Page 27 of Jockstraps & Newspapers

Chapter seventeen

Getting to the last scrimmage

Elliot

H ow strange a turn of events. One day, he's trying not to fidget in the mirror about his reflection, wondering if he's good enough…

and the next, he's standing on the sideline with coach, talking through the plays.

He practically handed over his playbook and asked 'what do you think?

' and meant it. Renner was always such an open and honest guy, it never occurred to him to think for one moment that he was training Elliot to take his place because he never mentioned it.

Not until last year when he said "Hey, Elliot, you wanna be coach?

" as they walked off the field of the last game.

Now, look at him, a tall Minotaur calling plays from the sideline and helping run them with Trainer Lee as his stand in.

Lee also never looked so happy in his life than to just be one of the players, goofing around.

Lee was always a pretty chill guy but…man when you get a person on the field and tell them let it rip?

The joy that comes to their face is priceless.

Toad was standing in as captain, Lee physically taking his spot, and Elliot knew then…

this was gonna work. Next year, it would be so seamless.

It had been two weeks of constant running the game, tag teaming in Lee so that he could see it from Renner's point of view. He didn't want to fully step out yet, but he was starting to feel ready.

"Alright, huddle up!" Coach Renner called for everyone, the flock of athletes jogging to sit in front of him. Toad flopped on his belly, giving a thumbs up he could hear.

"Good scrimmage, everyone. I want everyone in bed by nine, I want everyone doing light work outs tomorrow.

We're taking the day off to work out those sore muscles; get a massage, sit in the hot tub, do some light crunches, nothing hard.

No more than two miles, any of you, for a jog.

Then, Saturday morning, we're doing warm up and try ons before Saturday's game! Alright?"

"Yes, Coach!" Everyone, including Elliot, roared into the afternoon sky.

"Alright, I think we're ready." Renner gave Elliot and Toad a noogie for luck before dismissing everyone.

Elliot twisted, challenging Toad to a jog back to the lockers and found Cassie walking down the slope.

She was on her phone again, dressed in a little black dress and heels.

Oh, so they were going out-out tonight. She'd packed his bag this morning before leaving to go to the local library for the day of writing and research.

Cassie told him she wanted to take him out to dinner that night as a "last scrimmage" celebration.

That black dress was looking way prettier than just them getting pizza at the little shop down the street.

Plus, Coach would skin him alive if he ate a whole pizza that night.

It was salads and lean meats until after the first game.

If he got carbo slugged before the game, it would be over for him and his hooves.

His knot was hard again despite his best efforts.

Elliot had fucked and knotted Cassie practically every other day.

Once she took it, it's like her body egged it on.

He expected them not to knot a few times, but she was capital D determined.

When Cassiopeia Darling put her mind to something, she did not give up or slow down.

Which was a blessing and curse. Elliot wanted his heat to go away.

In the last two weeks they'd fucked in the locker room, behind the bleachers, against the back of the gym building, on the way to his townhouse , practically everywhere but his actual bed.

For once, he'd like to be a gentlemanly boyfriend, take her out to dinner—he had a vision.

Flowers, showing up at her apartment, truck is clean, and sunroof is down, they drive to a romantic spot in the gardens, have a picnic, eating food out of each other's hands, she giggles at his jokes, and then they return to his place where they make out on his couch and move to his bed, where within reason, he makes love to her.

All very romantic, all very not horndog material.

But until his heat was under control, his ability to survive more than a few hours at practice was growing less and less…

what was happening? Was it time to actually cave and talk to mom?

He hated that idea, but she'd be the only one able to explain it to him.

Two weeks straight, at least 13 knots…was the end in sight or was he doomed to be an ultra horndog forever?

"Oooooh, doggy, who is the hottie?"

Elliot blinked awake, ready to smack Toad upside the head for talking about Cassie like that, only to have his head physically turned by the snout.

He stared at the stands where a woman was leaning against the rails, waving to Cassie.

His girl didn't look too happy, either. Cassie huffed, tossing her arms out to her side and stomping up the metal steps into the stands. "Uh, that's not good."

