Bewere the Night (21 page)

During the week, the hockey team had a series of away games. Lexa ached and felt as though she had lost a limb. She wasn’t Depressed Girl, but she couldn’t sleep or eat or concentrate for more than two seconds. Her symptoms resembled withdraw.

Perhaps she had been too hasty in sending Aiden away. Athletes were loyal to their coaches. Maybe Coach Hakim’s tiger escaped and Aiden had been trying to find it. Just bad luck she happened to find it first. Of course all this was pure conjecture. She needed to confirm the tiger’s existence.

After her thermo class on Friday morning, Lexa hiked out to Coach Hakim’s house. The team had an afternoon game at West Chester University and wasn’t due back until late. Lexa circled his house, but found no evidence that a tiger lived there. He didn’t even have a fenced in backyard. She returned to campus.

Instead of heading home, she entered the Ice Pavilion. She found Coach Hakim’s office, but the door was locked. Peering through the translucent glass, Lexa couldn’t see anything.

“What are you doing?” a deep male voice asked her.

She turned. Coach Hakim stood with Kyle Gant and Mike Miller, both defensemen behind him. He scowled.

“Uh . . . Shouldn’t you be with your team?”

“I came back early. But I’m glad you’re here, I need to talk to you.” He unlocked the door and drew her inside, motioning her to the seat facing his desk.

The defensemen followed. They stood in front of the closed door as if guarding it. Lexa glanced around. Equipment, trophies, binders, stacks of papers, and posters of tigers decorated the office.
There’s a clue.

Hakim settled behind his desk, looking unhappy.

Fear bubbled up her throat. “Look, if this is about your pet tiger, I won’t say a word to anyone. I promise.”

He grunted. “Did Aiden tell you that?”

“No. I guessed. Isn’t that what attacked me? What you didn’t want the police to know about?”

“Sure. Let’s go with that.”

Confused, she said, “Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?”

“Not really. I’m more concerned about Aiden. He hasn’t scored a goal since last Saturday night.”

“Oh. What—”

“You’re the reason, and we’re going to fix it tonight.” He stood. “Give me your phone.”

“Uh . . . I’d better go. I’ve a class—”

“Kyle, take her phone. Keep her here until the team returns.”

She jumped to her feet. “Hey!”

Even though she fought, Kyle confiscated her phone, shoving her back into the chair. When she stood again, he pushed her down and said, “Tape,” to Mike who moved to grab the black roll.

“No,” she said. “I’ll stay in the seat.” She met his gaze and true terror exploded in her chest.

Kyle stared at her with dead eyes. No compassion or emotion of any kind shone from his face. Mike’s was also as cold as the ice they skated on.

Holy shit, they’re zombies.
Except they were in the peak of health.
Brainwashed.
She couldn’t decide if that was better or worse.

She spent an eternity in that chair. They wouldn’t answer her questions and she stopped asking when they held up the roll of tape. Every emotion, every horrible scenario ran through her mind until she was numb.

Hakim returned after dark. “Bring her.”

Kyle and Mike each grabbed an upper arm and dragged her to the ice rink. The dark arena didn’t bode well for her future. Four more players waited on the bleachers. Lexa recognized them all.

Coach Hakim sat on the bleachers. “Did you text him?” he asked Tim.

“Yes, sir.”

“Good.”

The door banged open and in rushed Mr. Knight-in-Shining-Armor. Too bad he was outnumbered seven to one. Aiden glanced at Lexa, but focused on his coach.

“Finish it Aiden or I will,” Coach Hakim said.

“No. It can work.” Aiden’s voice held a note of pleading.

“You haven’t scored a goal in three games. It’s not working.”

“That’s only because we were apart. I scored four goals Saturday night when she was there.”

“Can you tell me what’s going on?” Her voice sounded as it should—petrified.

“Aiden attacked you,” Hakim said. “He should have killed you, but his mother raised him too well.”

“Kill me?”

“I lost control,” Aiden said. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t stand being . . . dead inside anymore.” He gestured to his teammates. “Like them.”

“If you don’t kill her, I will have to kill you both. You know how it works,” Hakim said.

Aiden closed his eyes for a moment. “Okay. I’ll do it.”

“Good. Go change.”

Lexa watched Aiden walk away. He entered the locker room without looking back. Pure fear pumped through her veins. Panic jumbled all logic, but she managed to snag one coherent thought. Why would Aiden kill her? He wasn’t dead inside. Not anymore. Was the Javan legend true?

