Playing the football game the a few days after getting the paddle wasn't exactly easy. The shoulder pads kept pushing on the bruises and from there it just went downhill. I put a compression shirt with padding on it with hopes that it would make it better, but it didn't do shit for me when I started to move around more.

A few scouts are sitting on the bench with Demi. I don't know if they are college scouts, olympic scouts, or what, but I know they are scouts. Which is definitely huge. I glanced over at Tate every now and then who is in wolf form, watching the game from the tree line. His jet black coat makes him nearly invisible to the human eye.

"Someone get on Harlow!" The other team's quarterback yelled and two guys immediately ran over and stood in front of me.

Man, I'm here to intercept balls. Nothing more or less when I'm defending, you ass-wipe.

"Set, hike!" The ball snapped and I ran back to go follow their wide receiver who was the more reliable one, but what I wasn't expecting was to get tackled to the ground, and they landed on my back, knocking all of the air out of my lungs.

I just laid there, face down in the grass after taking my helmet off once the red flag was thrown.

"Let's see you continue after that dyke!" The other team's quarterback yelled.

The ref threw an additional yellow flag for his behavior.

Within a split second the other team's quarterback was sent flying back ten feet once Tate got ahold of him in wolf form. He quickly tore his pants and everything underneath off before running back to the woods, leaving him speechless as some tried to chase after Tate to get his pants back, some called animal control, and some ran away.

I looked over to Demi with a small smirk on my face, but I was still laying on the grass, trying to breathe and find it in myself to get back up.

"Harlow, are you alright?" My coach came running onto the field after Tate left.

I simply nodded before coughing some and sitting up on my elbows in a weak plank position.

"Can you continue? If not it's completely fine. You've already scored over forty points and it's not even the third quarter." Coach lightly patted my shoulder.

"I'm okay." I struggled out before looking over at the other team's quarterback running away with his helmet covering his dick.

"Do you need help up?" Coach offered me a hand and I took it after gaining the strength to do so.

We won which is definitely a big surprise, note the sarcasm. The scouts offered me some full scholarships, but the NFL and Olympic scouts will be here for the last game of the season.

"What Tate did was brilliant." Demi laughed as we made our way out to her car. Well, the nice car I got her, but nothing is too good for her.

"Low, run!" Tate yelled from somewhere, and without hesitation I picked Demi up and started to take off.

"Get her!" I recognized the voice. The quarterback.

"Demi, go inside the gym and to your office. Let Tate and I handle this, okay?" I set her down on her feet as I took a deep breath to see how close they were.

"I'm supposed to protect you as your Dom though." Demi mumbled.

"You do protect me from the worst thing that can hurt me, myself." I kissed her forehead before ushering her into the gym.

"Where to now Harlow Rogue? Orphan girl. No wonder why your family beat up on you. You're ugly as shit!" The quarterback laughed and his minions joined.

Demi bursted the gym doors open before standing chest to chest with the quarterback. Oh shit, I know better than to stop her. If I stop her I'll be punished and that is not on my to do list.

"Who in the hell do you think you are talking to her like that?" Demi got in his face.

He simply smirked.

I went to go stand in between the two of them, but the sight of Tate sneaking up behind them stopped me.

"It's alright Miss Lovato. Karma is a bitch and it's getting to be pitch black outside." I emphasized the word and she got the point.

"But I won't mind if you take the time to slap him." Tate chuckled behind the boys.

"What are you going to do about it short stack?" The ego of the quarterback is going to get him killed. Literally.

"I'll see you for dinner Tate." I gave him a knowing look before heading into the gym with Demi. "I've got to go to your office and switch into my wolf form to help Tate out." I kissed Demi's forehead as she unlocked her office.

"Can I watch you shift?" Demi asked quietly.

I nodded as I started to quickly strip before shifting. It's still a little painful, but it's not even close to as bad as it used to be. I mean, my bones are kinda rearranging, my skin is stretching, my teeth get sharp and sometimes pierce my skin if I forget to open my mouth while switching, and growing a tail isn't exactly painless.

I bolted out of her office and my paws slid on the freshly waxed gym floor as I made my way to the door.

My nose went straight to the air once I got outside the gym and traced Tate's scent to and then through the woods.

The feeling of the wind flowing in between each strand of fur that makes up my brown coat will never be something I get tired of.

"Over here!" Tate yelled out to me when he smelled me get closer.

"Am I still ugly?" I asked them as I creeped up behind the boys who were currently on the ground with their legs torn to shit. Tate doesn't like his prey to run when he is toying with them.

The quarterback looked back at me with disbelief and then looked around for my human form I assume.

"Oh, it's me." I cackled. I've learned how to talk with a long ass tongue in the way over the years.

"Y-you're a werewolf?" He stuttered out. His friends were already bleeding out I assume.

"If we're going to put labels on me I'd reword it to your worst nightmare. My brother Tate here doesn't like it when people mess with his sister. Him taking your pants was a warning, yet you continued like a foolish boy." I shook my head as I circled him and his friends on my four paws, feeling the damp dirt going in between each toe and nail.

"Please don't kill me werewolf." Tears started to cloud his vision.

I ran up to him and pinned him to the ground by my front paws. "I am not a werewolf." I growled lowly and snapped my jaws at him once so he got the point. "And I'm not the one who is going to be killing you. Tate is going to choose how and where. He is known for toying with his prey first, so I'd buckle up for the ride." I cackled and Tate started to as well.

"I am so sorry. It won't happen again." The quarterback slurred out in fear.

