As the two teams jostled for position, Livy moved through the players until she was able to cut in front of the She-lion. Livy didn’t ram into her as Vic expected, but she did drag her leg a bit so that the lioness tripped and fell to the ground. The two teams passed by, but Livy skated back and grabbed her opponent by her foot. Then, with strength Vic had been unaware she had, Livy yanked the woman up and spun. Once, twice . . . like the male partner in an ice-dancing team. On the third spin, he noticed that Livy had moved closer to one of the foundation pillars that helped keep the entire Sports Center upright.

And that was probably why Livy used it, angling the She-lion so that the woman’s knee cracked against the hard and unforgiving concrete.

The triumphant roar Livy let out when the knee made direct and brutal contact with the pillar managed to silence the entire stadium.

Silence until Bo Novikov stood and applauded. “Now that’s what I’m talking about!”

Livy looked up at their section and performed a very princess-like curtsy.

The fact that the She-lion was just a few feet from her, sobbing in pain, was a tad . . . off-putting, though.

The ref skated toward Livy, but she raised a forefinger, waved it. “No need,” she said to him. “I’m leaving.”

“Oh, come on!” Novikov yelled at the ref. “That was a totally righteous move! You’re an idiot!”

MacRyrie sighed. “Now he’s arguing with the refs of sports completely unrelated to hockey.”

Shen jabbed his elbow into Vic’s side.

“What?”

“You better go check on your girlfriend.”

“I never said Livy was my girlfriend.”

“But you knew who I was talking about.”

“He’s right,” MacRyrie agreed. “That was kind of a giveaway.”

Vic briefly closed his eyes. “And to think I could have stayed at home with the weird kid . . .”

Livy made her way down to the locker room and found Vic waiting for her. Probably because she’d stopped several times to sign autographs for the few honey badgers who actually came to these bouts. They were her biggest fans. Okay. They were her only fans.

She skated up to him.

“Hi.”

Toe tapping, arms crossed over his chest, he seemed unable to look at her. And this was why she hadn’t invited him to any of her bouts. Because she kind of knew he wouldn’t be okay with the way she played. Sportsmanship was not a word she’d been taught as a child. Winning at all costs no matter who one destroys in the process had been her parents’ belief system, and it had been the one thing she’d agreed with, of course with the caveat that cheating wasn’t allowed unless it was a life-and-death situation. This had made family Monopoly night a little strained when she kept winning despite herparents’ stealing money and moving things around on the board when she wasn’t looking.

But the way she’d been raised had not been how Victor Barinov, son of Russian shifter diplomats, had been raised.

She decided to let him off the hook.

“Look, Vic—”

Livy’s words were cut off when a snarling Vic suddenly picked her up and shoved his tongue in her mouth.

Hitting his chest, Livy forced Vic to set her down on the floor.

Panting, they glared at each other until Livy asked, “This is the feline side of you right now, isn’t it?”

Vic cracked his neck and spit out between clenched fangs, “Probably.”

Livy reached up and grabbed Vic’s leather jacket. “Now we’re gettin’ kinky!” she cheered and shoved him into the team’s locker room.

Blayne waited anxiously until Gwen skated back to the infield.

“Well?” Blayne asked, sorry she’d ever asked Livy to play in tonight’s bout. It was such a mistake. She’d just wanted Vic to see her looking sexy in her derby outfit and how well she could play. But she hadn’t counted on a cheap shot by a She-lion with a grudge. No. She hadn’t counted on that at all.

Gwen stopped in front of Blayne, and the rest of the team surrounded her while they waited for the next jam to be called.

“Well?” Blayne asked again.

“She’s fine. Let’s just leave it at that.”

“What do you mean, she’s fine? Fine okay? Or fine as in she’s resigned to a life of loneliness without Vic?”

“Uh . . . well . . .” Gwen looked at her feet, bit her lip.

“Gwenie?”

The tigon cleared her throat. “Vic’s with her.”

“Oh! Good. Are they talking?”

“Talking? No. They’re not talking.”

“They’re not?” Blayne winced. “That’s not good.”

“I wouldn’t say that, either.”

Blayne studied her friend. “What are you trying to say?”

“Yeah,” one of their teammates asked, “what are you trying to say?”

“I’ll just say this,” Gwen teased, “they were in the bathroom annnnnd . . . skates-up, ladies. Skates-up!”

Blayne knew she was blushing even while the rest of her team laughed and applauded, but she couldn’t help it. “In the bathroom, dude?”

“Like you haven’t gone skates-up in the bathroom with Novikov.”

“I didn’t say that, either . . .” Laughing, Blayne covered her face and Gwen dropped her elbow on Blayne’s shoulder.

“Good work, crazy girl,” Gwen whispered. “Another perfect Blayne match.”