Wereball Series - Along Came A Mate

Chapter 35

Theft was considered a crime in our modern society, where punishments varied depending on the severity of the act.

I, of course, had never stolen anything in my entire life, at least not material things from shops, museums, or people. But certain folks argued otherwise.

According to my father, I had stolen his heart when his eyes met mine for the very first time, seeing my mother's eyes, the love of his life, staring at him from the little bundle of joy (me).

According to Uncle Andrew, I was a professional thief in my daily life, stealing the hearts of all the were-boys.

According to my mother, I had stolen Aunt Margaret's fur when I was 10; but we all knew she had been the responsible of the crime and then blamed it on me, as no one would take it out on sweet angelic Yvaine.

That morning, though I had not stolen anything in the true sense of the definition, I was behaving exactly like a professional thief who had snatched the loot of the century. Sneaking from corner to corner, checking behind my back, hiding here and there, doing some somersaults my gym teacher would have been proud of.

I was a were-woman on a mission.

The danger increased when I approached my apartment. Instead of using the normal stairs as every sane person would, I climbed the exterior walls.

The game against Dark Diamond was approaching like black clouds on the horizon, a promise of storm and thunder. And I still had not decided whether I was going to go or not.

Once inside the safety of my room, I exhaled the pressure that had resided in my lungs. Amaia was in her room and Makena in the kitchen with a few friends. Tiziano had just left to go to support the team and prepare the cheering strategy against Dark Diamond... or rather the post-game war strategy.

After locking the door and patting Pluto, I took off my hat and sunglasses that had partially covered my identity and threw myself on the bed. My hand, as with a consciousness of its own, fished out of the plastic bag and gently pulled out the hidden treasure. After tearing off the protective film, I stopped to admire my new possession: a poster of the Dark Diamond Quarterback that I had bought at a newsstand.

Logan stood there in the foreground, his clenched fist reaching to the sky, the signature grin full of challenge, his posture radiating confidence, and those liquid silver eyes stared back at mine... those same eyes that I was sure had stolen several hearts. His blond hair was pushed back with a few strands falling over his prominent forehead. He wore his team shirt, with the infamous number 8 and shorts that emphasized those strong legs even more. The poster caused me premature ventricular contractions...or, in other words, it made my heart skip a beat.

After hanging it on the wall and then hiding behind a painting, I changed into my pajamas and headed for the living-room to work a little. When studying one's passion, it became a pleasant hobby rather than an imposition, so I did not notice how minutes turned into hours nor what was occurring around me.

The scribbling of my pen on paper was only broken when two noisy werewolves entered the house.

"He has a mate! I am telling you!" Tiziano appeared with my brother behind him. Lachlan had a towel around his neck and looked like he had just come out of the shower, with droplets dripping from his wet hair. I could see wounds and scratches that were healing, certifying the violence of the pre-match training.

"Anyone could have posted that picture and spread the rumor." The latter said boldly, biting a steak sandwich while putting his gym bag on the floor.

Curiosity began to scrape.

"What are you talking about?" I asked after they both kissed me on the cheek and looked at what I was doing. Tiziano stole my notes, checking them with interest before adding his input.