“Will I come back like you?” she asked. “A soulless were-tiger until I kill someone?”

Coach Hakim peered at her in surprise. “How do you know?”

“Internet. Plus it’s the only thing that fits . . . this.”

A big gray tiger with black stripes stepped from the locker room.

“Sorry, but only men can survive the change. And they come back stronger and faster.”

Mike and Kyle let her go, stepping away.

“Run,” Hakim said. “Cats can’t resist the chase.”

Instead she backed up as the tiger . . . Aiden . . . neared. Powerful muscles bunched and he crouched just like a house cat ready to pounce. Her muscles liquefied in terror.

In a heartbeat, he launched. Roaring, Aiden landed on Hakim’s chest. The others moved to their coach. Lexa didn’t linger. She slipped out the doors and ran. Then stopped. She couldn’t leave Aiden. He had the upper hand now, but the others could change into tigers as well. He’d be tiger food.

Think!
She spotted Aiden’s Accord in the lot and raced to it.
Please let the keys be inside.
Yanking open the door, she almost fainted in relief. His key ring glinted from the cup holder. Lexa jammed the key in the ignition and drove the car straight into the front doors.

The screech of metal and crack of shattered glass echoed throughout the rink. Four of them sat on Aiden. Two hovered over their unconscious coach. She aimed the car at the four. They scattered. She pressed the window button. The back one went down. Aiden sailed through the opening.

Throwing the car in reverse, she backed out, turned around and headed north on University Drive. They didn’t get far. The front tires were flat, and the radiator was damaged. She pulled over near Jeffery Field.

Aiden hopped from the car and pawed at the trunk. She opened it.
This is insane
. Aiden reached inside and pulled out a duffle bag. He moved away, glancing back at her.

“I’m right behind you,” she said.
Might as well embrace the insanity
.

They crossed the street, cut through the Intramural fields, and entered the Arboretum’s grounds, stopping behind the Schreyer House.

Lexa puffed as she plopped on the ground. “Now what?”

Aiden dropped the bag in her lap. She unzipped it. Men’s clothes had been packed inside.

Holding up stripped boxers, she said, “You don’t seem the boxer type.”

He growled with impatience.

“Okay, I get it. You’re going to change back.” She turned around. “And I think I get the other stuff too. You lost control, attacked me, but when you saw I was a girl, you stopped. Please thank your mother for me. Instead of getting my whole soul, you only got a portion—that’s why I stopped being Depressed Girl and why when you’re with me I feel so complete. And why, when you were away, I failed my thermo test. And, yes I’m babbling. Considering the circumstances I’m allowed.”

Lexa sucked in a breath. “So your teammates are soulless and your coach must be the one who killed you. That’s why he has emotions. Although he didn’t seem upset about my future demise. And now they’re going to hunt us down and kill us both. Unless we can figure a way to get the hockey team’s souls back without killing anyone. And we need to stop Coach Death, but I don’t think Officer Reed and the State College police can handle something like that. He seemed so happy to have found a wild dog. Imagine—”

“Lexa.” Aiden wrapped his arms around her.

She leaned back against him. “What are we going to do?”

“Just what you said.”

“How?”

“I’m going to do some recruiting.”

Aiden led her through the quiet campus. “Those six guys are Coach’s favorites. But if we can get the rest of the team on our side—”

“Won’t work.” Lexa would never forget Kyle and Mike’s dead stares. “They need souls.”

“We’re not going to kill anyone.”

“Of course not. But . . . ” An answer bubbled to the surface of her mind. “They can share.”

Aiden stopped. “No. That’s too much to ask. After this is all done, somehow you’re getting yours back.”

“No. I don’t want it. I’m happy for the first time in years.” Lexa realized she had assumed he felt the same. “Unless, you’d rather not be . . . I’m sure there are others . . . ”

He drew her close. “I’d be an idiot to want anyone else. Look at what you’ve done tonight. Rescued me. Took the whole were-tiger thing in stride. You’re awesome. I love being with you.” He kissed her.

Her muscles melted again, but this time for a better reason.

Too soon, he pulled away. “We have to talk to the guys before Coach does.”

“Not going to work. Talk to Ryan Collins’ girlfriend. I’m positive she’d be willing to do anything to bring him back to life.”

“Chelsea Belham? Really?”

Despite the late hour, convincing Chelsea was easier than expected. All she needed was to see the change in Aiden.

