“Show,” I replied, plopping down on the bleachers before crossing my legs loosely. “Dad thought it’d be best if folks didn’t ask how I’d magically gotten it off so quickly.” I set my hand under my chin, watching as the guys ran up and down the court. Specifically, I found myself tailing Clyde, sweating harder than the rest as he flung the ball for a half-court shot. The swish of the net set him and his friends into a frenzy, tan skin shimmering beneath the fluorescent lighting as his dark, wavy hair danced about in the air. Maybe he sensed me staring, because we suddenly locked eyes and a smirk crossed his face as he stuck his tongue out my way.

“Don’t let that fool you,” Noah took a seat beside me, fidgeting with the dog whistle around his neck as he spoke. “He’s still pretty beat up over exiling someone. I’d be careful bringing it up around him, if I were you.”

I couldn’t even imagine throwing a long-time friend out of my life. My nights were sometimes filled with terrifying reminders of that moment; the spine-tingling snarl from Clyde, the apathetic look on his mother’s face, the tearing of grass as Trevor practically ran for his life…

“Still, I can’t argue with the results,” Noah added, gesturing back to the game as the boys reset for another play. “Clyde’s really been throwing himself into practice lately.”

“You don’t think he should talk to someone about what happened?” I asked.

Noah offered a weak smile in response. “I can barely help my own brother through wolf stuff. Honestly, there’s not much we outsiders can do.”

Outsiders. The word sent a shudder across my skin, causing me to pull my legs up to my chest. I hated how that sounded, but Noah wasn’t wrong. As much as I’d immersed myself within the wolf clans in the last month, I’d never truly understand how they operated. It felt so wrong, especially after Aiden’s proclamation. There was always going to be a side to him--to Clyde--that I’d always be separated from.

Soon enough, Aiden came out of the lockers and jumped straight into drills. I watched as he and Clyde played on opposing teams--it was only fair, given the obvious advantages they held over the others.In the past, I would’ve hidden in terror at the thought of pinning these two against each other. They were practically at each other’s throats as it was; having them compete on opposite sides just seemed like inviting disaster.

But it turned out to be the opposite.Both boys used their skill set to communicate and operate within their given teams. Their passes, their dribbles, their shots--it was like watching poetry in motion. And this was them working against each other.

“It’s honestly incredible how much you’ve influenced them,” Noah said.

“M-me?” I stammered, face growing hot. “I don’t think I’m that good of an assistant coach, Noah.”

Noah shook his head, a wry smile crossing his face. “No, it’s not that. There’s just something about you, Aria. I can’t explain it, but you bring out the best in those two.” He laughed, adding afterward, “You sure you’re not a witch?”

“God, I wish,” I groaned, leaning back against the bleachers. “That would’ve made this last month so much easier.”

Some time passed before Noah finally blew the official whistle, letting the guys break for water. As expected, Clyde practically made a beeline to my side, sliding into the bleacher to my left while Aiden slowly made his way to the right. Noah, meanwhile, stepped towards another group of guys, reading off his list and giving a few pointers.

Leaving me with the wolf boys.

“Yo, assistant coach,” Clyde grinned, canines looking particularly more pointed than usual. “So what’d you think? No way Mayfield’s gonna survive those sorts of plays.”

“Mayfield?” I asked, handing him a plastic cup from the cooler set in the bleacher row above us. “Is that the next team we’ll be up against?”

Clyde downed the water in one gulp, crushing the plastic in his hand with a wild look in his eyes. “Hell yeah, it is! God, I can’t wait to rub it in those little twerp’s faces.”

Aiden made a slight face, filling his own cup before taking a light sip. “You’re really going to phrase it like that around me?”

“Oh, you don’t like them either,” Clyde pointed out. “Don’t act all high-and-mighty.”

I gave Aiden a look, and he quickly set his cup down to explain. “My pack doesn’t just exist within Ayersville’s borders. We have another chapter of Northerners over in Mayfield--it’s about a twenty-minute drive away.”

“And Lowell’s little cousins just love showboating around whenever we’re set against each other,” Clyde growled. “Ooh, but this time, they’re gonna regret stepping foot in Duskfall’s territory.”

“Duskfall and fellow Northerner’s territory,” Aiden corrected.

Clyde scoffed, quickly standing up and stretching out his arms. “Hey, Aria, you still got plans for Halloween? Or did Daddy lock you down for the night?”

I scowled at him. “Dad said it’s fine for me to go out, yes. Why? Aren’t we still hanging out at the library with Laura?”

“Not sure when I agreed to that,” Clyde said, “but I couldn’t even if I wanted to. Aiden can’t, either.”

“Wait, what?” I turned to Aiden, taking on an accusatory tone. “When were you gonna tell me about bailing?”

Aiden held up his hands defensively, shaking his head as he spoke. “It--it was unexpected for me, too. Pops was chosen to host the…” He paused, as if trying to find the right words. “...to host a gathering of packs from across the state. It was last minute, I promise.”

He was purposefully avoiding dropping a name. Even now, he was keeping secrets from me. “Well, what about Laura? We can’t just keep throwing her curbside when something supernatural crops up,” I argued.

Clyde took a step towards me, getting uncomfortably close to my face. “That’s our life on the daily, safety-patrol. Not our fault you don’t like it.” He must’ve noticed the look of discomfort on my face, because his expression quickly brightened as he added, “But hey, you should come! Your Dad used to frequent this gig all the time--a great way to scope out the opposing team, and all that.”

Aiden’s hand clapped against Clyde’s shoulder, pulling him back with an undercurrent of tension. “Aria’s not exactly a hunter, Clyde. It’s probably not a good idea.”

Clyde quickly shrugged his hand free before jogging back to center court. Without waiting for anyone to finish, he picked up one of the balls and began making free throws, seemingly spurred on by some unseen mania.