"I know it won't happen. Tate will make sure of it." I nodded at Tate before running to the tree line, making sure no one was around before taking off for the car that Demi was currently sitting in. "Can you open the backseat door for me please." I jumped up so I could put my two front paws on the window that was half rolled down.

Demi nodded before getting out and opening the backseat door.

"Thank you." I gave her a smile, but a wolf smile tends to be a little creepy so I made it quick.

"You're welcome." Demi mumbled. "Did you kill?"

"No, most of the time Tate is the one that kills while I do the talking and saving. It's rare that I will kill." I answered honestly.

Demi slowly nodded.

I rested my head on the center console and lifted her arm that was resting on it with my nose before making sure it was right between my ears.

"Do you want me to pet you?" I could hear the egotistical smirk in her voice.

"Please." I whined and gave her puppy eyes when she stopped at the light.

"You are adorable." Demi giggled as she scratched right between my ears and then ran her soft hands over my eyes every now and then, making my eyes heavy and making it very hard to stay awake.

Within ten minutes we were home and she opened the car door for me. She just had to do that petting thing to make me tired.

"Are you going to switch back?" Demi asked as she locked the front door behind us.

"Too tired." I yawned as I made my way to my cave-like bed.

"Can I still sleep with you?" Demi asked in a worried tone. She doesn't sleep well if I'm not with her.

"Yeah, I'm still me and in control. It just takes a lot of energy to switch to and from." I turned to her and gave her sincere eyes before walking into my room and hopping up onto the bed before pushing the blankets back with my nose and laying under them after walking around a bit to make that part of the bed softer.

Demi crawled into the bed with me about ten minutes later and curled up in my side. I rested my nuzzle in the crook of her neck which made her smile. "Even in wolf form you are a cuddler."

"Wolves tend to cuddle more than most animals. Dog piles are an actual thing for wolves." I mumbled.

"Do you want me to do the petting thing again?" The smile on her lips was evident im her voice.

"Please," I whined and nuzzled my nose into her more once she started to run her right hand up from my nose to between my ears. It makes me close my eyes every time. Having my match near me is soothing as it is. Her being in contact with me makes it even better.

"Get some sleep. The builders are going to need some muscle in order for it to get built within four days. They'd have to get a forklift if you weren't here." Demi kissed between my ears and a silent, happy whine erupted from my chest.

Damnit. I'll never hear the end of that.

"Did you just happy whine?" Demi lightly laughed.

"I'm a wolf and I'm with my match. What do you expect?" I mumbled.

"You are so fucking adorable." Demi giggled.

I lightly growled.

"Did you just growl at me?" She sat up and looked at me.

I am definitely wide awake now. I did not think that through.

"Answer me Harlow." Her voice was low, indicating she was slipping into her dominant headspace.

"I did, but I was just playing." I lifted my head up to look at her.

"You're getting three spanks tomorrow morning." Demi growled.

I whimpered in response before nodding and letting my head rest back on the bed.

"You're also going to be sleeping on that side of the bed. No touching me tonight." Demi glared at me.

I whimpered as I shifted towards the other side of the bed and faced the other way after curling up into a compact ball. "Wolves need to cuddle though."

"You should've thought about that before you growled at me." She shot back. "You lived without me before."

"Tate would come over and we'd pile up to keep warm every night." I started to shake in fear. She's mad. I disappointed her. I hurt her. It's my fault that she is upset.

"Why are you shaking?" Demi sighed.

"I upset you." I whimpered.

She didn't say anything else.

I got up and picked up some clean clothes before making my way to the bathroom, opening and closing the door with my muzzle.

My lungs gathered air and helped my body relax as I shifted back into human form.

The mirror in front of me was a fucking torture method. I have to look at what upset Demi.

"Harlow, come on. I didn't mean it." Demi sighed on the other side of the door, but I simply stayed quiet as I covered my disappointing self with clothes. "If you don't open the door I am going to unlock it myself."

I squeezed my eyes shut before looking at the window that was teasing me. I could jump through it and switch back to wolf form before I'd even hit the ground.

"Fine, I'll let myself in." Demi muttered as she fiddled with the lock. Before I even got the chance to look back at the window again she had the door open and her hands on her hips. Her eyes locked onto my tattoo sleeve that covered my left arm. She's always been amazed by it for some reason.

"Hi," I mumbled.

"Do you need to cuddle with me still, even in that form?" She ran her fingers through her hair as a smile tugged on her lips.

"I don't need to." I whispered and looked at my feet.

"Come on, lets go back to bed." She held a hand out for me to take with a smile.

Instead I stayed still and looked back at my feet.

I heard Demi let out a breath and then her arms wrapped around me. "I'm no longer upset with you Harlow. Come on baby. Let's go back to bed." She tried to move me, but my legs were stiff.

My whole figure was locked up as my hands stayed in my sweatpants pockets.

"Harlow, come on. Let's go back to bed." Demi got behind me and tried to push me, but one of my feet was in front of the other, so I'm stable and not going anywhere. Do I know why I'm being stubborn? No, but it's probably because I'm always disappointing Demi or upsetting her. "Fine, if you're going to be like this, I'll have to snap you out of it." She ran her hands up and down my sides as she walked around to face me. "Last chance." Demi blew hot air against my neck.

I didn't do anything.

"Okay then. Let's see how quiet you are in about two seconds." Demi chuckled lowly before teasing the skin on my neck that was now yearning for her touch.

Bloody hell.