Out of Bounds

6

"We'll see you tomorrow, Coach," everyone said after training.

They headed to the locker room to shower, steam already fogging the mirrors as players tossed their towels over their shoulders. Kayden joined Shiloh by the benches while he fixed his things, stuffing his practice jersey into his bag and wiping the sweat from his neck.

"Shi, are you going home? Let’s grab some drinks," Theo said, one of their teammates. "Right, Kay?" he added, winking at Kayden.

Kayden glared at him and threw a used jersey at Theo. Theo caught it mid-air and chuckled.

"What? I’m just inviting him," he said playfully.

Shiloh paused for a second, remembering the message he had received from Archer earlier. He ignored the slight buzz in his mind and slung his bag over his shoulder.

"Yeah, sure," Shiloh said casually.

"Really?" Kayden asked, clearly surprised that Shiloh agreed to join them.

"What? Am I not allowed to have fun?" Shiloh replied with a small chuckle, raising an eyebrow. Kayden quickly shook his head.

"That’s not what I mean. It’s just that you’re busy most of the time," he said while zipping his bag closed. "You usually go straight home after practice," he added. Shiloh shrugged, trying to look relaxed.

"I guess I can spare one night," he said, though his mind was already elsewhere.

"Nice! Let’s go to my favorite club," Theo said excitedly.

They left Stathmore High and split into two cars. Out of the thirteen team members, only five seniors decided to come. The others either had classes early the next day or went straight home after practice.

"Kay, ride with Shiloh. Your house is on the way to his. I’ll take David and Connor with me," Theo said. Kayden glanced at Shiloh.

"Is it okay, Shi?" he asked.

"Yes, of course," Shiloh replied. He quickly sent a message to their helper at home, letting them know he’d be out late. "Let’s go," he added, slipping his phone back into his pocket.

Kayden had been his friend for three years now—since their first year on the varsity team. They understood each other well on and off the court.

The two got inside Shiloh’s car, and he started the engine. They followed Theo’s car through the evening traffic, the city lights beginning to glow as they made their way toward the club.

At the same spot where they were supposed to meet, Archer had been waiting for Shiloh for almost half an hour. His brows furrowed in annoyance as he checked the time again. It wasn’t like Shiloh to be late.

"s**t," he cursed under his breath.

A beep from his phone caught his attention. Dmitri’s name flashed across the screen. Archer opened the message, and the anger that had subsided earlier surged back when he read it.

"Shiloh and the Stathmore seniors are here."

Without hesitation, Archer started his car and drove straight to Groove Club, gripping the steering wheel tighter than necessary.

Inside the club, music pulsed through the air as colored lights swept across the room. Shiloh and his teammates were gathered around a table, laughing loudly as they talked about the games they had played last year.

"Remember when Kayden became the highlight of the season because he got a nosebleed mid-game?" Connor teased.

Kayden groaned while the others burst into laughter.

"Hey, it wasn’t my fault! The guy elbowed me," he defended.

"Good thing it wasn’t severe," Shiloh said, shaking his head at the memory. "You looked like you were about to faint," he added.

"Oh, I remember Shiloh’s pissed-off face because of Ms. Barbara," Theo said, pointing at him. Shiloh rolled his eyes.

"Well, in my defense, I passed my project early, but she wouldn’t accept it because she hates our basketball team," he said before gulping down his drink.

"Well, she’s an old maid. What do you expect? They’re cranky," David said, shaking his head. "My project got the lowest mark from her, and I almost couldn’t play," he added bitterly.

The group groaned in agreement, complaining about strict teachers and unfair grades, their laughter mixing with the loud music of the club.

"Wait, do you smell that?" Connor asked, his nose wrinkling. "A f*****g omega in heat," he whispered, groaning. The club was specifically built for Alphas only, and an Omega in heat in a nest full of Alphas was dangerous.

"Step aside!" the bouncer shouted.

Shiloh looked at his friends and saw them struggling to breathe. Their instincts were telling them to breed the Omega, but before it escalated, the poor Omega was brought upstairs, away from the Alphas trying to grab him.

"f**k, that was f*****g intense," Theo said, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "God, I hate Omegas," he added. Shiloh gulped when he heard Theo say that.

"For real! Why can’t they just f*****g stay in their houses? They’re ruining the mood!" Connor complained.

"Knock it off," Kayden said firmly. "They didn’t choose to become like that," he added.

Shiloh silently took another drink.

"Shi, are you alright? Were you not affected?" Theo asked. Knowing the Cross family, Shiloh was a greater Alpha, and with an Omega nearby who had just gone into heat, it was surely hard on his part.

"I’m alright," he replied. "I got dizzy for a moment but managed to cover my nose," he swiftly lied to his friend.

"f**k," David muttered.

"What?" Theo asked.

"Brighton," he whispered.

Shiloh closed his eyes for a moment and clenched his hand into a fist.

"And they’re f*****g walking towards us," David added.

When Archer and his team arrived, Archer looked at Shiloh and then at his teammates.

"Hello, Stathmore. What a coincidence," Archer said.

The tension in the air was heavy. Shiloh drank from his bottle and put it down on the table with force.

"What do you want, Archer?" Shiloh asked, his voice cold. Archer smirked.

"I was just greeting you and your team," he said.

Shiloh glared at him as onlookers began to gather around them. Of course, the two were famous in the city—the sons of powerful and wealthy Alpha families.

"Go straight to the point," Shiloh said.

Archer chuckled and sat down between him and Kayden.

"Shall we have a drinking game?" Archer asked. He knew full well that Shiloh couldn’t handle his liquor, but Shiloh would never back down from a challenge.

"Fine," Shiloh said.

"Shi," Kayden muttered, shaking his head.

"What’s in it for us if we beat you?" Shiloh asked.

"Well, money is not an issue, so shall we make it more exciting? The losing team will become the winning team’s slave for a day," Archer said, surprising everyone at the table.

"Archer," Dmitri called out, but Archer’s decision was final.

"Fine," Shiloh said again, and the rest of the team looked at them in disbelief.

Shiloh would make sure he defeated Archer in his own game as the staff brought them their drinks.