Chapter 6
LEVON
Fuck, this is brutal. No matter how much we fake directions or twist to get free of the Dragons, they’re right on top of us. It’s the same for us whenever they have the damn puck, and it’s like pulling teeth as our skates fight to push the line back toward the other side of the rink.
“Okay,” Coach Miles growls under his breath after the first period. “They’re really fucking good. I hate to give them any compliments, so don’t let that get around. We need to break free of this defense line.”
“Can I run my mouth now?” I ask, smirking. “There’s no better way to fuck with people’s heads than to feed on their insecurities.”
“Chirp away,” he says, nodding. “Do whatever you need to in order to get the puck through the net. Work together, yeah?”
“Yes, Coach,” I grunt, looking at my teammates. “You hear that? Gloves are off, people!”
Our break is up, and we jump back on the ice, ready to make shit happen.
“You really think you can keep this up?” I ask the player in front of me, smirking as the puck hits the ice.
“All damn day,” he growls as we collide together.
“It takes a real alpha to show that much stamina,” I tease him. “You don’t seem like the type to be able to handle that.”
“Fuck you,” he snarls.
“It’s okay to be a two pump chump!” Julius sneers, huffing out a breath when I manage to knock the puck away into his blade.
Breaking away, he takes off while I continue to bait the other player, staying on his ass so he can’t catch up to Julius. I love to score points as much as the next guy, but the Dragons are going to need everything we can throw at them.
Grinning as Julius passes the puck right before the defensemen drives him into the boards, I skate away when the player in front of me loses his concentration for a second.
My teammates yell as they pass the puck between themselves, fighting to stay in possession of it. Julius shoves away from the boards, unable to since he’s pinned. Moving in to help, I get into a fight while my teammates score the point.
“That’s enough!” Coach Miles yells as we’re pulled apart.
I get punished and have to serve a two minute penalty in the box, even though I think that’s bullshit, and skate away to watch my team play from my little corner of the rink.
My gaze moves to the Dragons’ coach, knowing this game is a big deal for both of them.
For some reason, there’s bad blood there, but I’m not sure why.
A girl is on her phone at the bench, and it appears as if she may be videotaping. I’m not sure why she’s there when I’ve never seen her before. Is she an influencer or some kind of thing? Coach Curtis leans down to talk to her, and the girl just bobs her head.
She’s obviously someone important. Maybe I can use that. I don’t fucking care if I spend most of the game in here if it means we win. As soon as my time is up, I’m back on the ice, my skates propelling me into the game.
I’ve been part of the Knotty Pucker League for ten years, and I’m grateful for every second of playing time I get. I may not enjoy hanging out with my teammates off the ice, but I would fucking bleed for them while on it.
The Scorpions are a team that I recently joined in the last three years when I was traded, but I’m not as wild as I used to be.
The Dragons also score, and now we’re tied by the end of the second period. Shit, it’s so damn close.
“We’re doing fine,” Coach Miles says, glaring at the other team as we all shuffle off the ice. “Is that girl seriously getting on the ice?”
Glancing over as I sit down at the bench, I shrug as I watch her lift some type of video camera as she lithely skates across the ice. It’s mounted to a pole that allows her to pan over the stadium. The crowd goes wild for her, but she stays focused on recording.
“That’s new,” I grunt, shaking my head as I look around the stadium. It’s about half full, which isn’t normal for a team doing as well as the Dragons. “Is she a media stunt?”
Her hair is glossy and shines as she flips it over her shoulder. I can also see that she has great form, strong legs, and suddenly wonder what it would be like to have them wrapped around my waist.
Fuck no. Where did that come from?
Her eyes sparkle as she skates, effortlessly turning to capture the fans in the stands. I can’t tell what color they are, and it suddenly really bothers me.
“I know who she is,” Coach breathes, his gaze on the girl. “I haven’t seen her in years.”
“Who is she, Coach?” another player asks.
She has all of our attention, and I wonder if she’s drinking it in. Is she the type to enjoy everyone’s eyes on her, or is she focused on the job she’s completing?
“She’s Coach Freedman’s daughter,” Coach grunts. “I used to see her a lot when I was on his team.”
“Shouldn’t you know how he thinks if he was once your coach?” I ask. “Plays and shit?”