"You better go stop your girl before it turns into a wrestling match," Lee snorted, saddling up beside them. "I've seen that body language before, and that's a woman on a mission of pain."

Oh no. Elliot wasn't sure what was more frightening. Cassie and this mystery woman speaking? Or the closer he got to the stands, the more he heard?

"What are you doing here?"

"What? I can't just come hang out? It's public property, Cassiopeia."

One clue was the long fingers raked through yellow-blonde hair, long and silky tendrils brushed back behind stylish sunglasses.

Their faces were so similar it was frightening.

A sister . Elliot got to the base of the stairs and the woman in a pinstripe suit whipped to face him and waved.

"Hi! You must be Elliot Bonesaw. I've heard so much about you . "

Elliot has, for most of his career, had people throw themselves at him.

Normally, he brushed it off as it's the muscles.

It's the hooves and the height and the quads, it's never him.

They flirt and bat their eyelashes at him, and he laughed it off because it used to fluff his ego.

However, a twist in his gut filled him to the brim knowing this was one of Cassie's sisters.

Because he's in his heat and if he gets too close, his cock is going to beg for Cassie to take it, and it's going to be misread.

His girl made it very clear that she had complex emotions about her sisters.

But, he didn't want to be rude. Panting for air, blaming it on the jog and not the pounding of his heart against his ribcage.

He raked his fingers through his sweaty hair.

"Hey, sorry, you must be one of Cassie's siblings? "

The blonde gasped, hands to her chest with a girlish squeal. "Guilty as charged, I'm Lyra Darling."

He stepped up the steps, offering a hand to her and hoping she didn't take it.

Lyra Darling did, shaking his hand vigorously.

She stared up at him with shark eyes. He'd seen those bad boys in promoters before, the eyes that stare at people like they're numbers and money.

He wasn't a hunk of meat to Lyra, but he was some sort of chunk of data.

Something she could quantify and base a judgement off of that number.

She gave her sister a wicked grin that pulled her plump, black painted lips up in a curl.

Elliot glanced at Cassie as she stared directly at Lyra.

His heart lurched as he stumbled forward.

His girl's eyes snapped to him, hurt radiating through her gaze.

He hadn't said anything yet. Yet, it didn't sting less, as he stammered. "Hey…Cassie…you look good."

She did. How did he tell her she looked so good it made his whole body light up?

Not just his heat but his stomach did cartwheels.

It wasn't just the dress, though the dress was delicious.

It was the way she let her curls stay down with a single head band, a sweet bow lying stylishly on top of her hair.

She wore winged eyeliner and clearly took time to apply a smokey eye and paint her lips with her signature red lip.

Lyra whipped from Elliot and grinned at Cassie, "Doesn't she? She looks good enough to eat!"

Lyra strutted to her sister's side, throwing an arm around her. Cassie grimaced, returning the hug. "Thanks."

"I came by to see what all the hub-blub was about, and I got to say," Lyra let out a low whistle as she winked at Elliot, "he's a cutie."

Oh no. Elliot flinched as Cassie ripped out of Lyra's grip.

That's not going to go over well. He hadn't met the sisters yet and wasn't sure he ever would if Cassie had a thing to say about it.

Before that moment, he'd never considered crossing that boundary.

Looked like he didn't have a choice now.

Cassie glared at her sister, "Thanks, but we should get going, we have reservations. "

"Oh? Really? Where? I can tag along."

Elliot could see Cassie's lid was about to blow.

Stepping up behind her into the arena stands, he grabbed her by the hips in case he needed to physically remove her from the situation and flashed Lyra a smile.

She smiled back. Elliot laughed sheepishly, "That's sweet but I kinda promised Cassie a one-on-one tonight so she could finish up a few more pieces.

You know, journalism stuff. It's been so busy with scrimmage I haven't been able to answer anything, and I owe her some full-focus, big brain answers, you know? "

Lyra's shark eyes roamed over his face and a cool, unwelcome shiver ran down his spine. "No worries, was just wanting to catch up with my little journalist. I'll catch you later Cassie, I've got some criminals to charge and businesses to sink, toodaloo."