Frozen Fangs: Rivals on Ice

The United Center was loud and shaking with energy. Almost 20,000 fans were shouting as the Vancouver Grizzlies played against the Calgary Flames in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals.Alex Thorne held his hockey stick tight. His heart was beating fast. This game meant everything. If they won, they would go to the Stanley Cup Finals. It was also for his late father, who never got that chance.Alex was only 24, but he already played like a star. His black hair was wet under his helmet, and his green eyes were focused on the puck. Some of his tattoos showed under his sleeves, marks of the hard life and battles he had fought.The puck dropped. Instantly, the ice turned into chaos.Alex grabbed the puck and skated fast. Left, then right. He dodged two Flames defenders like they were nothing.But then someone blocked his path.Jake Harlow.Jake was Calgary’s best defender and Alex’s biggest problem in the whole series. He was tall and powerful, about six-foot-three, with dark hair and

The road through the mountains of Whistler was dark and quiet.Alex’s truck climbed the narrow road toward Jake’s cabin. Pine trees surrounded the road like tall shadows, and the sky was full of bright stars.Alex’s heart was beating fast.He had told his teammates he was going to the gym late. That was a lie.The truth was much stranger.He was driving to see Jake Harlow.A vampire.The word still sounded crazy in his head. But Jake’s kiss, his voice, the way he looked at him—Alex couldn’t forget any of it.The CabinA warm yellow light glowed from the cabin windows.Alex walked up the wooden steps and knocked.The door opened.Jake stood there shirtless, wearing loose sweatpants. His dark hair was messy, and his blue eyes immediately locked on Alex.“You came,” Jake said quietly.Alex laughed nervously. “Yeah… I couldn’t stay away.”Jake stepped aside to let him in.Inside, the cabin felt warm and cozy. A fire burned in the stone fireplace. Hockey sticks and old jerseys hung on the

The message from the league arrived like a hard hit on open ice.Both Alex and Jake were ordered to appear at the NHL headquarters in Toronto. The building stood tall and shining in the center of the city—glass walls, security everywhere, reporters already waiting outside.Alex flew in from Vancouver, staring out the plane window the whole flight. His neck still tingled where Jake had bitten him. A strange energy ran through his body, like he had more strength than before.Jake arrived on a separate flight to keep up the appearance that they were still just rivals.But they texted constantly.Alex: I can still feel your bite.Jake: Suite door will be open tonight.The Media StormOutside the league building, cameras flashed as soon as they arrived.Reporters crowded around them.“Jake! Witnesses say your strength at the gala looked impossible!”“Alex! Why were you defending Harlow? Are you two fighting or friends?”Jake stayed calm, his expression smooth and confident.“Old rivalry st

The league finally made its decision.At a press conference in Vancouver, officials stood behind microphones while cameras flashed nonstop.“Both players have passed all medical tests,” one executive said. “They are cleared to play. However, they will remain under league observation.”The statement exploded across sports media.Outside the arena, crowds argued loudly. Some fans held signs that said “Vamp Out!” while others waved Grizzlies flags and fake plastic fangs.Inside the locker room, things were quieter.Alex walked in wearing sunglasses to hide the faint silver shine in his eyes. Conversations stopped for a moment.Then his coach walked over and slapped his shoulder.“Just win games,” the coach said. “That shuts people up.”His teammate Brody pulled him into a quick hug.“Whatever you are now,” Brody whispered, “we still need your goals.”Alex smiled.“Don’t worry,” he said. “I’m not going anywhere.”Secret PracticeThe league arranged a private joint practice at a smaller ri

Snow buried the mountains around Jake’s cabin deep in the wilderness of British Columbia. The storm outside erased roads and tracks, leaving the world quiet and distant.Inside the cabin, the fire burned bright.After Victor Kane’s viral accusations, the league had paused everything. News shows debated nonstop about whether two NHL players could really be vampires.But up in the mountains, Alex and Jake focused on survival.Learning the New LifeAlex spent his days testing what his new body could do.He could cross the cabin in a blur faster than a human eye could follow. He lifted heavy logs like they weighed nothing. His hearing caught the sound of snow falling off distant branches outside.Jake watched carefully.“Control matters more than power,” Jake told him. “Power is easy. Discipline keeps you human.”The thirst was harder.At first Alex used the blood bags Jake kept hidden in the cabin freezer. Later Jake took him hunting under the moonlight in the snowy forest.Alex’s first