Page 43 of It’s A Little Bit Bunny (Fangs on Ice #4)
Forty-two
Nikolai
T he memory of Jules getting himself off on my lap carried me through the first half of the week.
Nope, I didn’t think even for a minute that frotting with a hot forest god magically cured me of my depression, but it did help me get out of bed—after jerking off imagining it was his hands on my cock. Plus, I played better.
“Well done, Nik,” Arne clapped me on the shoulder. “If you play like that tomorrow, the Füchse won’t have any reason to laugh.”
“Thanks, Captain.”
“Well done, Kleiner.” Bo punched my bicep with a grin. Snorting, I punched him back, careful not to hurt myself on his bulging arms… again . That had been an interesting bruise to explain to our PT.
“We’ll kick them back to their burrows,” I said, perhaps a bit too sure of our team. But we had never played better.
Raven and Decks were a match made in heaven—on the ice at least. Arne was at the height of his strength. Guns was having the best season of his career. He led the category for the goalie with the most saves. The sun now shone out of Bo’s ass since Ollie had moved in with him, and even I sucked less than usual.
My lips twitched as I stripped my clothes and protective gear.
I knew Jerke worked hard behind the scenes to have possible successors for the older players who would be retiring soon. It was only a matter of time, and I got excited thinking about who he might be able to sign as people retired.
Rumours were circulating about the Gators wanting a change in their offensive line.
I get it .
Chase Harper was more of a liability than an asset these days. While he was a fantastic player—something I wouldn’t admit even under torture—he made tabloid headlines at least once a week for everything and anything you could think of. He got in fights. His seemingly countless hook ups gave scandalous anonymous interviews. Or inexplicably yet another deal he made with an underwear company.
But without Harper, their roster didn’t make any sense. I tilted my head up into the shower spray, letting the water run down my face and body.
I just hoped that Jerke stayed the fuck away from him. His position would fit our needs. Our right winger, Leo Schramm, turned thirty-six at the end of the year and would likely retire at the end of the season.
But fuck no. We didn’t need someone like him.
The game was hard won, but we ended ahead by two points, unfortunately, also with an injury for Nate. The Füchse’s new defenceman, Adin Williams, was lithe for a position that usually depended on bulk. But he made up for it with his wicked fast speed and ruthlessness on the boards. That asshole tackled Nate to the boards so hard that he smacked his head. Now, Nate was out under concussion protocol.
It was good that we didn’t play in Veitsreuth, or I was sure Vee would have dismembered Williams for hurting his precious baby.
Just like Jules threatened to hurt Lipponen.
I reclined on my hotel bed, headphones on so I didn’t have to hear Bo being all cute on the phone with Ollie.
Although, it barely bothered me these days. The only twinge of sadness I felt was that I couldn’t just call Jules, too.
Only one day to go.
I missed him like crazy, even more from five hundred kilometres away. One night here, a bus journey back to Veitsreuth, training, a good night’s sleep, and then I could suck and kiss the shit out of him—and he out of me.
Trying to steer my thoughts away from Jules giving me head, I snacked on a few handfuls of nuts, downed some water, and got ready for bed. I was fucking exhausted.
“I can’t wait to get home,” Bo said as we were about to leave the hotel the next morning. “I miss my man.”
“Yeah, same,” I replied without thinking and got a cocked eyebrow back. Then his face split into a grin, exposing his gleaming fangs to me.
“Nikolai, you fox ! Are you dating someone?”
I felt my cheeks heat, and Bo’s grin widened.
“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone about it. Is he hot?”
“So hot,” I muttered, unable to suppress my smile.
“Aw.” Bo clapped me on the shoulder. “It’s good to see you smiling again, Nik.”
Don’t start crying now.
“Yeah, feels better, too.”
“Where did you meet? Do we know him?”
“No. We met in the forest, actually. I lost my way, and he saved me from a storm.”
“Gods, that’s the perfect love story. You deserve it.” He clapped his hand to my shoulder again. Had I been a smaller man my knees would have buckled from the impact.
“Thanks, Bo.”
“Come on, let’s get back on the bus and home to our men.”
The bus ride back to Veitsreuth sucked. I usually didn’t mind it at all; it was a comfortable carriage, and we listened to music or read and some played cards or games on their handheld consoles.
We got stuck in traffic though, turning the normally five-hour journey into an odyssey.
It was past three in the afternoon when we finally reached the rink. As soon as we pulled up, we found an agitated Vee, who was worried sick and wouldn’t stop fussing over Nate.
“We’ll call it a day, men,” Jerke called over the commotion. “I think we all need to go home and relax. I’ll see you all on Monday morning.”
Bo, Max, Arne, and I shouldered our bags and set off together. Veitsreuth was so tiny, we all lived more or less near each other.
None of us spoke; you could tell that we were collectively exhausted.
“Have a good weekend,” I said to Max and the Viking when we reached their house.
“You too,” Max yawned and bumped fists with me.
“See you on Monday.” Arne repeated the gesture, and they trudged off in the direction of their front door.
Bo waited until they had gone.
“Tell your boyfriend I say ‘hi’.” He bumped his meaty fist to mine and hoisted his bag higher up his shoulder.
“Say ‘hi’ to Ollie.”
“Will do.”
I watched Bo cross the street and turn onto a side street. After he left, I made my way to my apartment.
It had never felt more empty and depressing than it did in that moment.
Without much conscious thought, I took a quick shower, threw some clothes, food, and my laptop with the two power banks I’d gotten for it into my weekender, and headed for my car.
“The forest will tell me,” that’s what Jules had said. I hope he is listening.