FIRST NIGHT WITH THE HOCKEY ALPHA

Lyra“Are you okay?”His voice was deep, steady, but low enough to pull me out of whatever daze I was in. I blinked fast, shaking my head slightly like I’d just been yanked back to earth. My heart skipped.I looked up again. That face. That stupidly perfect face.Nick. The one who dated Rixa, the queen bee of our college, and then dumped her, or maybe she dumped him, depending on who was lying less.What the hell was he doing here?He was still holding me like I might fall again. I pulled away slowly, and his hands slipped off me with a soft heat that lingered longer than it should’ve. He didn’t say anything, just stared at me, that same stupid confident smirk tugging at his lips.I’d known him for years, used to live across from him growing up. Had the biggest crush on him in middle school, back when braces and body spray were still a thing. But I buried that crush ages ago. He was a flirt. A walking red flag in designer clothes. And now he was standing in front of me, smirking like

LyraCould he have found out?Could Nick have told the police?Was this it? The end?My stomach twisted violently. I clutched my bag tighter, fingers trembling as panic crawled up my throat. All I could think about was that damn watch hiding in the side pocket like it was taunting me.“Let’s go meet them,” Mirae said, yanking me to my feet.I couldn’t move. My legs had gone numb. “I… I can’t.”“They asked to speak to everyone in the room.” Her grip tightened. “Come on, Lyra. Just breathe.”Easy for her to say.My chest was tight. The air felt thinner. I didn’t have money for a lawyer, if those police outside are here for me.As she opened the door, my heart pounded so hard it echoed in my ears.Three officers stood in the hallway. Uniforms sharp, expressions unreadable. One had a notepad. Another held something in his hand.I nearly dropped to the floor.“Good evening, ladies,” one said with a polite nod. “We’re here because we’re conducting a search.”Search?My heart stopped.“And…

Lyra"What… are you?" I whispered, my voice barely a breath, shaking like a leaf caught in a storm.Nick stared down at me, his eyes still glowing, icy, sharp, unreadable. His chest rose and fell with a wild rhythm, and his lips, those same lips that had kissed me like they needed me were brushing against mine again. My body tensed. I wanted to fight, to push him away, but the heat of his mouth on mine melted my resistance.No. No, no, no—I tried to move, to scream, but everything started spinning. My vision flickered like a faulty light bulb. His face blurred. My legs gave out.And then… nothing.~~~“Lyra! Lyra!”A familiar voice echoed in the distance, frantic and cracking with emotion.My eyelids fluttered open.Bright lights, then a face, Mirae’s, hovering over me, tears streaming down her cheeks like she’d been crying for hours. Her eyes were wide and bloodshot, panic dancing in them.“Why are you crying?” I croaked, throat dry. I reached up weakly to touch her face.She let ou

Lyra“Who’s that from?”Mirae’s voice snapped me out of my daze. I flinched. My fingers instinctively tried to lock my phone screen, but it was too late. She was already leaning over, eyes squinting like a detective sniffing out a secret.“No one,” I said quickly, voice too sharp, too defensive.She raised a brow, unconvinced. “I know it’s from Nick.”I froze. My mouth opened, but nothing came out. The way she said it, so casually, yet with certainty, made sweat bead along my hairline.She smirked, leaning against the wall “He seems serious about you. This is getting more and more interesting.”I looked away, biting my lower lip.I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t. Because the truth was, I didn’t trust him. Nick was dangerous in the way fire was: warm and tempting… but only if you didn’t get too close. And I was already starting to burn.Just then, a voice cut through the hallway like a whip.“What are you girls still doing? Follow me now!”We both jerked, startled. The dorm head’s sha

Lyra “Yes… I accept. Please help me.” The words came out cracked and soft, but I meant every one of them. My hands were clenched tightly by my sides, not out of anger, but desperation. Shame. Fear. Hope. All mixed together into something messy and real. For a second, Nick didn’t move. Then, I saw it, the way his face lit up, his eyes sparkling like he’d just hit the jackpot. His smirk widened into a grin so full it almost made me forget what I was begging for. And before I could even process it… He scooped me up. “What are you doing?!” I gasped, struggling in his arms, completely caught off guard. My feet left the ground, and I instinctively gripped his shirt, trying to push away. He held me effortlessly, like I weighed nothing. From the corner of my eye, I noticed the other hockey players watching. Some chuckled. Some whispered. One even pulled out his phone. Embarrassment settled over me like a thick fog. “Please,” I whispered. “Put me down. Everyone’s watching…