Chapter 25 WHAT FAVOR?
CHAOS.
I sat in the middle of the lounge, my eyes fixed on Tiernan as he downplayed all the stats from our last away game.
“Come on, it wasn’t that bad,” he said, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. “We still pulled off a win, right?”
I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. Ever since I’d been banned from the game, Tiernan and I had formed this strange arrangement—he’d keep me in the loop while I tried to stay connected to the sport I loved.
But it was tough. I missed the rush of the field, the camaraderie in the locker room, and the thrill of the game.
Instead, I was stuck on the sidelines, not even allowed in the locker rooms during school hours. I found it ironic, really.
My grandfather had built this damn school, yet here I was, treated like an outsider.
My nostrils flared at the thought, but I sat up, forcing myself to concentrate on what Tiernan was saying.
“Yeah, but it’s open season,” I replied, frustration creeping into my voice. “This is the worst possible time for me to be away from the field.” I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms over my chest.
We’ve only had two games this season, and I missed one of them. If this is all I’m going to get, then so be it.
My chest tightened at the thought, but I knew I had to accept it.
I listened halfheartedly to Tiernan as I shuffled a deck of cards in my hands. He rattled off who got fouled, who our MVP was, and how Valtor was back on the field, blazing through like his injury was nothing.
I couldn’t help but smirk at that. Valtor’s injury was far from “nothing.”
I could still picture that game clearly—the moment someone had taken him down after Valtor had provoked him by hurling some insult about his mother. That guy had struck back hard, bringing his silver-toed football boot crashing down on Valtor’s ankle. Definitely not a great spot to be in as a wolf.
Sure, Valtor had healed and was making waves again, but I hated that I couldn’t be part of it.
My smile faded as I zoned out for a moment, the expression feeling foreign.
I'd been battling a level of anger I couldn't put a lid on for the past week, and not for any reason anyone would expect.
I could feel the tension in the air, the anticipation for destruction that everyone around me was so bad at hiding.
Merrielynn Forbes had pulled a stunt at that party, and everyone was waiting to see what I was going to do about it.
Technically, I’d already done something about it.
It had been a week; I didn’t think people would still care. But sometimes, I underestimated just how much people poked their noses into my business.
Not doing something about it publicly could be a problem.
Not that I cared what others thought of me or how they saw me. But I wasn’t the only person in this equation, and those 'problems' would surface in a certain other person’s path too.
My jaw tightened as I thought of her.
What the hell happened to her?
I could feel my grip around the deck of cards tightening, frustration bubbling inside me as I realized I hadn’t figured out who did it yet.
Just then, Tiernan snapped his fingers, pulling me back to the moment. “Hey Chaos, you listening?”
“Yeah, I’m here,” I replied, forcing a nod. “Thanks for the recap.” I stood up, the thought of the situation still heavy on my shoulders.
We were at a VIP club, one of the best on this side of town. Underage guests usually weren’t allowed, but one look at my face had the bouncers parting like the Red Sea, letting me and my friends in without a second thought.
They even let the girls in, too, which was a nice bonus.
As I strolled through the open bar, the bass thumped against my chest, and I spotted Valtor stepping out of a room, a toothpick dangling from his lips as he adjusted his hair. He hadn’t noticed me yet, so I smirked and walked over. “Weird you’re trying to look pretty after getting your dick wet. Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around?”
He shoved me playfully, a grin breaking across his face as he noticed the cards in my hands. “You up for a game?” he asked, his eyes lighting up with that familiar competitive spark.
We headed to the card room and started a game with a few of our teammates. The room was alive with friendly competition until a sudden commotion outside disrupted the game—the agonized sound of a feminine voice echoing through the club.
A bouncer hurried in, his eyes darting nervously as he looked at me. "There's a woman insisting on seeing you," he said in an uncertain voice.
I cocked an eyebrow, prompting him to clarify, "A girl."
Instantly, a muscle in my chest jumped
And I couldn't help but think... Merrielynn?
But then, before I could dwell on it further, Juniper forcefully made her entrance into the room.
My expression dropped as I laid eyes on her, and a sour feeling crept up inside me.
Why did I even think it could be Merrielynn when she had successfully avoided me for a whole week?
Why would she even show up here?
Juniper parked her hand on her hip, her eyes flashing with irritation as she glared at me. I just stared at her, holding her gaze while trying to determine whether engaging with her was worth the energy today.
My teammates, scattered around the private room, remained silent. Knowing Juniper, they could probably sense the brewing storm. I saw how they tried to focus on their card game, pretending not to notice the tension between myself and her.
Juniper's arms folded across her chest, her posture screaming defiance. "I do you a favor, and all you do is bitch about it the entire week?" she spat in a very loud voice. "What kind of boyfriend are you?"
I narrowed my eyes at her, about to ignore her outburst.
But then something shifted.
My ears perked up at her words.
And the mention of a favor.
What favor?
My gaze snapped back to hers as I dropped the cards on the table and rose to my feet.
I might really have the time to deal with her after all.