In the Luna's shadow

Chapter 4

Theo

I was running laps around the oval during the warm up with the team. Something was distracting me.

Blue fur, swaying through the wind. Bright blue eyes staring at me.

Maybe I should say someone was bothering me.

“Theo, run the defensive drill!” Coach Louis called out to me from the bench. I rolled my eyes and led the team towards our goals.

I don’t think he has done anything since we got here. Axel groaned.

Not sure why they even call him coach. I muttered, shaking my head.

“Right, half up here, half down there.” I pointed to the cones and instructed the team. “You blokes, try and get the ball to the other side of the square, defenders, try and stop him.” I explained. I heard a few ‘OK’ and ‘got it’ from the team as they split into groups.

As we ran the drills, the stand began to fill. I couldn’t help my mind wondering.

I wonder if the girl with the blue fur will come today? Axel wondered. I tried to dismiss him.

“What’s up with you man?” Tom asked me as we ran back to the huddle for coach Louis to address us.

“Nothing… just can’t get my head in gear today.” I shook my head. It wasn’t a complete lie. I just avoided telling him why my head was distracted in the first place.

“Well, get it into gear! We have to smash these arseholes!” Tom elbowed me in the ribs. We have always had a great rivalry with the Red Shadow team. I never knew why it began but I have heard it was more intense at the Great Wood Pack. My mother and I were part of the Alpha family at the Great Stone Pack, but as we did not have enough players for our own team, we were sent to the Great Wood Pack team.

“Once we get back, we can enjoy a few celebratory beverages at Lincoln’s eighteenth party!” Coach Louis shouted to the group.

Eighteenth birthdays are a big deal in the wolf community. It is the age when you are able to meet your mate. That significant other who makes everything better. It makes you and your wolf stronger, and you can’t live without them. My mother never met her mate, my father was her chosen mate.

I had turned eighteen a few months ago but still hadn’t found my mate. My mother said that as the future alpha of the Great Stone Pack, I should focus on finding my mate and not finding girls to pass the time. I always rolled my eyes at her and dismissed it.

“Theo!” Coach Louis yelled at me, pulling me out of the hole my thoughts had gone down.

“Sorry coach?” I asked. Not hearing anything he had seen.

“Do you have anything to say to the team?” He groaned in frustration.

“Oh, yea… just do what we do!” I shrugged before wrapping my arms around the guys standing either side of me for our chant. Tom rolled his eyes at me.

Good motivational speech captain… he laughed at me. I smirked.

It was almost half time. There was a smell in the air that I couldn’t shake. It was a mix of strawberries and cream. I searched for the source of the scent but I couldn’t quite find it.

Suddenly, a football came flying into the side of my face. It stung as it bounced off of my cheekbone and rolled onto the floor. Soon after, a huge body crashed into me, throwing me to the side and onto the grass. I grunted before pushing the guy off of me and standing up.

“f**k sakes Theo!” I growled at myself under my breath. “Pull it together!” I scolded.

The whistle blew at the end of the third quarter. I ran back to our team huddle, shaking my head. I touched my cheekbone where the ball hit me and felt blood drip down my hand.

“Urgh!” I groaned. “I’ll be right back.” I said to coach Louis as I ran back to get my cheek patched up.

I sat down on the bench while someone cleaned my cut and put a Band-Aid over it. I was hit by the smell of strawberries and cream. It was as if it was right in front of me.

I looked up and there was a girl who had jumped over the fence that surrounded the oval. I gazed at her questioningly, c*****g my head to the side.

“Sorry, I dropped my phone…” she giggled as she jumped back over the fence. I stood up and walked over to where she jumped. She was standing there with a group of girls who all giggled when I stood in front of them. I rolled my eyes.

I looked at the girl again. She had long red hair that was tied up in a pony tail, hazel eyes and was really tall. She wasn’t as tall as I was, but compared to she-wolves at home, she was tall.

“Who are you?” I asked curiously.

“Sienna.” She smiled and fluttered her eyelashes up at me.

“Nice to meet you.” I smirked and nodded.

I could tell the strawberries and cream scent was coming from her but it didn’t seem to be as strong as I would have imagined being so close.

“Are you staying for the presentations after the game?” She asked with a grin.

“Not sure. Depends what the team is doing.” I shrugged my shoulders and began to jog towards the team's huddle again.

“I hope to see you there!” She called to me as I jogged.

“Who was that?” Tom asked, glancing around me to take a look at the girls.

“Sienna apparently.” I raised my eyebrows.

“I don’t know how you do it. We have been here for like three hours and you already have them falling at your feet…” he shook his head with a smirk.

“Irresistible, my friend.” I laughed. Tom pushed me on the shoulder and chuckled.

We ended up winning the game, which left the Red Shadow Team with their heads hung low. It didn’t help that coach Louis was heckling them from the sideline.

“Good game.” I said, and I shook the other players' hands. I reached the end of the line and stood face to face with their captain. The Red Shadow Pack Alphas son. He was almost as tall as me, we were pretty much nose to nose.

“Good game.” I nodded, holding my hand out to him politely. He pushed my hand away.

“I don’t shake hands with cheats.” He said through gritted teeth. I could feel the anger rising within me. I felt as if Axel was pacing.

“I don’t know why that means you can’t shake my hand. We won fair and square.” I shrugged my shoulders. I saw fire burn in his eyes.

He growled and stormed off of the oval. I couldn’t help the smirk that formed on my face.

“What a jerk!” Tom laughed as he ran up to me.

“Bad loser, that’s for sure!” I added.

Tom and I walked back towards our change rooms to shower and get ready to head home. I noticed the same girl standing at the edge of the oval again. I elbowed Tom and gestured to her. He followed me as I jogged over to her.

“Nice game.” She blushed, lowering her gaze to the floor.

“Thanks.” I smiled. I could smell the strawberries and cream but they weren’t as strong as they were before. I knew they were coming from her but couldn’t explain why they were less potent.

“So, you going to hang around for a bit?” She asked, hopeful.

“I don’t think so. It’s our friend's eighteenth.” I shrugged my shoulders.

“Maybe, I’ll see you when you come back for the Honorary Alpha Ball?” She suggested, batting her eyelids again.

“Maybe!” I winked and followed Tom down the race and into the change rooms.

We walked towards our bag and started getting our stuff out for a shower.

“That chick smelt good.” Tom muttered.

“Strawberries and cream?” I asked. Curious as to whether he smelt the same thing.

“No, citrus. I didn’t smell strawberries and cream…” he shook his head and walked towards the showers.

I stood there dumbfounded. How did he not smell the same thing I did?