Chapter 5: Game On

SIERRA

The arena was filled.

I have never seen this many people at a college hockey game. Both sets of bleachers were filled, the crowd split between Blackpine blue and Silvermoon silver. The energy was electric, aggressive, like everyone knew this was more than just hockey.

"You good?" Asher asked, skating up beside me during warm-ups.

"Terrified, but good." I took a shot at the net, missing by a mile. My hands were shaking.

"Hey." He moved closer, his voice low enough that only I could hear. "Remember what we practiced. Stay with me, watch for cross-checks, and don't engage with Sebastian."

"What if he says something?"

"Ignore him. He's trying to get in your head." Asher's eyes flashed gold. "That's my job."

I laughed despite my nerves. "Territorial much?"

"Always."

The ref blew the whistle. Game time.

Dad gave us a final pep talk in the locker room, but I barely heard it. My wolf was awake and restless, sensing danger. When we took the ice for the national anthem, I scanned the Silvermoon bench.

Sebastian stood at the center, his amber eyes locked on me. He smiled.

I looked away.

The puck dropped, and chaos erupted.

Silvermoon played aggressively from the first second. Hard checks, stick work that bordered on illegal, constant pressure. Asher matched them stride for stride, his line dominating possession.

I stayed on the wing, doing exactly what he had taught me. Find open ice, support the play, and don't be a hero.

Then Sebastian checked Asher into the boards so hard the glass rattled.

My wolf surged forward before I could stop it. I was across the ice in seconds, putting myself between them.

"Back off," I growled.

Sebastian's smile widened. "There she is. The protective mate."

"Sierra, move," Asher said, pulling himself up.

"Listen to your alpha, little wolf." Sebastian leaned in close. "Though I have to say, you look good in Blackpine colors. You'd look better in silver."

I shoved him. Hard.

The ref's whistle screamed. "Number twelve, two minutes for roughing!"

"Worth it," I muttered, skating to the penalty box.

Asher looked furious as I passed him. Not at me—at Sebastian. But he couldn't do anything without drawing his own penalty.

I sat in the box, watching Silvermoon score on the power play. One-zero, their lead.

"Stupid," I told myself. "So stupid."

When my penalty ended, Asher was waiting at the bench. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"He hit you."

"He's supposed to hit me. It's hockey." But his anger was fading, replaced by something that looked like pride. "Don't do it again."

"No promises."

The second period was worse. Silvermoon's defense shadowed me everywhere, physical and aggressive. I took hits I wasn't ready for, and ended up on the ice more than I'd like to admit.

But I scored.

Jace passed to Asher, who found me breaking toward the net. I one-timed it past their goalie, top shelf.

The arena exploded. Asher crashed into me in celebration, lifting me off my skates.

"That's my girl," he said against my ear.

The bond flared hot and bright. For a moment, I forgot about the crowd, the game, everything except the feeling of being in his arms.

Then Tyler pulled us apart. "Save it for later, lovebirds. We've got a game to win."

One-one. Tied game.

The third period started with Sebastian taking a penalty for slashing. Power play, our advantage.

We scored. Two-one.

Silvermoon answered thirty seconds later. Two-two.

With five minutes left, the game was still tied and the tension was unbearable. Every shift felt like a battle. The hits got harder, the play more desperate.

Then Sebastian caught me alone in the neutral zone.

"Your boy's getting tired," he said, skating alongside me. "That last shift, he was slow. Sloppy."

"Shut up."

"I wonder what'll happen when I take him down. When I become Blackpine alpha." His voice dropped. "Will you submit to me? Or will I have to break you first?"

I stopped skating. "You're never touching him. Or me."

"We'll see."

He skated away, and I felt it, the vision slamming into me like a freight train.

Ice. Blood. Asher is on his knees. Sebastian was standing over him with a hockey stick raised.

I gasped, nearly falling.

"Sierra!" Asher was there instantly. "What's wrong?"

"Vision. You and Sebastian. He's going to…" The ref blew the whistle, stopping play. "Asher, something bad is going to happen."

"When?"

"I don't know. Soon."

His jaw clenched. "Stay on the bench next shift. Let me handle this."

"No. If I'm not out there…"

"Sierra. Please." His eyes were pure gold now. "I can't focus if I'm worried about you."

I wanted to argue, but Dad was already calling for a line change. Asher skated out, and I sat on the bench, my heart in my throat.

Two minutes left. Still tied.

Silvermoon had possession. Sebastian wound up for a slap shot from the blue line, but instead of shooting at the net, he aimed at Asher.

The puck hit Asher's knee. He went down hard.

The whistle blew. Penalty, but the damage was done. Asher couldn't put weight on his leg.

"Kane, you're done," Dad said. "Get off the ice."

"No." Asher pulled himself up using his stick. "I'm finishing this."

"You can barely stand."

"I said I'm finishing it." The alpha command in his voice left no room for argument.

Dad looked at me. "Sierra, you're in. Stay with him."

I jumped the boards, skating to Asher. "You're an idiot."

"Yeah, well, you're stuck with me." He managed a pained smile. "One last play. Let's make it count."

The faceoff. Asher won it, passing to Jace. The play developed fast, a cross-ice pass, I picked it up at the blue line, skating hard toward the net.

Sebastian stepped into my path.

For a split second, I hesitated. I saw the vision again. The violence waiting to happen.

Then Asher's voice cut through the noise. "Sierra! Shoot!"

I didn't think. Just fired.

The puck sailed past Sebastian, past the goalie's glove, into the top corner.

Goal.

The arena went insane. My team mobbed me, Asher reaching me first despite his injured knee.

"That's my mate," he said, loud enough for everyone to hear.

The crowd's roar changed tone. Shock. Speculation.

I would worry about that later.

We won three-two. Blackpine territory was safe. Sebastian and his pack would have to back off for the rest of the season.

But as we lined up to shake hands, Sebastian grabbed my wrist instead of my hand.

Another vision hit. Stronger this time.

A challenge. Not hockey but real combat. Asher and Sebastian, shifted, tearing each other apart. And standing in the shadows, watching—my mother.

I yanked my hand away, gasping.

"See you soon, little wolf," Sebastian said softly. "This isn't over."

He skated away, leaving me shaking.

Asher limped over, concern etched on his face. "What did you see?"

"He's going to challenge you. For real. To a fight."

"When?"

"I don't know. But Asher, my mom was there. In the vision. Watching." I looked up at him. "Why would my mom be at a pack challenge?"

Before he could answer, Dad's voice cut through the celebration.

"Sierra. We need to talk. Now."

He looked worried, and standing beside him was my mother. She wasn't in her scrubs. She was dressed in clothes I'd never seen before—leather and dark fabric that screamed pack, not human.

And her eyes, which I had always thought were blue, flashed amber.

"Mom?" I whispered.

"I lied," she said quietly. "About the suppressants. About everything. I'm not Blackpine pack, Sierra."

Asher went rigid beside me. "What pack are you?"

Mom's face was torn between guilt and resignation.

"Silvermoon. I'm Sebastian's sister. And he knows exactly what Sierra is, because I told him."

My mother had betrayed us.