“Nope. I don’t know any of that, because the man is constantly changing things up,” Coach sighs. “Outside of being a dick, he’s competent.”
I doubt he’ll want to get into why there’s bad blood between them now, so I block everything out to keep my head in the game. We’re going to have to give everything to win, and even then, I don’t know if it’ll be enough.
SANTO
“Who’s the girl?” I ask, watching the game from a back room. I’m prepping for the players to return once it ends, making sure I have ice packs, wrapping, and more.
This game has been savage, and I doubt it’ll let up until it’s over. Hardcore rivalries tend to get like this. I’ve been here long enough to know this one seems personal.
“Coach Freedman’s kid,” a tech says. “I heard the Dragons’ owner is trying to put more butts in seats and hired her as the social media manager.”
“How do you know that?” I ask.
“I’m friends with the new intern,” Roger chuckles. “We’re going out for drinks later. The coach is a hardass about her safety, and Rían told me he’s her shadow during games. If she needs to leave the rink, so does he.”
“Doesn’t that piss him off?” I ask. “She doesn’t seem like a wilting wallflower.”
“There’s a lot of people here,” Roger shrugs.
“Omegas go missing all the time, Dr. Diaz. I think her father is smart to make sure that she’s safe.
It would be a shame for some dumbass to get too handsy while drinking and scare her.
Rían says that she’s really intense, carries a stun gun in her boot, and tends to talk to herself. ”
My eyes are glued to the television as I watch her move elegantly across the ice. I have been gay my entire life, but she’s making me rethink this. My cock twitches as she returns to the bench, her lips lifting as she looks over her footage.
Even the television crew is semi obsessed with her I think, because they continue to record her before moving on. A shiver slides up my spine, telling me she may be important. I don’t know why, but I try not to ignore these feelings.
“I’ve never seen anyone dress like that before,” I admit. “If our guys think she’s a weak spot for the other team, they’ll use her.”
“Fuck, you’re right,” Roger mutters. “Be prepared for some injuries. You don’t fuck with the coach’s daughter.”
Dammit, I better grab more supplies. This is going to be bad.
MILES
Leaning forward, I wince as yet another fight breaks out between the players.
The Dragons scored again earlier, and now we’re fighting to make our way to the goalie’s net so we can push things into overtime, otherwise we’ll be eating the loss.
Kane tears down the ice, and I can barely breathe as he turns his body to give the defensemen his back to block them as he passes the puck to Thorne.
They’re dialed in, completely focused on where their teammates are, and working together. This is something I’ve been dreaming about. I know they can fucking do it, which is why I’m on them when they fall apart.
We don’t have long before we run out of time on the clock, and I can feel every second wiring my body tighter and tighter.
Every penalty gives us a moment to breathe, but I can feel how much pressure there is surrounding every play.
My blood is pounding in my ears, and my heart is in my throat as I watch my team give everything to this game.
Levon suffers a punch in the face for running his mouth, and even though I can’t hear him, I know he’s being a dick to distract our opponents.
Maybe he’s offending the players’ mamas, or perhaps teasing them about why the pretty dark haired girl is sitting on the bench beside the team.
Several Dragons press Levon against the boards, hiding the punches that are flying between them all.
Levon is going to be a sore fucker later. I hope Santo is ready to help him out. I’ll continue to mess with them about this relationship that’s brewing because I enjoy watching the good doctor blush. He’s damn good with my players, the last thing I want is for him to get fired for fraternizing.
My gaze moves to Thorne, watching as he shoves people off Levon. Breathing hard, they both join the game again, stealing the puck back from the Dragons. This game has been relentless, and goalies from both sides have worked their asses off to keep pucks out of their nets.
A lot of our support team traveled out for this game, despite it being a long drive.
They know the Dragons have beaten us game after game, and how much we want a win.
Our friends and family section is full, and the cheers and jeers are loud.
It doesn’t matter that the stadium itself isn’t sold out, the people who matter are here.
It seems silly for Caelia to be huddled on the bench beside her father, bouncing in between her photos. The fans should be here without fancy tricks, if her job is in fact to get more people here.
Hockey sticks slap against each other as players jostle for position, and the minutes are ticking down. Goddamnit, I swear my heart is syncing up to the clock, that’s how tightly wound I am. My eyes reduce everything down to numbers and plays as I swallow hard.