5: "How was practice with the holy trinity?"

Freya/Freddie's pov

I’m sitting in the locker room, staring at my phone’s black screen, trying to wrap my head around what just happened on the ice. I passed their test, actually pulled it off, and the reality of it hasn’t sunk in yet. The adrenaline’s fading now, leaving me shaky, exhausted, and aching all over, but it’s the kind of pain that feels good, the kind that tells me I pushed myself to the limit and came out stronger.

From a few rows over, I hear Sebastian, Logan, and Zane talking in low voices, their words mixing with the clatter of hockey gear being tossed into lockers and the sound of running water. It’s just normal post-practice noise, but nothing about today feels normal. My stomach’s twisting, not from fear this time, but from something else, something I’m not ready to dig into.

I can still feel the way they looked at me out there, Sebastian’s eyes sharp and intense when I kept up with their drills, Logan’s voice steady with pride when he called my playing solid, Zane saying my name like it carried weight. I press my back against the cool metal of my locker, trying to steady my breathing, but the air feels heavy, like it’s holding its breath.

“Freddie? You good, man?” Zane’s voice pulls me out of my head.

I look up, and there he is at the end of my row, concern all over his face. He’s fresh from the shower, hair damp, wearing just a towel around his waist, which does nothing to help my already scrambled emotions. Heat creeps into my cheeks, and I focus on unlacing my skates to avoid staring. “Yeah, just processing,” I say, keeping my voice even. “That was intense.”

He steps closer, and I catch a whiff of cedar and vanilla, warm and calming, which is confusing because his presence should make me more nervous, not less. “You killed it out there,” he says, and the pride in his voice makes my chest tighten. “Seriously, none of us thought you’d be that good when Sebastian told us about you.”

I glance up, and the warmth in his eyes flips my stomach. “Thanks,” I say, “you guys didn’t exactly go easy on me.”

Zane grins, his whole face lighting up. “That was us being nice, wait till you see real practice.”

The idea should scare me, but instead, I feel this strange excitement, like I want to push harder, prove myself again, see that look in his eyes one more time. Before I can say anything, Sebastian appears behind him, fresh from the shower too, water droplets on his shoulders. His presence hits me like a wave, all danger and power in the way he moves, those dark eyes locking onto me.

“Sterling,” he says, his voice low and rough, sending a jolt through me. “Good work today, you might actually survive this team.”

From him, that feels like high praise, and my chest swells even though my phone’s still in my hand, reminding me none of this might matter in a few hours. “Thanks,” I manage, “I won’t let you down.”

Something flickers in his eyes, making my pulse skip. “See that you don’t.”

Logan joins them, and now I’m surrounded by three half-dressed guys staring at me with different kinds of intensity. The air feels thick, charged like the moment before a storm. “Team meeting tonight,” Sebastian says, his gaze still on me, “seven PM, film room, we’ll go over plays and expectations.”

“I’ll be there,” I say, even though the meeting’s seven hours before my mysterious appointment, and I don’t know if I’ll even be at this school by then. They share a look, one of those silent conversations that makes my skin prickle, like they’re talking about me without saying a word.

“See you then, Freddie,” Zane says softly, and the way he says my fake name twists my stomach again. They walk off together, their voices dropping to whispers I can’t quite catch, but I hear bits— “different,” “something special,” “can’t figure it out.”

Once they’re gone, I slump against my locker, my body heavy, the adrenaline completely gone now, leaving me shaky and scared. I check my phone again, hoping I misread the message, but it’s still there, threatening to ruin everything. A friend. What kind of friend sends a text like that, threatening to expose my secret? I saw it right after practice, after proving myself to the captains, and I can’t figure out who’d do this.

Back in my dorm, Tyler’s getting ready for class, humming like he doesn’t have a care in the world, and the normalcy of it feels so out of place after this morning. “Dude, you look wiped,” he says, pausing as he pulls on a hoodie. “How was practice with the holy trinity?”

“Brutal,” I say, which is true, “but good, I think I might actually make the team.”

His face lights up. “That’s awesome, Emma’s gonna flip when I tell her, she’s been dying to know what the new hockey guy’s like.”

The idea of people watching me, talking about me, makes my stomach clench. “She’s asking about me?” I ask, trying to sound casual.

Tyler grins, tossing me an energy bar. “You’re kind of a big deal now, new player making the team mid-semester? That’s rare.” He pauses, smirking. “Plus, you’re kinda cute for a hockey player, half the school’s gonna have a crush on you by next week.”

The energy bar tastes like nothing as I chew, great, more attention is the last thing I need. The day drags on like torture, classes I can’t focus on, lunch I can’t taste, my mind stuck on this morning’s practice, replaying Sebastian’s stare, Logan’s quiet strength, Zane’s smile that does things to me I don’t understand. This pull toward them is dangerous, it makes me careless, and I can’t afford that. I need to stay focused on hockey, remember why I’m here, keep my distance.

But when seven PM hits and I walk into the film room, all my plans fall apart. They’re already there, looking up as I step in, and in the dim light, they’re even more overwhelming. Sebastian’s sprawled in his chair like he owns the place, Logan’s sitting straight, eyes tracking me, and Zane waves me over with that easy grin.

“Right on time,” Sebastian says, his tone approving. “I like that.”

I take a seat near the back, hoping to blend in, but Zane shakes his head. “Come sit with us, Freddie, you’re part of the team now.”

Those words hit me hard, making my chest tight with something I can’t name. I move closer, sitting near them, and the next hour is incredible. They break down game footage with sharp precision, pointing out weaknesses, discussing strategies with a passion that pulls me in. Their knowledge is unreal, and I get caught up in it, forgetting everything else for a while.

“What do you think, Freddie?” Logan asks, pausing the footage on a power play setup. “How would you attack this defense?”

All three turn to me, and my mouth goes dry, but I look at the screen, and my hockey brain takes over. “The left defenseman’s cheating toward the net,” I say, pointing, “if you send someone wide right and draw him out, there’s a gap in the slot.”

Sebastian’s eyebrows go up, and he nods, something like respect in his eyes. “Exactly what I was thinking, good eye.”

His approval warms me, and I try to tell myself it’s just about hockey, but the way he’s looking at me feels like more. When the meeting ends, they walk out together, their voices low, and I catch snippets as I pack up— “definitely hiding something,” “did you see how he moved,” “there’s something about him.”

I wait until they’re gone before leaving, my legs shaky, heart still racing from being around them. Back in my dorm, Tyler’s asleep, a biochemistry textbook open on his chest. I sit on my bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to sort out what I’m feeling. I should be thrilled, I made the team, impressed them, I’m living my dream, but I feel like I’m standing on the edge of something dangerous.

My phone buzzes, and my heart jumps, but it’s just David: How’d today go?

I stare at the text before replying: Made the team, it’s complicated.

He texts back fast: Everything okay? You sound stressed.

I want to tell him about Sebastian’s piercing looks, Logan’s quiet strength, Zane’s smile that messes with my head, but I can’t, not like this.