Chapter 57 - Friday Night Lights

David.

The crowd roared as I bolted onto the field. Last game of the season, and I was all fired up. Under the bright lights, the grass looked like it had been polished just for us. Couldn't help but grin as I took my spot, ready to own this moment.

"Hey Madden, you ready to crush it tonight?" Fergus slapped me on the back.

I smirked. "You know it, bro. They won't know what hit 'em."

Coach Jensen called out, "Remember the plays, boys! Let's show 'em what we're made of!"

As the whistle blew, I caught the ball and sprinted down the field, dodging tackles like they were nothing. It was almost too easy with this new wolf strength. I felt like I could take on the whole team myself.

"Touchdown, Madden!" The announcer's voice boomed over the cheers.

Fergus ran over, high-fiving me. "Dude, you're on fire tonight!"

The whistle blew, and I jogged off the field with the rest of the guys, sweat dripping down my face. Coach Jensen was already launching into his halftime pep talk as we gathered around him.

"Alright, boys! You're doing great out there! Keep up the pressure!" He clapped his hands together, eyes scanning over each of us. "Madden, never seen you play so well, son. What's gotten into you?"

I grinned, shrugging. "Just feelin' good, Coach." He was a shifter, so he wouldn't get it. The rush, the feeling of being a wolf. He'd given me hell about my tats. My teammates were split—half thought they were badass, the other half said I'd regret 'em when I was older. They didn't get that I'd still be young while they were deep in their sixties.

Johnson, a non-wolf, slapped me on the back. "Dude, you're like a freakin' machine out there! A real beast."

I let out a hearty laugh, shaking my head. Coach had no idea what was really going on. "Yeah, guess so," I replied, trying to play it cool.

Truth is, ever since I first shifted three weeks ago, it's been like a whole new world opened up. Me and Javid? We've been exploring it together. Making us tighter than tight. Running under the moon, feeling the wind whip past our fur. We’d even hit up Violet’s crib on the regular, chilling with her till Joyce would kick us out, saying it was late and Violet needed her beauty sleep.

On the way back, me and Javid would turn it into a race, paws pounding the ground, trying to outdo each other. Most of the time, I'd come out on top. We'd laugh, roast each other until Dad would shut us down, tellin' us to pipe down and crash.

As Coach kept yammering 'bout strategy, my mind started bouncing around. Football used to be my whole damn world – the rush of the game, the crowd going wild, the dream of playing college ball. But now? It's like...who even cares?

My brain's stuck on Violet and the pack. Ever since I found out 'bout my wolf side, my priorities did a 180. Protecting my pack and my girl? That's what counts now. The hype of football and traveling just can't stack up to keeping them safe.

"Madden, you with us?" Coach's voice snapped me back to reality.

"Yeah, sorry, Coach." I shook my head, trying to focus on his words.

He released us a few minutes later to catch the tail end of halftime.

I went up to Fergus as the band marched onto the field. Dude had changed two weeks after I did. Like me, he looked different—taller, stronger, and that wolf scent clung to him. Fergus had zoned out while Coach yapped too. There was a fire in his eyes that wasn’t there before his shift, and I had a feeling I knew why.

"David, I want in," Fergus started, straight to the point. His bluntness made me raise an eyebrow.

"In on what?" I smirked, playing dumb.

"You know what, David. I'm talking 'bout the whispers, the witches, and now with Samara, a warlock. As your future Beta, I need to be part of it."

I let out a sigh of relief. I didn’t have to be the one to spill the beans. Before I could say anything, a flash of red caught my eye. Kiki waved cheerily before locking eyes with Fergus, who had a sheepish grin.

"Kiki's your mate?" I asked, more a statement than a question.

Fergus turned bashful, nodding. "Yeah, she is."

I couldn’t help but chuckle. "Dude, you're blushin'."

He scoffed, trying to play it cool. "Shut up, man. It's just...she's different, you know?"

I nodded, totally getting it. Violet had that effect on me too.

"Aight, Fergus, I appreciate that, man," I said, giving him a firm pat on the back. "You're gonna make one hell of a Beta."

Fergus grinned, standing a little taller. "Damn straight, I will."

I chuckled, shaking my head. "But seriously, bro, you gotta be careful. This ain't just some high school drama. We are deep into some real shit."

"I know, David," Fergus said, getting serious. "I'm not gonna do anything stupid. I just wanna help."

"That's what I like to hear," I said, nodding. "But listen, we gotta keep this on the down low for now. We can't let anyone else know about the circle or what we're up against."

Fergus nodded, his eyes scanning the field to make sure no one was listening in. "Got it. Mum's the word."

"Good, good," I said, clapping him on the shoulder again. "Now let's get back out there and win this game, huh?"

Fergus grinned, all alive with that football spirit. "Hell yeah, let's do it."

We jogged back onto the field, ready to take on the second half. But as we lined up for the next play, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. I kept glancing at the sidelines, half-expecting to see Lizbeth or that warlock dude lurking in the shadows.

Mildred, Dad, and Joyce kept yammering 'bout playing defense when we should be going all out on offense. Why wait for them to come at us when we could smack 'em first with the element of surprise? We should be hunting them down, not sitting' around twiddling' our thumbs.

Lorraine, Javid, Violet, and Jasmine's crew were with me. And now that Fergus was on board, I was ready to rock and roll.

"Yo, Madden, you good?" Fergus asked, snapping me outta my thoughts.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good," I said, forcing a grin. "Let's just focus on the game, alright?"

Fergus nodded, but he knew something was up with me, but he didn't push it.

As the game went on, I tried to lock in on the plays and the crowd's cheers. But my mind kept drifting back to the circle and the danger lurking just beyond the bright lights of the football field.

I couldn't let my guard down, not even for a second.

"Alright, boys, let's finish this!" I yelled, pumping my fist in the air. "We got this!"

And with a roar, we charged back onto the field, ready to crush it.