“I’m in. What’s next?” Chelsea asked.

Lexa glanced at Aiden. “I haven’t figure that out yet.”

“I have. I thought of nothing else during that horrible week we were apart,” he said. “It’s an exchange of blood and saliva.”

Chelsea drove them to Ryan’s apartment in her silver BMW. He shared it with Doug Vett, a forward. When Ryan opened the door and saw Aiden, he grabbed him, pulled him into the apartment, and slammed him into a wall. Aiden crumpled to the floor.

Lexa and Chelsea jumped on Ryan, but he shrugged them off with ease. Doug Vett stood in the threshold of his bedroom. He didn’t seem inclined to help, but he texted on his phone.

“Coach called,” Ryan said in a monotone.

“Already figured that out big guy,” Aiden said from the floor. He lumbered to his feet. “Wait,” he said when Ryan moved. “Listen to me.” Aiden rushed to explain.

“Coach said to hold them here until he arrives,” Doug said.

Ryan blocked the door.

“I guess that’s a no,” Aiden said.

Chelsea hadn’t moved since Ryan tossed her onto the ground next to Lexa. Her expression hardened into what Lexa would describe as bitch-mode. Opening her Prada handbag, Chelsea yanked out a thick nail file.

Figures.
Although, a cell phone would have been confiscated right away.

Instead of filing her nails, Chelsea flicked her thumb and a blade shot out. Everyone froze in surprise. It was enough time for her to cut her wrist, stand, and cross to Ryan. She offered her bloody arm to him.

A predatory glint transformed his eyes into tiger eyes. Ryan clamped onto her wrist as if she was fresh kill. He sucked greedily.

Aiden pried Ryan from her. “Not too much or you’ll kill her.”

Ryan sank to the ground and put his head in his hands. Aiden knelt next to him.

Lexa wrapped a paper towel around a paler Chelsea’s wrist.

“How long?” Chelsea asked.

Aiden said, “For me, it was pretty quick, but—”

“Chel?” Ryan glanced around.

The girl didn’t hesitate. She threw herself into his arms.

One down, twenty-four more to go.
Lexa glanced at Doug.

“Uh, Aiden.” She pointed to Doug. He held his phone to his ear.

“Doesn’t matter. Coach is already on the way,” Aiden said. “We need to leave.” He helped Chelsea and Ryan to their feet.

“Mary? It’s Doug.”

Aiden and Lexa exchanged a grin.

“Where can we go that Coach doesn’t know about?” Aiden asked.

She felt her pockets. Despite all the running around, her keys remained. Holding up the key to the Walker building, she said, “This place’s a ghost town on Friday nights.”

The five of them crammed in Chelsea’s BMW. They picked up Mary on the way.

It was a long exhausting weekend. Not all the players had girlfriends, and a couple weren’t as understanding as Chelsea and Mary. Aiden and Lexa played matchmaker.

“I don’t know about this,” she said to Aiden as they waited for a potential girl. “What if they don’t like each other, or have opposite personalities?”

“They won’t afterward,” Aiden said. “They’ll be soul mates. It’s what every single couple in the world hopes for, and only a tiny percentage achieve.”

“But we’re manipulating it with the tiger magic.”

“We were manipulated. Do you have any complaints? Regrets?”

She stepped into his arms. “None.”

The Coach remained a problem. And there was a game on Sunday afternoon. By that time, they had converted fifteen players.

“We play,” Aiden said. “He’s not going to do anything in public and we outnumber them. Once he sees we can still win, he’ll back off. Winning is all he cares about.”

En masse, they arrived at the Ice Pavilion. They met with a token resistance, but the ten remaining players didn’t have the heart to fight. Lexa kept an eye on Coach Hakim during the game. He tried to prevent Aiden and the others from playing, but they ignored him. The team won seven to zero.

After that, the Coach cooperated. He even allowed the girls to travel with the team for away games. The rest of the players found soul mates. The Ice Men had thawed.

“Coach Hakim can’t walk away scott free,” Aiden said to Lexa after finals week. They were headed to the G-man to celebrate the end of the semester and an early Christmas with the he-man club. Ben hadn’t been supportive of Mr. Knight-in-Shining-Armor until he realized Depressed Girl was gone for good, and Aiden wasn’t leaving.

“Nothing’s stopping him from going to another school and creating another team filled with soulless were-tigers. We all swore not to attack anyone, but Coach didn’t.”